MxMIndia

Category: Digital

  • Arun Tadanki quits Yahoo! India to play a "very different role within the Internet ecosystem, beyond our region"

    Yahoo! India and Southeast Asia MD, Arun Tadanki resigns

    By Devina Sengupta

     

    Arun Tadanki, Managing Director, India & Southeast Asia for Yahoo! resigned on Saturday. However, he will remain with the company till June to oversee the transition said the company. Mr Tadanki has been with the internet giant for the last three years and has been credited for driving a six-fold growth of Yahoo! mobile-users in India.

     

    “I truly enjoyed my stay at Yahoo! and I wish Yahoo! the very best in future. It was an enriching experience and I will really miss the wonderful team of talented professionals at Yahoo!,” stated Mr Tadanki in a release.

     

    “Having worked for 11 years in CEO roles for APAC/ Emerging Markets regions at multinational Internet companies, I am looking forward to playing a very different role within the Internet ecosystem, beyond our region,” said Mr Tadanki.

     

    Globally the company has been going under drastic restructuring after it brought in Google’s top brass Marissa Mayer as its CEO to revitalise the firm Often named as one of the top young leader in corporate India, Mr Tadanki played a pivotal role in starting the editorial operation of the search engine in India and managed to deliver a 15-fold jump in its traffic.

     

    “Under Arun’s leadership, Yahoo! India has seen impressive growth both in terms of users and advertising, outpacing the market,” stated a company spokesperson. Prior to Yahoo!, he worked with recruitment portal, Monster.com as President, Asia Pacific and Middle East.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Madison Media will handle the media planning and buying for MagicBricks.com from their Delhi offices

    Madison Media wins Magicbricks account

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison Media has just announced the win of the MagicBricks.com account in a multi agency pitch. Madison Media will handle the media planning and buying for MagicBricks.com from their Delhi offices.

     

    MagicBricks.com provides a platform for property buyers and sellers to locate properties of interest and source information on the real estate space in a clear and transparent process. With in-depth analysis and revolutionary next-gen services customized specifically to address the needs of property seekers and the real estate industry, MagicBricks.com is the leader in online real estate in India.

     

    MagicBricks.com was launched by Times Business Solutions Limited, part of The Times of India Group, in August 2006. With over 8,000,000 listings from across the country, MagicBricks is the biggest online property marketplace in the country.

     

    Madison Media has recently won a host of new businesses including Ruchi Soya, Max India’s corporate account, Cafe Coffee Day, Radikal Rice and Crompton Greaves.

     

    Basabdutta Chowdhury, CEO, Platinum Media, said, “We are delighted with this new win and confident about taking MagicBricks.com to great heights and are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership.”

     

    Sudhir Pai, Business Head, MagicBricks.com, said, “We sought a partner who could match our speed and could scale operations with the agility that the internet space demand – a partner who shares our values and can understand our business and brands, providing turnkey differentiated media solutions. Madison was an obvious choice for the same.”

     

  • With the new campaign "Fashion Nikla Mann Fisla", Jabong.com hopes to capture the attention of the fashion-conscious shopper

    Draftfcb Ulka creates new temptation for Jabong

    By A Correspondent

     

    Jabong.com, the fashion and lifestyle portal has unveiled their new multi-media campaign on 22nd February. Draftfcb Ulka, the communication and strategy partner conceptualized and executed the campaign. With the new campaign “Fashion Nikla Mann Fisla”, Jabong.com hopes to capture the attention of the fashion conscious shopper looking for a one-stop shop and an unparalleled shopping experience. The behavioral insight behind the campaign is that the shopaholic youth of today prioritize their shopping needs over all else.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7y00QXefFs[/youtube]

    Research indicates that consumers generally shop on a whim and do not plan out their purchases. While in the act, they happily submit to the enchanting world of shopping, not letting after-effects play spoil sport. This insightful take on human behaviour will resonate with consumers and help in transforming Jabong.com from a cold and functional area of fashion into a human area.

     

    The campaign created by Draftfcb Ulka, shows situations where the protagonists prioritize their shopping needs over other important situations. This brilliantly elucidates the allegory of Jabong.com being a ‘temptation island’ of latest trends and styles, where the consumer will be selfish for his shopping needs and prioritize them over all else.

     

    Sanjay Sharma, Group Creative Director, Draftfcb Ulka, said, “The main objective of the new campaign is to differentiate Jabong.com in the crowded online shopping business while at the same time establishing its supremacy in the space of trends, styles and all things fashion. When it comes to the youth, there is a certain selfishness associated with shopping and we wanted to bring out this prioritization of shopping over all else in our campaign in a tongue-in-cheek manner which will resonate with our target audience.”

