Social networking site Facebook has 25 million users in India, a bulk of whom are in the 15-35 years age bracket. At last count, India was 18th among 41 countries on global Twitter usage. Orkut, which till last year was the number one social networking site in India, has around 18 million users signing up from India, again most of them the youth. These are numbers that no marketer in India can afford to ignore, explaining why brands in India, especially those targeted at the youth, have been quick to hop on to the social media bandwagon.
Increasingly, consumers also want brands to communicate with them using social media. A study on social media usage by market research firm The Nielsen Company conducted in collaboration with analytics company AbsolutData released this month found that 60% of social media users in India are open to being approached by brands indicating that social media has the ability to change the dynamics between brands and consumers who are typically time-starved and may consider traditional forms of advertising obtrusive and undesirable. While television and print advertising continue to be the mainstay for brands in India as they enable the brand to reach out to all demographic groups, it is social media that provides the unique advantage of ensuring direct communication with the consumer.
The two most popular social media networks in India today are Facebook and Twitter. A brand collects “Likes” on the Facebook page and “Followers” on the Twitter account. However, just the huge number of “Likes” and “Followers” is definitely not a way to determine how successful the brand’s venture is in the social media space. As Adrian Terron, vice-president, The Nielsen Company, said in a statement, while having a social media presence connotes ?innovation? ?customer friendliness? and a sense of being ?cool?, no single brand ?owns? the social media space and the opportunity to become a ?social? brand is overwhelming.
Indian brands discovered Facebook and Twitter in 2010. In 2011, brands have started investing seriously in these two sites. What started off as a simple page on Facebook or Twitter has now given way to experimentation, as brands go for elaborate social media marketing strategies. Many brands are integrating their Twitter feeds into Facebook to create a forum. A number of brands use Facebook as an activation platform and do a lot of new launches, test marketing concepts on it.
“The basic strategy that most brands are using on social media is to build a community base. This could be of current customers or potential customers. They can then interact with them, dissect the messages and connect with both existing and future customers, says Atul Hegde, CEO of Ignitee Digital Solutions, an internet marketing agency.
Brands are also using Facebook to gain consumer insights and connect better with young customers, says research firm TNS Global. TNS recently carried out a Facebook project for GoJiyo, the social networking site of the Godrej group. The report, which was presented at Esomar 2011, a seminar on market research,says the Indian web audience is considered to be one of the most vocal and transparent, with the ?personal? touch forming the base of most social media engagement, a fact that brands can tap to get consumer insights.
Again, there are others who use social media as a brand recall platform through contests. Some brands take the shop front and integrate it on Facebook which takes care of the promotional activities. For instance, Nike shoes offers specific styles, product line or even vouchers on its Facebook page. ?Every large brand in the country is now spending 2-5% of their advertising budget on social media and it is in addition to the budget they have for digital,? says Amit Bhartiya, general manager, Vizisense, part of online audience research firm Komli Media. According to Hyderabad based digital marketing solutions provider Ybrant Digital, about Rs 85 crore was spent on social networking sites last year by brands, with the figure expected to grow by 25% this financial year.
Among the Indian brands that are part of the social media circle, media brands are the most popular, especially on Twitter. Some of the most popular Indian brands on Facebook and Twitter are media and entertainment brands targeted at the youth such as MTV India, (which has a separate Facebook page for its popular show Roadies), and Channel V. All the news media brands also have a huge number of followers on Twitter because of their regular news updates. The other popular category on both the social media sites is telecom with brands such as Tata DoCoMo and Vodafone Zoozoos ruling the roost.
Some of the FMCG brands that are big on the ?Likes? scorecard on Facebook include Cadbury Celebrations, Close-up and Nescafe. Also, any brand which has a connection to cricket such as Adidas, Nike, Pepsi, etc., are having a ball on both Facebook and Twitter due to the ongoing cricket season which started with World Cup, followed by the Indian Premier League. This can be seen in the case of GoJiyo’s page on Facebook which recently launched a virtual cricket game to attract social media users. Most of the IPL teams use social media to interact with their fans. KKRiders, RCBtweets, cricketnext, chennaiipl, rajathanroyals, etc., are some of the most popular tweeters.
