Corporate Blog

The first wave of the internet saw business houses establishing their own websites, and now the latest buzz is to have their own corporate blogs. In last few years we have seen increasing impact of blogs on modern society. The developed nations have moved to the web.2 platform and have corporate blogs of their organizations. The corporate blog can be part of the conventional corporate website or it can be an independent blog site. There can be various forms of the corporate blogs – internal, external, CEO, product, brand etc.

In my discussion with various corporate communications and marketing managers of various corporate I could discover that corporate in India did not start their business blog because: there is strong shortage of the trained staff, the proposition of the corporate blog is under consideration, sometimes they feel that the efforts are not worthy, India is not ready, the blogging does not fit with the overall corporate strategy, the blog medium is not effective for reaching their target audience. (for them a reason to ignore; for me just a crappy story of their inefficiency) However, there is group of corporate communications and marketing managers who are now convinced that there are many advantages for encompassing their individual corporate blog and they will also get into corporate blogging. It is matter of time.

They see advantage in having a corporate blog and suggest the benefits:

The biggest advantage of corporate blog is that this medium is a strong tool of direct interaction with the consumers and customers – internal and external. It is a medium to connect the corporate directly with the customers, consumers, and prospects.

The basic nature of the blog – two-way communication which makes customers consumers, or prospects feel that they are heard helps develop the confidence in the customers about the product, brand, or company. The corporate blog serves the medium of customer-generated marketing which can comfortably involve the customers into the marketing process. The information about the product, brand, company, or any other strategic or tactical moves to the customer, consumers, or prospects followed by the interactive dialogs on the information help develop a good PR on web. The blog is fast emerging as an additional communication medium and is a tool of enhancing brand visibility.

The blog also helps in finding the product evangelists who help in previewing the products, auditing and reviewing various marketing activities. The blog in addition to strengthening the product launch can also be used as an additional distribution channel. One of the biggest advantages of corporate blog is that a small export house, travel agency can become a global brand and get business without sending its executives abroad.

The corporate blog also helps corporate in talent hunts. It inspires experienced talent to take up employment with corporations. The corporate blog not only helps in the talent hunt but also help develop good relation with the prospective employees, and employees. It is perceived as the face of the corporate, which enhances its image.

Globally (read developed nations) the corporate blog is seen as one of the revolutionary tools for the marketing community. Many corporations have their external blog and others are planning to have their internal and external blogs. The days are not far when in India the corporate will join the revolution.

Learning for Brand Slaves

A brand behaves like human. It has personality, identity, emotion, and life cycle. A brand manager who manages the brand (In my views company and brand manager can’t own the brand; they just own product) is responsible to bring back life into the dying brands.

The customer who owns the brand has become increasingly sensitive towards their brands. If the brand is not behaving the way they want them to behave they simply dump it. The customers want brand to add value to their lifestyle. They want brand to be their lifestyle statement. (Not to forget that gone are the days when consumers had limited choices; today she can choose from competing brands.)

Pepsi and Coca-Cola recognized the turmoil in the Indian carbonated soft drink market that followed the environmentalists protesting against the cola companies, claiming it to be harmful for health. The companies were quick enough to respond through its brand ambassadors. The quick response of the Coca companies help them projecting that they are safe and healthy brand. The cola companies managed to retain the brand health, and brand identity.

The brand slaves – the brand managers and the company – have to work harder to find the ways to retain the brand in the minds of the audience. They can position, reposition brands to match the customers need and requirements.

As the brand traverses through different stages of its life cycle, brand slaves need to transform the brand just not make some aesthetic changes. The Pepsi has positioned itself as a the product for youngistan with disassociated association from cricket and movie, on the other hand the rival camp Coca-Cola seems to have taken the movie and cricket positioning. In both the cases it is complete new brand positioning. In my views the brands stop to capture the minds of the consumer when the brand slaves starts to concentrate on the competition and bring about cosmetic changes in the brand and ignore the brand identity. The Pepsi and Coca-Cola both the companies play intelligently on the reinventing the message and counterattacking the competition on the message.

The cola companies – Pepsi and Coca-Cola – in India have not changed the brand’s core value, which has helped them retain the brand owners’ faith on them. The classic coke case scary result always comes to the rescue of the current generation brand slaves at Pepsi and Coca-Cola and help them not take brand owners casually and playing around with the brand owners emotions.

Social media marketing is gaining grounds

social media is an pervasive medium for interacting with friends and family. The evidenced  that Facebook and MySpace are the eighth and tenth most visited sites on the entire web proves it even more.

in recent past social media has emerged as the effective marketing channel and it is fast gaining importance. It also has success stories to sahre:
•    Increasing the revenue: Dell made US$ 1 million using Twitter.
•    Multiplying sales: MASI bicycles doubled sales in two years using blogging and podcasting to reach out.
•    Building up the relevant community: American Express multiplied its user base 80 times in 11 months using Social Network.
•    Customer service: How a COMCAST executive contacted a customer who tweeted about a bad experience in 20 minutes sitting in different corners of the globe.