     

    Explaining how the campaign will differentiate Jabong.com from its competitors, Sridhar Iyer, Senior Vice President, Draftfcb Ulka, said, “I believe that this campaign will help develop a definitive identity to the brand. Jabong.com has taken a different path than its competition by focusing on the shopper and his shopaholic attitude towards shopping; while the competition communication remains around making the online shopping process easier.”

     

    Ranging from popular television channels, to print, outdoor and online, the 360-degree campaign endeavors to maximize this objective at various touch points.

     

    Credits:

    Client: Jabong.com

    Agency: Draftfcb Ulka

    National Creative Director: KS Chakravarthy (Chax)

    Group Creative Director: Sanjay Sharma

    Creative Team: Abhijeet Ray, Thupten Londhen, Indrani Vohra, Somil Bhatia

    Client Servicing: Sanjay Tandon, Sridhar Iyer, Akshatha Bhat, Varun Tanwar, Vidushi Goyal

    Planning: Sidharth Grover

    Films: Alpa Jobalia, Mazhar Khan

    Production house: Storytellers

    Director: Arun Gopalan

     

  • Franklin Templeton becomes India's first mutual fund brand to be featured on Facebook Studio

    Franklin Templeton features on Facebook Studio

    By A Correspondent

     

    Headquartered in USA, Franklin Templeton is one of the leading investment management organisations in India and on Social Media, having managed to secure leadership in the social media space through their presence on various platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIN. Their Franklin Templeton’s Children’s Day campaign has now been featured in Facebook Studio. Facebook Studio is known to feature campaigns from leading global brands like Pentacle, Nissan, Ogilvy, etc. Franklin Templeton’s CSR initiative with the Children’s Day campaign ran through the month of November in 2012 and focused on highlighting the work Akanksha Foundation is doing towards the development of under privileged children.

     

    Social Wavelength drove the entire campaign on Facebook and a call to action ‘Is there a Teacher in you’ was pitched. Akanksha received an overwhelming and encouraging response through the special app that was development on their Facebook page. In the duration of the campaign, Franklin Templeton’s Facebook page fan base increased to 20,446 and the likes hiked to 28,086 through 23 customized posts, images and stories.

     

    Speaking on behalf of Social Wavelength, Mihir Karkare, Co-founder and VP, Social Wavelength said, “Children’s Day was a brilliant initiative by Franklin Templeton and we were pleased and honoured to take it to the next level. We are thrilled that the campaign has now been featured in Facebook Studio. The fact that the campaign has received such accolades in the social media space proves that a brilliantly executed innovative idea can create a social media success story.”

     

  • Google glasses, iWatch… what's the shape and form of technology of the future? Gowthaman 'G'man' Ragothaman gives us a sneak peek

    Technology, wearable and how!

     

     

    Mindshare’s “Original Thinker Series” is a series of thought pieces and PoVs from Mindshare on a range of subjects. These cover topics like digital trends, innovation and new platforms and products in the media and technology, to name a few. To subscribe or find out more, please mail Shruti Dixit (shruti.dixit@mindshareworld.com).

     

    By Gowthaman Ragothaman

     

    Apple has already transformed two industries: music and computing. Now, as the company reportedly attempts the redefinition of the watch – one of man’s oldest pieces of technology – the next phase of the techno revolution is hoving into clear view: welcome to the age of “wearable tech”, with a gadget available to cater to your every need. Inevitably nicknamed the iWatch, the Apple device, on which the company is characteristically not commenting, has the tech world in a frenzy of sci-fi speculation. But the internet revolution seems to have largely bypassed the watch, until now.

     

    Apple reportedly has 100 employees looking at the device that will take advantage of recent developments in high tech curved glass, cheaper sensors and better voice recognition software. The company will want to make a splash. Especially as arch-rival Google has its own “smart watch” in development and is already testing Google Glass, web-connected specs.

     

    Google co-founder Sergey Brin was recently snapped on the New York subway wearing the glasses and looking like a tourist in town for the marathon. Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook too are watching developments and have their own plans. Last year analyst Forrester issued a report describing wearable computing as “the new platform war”.

     

    “Most of all, an Apple iWatch will immediately make the behaviour of wearing your tech acceptable, just like Siri created a new social norm of talking to your phone like it’s a person,” said Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst at Forrester Tech analyst.

     

    Juniper Research estimates that wearable computing will generate $800m (£500m) in revenue this year and $1.5bn in 2014. Annual unit sales of wearable computers will rise from15m this year to 70m by 2017. IMS research has claimed that wearable technology market will be worth $6bn by 2015.

     

    Watch out for Smart Watches

    Meanwhile, others have already blazed a trail for smart watches.