Interestingly, some of the smaller brands are making optimum use of social media for their brand building exercises and as customer care platforms. On Facebook and Twitter, brands such as online store Flipkart.com, confectionery chain Mad Over Donuts, online ticketing portal Bookmyshow.com, lifestyle store Fashion and You, Chinese food brand Ching’s Secret and many more such smaller brands have been able to garner a huge number of fans online with their regular updates and real-time solution of customer complaints.
Brandwagon checks out some interesting and active Indian brands on both Facebook and Twitter to understand how they are attracting and retaining the attention of online users, and what they can probably do to make their sites even more engaging.
RECREATING THE AVATAR MAGIC
Brand: Gojiyo
Industry: Sports/ Recreation/ Activities
Fans/Followers: 2,07,625-plus
Frequency of Updation: Once or twice every day
What it’s got: Gojiyo, itself being a social networking site from brick-and-mortar company Godrej Industries, focuses on sports and recreational activities to keep its fans interested. It has recently revamped its GoJiyocricket page, and right now, it has a virtual cricket match on daily with the invite: ?Love Cricket? Play in Aria and win prizes daily?The wall also has several posts regarding the virtual cricket match, with many of them appreciating the activity. For instance, one of the posts says: ?I think its the most successful group activity till now in Gojiyo. Previous group activities (bridge-climbing, sky-diving) flopped ‘coz they needed 4-5 like minded players at a time…which isn’t an easy thing to arrange in Gojiyo…whereas cricket just needs 2 and then others can watch the match.?
The wall consists of pictures and videos of the ongoing Indian Premier League matches with a few lines describing the moment. A post on a meeting with Mumbai Indians team, sponsored by GoJiyo has got 59 ‘Likes’ and 6 comments. It also includes information, photos, notes, poll, etc.
What the brand says: ?It has opened our thinking on using this medium for getting real-time relevant feedback from the younger generation, which is a key target for Godrej’s future plans,? said Prakash Dadlani, associate vice-president, strategic marketing group, Godrej, in a study the company conducted with TNS Global on its Facebook strategy.
Verdict: The site is fairly active, especially with the ongoing cricket fever. Its virtual cricket match has been able to pique the interest of fans. The brand also has been initiating conversations, especially about its various virtual games. As of now, the page is able to get a lot of buzz, but the brand has to work harder to keep viewer interest alive for other virtual games too.
The Wow factor
Brand: Pepsi
Industry: FMCG
Fans/Followers: 1,065,084-plus
Frequency of Updation: Two-three times a day
What it’s got: The current theme is ?Turn that frost upside down? which is part of the brand’s new campaign. The previous theme of the wall was related to the Pepsi My Can campaign. The posts on the page are related to the brand campaign, cricket and movies.
There are questions related to cricket such as ?With 2 games on the sidelines, the pressure is building up. How should this man script his golden comeback?? with a picture of Saurav Ganguly. There are quirky quizzes and movie quizzes.
There are social messages too. The posts receive 1000-2000 ‘Likes’ and 200-300 comments. Some posts even fetch 500-700 comments. The fan page includes information, Pepsi CTG contest, fun apps, photos, discussions, Wall of fame (winners of contests), videos, poll, notes, online game Pepsi WOW, questions, etc.
What the brand says: Says Sandeep Singh Arora , executive vice-president, marketing, PepsiCo India, “It is important that you are a part of people’s conversation and the exciting things that they are doing. Young people spend a lot of time on social media and we interact with them in a way that is non-intrusive. We put out interesting content and also get interesting user generated content. We let them demonstrate their wit through these mediums.”
Our Verdict: Pepsi has a page with a lot of buzz and lot of activities. It constantly updates and gets a high number of replies from its users. However, the discussion page could definitely be spruced up.
