Indian Social Media Landscape

Blogger of the Fortnight: Priyanka Matanhelia

Mayur — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Current Position and Organisation:
Program coordinator at Johns Hopkins University; Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University

Areas of Expertise:
Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis, Field Research, Focus Groups, Consulting, Teaching

Educational Background:
Doctorate in Journalism and Public Communication from University of Maryland College Park; Masters in Communication Media from Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women’s University; Bachelors in Child Development from Delhi University

Just like many other bloggers from the same sphere of involvement, Priyanka’s blog is pretty much a reflection of the current times and essentially talks about various facets of Social Media and the use of mobile phones among the youth.

Most blog posts revolve around her areas of expertise as listed above. Interviews with experts and focus groups etc., pertaining to crucial issues faced by the communication industry in this digital age are centric to most of her blog posts. They are usually written in a first person narrative as she has been moderating most of these discussions. Video clips from the sessions are duly supplemented as and where applicable.

Her recently concluded dissertation on ‘Mobile Phone usage among the youth in India’ is up on one of her posts and the sheer number of downloads bear testimony to how intricately the subject matter has been observed and studied. Needless to say, this post counts as one of her most successful entries.

Besides this, the blog also serves as a medium to chronicle events from her personal life. Every once in a while there is a pleasant bit of poetry, culture, travel, romance etc. to break the monotony of Industry discussions. Her ability to make a mark on the blogosphere by uniquely showcasing an array of well distributed content entitles her to be our Blogger of the Fortnight.

Click here to read more from our blogger of the fortnight series.

Social makes a Mobile Star

arjun — Tue, 08 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

There are no second thoughts to the fact that Social Media is here to stay. Primarily, what has enabled social media to reach such stellar heights is the explosion of Smartphones empowered with Social Media widgets that let one stay social, practically all the time. It is only justified now to take a look at what these various handset manufacturers are themselves doing on Social media to woo prospective buyers.

Nokia:

During the launch one of their products, Nokia N95, which came in about at the same time as that of Apple’s iPhone launch; the team at Nokia anticipated how overwhelming the enthusiasm about iPhone would be and how it will overshadow their device. What followed was an aggressive social media campaign spanning multiple platforms, prior to the launch and post that too.

Nokia did an extensive research while meticulously listening to what customers think and feel. For sharing experiences, annoyances and ideas about cell phones in general, it set up a dedicated blog.

During the development stage, there were constant blog updates by employees, developers and enthusiasts alike to keep one and all in the loop. Post launch, a viral campaign for the Nokia N95 about ‘jealous computers’ generated a massive online response. This one most definitely qualifies as one of the most highlighting campaigns of all time that testifies to doing social media, right.

The jealous computers website as a part of the viral campaign

More recently, the launch of Nokia Lumia had the Social Media set abuzz along with support from on-ground activation. Nokia UK on its launch of Lumia in London, uploaded a video on YouTube of an actual activation that brought together Sound artist, Deadmau5 and world’s most advanced 4D projection technology to create a sensation. In no time the video went viral and created waves across the World Wide Web.

Nokia Lumia ties up with Deadmau5 for its London launch

Nokia’s Facebook page currently has over 8 million fans and hosts dedicated tabs for ‘Discovering Nokia Lumia’, ‘Lumia Family’, the next big product from under the Nokia banner, ‘Nokia 808 PureView’.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has already started experimenting with the latest platform to hit the Social Media world, Pinterest. Microsoft is holding a contest where one stands a chance to win a brand new Nokia Lumia 900. Users have to re-pin a massive image of the phone and create a board explaining what he/she would with the free time. Although a bold move, the results of its success is yet to be ascertained.

Samsung:

Samsung Galaxy S III social media presence campaigns have already shown us what is next. The live ‘Unpacked 2012’ in London for the launch of the same, a video uploaded by Samsung on to YouTube has already garnered close to 35,000 hits in a week’s time. With a robust 7.5 million strong Facebook fan base, Samsung has a dynamic showcase of their latest products to have hit the market. Dedicated product tabs for Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab 10.etc. give out essential details regarding the device and viewers are encouraged to interact real-time on Twitter.

Samsung Galaxy S III Unpacking at London

YouTube videos of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 consisted of a mix of professionally produced promo films and homemade videos presented in a honeycomb reactionary flash navigation at the top of the Samsung YouTube channel.

Professionally produced videos include the Samsung sponsored Superbike Team (Samsung crescent racing team) shown using the Samsung Galaxy tab as a part of their race preparations on test day.

Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1 being used in race preparation

BlackBerry:

The Canadian based former heavyweight in the mobile manufacturing business, Research in Motion’s (RIM) flagship Smartphone line, Blackberry has, despite having lost its unique position in the marketplace today, has a loyal and a strong fan following of more than 11 million on its Facebook page. Its YouTube channel boasts of a staggering 36 million views and counting. Despite not having an aggressive social media plan, it has still managed to hold the interest level of its customers through the 3 primary social media channels i.e. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Twitter page for RIM has Blackberry community managers on their twitter background, lending more credibility to the overall real-time networking with customers and prospects. Dedicated Tab on Facebook celebrating their flagship property, ‘BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) Generation’ is a way of connecting to fans. This encourages fans to participate in various challenges, share experiences and grow as a community. Other tabs serve as a library for product catalogs and Apps.

One particular campaign exclusively promoted through the Facebook brand page tab, BlackBerry Trade Up has been a unique initiative by Blackberry to let users upgrade to a higher model by going through a systematic procedure as explained on the tab. By the end of the procedure, the user gets a final shipping label with a final quote that he/she can use at the store to procure the handset.