     

    Pebble, a smart watch company, raised a record $10.26m from funding site Kickstarter last year. The watch will link to iPhones and devices running Google’s Android mobile program, letting you know who is calling, taking text messages and showing emails. It will also run new apps, such as acting as a bike computer for cyclists.

     

    Former Apple CEO John Sculley and business partner Sonny Vu have a new venture called Misfit Wearables that has developed an activity tracker that will send all your data to your favoured device. Sculley has been mentoring healthcare experts in recent years, one of many Silicon Valley stars increasingly interested in the intersection between health and technology. Vu is an entrepreneur who thinks a lot about how a well-designed mobile device can affect health. As a cofounder of the medical-device company AgaMatrix, he created the first FDA-approved glucose sensor that plugs into an iPhone; it hit Apple stores this month under the brand name iBGStar. The company raised $7.6 million this year from prominent investors, including Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and VinodKhosla, following seed investment from the Cambridge incubator IncTank Ventures. Vu says he’s even been invited to brief Bill Gates, who-like other technology leaders-is seeking to understand when, and how, computers will become wearable.

     

    Governments around the world are pouring money into wearable tech. US soldiers in Afghanistan have been testing a device called the shoulder worn acoustic targeting system (SWATS), developed by British tech firm QinetiQ, that can pinpoint the exact location of gunfire and display it on a small screen attached to a soldier’s body armour. Devices are also being used to monitor soldiers’ health, such as their hydration levels, and to augment their vision. Many of these technologies are likely to filter down to civilian life.

     

    Britain’s Cambridge Temperature Concepts has developed a portable fertility monitor that can measure a woman’s body temperature 20,000 times a day at a precision of a thousandth of a degree.

     

    Apps are in development that will monitor for heart attacks and strokes – wearable tech could soon be like possessing a portable doctor. Earlier this week, Under Armour officially unveiled Armour39, its next generation of wearable technology. Armour39 is an athletic performance monitoring system that measures “what matters most: WILLpower”. WILLpower is Under Armour’s proprietary measurement for how hard an athlete pushes him or herself during a workout on a scale of 1-10, taking into account heart rate, calories burned and past performances, among other things.

     

    Amid all the technology-driven excitement, privacy advocates are increasingly concerned. Watchdog group Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is compiling a report on the safety of data generated from mobile devices. Director Beth Givens warns that people need to be very careful about the ways in which they adopt the technology. “You need to read their privacy policy. Quite a lot of these companies just plain don’t have one. There is always an issue with secondary users of the data. Who else is seeing this? Employers? Insurance companies?” she says. Much of this data will be stored in the “cloud” – streaming to remote servers, which Givens warns, “are not inherently secure”.

     

    And this is just the start. Google’s glasses will potentially be watching your every move.

     

    Gowthaman Ragothaman is CEO South and South East Asia, Mindshare

     


     

    9 trends to watch out for
     

    1. Watches enjoy a renaissance as accessories

    A host of connected smart watches will emerge in 2013, with the phone becoming a new digital hub in this “personal body network”. Media poster child Pebble will be the tipping point for early adopters, while MuteWatch 2.0 looks likely to push functionality to new levels. But creators face tough product choices between form and functionality, making 2013 the most interesting year in watches for decades. Meta Watch, for example, has taken the path of following form instincts, while Basis chases a pure functionality route. For the past 80 years form has won – will 2013 turn things in the other direction for watches? Smart-watch makers could stumble on a killer app?

     

    2. Functional jewelry as armbands takes off

    The functional arm and wristbands pioneered by Nike FuelBand and Jawbone Up are setting a powerful trend and sidestepping the functional and aesthetic legacy of wristwatches. A flood of new wristbands is emerging such as Disney World’s Magic Band, which stores guest information and acts as ticket, room key, ride pass and more. The smartest bands will track a user’s pulse, sleep patterns and more, helping to paint a holistic picture of wellness. However, a high degree of style will become increasingly important as functionality becomes standardized. Luxury brands like Vertu will create iPhone accessories costing far more than any phone. But flexible or curved ultra-bright OLED screens remain in the lab for another year. Luxury brands might enter the functional armband space with Waterproof designs & Wrist-based pulse sensors

     

    3. Audio wearables shape luxury electronics

    Prominent headphones have become a must-have accessory of the street-smart digerati, while in-ear systems are also pushing looks and fidelity to new levels. Now the pre-existing luxury brands are taking notice of these shifts. But changing the distribution landscape will be a challenge, and the traditional pure audio brands will start to feel the squeeze. New high-end edgy brands like Monster, Jawbone and Parrot are shaping the market, while Logitech UE will continue to make a dent with a great price/quality/style ratio. The high margins of a luxury product, combined with niche tech desirability will be the goal with luxury brands marketing themselves in the electronics sector? Will the breadth of the $250+ headsets grow?