A sweet business
Brand: Mad Over Donuts
Industry: Restaurants
Twitter handle: Madoverdonuts
Tweets: 479-plus
Following: 6243-plus
Followers: 5791-plus
Frequency of Updation: 2-3 times a day
What it’s got: Most of their tweets are about the joy of having a donut. For instance, ?Enlighten us with your best M.O.D memory?, ?Save the Earth, the only planet with donuts? and ?If you and your ex bumped into each other at the same Mad Over Donuts outlet, would love blossom again over donuts??.
It also tweets about offers such as ?All excited for the Big match? Visit a Mad Over Donuts Store when India wins a match and get 2 donuts absolutely… http://fb.me/Xp V77nhi ” and “9 more reasons to rejoice this “Diwali” with Mad Over Donuts. Gift your loved ones a Special box of 9 mini Donuts at just Rs.275!?
Our Verdict: Mad Over Donuts is one of the best examples of a small brand using social media to the maximum advantage. It doesn’t update a lot but gets quite a few responses to its questions. There is constant engagement and the Twitter account seems to be a good brand-building exercise. In fact, the brand’s Facebook page is quite similar to its Twitter page with 115,312-plus ‘Likes’.
Let’s party
Brand: Smirnoff India
Industry: Alcohol
Twitter Handle: SmirnoffIndia
Tweets: 1681-plus
Following: 3131-plus
Followers: 3325-plus
Frequency of Updation: Not very regular. Sometimes a few times a day and sometimes, once or twice in two-three days.
What it’s got: Smirnoffindia’s tweets are about upcoming gigs, fun contests and questions related to drinking for its followers like this one: ?What’s your favourite night of the week for going to Happy Hour?? or ?What’s your trick for making Mondays? less Monday-like??.
What the brand says: The kind of consumers with whom we interact on Twitter tend to be key opinion leaders, who are not afraid to voice their positions and opinions. These opinion leaders, if managed properly, help to spread the word positively in a truly credible manner amongst their social circle and peers, something which standard top-down advertising finds difficult to do,” says Abanti Sankaranarayanan, marketing and innovation director of Diageo India which owns the brand.
Verdict: For alcohol brands such as Smirnoff and Kingfisher which are only allowed surrogate advertising, social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are a great way to directly engage with their target audience and they are fully leveraging this. Smirnoff has an interesting and engaging Twitter page but could do with some regular updates.
Alien Nation
Brand: Vodafone Zoozoos
Industry: Telecommunications
Fans/Followers: 1,662,446-plus
Frequency of Updation: Twice a day
What it’s got: The wall mainly consists of contests and offers such as ‘Enjoy free gaming on your mobile phone! SMS Super to 111 (toll free)’, ‘Time to win an IPL ticket! Are you in?’ and ‘Facebook Free on your mobile phone!’. Each wall post generates 300-500 comments and 1000-plus ‘Likes’. The wall has various e-cards and screen-savers which can be down-loaded. There are other sections including information, ‘superweek’, an app called Pic-badges, videos (Zoozoo ads), photos, games, discussions, reviews, notes, questions, etc.
What the brand says:”We have used the social media network effectively to launch all our 3G ads. Facebook today has 1.7 million Zoozoo fans making it one of the largest fan clubs on the net,” says Anuradha Aggarwal, vice-president, marketing, brand communication and consumer insights, Vodafone Essar.
Our Verdict: Vodafone Zoozoosis one of the most popular fan pages on Facebook. The brand constantly updates its page, almost twice a day. It is also quick to revert on the discussion board on queries, complaints, etc. This page is mainly used for various contests run by the brand which is a good way of engaging the users. Another good thing about the page are the interesting apps that it offers. However, the page’s popularity is mainly due to the Zoozoos. Thus, if the brand decides to drop the Zoozoo campaign, it will have to introduce more interesting stuff to keep the page lively.
