2
THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS
THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010
The initial response
to the social media
communication
has been very
encouraging. We
have done many
consumer engage-
ment activities on
Facebook and have
received good
response from
the users.
RAJAT MUKARJI,
Chief Corporate Affairs
Officer, Idea Cellular
■ On Facebook since: End 2009
■ Fan base: 1,00,144
■ Agency: Tribal DDB
The Campaign
The Idea page on Facebook has
updates of all the new TVCs, contests,
events and discussions.
“The focus has been on building
brand awareness amongst the
Beyond the loyalists
■ On Facebook since: July 2010
■ Fan base: 1,09,005
■ Agency: Digitas
The Campaign
The Samsung page on Facebook
has information about new products
and services, applications, especially
around its latest BADA
platform, announcements of The engagement
contests, updates on any needs to relevant,
glitches or compatibility
issues that may occur with
interesting and
the device, among other there should be
things. The star power of the continuity and
company’s brand ambassa- consistency in the
dor Aamir Khan has been
leveraged on the social communication.
network as well. Take for ASIM WARSI,
example, the recently launch- VP-Marketing,
ed “Aamir Khan Samsung Mobile
Facebook Film
Festival”
wherein the
company
publishes
interesting
video-clips
BITS & BYTES
Mudra Connext gets
media mandate for Akai
Mudra Connext, a
strategic business
unit of Mudra Max,
has been selected to handle the
media mandate for consumer
eletronics brand Akai. The size of
the business is estimated to be
around Rs 10-12 crore.
Meanwhile, Rediffusion Y&R,
consolidating on its existing
relationship with ITC, has won the
digital mandate for ITC’s
stationery brand, Classmate.
Paritosh Srivastava, executive
vice-president and branch head,
Rediffusion Y&R, Bengaluru, said,
“We hope to
come up with
some exciting
work on
Classmate.”
Brand: Idea
Company: Idea Cellular
A singular idea
growing digital community,” says
Rajat Mukarji, chief corporate affairs
officer, Idea Cellular.
Keeping in line with its objective to
focus on brand awareness, the
company has been constantly coming
up with new initiatives linked to
movies, film stars, cricket and
everything that it is associated with.
These include campaigns like ‘save
Brand: Samsung Mobile
Company: Samsung India
and content from Aamir Khan films
on its page, which has been received
enthusiastically by the fans. It also
features contests on its page.
The objective was clearly to build a
Samsung community on Facebook
and engage with existing Samsung
mobile users as well as consumers
O&M is number seven on
YoungGuns Top 10 list
Ogilvy and Mather Mumbai has
been named as the seventh most
awarded agency in the last ten
years by YoungGuns. The Top 10
Agencies ranking identifies the
individual agencies that have
produced the most awarded
creative talent in the 10 years since
the YoungGuns were
founded. Topping
the YoungGuns list
of the most awarded
agencies for emerging and young
creatives of the past decade is
Colenso BBDO New Zealand.
Second on the list was
TBWA\CHIAT\DAY of New York
followed by Crispin Porter +
Bogusky of USA and Del Campo
Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi Argentina
at third and fourth places.
the trees’, ‘break the language
barrier’, ‘oongli cricket’. It has also
done contests such as ‘Win passes to
Filmfare Awards’, ‘The Raavan in you
contest’ and ‘walk when you zac’
among others. “The initial response
to the social media communication
has been very encouraging. We have
done many consumer engagement
activities on Facebook and have
who have an interest in the brand.
Through this customer engagement,
it was also seeking to build relevance
of the brand with the larger
community of mobile users.
Effectiveness of the
Campaign
Within three months of
launching its India page,
Samsung Mobile has garnered
support of 100,000 people on
Facebook! And it is growing by
the day. The company clearly
has struck the right chord with
its current and prospective
consumers by offering relevant
and interesting content to the
users.
Even though it is difficult for
to say whether having a
Facebook presence has led to
customer generation, the
company claims it has helped. “Since
we are engaging with our customers
in a meaningful manner, we have seen
good traction over the past few
months and through the Samsung
fans also reaching to the larger
community of their friends
who are active in the digital
space,” says Asim Warsi, VP-
marketing, Samsung Mobile.
The company says it will
continue to bring interesting
content on board and this is
just the beginning. “The
engage-ment needs to
relevant, interesting and
there should be continuity
and consistency in the
communication. That is the
biggest challenge of using
social media,” says Warsi.
—Rahul Sharma
Ravi Kiran to leave Starcom MediaVest Group
Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) India
has announced that Ravi Kiran, currently
CEO-South Asia, Starcom MediaVest Group
will move on from the organisation.
Speaking on the development, Andrew
Swinand, SMG’s president – global
operations, said, “Ravi has been a part of
our India operations for over 11 years. In his
various roles within the organisation he has
been instrumental in taking Starcom MediaVest
Group India to the level of trust and respect it enjoys
today.”
The first edition of Fortune India
Fortune India has hit makes its debut
the newstands. The
monthly magazine Fortune publishes English
has been launched as editions in Europe and Asia,
part of a licensee pact between besides local language editions
Ananda Bazaar Patrika (ABP) and in China, Turkey, South Korea,
Time Inc. and is priced at Rs 100. Indonesia and Greece. “It’s a
received good response from the
users,” says Mukarji said.