     

    4. Sensors will connect our everyday objects

    Retrofitting smartness into everyday objects is one of the most fascinating trends we will be living through. It’s where the Internet of Things and wearable technology converge. The beauty of this is that it gives users the power to decide which objects should be made smart, and developers can create the optimal software to track it: keys, a jacket – even your car. Pill-shaped, cube-shaped and stickers will be typical form factors. The Nike+ sensor pills were simply the “Neanderthal” stage of this development. Bluetooth 4.0 is a crucial enabler, taking everyday objects into a new world. Pioneering telecom companies to launch early solutions. Value to be unlocked in visualizing data based on objects around us.

     

    5. Wearables get dressed up

    The Fitbit Zip and Misfit Shine are the first generation of transformational wearables that can be “dressed” with covers and ornamentation. We’ll see this trend rapidly extend to more products: for example, footwear covers for bicycling, or watertight wristband covers for swimming, as well as styledriven covers for social situations. Initially the covers will be non functional, but eventually they will inform the wearable inside, enabling instant adaptation of sensor software. We will see covers become more valuable than the sensors they encase. Hobbyists produce covers for online sale. Jewellery partnerships for style covers emerge.

     

    6. Sensor platform wars begin in the bedroom

    The quantified self-movement is the living lab of the wearables business, with thousands of personal guinea pigs tracking everything in their lives. Owning a personal data platform is seen as a strategic control point, but monetization remains unclear. There is the question of who owns the habit-creating interface. Withings’ smart scale has moved into the bedroom, aiming to shape daily habits and becoming a clear trendsetter here. My data, and how can it be used, remains in flux, as handsets strive to gather ever richer levels of information. How are proprietary platforms of Nike, Fitbit and Withings opening up to developers? Will platforms like Evernote create Evernote Life? Can open source platforms gain momentum in time? Will we see context-aware phones in the second half of 2013?

     

    7. Apps make wearables’ data actionable

    Wearables will also begin to disrupt app development. This has already started with fitness apps, and is set to branch out to life recording and social features. And although users may perceive the cloud and the PC interface as mainly a passive back up for their data, these will also become crucial for community data analysis and social media enablement. Development platforms are now mature, and will soon provide additional sensors for data collection. The phone becomes the new digital hub, as its bigger canvas allows for more personality and a bigger overview, and high-resolution screens help enable rich data visualizations. Will Jawbone UP app overhaul? Will popular apps get sensor front ends (home sensors, scales, bike pods). Will leading app creators like RunKeeper create own line of wearables to increase loyalty? Will Facebook come to you, on a wearable?

     

    8. Sensors in labs reveal our souls

    Sensor development is exploding in labs and startups around the world. For example, the Muse headband provides a realtime view of the brain emotionally shaping your e-mails, while the Vibe necklace shows your stress levels – and these are just the beginning. We will see 6-axis and 9-axis accelerometers. New forms of wrist based pulse sensors will make pulse reading an everyday thing. Hacks of favorite objects will emerge in new forms like Oyster card rings. These are providing inspiration for the future and most importantly they are simply ideal platforms for learning. How will the ear be used as a sensor hub? Will we see the first flexible display? Will we change our habits from 5,000 readings per second?

     

    9. Google glass becomes a social transformer

    Transforming sunglasses from a fashion accessory into a functional interface will herald a social revolution. Google’s decision to build Project Glass “in public” is a brave one, as changing consumer perceptions will take years. That’s partly because the intimacy of an embedded user interface transforms all our perceptions of privacy. We can’t assume that everyone will readily accept being recorded all the time, or will welcome the idea of an interface between them and the world at every point. Hopefully Google will have the patience to persevere, while inviting early adopters to participate in 2013 should steer Project Glass in new creative directions. What will be the reactions from the earliest adopters? What will be the direction, size and profile of the privacy movement? What will be the user behaviour around recording and recollection. How will developers respond? How will Luxottica react? Some of the key companies/startups/organisations to watch out for are: Pebble, MetaWatch, Basis, Jawbone Up, MagicBand, Monster, Parrot, Logitech, Fitbit Zip (living healthier and fitter lives), Misfit Shine, Withings, Finis (Data tracking Swimming) &Impire (Sensor technology in Football)

     
  • When social media commentators reacted to an anomaly in a digitally released version of the Mahindra SUV TVC, the company was quick to rectify the error and gained brownie points among the online community

    Fast company: Mahindra acts on digital feedback

    By A Correspondent

     

    Social media is quick on the draw, and companies have to be on the ball to respond equally fast. A good case in point is that of the Mahindra SUV TVC.

