MxMIndia

Tag: online

  • Online viewers of the new HFZ videos can earn points on the leaderboard and upload their own video to stand a chance to win gadgets or a trip to Spain.

    Airtel’s HFZ campaign goes viral

    Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa, after the success of its ‘Har Friend Zaroori Hai, Yaar’ (HFZ) campaign, has extended this brand idea with the launch of an all new online viral campaign on its YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/airtel).

     

    Created by Taproot, these 20 videos are inspired by interesting ‘friend types’ or tags created by the online audience on Facebook (www.facebook.com/airtelindia) during an outreach programme which had been initiated by Airtel earlier.

     

    Over the coming weeks, the company will periodically release a total of 20 videos on the web and use the concept of ‘Gamification’ to excite viewers to unlock, access and share them.

     

    An interesting trend that depicts the way the current generation consumes and accesses information, Gamification is an infusion of gaming techniques and unique story telling that makes discovery content more fun and engaging. As part of this Gamification-led initiative by Airtel, everyone keen on watching these videos will need to visit www.youtube.com/airtel and will be provided interesting cues, by responding correctly to which they will be able to ‘unlock’ video levels and gradually move ahead.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the new HFZ viral campaign, Bharat Bambawale, Director – Global Brand, Bharti Airtel, said, “The youthful rendition of Airtel’s ‘Har Friend Zaroori Hai, Yaar’ campaign and its accompanying foot-tapping friendship anthem have resonated well with people of all age groups and backgrounds – much like the brand itself. Given the theme itself, focusing on the discerning online audience was a natural choice for us. With this in mind, Airtel launched an online campaign that encouraged everyone to create unique friend types on Facebook which received 65,000 entries in a span of days. We have now chosen the most interesting friend tags like ‘Status Update fried, Activist Friend, Dhinchak friend’, ‘Filmi Friend’, ‘Chipkoo Friend’ and ‘Proxy Friend’ to create new HFZ online viral videos. These videos will follow the increasingly popular global trend of ‘Gamification’ to encourage viewers to spread the word on these evocative videos that bring alive ways in which friends touch different aspect of our lives.”

     

    Tagging others and sharing these videos on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ will allow viewers to gather points on the leaderboard. And then finally one can upload their own friend type video in order to win a Nokia Lumia 800 and a trip toIbiza,Spainas the grand prize.

     

    A complete deviation from traditional media strategy, Airtel will release these videos on the web starting January 4.

     

    The original HFZ soundtrack is now also available through new interpretations in laavni, bhangra, hip-hop, folk etc.

     

  • Convergence of traditional broadcasting platforms with digital platforms is perhaps inevitable as digital media has become significant, not only for radio but for all media

    Digital is the future, not competition to radio

    By Robin Thomas

     

    While digital was and probably is still seen as a threat to the growth of print and television, for radio, on the other hand, the digital medium is said to be a complement and not competition.

     

    Some examples of digital successfully complementing radio to provide good content are Radio Mirchi’s VAS application – ‘Mirchi Mobile’, which allows mobile users to listen to any Radio Mirchi station from any city by just dialling a particular number across any telecom operator. Radio City’s music portal, PlanetRadiocity, in addition to its extensive music content, offers web radio, said to be India’s first and only multi-genre, live and interactive ‘Web Radio’ station that plays a variety of content 24×7. Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW), the Dutch international public broadcaster recently launched a website on sex education. Radio Maska is another internet radio portal available inIndia.

     

    Rachna Kanwar

    The one common factor among FM radio stations is that they want to stay connected with their listeners even when they are not tuned in. Hence most of them are finding new and innovative ways to engage their listeners online.

     

    Radio jockeys are going online by putting up blogs, videos and audio clips of their programmes on their FM station websites. Almost all FM stations today have made their presence felt on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

     

    MxMIndia spoke to couple of FM stations to find out the significance of digital media to FM radio today.

     

    Rachna Kanwar, Vice President and Business Head, Digital Media and New Business, Radio City feels that digital medium has helped them connect with their audiences not only in India but even those settled abroad. “With the astounding rate at which the medium is growing, it is obvious that nobody can ignore digital media today.RadioCityhas used the medium effectively to reach out to our listeners. Digital media has also enhanced our engagement with listeners and has helped us in promoting our offerings to a larger audience base,” she said.

     

    Rahul Balyan
    Amitabh Srivastava

    In order to engage the listeners and ensure that they tune in to the radio station, the traditional FM stations will have to continue re-inventing themselves a lot more around what the listeners want and how they want, especially since the choice for a listener will be infinite on digital platforms.

     

    Rahul Balyan, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Initiatives, Radio Mirchi said, “We have realised that at least 20 per cent of Radio Mirchi listeners are online, and have a lot to say; the digital platforms allow us to connect them on a one-on-one basis. We have got a tremendous response on Facebook, Youtube, Mobile VAS and our website. All of it is driven by the equity that Radio Mirchi has created with the listeners.”