Idea is present on most leading
social networking sites and has
created special communication
campaigns for its network on
Facebook and Youtube, in particular.
Effectiveness of the
Campaign
Through the Idea Facebook page,
the company is positioning itself
in such a way that it
maintains its identity which
the company has build over
time in other media. The ‘Save
the trees’ campaign that the
company had come up a few
months earlier has attracted a lot
of attention. Similarly, the new
TVC with the message ‘language is
never a barrier’ too finds many
takers. Idea has also uploaded
pictures from the auditions that was
held in Chennai.
“The social media has been
beneficial for Idea in understanding
and listening to our consumers and
the overall digital community, which
largely comprises the youth, and
building effective brand activations
THE FRIENDING ACT
and consumer connect,” says ■ Continued from page 1
Mukarji.
However, when one goes through
the discussion page, there are many TOP FIVE BRANDS ON Starbucks
complaints that have not been
responded to, forget finding a solution
FACEBOOK 14,320,952*
to it. If the complaints could be
addressed more actively, it should Facebook
help the brand connect with its Coca Cola
20,098,164*
consumers. But it is worth 12,688,081*
appreciating that Idea has bravely
displayed all the customer grievances
You Tube
on the page. Oreo
—Rahul Sharma 14,392,353*
10,273,997*
* Fan base Source: AZ Research Partners
Brand: Jet Airways
Company: Jet Airways
No overt marketing
■ On Facebook since: January 19, 2010
■ Fan base: 69,854
■ Agency: Interactive Avenues
The Campaign
Jet Airways’ presence on the social
network emerged from the belief that
it is extremely important to engage
and listen to its passengers to provide
seamless service and offer a world-
class experience. Its social media
strategy is driven by the e-commerce
and innovations team with a
dedicated group representing key
internal departments.
The main mandate to
this group was to first set
up processes on how it
would manage guest
feedback and relevant
responses. It then went
on to hire the external like events, videos and example, during situations like the
agency to execute its photos, the company has volcanic ash flow in Europe and fog
social media strategy. also incorporated related flight disruptions, guests
While there are no features like Jet would send messages or tweet with
special discounts for Privilege, special offers, queries and the brand could respond
Facebook fans, the users Our social etc., from the website. with the right update, says Coutinho.
who join the community media initiative This lends it a semi- Customers appreciate such
get updates on flights, formal appeal, which information as this gives them
services and schemes has had a works for the wide range comfort even when the situation is
offered, awards and positive impact of consumers the airline beyond the control of the airline.
accolades won, travel on our brand caters to. “Our social media initiative has
tips, among other things. “In less than a month had a positive impact on our brand
The company has also
and the way we of our launch, we and the way we engage with our
integrated its Twitter engage with our already had over 4,000 customers. This surely is a new era of
feed with the Facebook customers. Facebook fans and close marketing but, most importantly, we
page, where it promptly to 1,000 followers on look at it as a customer engagement
replies to customer BELSON COUTINHO, Twitter,” says Belson medium,” says Coutinho, adding that
queries. GM, e-commerce Coutinho, general the airline wants to use the power of
and innovations, manager, e-commerce this medium to promote its brand as
Effectiveness of Jet Airways and innovations, Jet well as offer relevant promotions.
the Campaign Airways. “We do want to generate transactions
The first look at the Facebook page A key learning for the brand is to and are already seeing results,
of Jet Airways, and you know they listen and respond effectively. It has without being overt with our
mean business. While the Jet Airways been able to respond almost real-time marketing offers,” says Coutinho.
page on Facebook has fun elements to its customers on Facebook. For —Rahul Sharma
Percept is Sushil Kumar’s Saatchi & Saatchi X
media manager comes to India
He added, “Ravi’s vision and leadership Saatchi & Saatchi X, Publicis
have driven a period of tremendous growth Group’s globally dedicated
for Starcom MediaVest Group in South Asia shopper marketing agency, is
leading to a strong foundation for the coming to India. There will be nine
future.” members in the team, and the
Starcom MediaVest Group is close to agency plans to get more people
finalizing a successor for the role of CEO- on-board by the end of this year.
South Asia. Percept Talent has announced Simon Hathaway, regional
The choice will be made from a shortlist its alliance with wrestling CEO—Europe,
of internal as well as external candidates. Kiran will champion Sushil Kumar. It will be Middle East,
continue in his present role till end of the year. solely responsible for strategizing India and
and managing Sushil Kumar’s Africa, says,
brand endorsements, media “We look
magazine that’s dedicated to the activities and media rights, brand forward to
global success of Indian business and image management, digital leveraging our
leaders. For a lot of people, who rights and licensing and experience and expertise in
want to be on a level playing field merchandising rights as well and shopper marketing over the last 14
internationally, they will find the all promotional activities in the years to create conversations with
mix of Fortune India interesting.” arena of wrestling. Indian shoppers, which will inspire
said Pavan Varshnei, president, Kumar had won a bronze at the trip traffic and ultimately, make
Fortune India. 2008 Olympics. the cash register ring.”