     

    Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) recently launched its new television commercial for its premium SUV model, the XUV500. The television commercial reinforces its brand positioning of ‘May your life be full of stories’. Based on the experiences of three young friends who embark on a journey, together, the ad is set in South Africa. A two-minute uncut version of the television commercial was first premiered on the digital platform for fans & digital communities. When it first premiered on the digital platform, the XUV500 was shown with an Indian number plate against a South African backdrop. Among conversations in social media, this was seen as an anomaly. Mahindra made a conscious effort to listen & act on the feedback swiftly by changing the license plates to a South African number through a very specialized process. The change and acceptance of customer feedback was appreciated by the digital community and fans.

     

    It struck the right chord with Facebook fans and the YouTube community, already crossing more than 2.6 million views on YouTube.

     

    Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd said, “This new communication is based on the consumer insight that, new experiences are the new wealth in today’s world. Being rich is not about money alone, with ‘ memorable experiences ‘ becoming the new currency. The idea was to create an aspiration among consumers to go on exciting road trips where the XUV500 can play an enabling role in the fulfillment of its brand promise of “May your life be full of stories”. The new television commercial of the XUV500 has been successful in creating a connect and aspiration for the next generation of car & SUV buyers who are seeking new experiences in their lives.”

     

    Mr Nayer told MxMIndia, “We give our social media communities special privilege for the exclusive preview of the new TV advertisements. Also on TV a two-minute version becomes very costly to air, so we use the digital platform to promote the longer version of the TV ad. In keep with same principle a two-minute uncut version of the television commercial was first premiered on the digital platform for the exclusive viewing of fans & digital communities.”

     

    However, they did not have to reshoot the complete advertisement. The license plates were changed in the advertisement to a South African number plate using a specialized process called rotoscopy. “The task was very challenging as it involved changing of the number plate frame by frame in every shot of the video, synchronizing it with the surroundings and adjusting the colour, ,” said Mr Nayer. The cost of doing this, he said, was less than what a re-shootw would have amounted to.

     

    Credits

    Ad Agency – Interface Communications

    Production House – Chrome Films

     

  • A recent review by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has shown that over 55% digitization target has been achieved in 38 cities, set for digitization by March 31 2013

    55% digitization target achieved in Phase II cities: MIB

    By A Correspondent

     

    As per the data received from the DTH operators and the MSOs, as on 22.02.2013, a total of 87.7 lakh Set Top Boxes (STBs) have already been installed in Phase II cities against the target of 1.60 crore, registering an achievement of 55 percent digitization. Out of a total of 87.7 lakh, DTH connections accounted for 40.7 lakh, whereas cable STBs accounted for 47.0 lakh.

     

    A release from the ministry said that it has been constantly monitoring preparedness for the implementation of digital addressable cable TV system in 38 cities of Phase II, where cable TV will undergo digital transition by 31.03.2013.

     

    The Ministry has set up a Task Force exclusively for Phase II cities to oversee and monitor the digitization process in Phase II. A public awareness Committee has also been constituted in the Ministry for spearheading awareness campaign in Phase II. As part of the awareness initiative, all television channels have started to run a scroll, informing consumers about the deadline for cable TV digitization. All India Radio has also started broadcasting of the radio jingles on its National and regional networks for creating public awareness. Several other initiatives like SMS campaign, video spots and print advertisements etc. are on the anvil. The State Governments/UTs have already nominated nodal officers in 38 cities of Phase II. Ministry had recently conducted a workshop for them. It has been planned to organize a second workshop shortly to take stock of preparedness in Phase II cities. A regional workshop was also held recently at Bangalore to sensitize local MSOs, Cable operators and other stake holders.

     

    The Ministry had set up a Control Room during Phase I, which has continued to function to address the queries of consumers, cable operators and others. The Control Room, which also has a toll-free number, has been receiving a number of calls from consumers of Phase II cities.

     

    In order to facilitate cable TV digitization in 38 cities of Phase II, the Ministry has already issued provisional registration to 30 Independent MSOs to operate in Phase II cities. This would enable these MSOs to operate in their respective cities to provide digital cable TV services.

     

  • YouSpeak allows users to express their views/ opinions via a 30-sec comment on any topic on Firstpost.com and to start a conversation of their choice

    Firstpost.com launches interactive, video views platform

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading news and views portal Firstpost.com has launched a new interactive, video views platform, YouSpeak. The platform allows users to express their views/ opinions via a 30-second comment on any topic on Firstpost.com and also allows them to start a conversation of their choice. A user has to login with their Twitter or Facebook credentials because this experience unlike text commenting cannot remain anonymous.