     

    Convergence of traditional broadcasting platforms with digital platforms is perhaps inevitable as digital media has become significant, not only for radio but for all media.

     

    Amitabh Srivastava, Country Manager – South Asia, Radio Netherlands Worldwide pointed out: “Digital is the future and not competition to radio and I see a lot of potential for internet or digital radio inIndia.Mobilehas also become very important today as most people listen to radio on their mobile phones and as technology will progress and internet usage grows inIndia, internet radio will also see growth.”

  • Online shopping likely to touch over Rs 5,000 cr during Diwali: Asssocham.

    Mouse click is good business

    By A Correspondent

    Online demand during the upcoming festive season for products like mobile phones, e-tablets, consumer electronics, home appliances, home decor, furnishings, apparel and ornaments is likely to shoot up 300 per cent from last year to over Rs 5,000 crore as nearly 1.25 crore consumers are expected to place orders through internet, according to The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).

    The figure has gone up by over 100 percent which was around 250% to Rs 2,000 crore in 2010 in which nearly 90-100 lakh consumers took part according to Assocham.

     

    Commenting on the ASSOCHAM analysis, its secretary general, Mr. D S Rawat said that, the articles that are likely to be shopped intensively during Diwali would include electronic items, gift articles, idols of Gods and Goddesses, sweets, flowers, clothes & jewellery and diamonds due to discount range from 10-15 percent to 80-90 percent depending upon product vertical and other offers are lucky draws, free shipping, free gifts and gift vouchers.

     

    Mr. Rawat further added that the expected growth during key festivals like Karva Chauth, Dhanteras, Diwali, the online shopping portals will go up by 30-35% this diwali. So, online shopping seen a phenomenal rise in the country and will continue to do so  given the great potential and the huge segment of population which is still not net savvy.

     

    The reasons for e-shoppers number multiplying are because of factors such as home delivery which saves time, secondly ’24×7′ hours shopping with ease and availability factors for product comparisons.

     

    Gujarathis are taking lead in ordering their Diwali requirements of consumer durables product followed by Maharahtrian, Delhiites, Sindhi’s, Rajasthanis and Punjabi. The percentage of South Indians is equally strong.

     

    Keeping this boom in mind a lot of online players have already announced exclusive Diwali deals and even exclusive Diwali shopping stores. Besides for rediff.com the other shopping sites like ebay, homeshop18, sify, indiaplaza and indiatimes have also opened shop for Diwali offers and are enticing online buyers with discounts.

     

    These shopping portals are witnessing a large number of users buying gifts and products also for personal use. Cashing in on the growing number of online shoppers, portals like rediff and ebay are readying themselves for increased traffic, with a series of offerings to consumers.

     

    As per Assocham estimates, for any shopping site, the sales are expected to go up by around 20-30 percent month on month during October.

     

    Non-resident Indians (NRIs) are also shopping more online during the festive season. During Raksha Bandhan, online shopping by NRIs contribute to about 40-50% of total shopping, whereas during Diwali, it increases to 85%, adds the paper.

     

    Rediff has announced a series of offerings for its consumers, which includes offering of special gift vouchers of Rs 1,500 with every purchase.  The single portal has also seen an increase in the number of visitors each day from 1,00,000 to 1,50,000 during the festive season, which adds up to 7 million visitors a month.

     

    Similarly, other portals are also introducing the ‘Get lucky’ offer, where consumers who shop on the portal will get a discount coupon of 10-50% on all their purchases.

     

    The products that are sold most are in the tech and fashion category, which include mobile phones and accessories, MP3 players, digital cameras and jewellery, among others, said Mr. Rawat.

     

    Online shopping boom is not restricted to metros alone. Lucknow ranks high, followed by Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Dehradun, Nasik, Trichy, adds the Assocham report.

     

    Mr. Rawat also mentioned that “online shopping is definitely catching up. Emerging gifting trends also include imported wines and juices. Chocolates are picking up in a big way as a substitute to mithais.   This trend extensively points towards luxury shopping, an emerging concept in the Indian market.”

     

    Diwali also marks a time when online purchases of consumer durables, jewellery and gifts comes out of the shadows of online travel, which corners a lion’s share of the country’s e-commerce. “Majority of the Diwali shopping is consumer durables include electronics, mobile phones, accessories, jewellery and apparel during Dhanteras, when we see many big-ticket items being sold”.

     

    These clearly show that online shopping has truly come of age and consumers are keen to shop on the net. Festival shopping is the prime time for multi-channel retailers to attract new shoppers.

     

    Online retailers have seen growing consumer interest in buying Diwali gifts online. The growth in the last two years to be broad product selection and the ever-expanding range of unique and unusual gifts ideas as well as increased consumer confidence in shopping on interest.

     

    This business module is cost effective, easily accessible and profitable in many functional areas. Consumers and retailers both desire safe, simple and comprehensive online shopping that will truly realize the range of power of the Internet.

     

     

     

    (ASSOCHAM)