Smooth take-off
Brand: Kingfisher Airlines
Industry: Airlines
Twitter handle: Flykingfisher
Tweets: 479-plus
Following: 1670-plus
Followers: 9232-plus
Frequency of Updation: Every few minutes
What it’s got: Flykingfisher tweets are about cricket, notifications and general questions to engage people. It has a lot of contests. Here are two examples: ?Has the IPL fever got you too? Then we have a reason for you to rejoice. Watch this space to win electrifying IPL Passes!!: D?; and ?All guest flying with us on 23rd and 30th April, please note that due to runway closure at Mumbai…?; They have interesting hashtags such as #wednesdayexcuses for people to engage and participate. They also re-tweet the compliments that they get from the users.
What the brand says:
Vikram Malhotra, vice president-marketing, Kingfisher Airlines says, ?Given the fact that ?airlines? are one of the most commonly mentioned categories of brands on Twitter, this service will be a very valuable tool for Kingfisher Airlines to start a dialogue with stake
holders.”
Our Verdict: Kingfisher Airlines is using its page for a number of things? as a customer care platform, a way to engage with users through various questions related to their holidays and travel plans. It also updates people about changes in flight schedules, etc. Overall, it is a good Twitter page. However, even though they are quick with replies, they are not very frequent with their own updates.
The Power of Simplicity
Brand: Tata DoCoMo
Industry: Telecommunications
Fans/Followers: 1,769,031+
Frequency of Updation: Once every day
What it’s got: The current wall is all about Keep it simple silly, the new campaign of Tata DoCoMo featuring actor Ranbir Kapoor. It has updates about all the new TV ads under the campaign. Each post generates 200-300 comments.
It links a lot of current events to its ongoing campaign. For example, ?Do you think Prince William and Kate Middleton should’ve ‘Kept it simple’ with a small wedding ceremony or do you prefer the grand royal wedding?? This generated 1200-plus comments.
The brand also puts up various contests like this one: ?Today’s ‘Smart Twist’ Contest quote is: “Ask me no questions?.” Complete this famous quote above by giving your Smart Twist to it and if you’re lucky you can win a Samsung Galaxy Ace!? This particular contest generated 3000-plus comments.
The page has various sub-sections such as information, 3G services, questions, videos, poll, discussions, etc. In the discussions section, the brand posts all its contests.
Users can also file their complaints on the discussions board and the brand is quite quick to revert.
What the brand says: “Driving ?conversations? is most critical for us on Facebook. We have never focused on the number of fans and audience but on the quality and meaning of the conversations,” says Gurinder Singh Sandhu, head, corporate marketing, Tata Teleservices.
Our Verdict: It is definitely one of the best Facebook pages of an Indian brand. The page is updated regularly. It is very consistent in its communication. There is a lot of buzz on the page and the brand also constantly evokes engagement by emphasizing on the line ‘Keep it simple, silly’ of its new campaign. For a highly cluttered category such as telecom, social media is a great way to create a buzz and Tata DoCoMo seems to be doing exactly that.
On the Right Track
Brand: Fastrack
Industry: Lifestyle/ Personal accessories
Fans/Followers:
1,377,421-plus
Frequency of Updation: It is not updated in a consistent way. Sometimes, twice in a day and sometime, once in two-three days.
What it’s got: The few top posts are about its new campaign ‘Colour me Red’. The rest of the wall consists of product pictures and details on products like ladies wallets, belts, etc. It also runs contests such as ?Think you have what it takes to be the next face of Fastrack? We are giving you the chance to be part of the next campaign photo shoot of Fastrack. Mail us at fastrack.in @ gmail.com for more details!?. It also asks for reviews of ads: ?Like it?? Hate it?? Let us know. The first ad from the Denim Collection.? There are a number of promotions for their online shop shop.fastrack.in. On an average, 200-300 people put comments on each wall post and 1000-plus people ‘Like’ it. Other links include information, photos, Hip Hop (collection), store locator, poll, videos, Kickass cards (this app is mainly targeted at students who can send witty messages to their friends), Moonward Excerpts (this is a section which features strips from a graphic novel called Moonward by Appupen).