     

    The product experience involves 3 parts:

    1) The Firstpost video comment – where Firstpost editors/writers spend a minute or two explaining their stance on a topic.

     

    2) Viewers can Reply to every one of these voices by simply hitting the reply button below the video. Firstpost detects if one has a webcam and records a 30-sec view, allowing users to preview and re-record as many times as they want to. Viewers can then submit their view with a headline and description. Post review it is published on the site and users are alerted through email.

     

    3) Participants can also start any discussion that they wish by turning on the recorder and simply hitting record. These views are also published upon preview.

     

    Said Durga Raghunath, VP-Products and Executive News Producer, “Firstpost, was conceptualized as a platform of relentless views, on all the issues that were of interest to a growing digital and social audience. Over close to two years now, we’ve fulfilled this promise through text, images, and as much interaction as a digital newsroom could put out. We’ve always felt that the digital editorial must find a video form and be treated as an important a pillar of Firstpost and hence the launch of YouSpeak. We are enormously excited because we see it as a democratic platform through which anyone can broadcast a view.”

     

  • Sony Music Jive enables consumers to download and stream music for free

    Sony Music launches Music Jive

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Music has partnered with the new range of Sony Xperia Smartphones to launch ‘Sony Music Jive’ – music service that allows consumers to download and stream music from the Sony Music Catalog of two million songs, for free. Sony Music will look at innovations like premiering content exclusively for Sony Xperia customers for streaming and download.

     

    To meet the increasing demand for easy and legitimate access to music, Sony Music India has launched its Sony Music Jive service. Differentiating itself from Nokia Music Unlimited store (offers only download), Saavn (streaming only) and iTunes (consumer paid download), Sony Music Jive allows Xperia consumers to download and stream music for free.

     

    Shridhar Subramaniam, President Sony India and Middle East, said, “Sony Music Jive is our foray into directly engaging with consumer by offering them a compelling digital music service. We have been doing a number of digital innovations and the launch of this new hybrid application is another such. I am confident that with Sony Music Jive, the Xperia handsets would be a preferred choice for the customers as it gives them and unmatched offering of songs and an easy and legal access to the global catalogue of Sony Music.”

     

    Kenichiro Hibi, Managing Director, Sony India, added, “We are excited to partner with Sony Music for the all new Sony Music Jive. Indian consumers are very passionate about music and we feel this compelling service will be huge reason for customers to choose our new range of exciting Xperia Smartphones. We have always been associated with making quality phones and this partnership allows us to leverage our strengths with our group company. This app fits in very well with our brand image of offering a great musical experience to our customers.”

     

  • GK Suresh of ITC Foods in an extract fm Simplify360's ebook,Predictive Analytics 2013:The future of social media

    How social media can reveal the mystery of brand loyalty

     

    G.K Suresh – General Manager, ITC Foods

     

    Let’s face it. Customers are no longer loyal or rather they are loyal but to brands that understand and engage with them in the new world. The messages carried by the advertisements are no longer compelling. For years, brands were able to suppress the consumers’ voice. But now, all it takes is a Tweet or a Facebook update from an irate customer and the world knows about it. Honesty has become most brands’ top priority.

     

    Maintaining brand loyalty has suddenly become the biggest challenge. Moreover, the entire concept of loyalty is vague. All thanks to Facebook, where one person is interacting with several competing brands, all at once. In such a scenario, traditional branding exercises are no longer effective in getting the attention of customers. This is further complicated by the variety of devices where such micro eco-systems exist.

     

    This is the result of the digital convergence of culture, business and economy into bits and bytes. So, this is where lie not only the challenges but also huge opportunities for brands to understand their customers. Digging into the wealth of social media data, brands can today discover consumer insights like never before.

     

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Having taken the corporate world by storm, social media today is today spreading its wings far and wide and is no longer just a casual hangout for users. The possibilities that it offers are endless, and it’s been proven beyond doubt that social media is no longer a fad. It means serious business for brands. But with this realization there is also the truth – about enterprises not being equipped with right tools and human resources to leverage social media.Simplify360, a firm that enables organizations to effectively implement social media concepts into core business functions, has released an e-book titled ‘Predictive Analytics 2013: The future of social media.’ The study saw the firm connect with different professionals active in the field of social analytics and learn from them about the future of social media. The book is an attempt by Simplify360 to reach out to the experts in the social media field in order to learn the meaning of what predictive analytics meant in social media and its role in the future of social media.