We have to accept that the social media marketing is gaining grounds and it has been quite successful in capturing the attention of consumers online.

I think business model is important.

Twitter is the magic word. I have seen all social media enthusiasts talking about Twitter. I asked one of my friends what is Twitter’s business model. He had no answer; probably it does not have any business model.

I think business model is important.

A closure review of the product made me feel that while a business model is important, Twitter is a company that can afford to take its time in finding the one and even if it fails to discover one it will survive. It will survive because other businesses are building on top of the micro-messaging service and using it for their own services.

Some businesses have discovered that Twitter is an effective way of communicating with consumers. Dell made US$ 1 million using Twitter. People who sign up to follow Dell on Twitter receive messages when discounted products are available the company’s Home Outlet Store. They can click over to purchase the product or forward the information to others. When Dell can make money why not others? The corporate success story can motivate Twitter to creating corporate accounts.

I realize Twitter has created such a valuable platform which is beyond the debate of business model.

farzaap.com

Hrithik Roshan is Magic for M2-Magic Moments

M2-Magic Moments Vodka, a Radico Khaitan Ltd. brand, has recently launched its seven flavors for Indian market. The flavors are raspberry, ginger, lime, lemon grass, green apple, chocolate and orange.

The new brand is targeted at youth. The M2-Magic Moments Vodka has unique packaging which draw consumer attention. The bottles have graphics directly printed on to them, and Radico Khaitan has invested in the latest packaging decoration technology currently being used in Europe.

M2-Magic Moments Vodka promises everything that a person’s life should have – enjoyment, fun, zest and zing. It’s a product which stands for excitement in life.

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan has been signed on as the brand ambassador for M2 – Magic Moments vodka. The energy and stylish modern appeal of Hrithik fits well with the international, young, energetic Magic Moments vodka brand and the experience that it promises its consumers.

Aamir Khan is Jhingalala for Tata Sky

Aamir Khan has been in the news these days, heavily promoting his latest production, Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, which is also his nephew, Imran Khan’s debut film. Recently, he has started endorsing Samsung and Parle Monaco. He has been the Titan brand ambassador for a while now.

Tata Sky is a joint venture between the Tata Group, STAR TV. In this venture TATA owns 80% and STAR TV owns a 20% stake. Tata Sky was incorporated in 2004 but was launched only in 2006. The company uses the Sky brand owned by British Sky Broadcasting.
Tata Sky, has roped in Aamir Khan as its brand ambassador. Bollywood star Aamir Khan has entered into a long-term contract with Tata Sky. Aamir Khan will be used extensively for communicating the benefits of Tata Sky to the Indian consumer. It is definitely a strategic move as the rival dish TV has signed Shah Rukh Khan. Tata Sky would use Khan to take the brand forward. He is not the first brand ambassador for the 21-month old DTH service provider. Hrithik Roshan was used during the Cricket World Cup in 2007 for select campaigns and other film stars like Kiron Kher and Paresh Rawal were also used for some campaigns which basically testimonial ads.

Khan will feature in all the Tata Sky ads in print, TV, outdoor and radio with the popular Tata Sky tag line Isko laga dala, to life jhingalala.

Rediffusion DY&R is the company’s creative agency.

Internet In India At A Growth Path

All internet loves must thanks comScore Networks on releasing the survey result which claims that the India has emerged as the fastest growing country of Internet users, surpassing the growth rates in the US, China, Japan. However, India is not there in the top 10 countries in terms of average monthly hours online per unique visitor.

comScore Networks also reports that India ranked eighth in terms of number of internet users as of January 2007. The US has the largest internet population of 153 million followed by China ( 86.8 million), Japan (53.6 million), Germany (32 million) and the UK (30 million) in the top five. The growth in the internet penetration can also be attributed to the fact that India grew at 33 per cent, while the world average was 10 per cent. I believe that the Indian Internet market is still at nascent stage and we hardly have any Internet success story. Indian Internet space needs a few Indian internet brands. I believe that its not enough to have just rediff, Indiatimes, and naukri. In current business scenario the Indian Internet market one needs a path breaking indigenous idea, two a local idea with global standard execution, three experimentation with local content. In current market scenario I can only see that the market is mushroomed with too many me-too ventures. I believe that Indian market is yet not explored well and needs experimentation.

No wonder VC firms from Silicon Valley now focusing on India and several Indian companies as part of their portfolio. The global VC films like Sequoia India, Helion, Matrix Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, NEA IndoUS Venture Fund , and KPCB in last few years have funded various Indian internet ventures. The internet companies which got vc funding are Guruji, Travelguru, MingleBox, ApnaLoan, Shaadi, Komli, MakeMyTrip, seventymm, Yatra, Sulekha, bharatmatrimony, cleartrip, naukri to name a few. A close look on these internet venture tells yet another story. These internet ventures can be classified into lifestyle, travel, or existing, prominent portals. All these internet ventures with low internet population are managing the revenue is a commendable task. A close look on these entire ventures also indicates that they are playing in the field which is closely linked to corporate world. Naukri is a job board; Travelguru, MakeMyTrip, Yatra are travel portals with focus on corporate or office goers.