What the brand says: Fastrack?s marketing head Simran Bhasin says Facebook has provided the brand an opportunity to get in touch with the youth, its target group. ?For a brand like Fastrack, it is extremely critical to know our consumers apart from what we get to know through traditional research which cuts out their actual tone.?
Our Verdict: The idea of the product showcase on the page is really good. The problem with the page is that it isn’t updated regularly. Though it seems active, it could definitely have more buzz, especially because Fastrack has an image of being trendy and wacky. The contests get good responses, so probably it should conduct them more regularly.
Power to the people
Brand: Vodafone India
Industry: Telecommunications
Twitter handle: VodafoneIN
Tweets: 28,000-plus
Following: 5190-plus
Followers: 12,608-plus
Frequency of Updation: Every 10-15 minutes
What it’s got: Vodafone’s Twitter page’s main job is to reply to complaints and issues that people have with the telecom brand. The most common tweet is: ?We do regret any inconvenience caused to u. Pls share ur number with us in a DM. We’ll contact u shortly & do our best to help.? Another tweet to help out people is ?Please email us the following details at vodafonecare.mum@vodafone.com for further investigation into the matter?. A number of tweets are in response to 3G queries that people have. For example, ?You’ll be able to enjoy 3G service soon, an announcement would be made at an appropriate time about the launch.?
Some tweets are follow-ups on earlier complaints.
What the brand says: “Social media is one of the fastest and most effective mediums to communicate to a large audience. They are inviting and intriguing and an extremely powerful communication tool,? says Anuradha Aggarwal, vice-president ? marketing, brand communication and consumer insights, Vodafone Essar.
Our Verdict: Overall, a highly active account and the brand is extremely prompt in its replies with a consistent and polite tone. Vodafone is using its Twitter account as a major customer care platform. However, it only replies to people’s complaints and queries but never posts any tweet on its own. It could probably post about the various new offers and schemes on its Twitter page.
A new chapter
Brand: Flipkart.com
Industry: E-commerce
Twitter handle: Flipkart
Tweets: 4478-plus
Following: 14 -plus
Followers: 5214-plus
Frequency of Updation: Every few hours a day
What it’s got: The page is mainly used as a customer care platform. A few examples of the tweets on this page are: ?Which book would that be? We’ll check ASAP?, ?We did speak to your parent(s) and were informed there was no one at home. Delivery to neighbour, we think. Will follow up?, ?Updating an order is not possible, but we’ll see what we can do at our end. Give us a bit, we’ll get in touch?, etc.
What the brand says: Flipkart says its Twitter page has helped it get feedback besides allowing it to provide customer support via regular updates. Says Sachin Bansal, CEO, Flipkart, ?However, we dont use it as a marketing channel but as a pure engagement channel to interact with the consumers in real time.”
Our Verdict: The online book store, like VodafoneIN, uses its Twitter account mainly as a customer care platform. Most of the tweets are replies to complaints and it is extremely active with its responses– again, a good use of social media by a small brand to engage with its users. However, it could do with just a few more updates about its services, new books, etc., on the Twitter page. Its Facebook account is also highly active with a focus on brand building. That actually carries various updates about brand campaigns, new books, interviews, etc.
Waving the Blue Flag
Brand: Nike
Industry: Lifestyle / Sportswear
Fans/Followers: 1,137,537
Frequency of Updation: Once in two-three days
What it’s got: This is specifically dedicated to Nike’s ‘Bleed Blue’ campaign for the ICC World Cup. The wall consists of pictures of cricketers and videos with a few lines describing the moment. For example, ‘An elegant knock. A great catch to follow it up. Rohit Sharma seals the deal.’ This kind of posts gets 1000-2000 ‘Likes’ and some even have 4000-5000 ‘Likes’ and 100-200 comments. The page also has video clippings of interviews with crickets fans such as “Nike Bleed Blue Fan – What does the Indian jersey mean to our players?”. The fan page also includes information, photos, Bleed Blue contest, discussions, videos, etc.
Our Verdict: This page could be lot better, as right now it has the same thing all over and also, it is not updated regularly. The discussion session needs an overhaul as it is static with no participation from the brand.