     

    Predictive analytics has been around for a long time and slowly these analytic tools are finding their way into the marketing and social media arenas. What predictive analytics does is use behavioural data from past to predict how individuals will behave in the future. Some of the experts who have contributed in the book include Ajay Kelkar of Hansa Cequity, GK Suresh of ITC Foods, Ankita Gaba of Social Samosa, Bhupendra Khanal of Simplify360 and the others. MxMIndia presents extracts of the article by GK Suresh who has written on ‘How Social Media can reveal the mystery of brand loyalty’.

     

    There are 4 steps to understanding customer insights through social media:

    # Find out what people are talking about and why

    # Find out who is talking and influencing the crowd

    # Use this intelligence to optimize your brand’s message to impact in real-time.

    # Measure your interaction and influence of the messages and optimize them.

     

    One brand that has successfully utilized the above steps is Bingo! with the launch of Bingo! Tangles on Facebook. With over 3 million fans, Facebook offered Bingo! a great window into understanding consumers conversations. Consumers use these forums to talk about their likes & dislikes and welcome new information on product as they find it appetizing, tempting &satisfies their need for variety. Consequently we decided to launch the new Bingo Tangles first on Facebook and give a chance to loyal Bingo! fans to discover the product and also taste it before it hit the market. A teaser contest was created for Facebook fans which encouraged them to decipher the brand name and the winners could taste the product before it was made available in the market. Thousands of fans participated in the contest and packs of Bingo Tangles were sent to the winners. This campaign helped us connect with the brand advocates and also use Facebook as a launch platform for various other brands.

     

    Data is a vital raw material for building the business infrastructure in the information age. Brands that can put systems in place to access, process and utilize the data will be the most successful in connecting with the customers and influence their decisions.

     

    The key idea behind customer loyalty is customer retention. There are already different programs, which   businesses employ like reward programs, referral programs and 1-to-1 marketing campaigns to ensure that customers stay with the brand. But social networks are taking over these programs in terms of gaining a deeper relationship with the brand.

     

    There are 3 ways to use social media data to improve and make social programs much more effective:

     

    1. The Brand should genuinely care

    When you embark on the social media journey, be prepared to respond to negative as well as positive feedback and genuinely do something about consumer problems. On the Aashirvaad Multigrains Facebook page one of the fan brought to our notice unavailability of Aashirvaad Multigrains atta in her area. We used this info to investigate the issue with our sales team and figured out that there was an issue with the sales person operational in that area. Action was taken immediately and we called back the consumer to validate that her problem had been addressed.we figured out that this was an issue due to the sales person operational in that area. Thus listening to a single fan, who was representing a cluster of consumers in that region, we were able to resolve issues faced by many such consumers in that region.

     

    2. Engage without losing focus on your brands

    Many times the focus on the content posted on Social Media platform goes to extremes. Either it is too generic or it is too brand centric. There should be a proper balance.

     

    3. Brands have to learn to converse with consumers as equals

    Brands are too used to speaking to consumers from a position of authority & knowledge and not as a friend. But today brands need to learn to converse with the consumers on equal terms & be seen as an enabler.

     

    The key thing is to do it without compromising on the brand “personality”. Hence the voice of Bingo! is more youthful & contemporary; the voice for Aashirvaad is always joyful & optimistic while that of Kitchens of India is authentic & welcoming.

     

    So we now know why and how social media can help decipher the mystery of brand loyalty. But the last portion and the most vital one, is to understand how to measure this in social media. There are 4 factors, which one must consider while looking into brand loyalty in social media:

     

    1. First of all, what are customers talking about your brand and how? What are their attitudes and sentiments towards your brand? What is their feeling towards your brand? Are they neutral, friendly, hostile or ignorant? This helps brand not only understand the emotion but also map them along the brand attributes and identify the missing bits.

     

    2. Secondly, to understand the emotional connection between a customer and your brand and measuring the strength of the bond. Most often an out-burst by a customer is temporary, and can be mitigated easily. Hence, identifying such customers is vital. Many a times the reverse is true as well. There was once a complaint on Facebook by a consumer on the quality of Atta. Before we could begin to address the problem, 3 other consumers had responded asking the fan to check the storage conditions at the outlet of purchase as well as her kitchen.

     

    3. Thirdly understand that the customer is likely to buy more than one segment of products from the brand. This sends much a stronger signal of loyalty.

     

    4. And finally, know which platforms are more effective in communicating with the customer. Email, Social Networks, Mobile, TV, Tablets and the list goes on. The avenues where customers are present are wide. Hence identifying the top engaging platforms and optimizing them is vital.

     

    Mining social data and building your decision systems on top of it is the secret of successful customer retention. The main goal is to make an emotional connection with the customer in each interaction to increase referrals, retention and acquisition.