Emergence of Multiplex in India

In 1979, world’s first multiplex ‘Eaton Center’ in Toronto, Canada was opened for the general public. The Eaton Center has 18-screen movie theater complex. Eaton’s movie centers, which were a craze during the 1980s and 1990s, faded slowly and closed finally in March 2001.

In 1997 PVR established, first multiplex in India – PVR Anupam at Saket, New Delhi. The PVR Anupam changed the Indian movie exhibition landscape. Movie exhibition till mid nineties was dominated by Cinema halls – the traditionally single screen halls. Cinema halls witnessed a surge of customers mostly during the festive season and on weekends. The emergence of multiplexes changed the movie exhibition business in India. Today, all eyes in the entertainment industry have turned towards multiplexes, as they generate a larger share of revenue though they accommodate less number of seats per theater.

The emergence of new multiplexes has reduced the audience for traditional cinemas, thereby prompting some of them to transform themselves into multiplexes. The multiplex business is not only prompting traditional cinema theater owners to convert their property into multiplex but in recent times has also attracted many international players to venture into the business. No wonder the multiplex business is so lucrative that foreign entertainment giants like Time Warner, South Korean multiplex operator Megabox, and Australia’s Hoyts are in talks with real estate developers such as the DLF group, the Raheja Group and Sobha Developers to set up chains of multiplexes across the country. We should not forget that roughly a dozen Indian players have entered in the business in small or big way.

New players are trying to enter this sector and the existing players are busy expanding their horizons. In recent times the multiplex has gone beyond the metros to redefine entertainment in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities like Lucknow, Indore, Nasik, Aurangabad, Kanpur, Amritsar. The good news for most of the movie exhibitors is that at present roughly 70 percent of the total box office collections in the country come from non metros.

These multiplex has multiple screen movie theater complex which also offers lifestyle shopping. It offers brand new experience of watching movies. Today multiplex are considered not just a part of the entertainment, it is an opportunity for family outing which include movies, shopping, eating out, gaming parlors, buying books, buying groceries, etc. Most of the multiplexes malls in India have common structure, which I believe is structure of the ideal multiplex. Ideal multiplex malls have a four to five floors with various leisure and recreation options for customers. The top floor has multiplex and rest of the floors offer facilities like shopping, eating out, gaming parlors, book shops, groceries, etc. The structure of the multiplex mall explores the consumer psychology, where customers who come with the intention of watching a movie are made to pass all the floors in the shopping mall. It increases the possibility of their making some impulsive purchases. I don’t know about other but I end up buying something every time I go to watch movies. Moreover, the multiplexes do not allow outside food and beverages into the movie theaters which offer them opportunities to sale of their own products at a premium.

The decade old Indian multiplex industry has definitely changed the movie exhibition industry in India. The multiplex industry, in India, is still in an early growth stage, and is way behind the size and scale reached in the developed countries.

The Raj Television Network Plans a Print Foray

The south Indian state Tamil Nadu has around 30 regional language newspapers, including heavyweights such as Dinakaran, Dinamalar and the Daily Thanthi. Dinakaran, owned by the Sun TV group, is the market leader, with a total daily circulation of around one million copies during January-June, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. In such a cluttered market the Raj Television Network is planning a print foray – Sun TV groups are you listening.

The Raj Television Network was started in 1994 to provide wholesome entertainment for the entire family. The group has programmes targeted at young and old, male and female alike. The Network with unique set of programs has positioned itself as The People’s Channel. The Raj Television Network, like other Indian media companies is looking forward to expand their portfolio and emerge as the complete media house. The Raj Television Network once has a print presence would help in terms of selling advertisements across television and newspapers.

Raj Television Network Ltd plans to enter the print media and is open to acquiring a Tamil newspaper. The company is evaluating options on its print entry as certain players operating in the regional space have approached it to sell their business. Moreover, the company plans to raise INR 50 to 100 crore from private equity firms to build a studio, office complex for its film production business.

Reliance Big Entertainment Acquires Majority Stake in Willow

The company in news is Willow.TV. It is the world’s leading portal for live Internet streaming of all Cricket events worldwide, and has been providing live streaming video of every major cricket series since 2003. It is a paid site with a subscriber base of over a million registered users, primarily in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. It provides subscribers with an unparalleled viewing experience with enhancements such as live interactive scorecards and high bandwidth video streams as well as mobile and IM offerings

Willow.TV, last year, streamed all major cricket events live, including the iconic Indian Premier League, as well as all Australian, South African and English international matches. The Willow.TV gain maximum visibility in India when it telecasted the Indian Premier League.

Reliance Big Entertainment, which is on buying spree, has acquired a majority stake in the US-based cricket webcasting portal – Willow TV. According to report The Anil Ambani company will invest Rs 300 crore in the portal over the next two years. The amount also includes the acquisition price of the portal.

Reliance Big Entertainment has been aggressively strengthening its position in the entertainment and media space and has been building value across the value chain. The acquisition will strengthen the presence of Reliance Big Entertainment in new media.