     

  • Digital marketing consulting firm Convonix will align with Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) in India

    Publicis Groupe acquires Convonix

    By A Correspondent

     

    Publicis Groupe has announced the acquisition of Mumbai-based digital marketing consulting firm Convonix. Convonix will align with Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) in India. This transaction brings together two complementary organisations – Convonix’s strength in Search, Social and Analytics combined with Starcom’s strength in Media strategy creates a unique offering for the burgeoning digital marketing space in India and expands Convonix’s geographical presence in India to Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai besides Mumbai. This news follows a number of recent acquisitions announced by Publicis Groupe in India and fortifies its position as India’s largest digital marketing operation.

     

    Founded in 2003, Convonix has evolved from being the Search Engine Optimization organization in India to becoming an Integrated Digital Marketing Solutions provider, and currently employs over 200 internet marketing specialists serving clients such as Taj Hotels, Reliance Industries, Kotak Mahindra Group, Club Mahindra, Kodak, Aditya Birla Group among others. Convonix has a strong international footprint with over 60% of its business coming from overseas. Convonix has also recently developed a proprietary in-house brand monitoring and social listening platform called IrisTrack which enables clients to gather market insight on their products and competitors and also engage customers online to improve their customer service.

     

    The three founding members: Vishal Sampat, CEO; Sarfaraz Khimani, co-COO; and Pallav Jain, co-COO, will continue to lead the agency. Convonix will sit within SMG and will operate as SMG Convonix, with two market-facing brands: SMG Digital and Convonix.

     

    “As the first SEO organisation in India, Convonix has continued to innovate and build the very best digital capability whilst being highly respected for its ability to recruit the best talent from universities each year, and transform them into digital advertising experts through a rigorous training program,” said Laura Desmond, Global Chief Executive Officer for Starcom MediaVest Group, adding, “combined with our existing talent in the market, this deal strengthens our offering to ensure we are the market leaders in digital.”

     

    Year-on-year, Convonix has increased revenues on average 66 percent since 2008. According to the latest ZenithOptimedia adspend forecast, Search Marketing continues to expand rapidly in India and is forecast to increase 35% in the region during 2013, and more than 70% in the next two years.

     

    Vishal Sampat, CEO for Convonix, said, “We have built our reputation by focusing on talent, training, technology and performance, and doing so has enabled us to rapidly evolve with the consumer. Aligning with SMG gives us global scale and a more powerful face to the market which we can leverage to constantly improve our offering and give our clients the best tools and solutions available.”

     

    Srikant Sastri, VivaKi Country Chair for India who is presiding over the acquisition and transition of Convonix said, “After the Convonix acquisition, we are now clearly the digital marketing leaders in India, ahead of any other global network. We are positive that this acquisition will set the tone for our next phase of digital pre-eminence both in terms of expertise and revenue and we are continuing to explore other agencies that can help us capitalize on the outstanding potential of the digital marketplace in India.”

     

  • The BBC has announced that BBC World News and BBC.com will launch 'Live the Story,' a new brand positioning and major global marketing campaign

    ‘Live the Story’ with BBC’s new brand campaign

    By A Correspondent
    The BBC has announced that BBC World News and BBC.com will launch ‘Live the Story,’ a new brand positioning and major global marketing campaign. The activity will include television, press, online, radio, Out of Home and experiential media. The campaign will span consumer and trade media with particular focus on Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong and additional activity across other European markets and the US.

     

    Chris Davies, Sales and Marketing Director, BBC Global News Ltd said: “Our correspondents and presenters live through the most amazing, terrifying, and sometimes life-changing moments so that they can bring these experiences directly to our audiences. Who better then to be the focus of both our brand campaign and of our marketing efforts. Our journalists often put themselves in danger to tell us the real story and as they live the story, so do we”.

     

    The campaign creative includes television ads featuring BBC correspondents narrating a news story, telling the audience what it feels like to experience a particular news story, giving insight that only a BBC journalist can share. Focus on Africa presenter Komla Dumor tells of the pride surrounding African football and chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet talks about the immediate aftermath of a car bomb. US correspondent Laura Trevelyan describes nature’s force during hurricanes and science editor David Shukman speaks of the majesty of a shuttle launch after experiencing it up close. There is also a substantial digital element to the campaign that follows the lead of the television creative and offers users an added layer of interactivity. In addition there will also be interactive press ads, digital out of home ads and experiential activity.

     

    In January, BBC World News had re-launched from Broadcasting House in central London, with new studios, new programmes and a refreshed line-up of presenters including Jon Sopel and Yalda Hakim alongside BBC World News on air personalities such as Komla Dumor, Mishal Husain, Lyse Doucet and Stephen Sackur.