BlackBerry’s Trade Up tab on Facebook

Micromax:

This Indian, wireless telephone manufacturer has been gradually notching up its social media presence as a way to combat competition from global giants in handset manufacturing business.

Micromax Mobile’s YouTube channel has been seeing a steady rise in the number of views and currently stands at about 410k which is pretty decent a count for an underdog in this business. Through Facebook, it targeted its gradually climbing user base by holding a unique youth oriented ‘Re-design the logo’ Contest is in association with Talenthouse India, an online platform for artists. The response was overwhelming and this idea of social crowdsourcing was an ace in the books for all who are trying to create an impression on the Social front.

Micromax’s Re-design the Logo Contest on Facebook

The road to El Dorado!

From what is evident, mobile is the key element of future. Chances are, more handset manufacturers would foray into the market and in due course of time enter the big league. A look at Micromax and we can pretty much anticipate similar ventures. With the competition to outsmart rivals growing intense and the traditional mediums not showing a definite promise in making a sure cut, Social Media is going to be the differentiator.

Whoever gains the majority share of voice in the social space has an edge over the rest. The ones in the big league are doing it already. The ones who are coming up, are getting there, the others are bound to follow suit. With the advancement in technology aiding seamless integration of social and real-time media, this industry can expect a lot of action in times to come.

Blogger of the Fortnight: Sanjeev Sabhlok

arjun — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Current Position and Organisation: Honorary Member at Freedom Team of India; Executive Director (Honorary) at India Policy Institute; Senior Manager, Better Regulation Unit at Department of Treasury and Finance, Government of Victoria (Australia)

Areas of Expertise: Economic Policy, Project Management

Educational Background: Graduate Diploma from Melbourne Business School; PhD in Economics from University of South Carolina (USC); Double Masters in Economics from USC & Panjab University; Bachelor of Science with honours in Mathematics from Guru Nanak Dev University

Sanjeev’s blog www.sabhlokcity.com is a repository of opinions pertaining to governance at most levels. His experience at various government offices, handling crucial policies and matters related to family, education, planning and development, art and culture, housing et al has earned him a place in two of the most libertarian policy organizations that he is currently engaged with.

Despite being settled in Melbourne, Australia, Sanjeev has kept the flame of revolution alive and is constantly working in close quarters to bring about a change in the Indian way of governance. His blog often reflects his strong and almost judgmental stands against various socio-political happenings. A look at few of his posts gives clear cut signs of an upheaval in an attempt to question several controversial findings and practices. The blog entries often shout out loud with an extensive use of highlights in yellow, key points marked in red and sections that demand special attention. His tonality in most posts is definitive (primarily based on strong logic), often borderline sarcastic and doubtful followed soon after by a close-ended solution to a stalemate situation.

Not just that, there are also dedicated tabs covering and addressing issues across varied topics such as climate, racism, god to ‘What would I do as Prime Minister’ and ‘Leaders, Fools and Knaves’ etc.

In a manner of speaking, his ability to blog about issues that speaks of a common man’s woes and being a voice of a nation that needs remedial actions at every step, entitles Sanjeev to be our Blogger of the Fortnight.

Click here to read more from our Blogger of the Fortnight series.

The Rise of the New Social Government

arjun — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Social Media is pervasive of all industries and sectors in today’s information age. It is only imperative that the government and its agencies too, must make use of this medium to disseminate information and build a positive image about itself. In fact a lot of them on an international and domestic scale have already created a presence on the social platforms and beginning to get it right.

This article aims at looking at how various governments and agencies are setting the pace for others to follow in the new world. While some of them are already at it at various stages of governance, we reckon there’s a lot more to be done. Let’s take a look how:

Government (Political Parties) pre and post election:

The use of Social Media during the election stage has exploded since the early adapters started using the medium to connect with the larger audience and in the process attempt to convert them into voters. Politicians across the world have been running their electoral campaigns, fundraising programs, disseminating information about party ideologies etc. on social media with hopes of striking gold.

The presence on platforms like Facebook and Twitter primarily along with a shot in the arm, YouTube, is often used to predict the outcome of the election. More often than not, they turn out to be true. Even though fans do not engage all the time, timely doling out of information on the page helps cement an individual/party’s commitment towards serving their goals.

While Facebook is being used to share information, engage prospective voters and voice concerns and opinions, Twitter is mostly used as a real-time progress report that lets followers know about the individual’s agenda through the process.

The US and the UK are at the forefront of using Social Media extensively for their run-up to elections and showcasing campaign objectives. A recent example closer home is that of the recent elections held for the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Akhilesh Yadav, the candidate for Samajwadi party was heavily promoted through the party’s Facebook page and a number of blog posts were made to highlight Akhilesh’s 800 odd rallies and his efforts to reach out to the people of the state. Sure enough, it generated a humongous buzz and Samajwasi Party won the election leaving the opposition to bite the dust.

Akhilesh Yadav’s victory in election is celebrated with a cover photo on SP’s page

Government Agencies going social to alter public perceptions:

The immediacy of the response is one of the biggest tools to measure public awareness and investigate matters important to public eye. Social Media has particularly been a boon to various government agencies such as law enforcement, disaster management, weather et al to take a preventive measure against any mishap and in case of an untoward incident, provide justice, comfort and instill hope to the public.

In 2009, during the PRIDE parade in Toronto, the Toronto Police encouraged the use of #PrideTO hastag on twitter to keep tabs on crime control during the LGBT event. This also spawned a dedicated page for PRIDE Toronto to communicate various event related news and info that the Police can keep tabs on.

PrideTo’s official page on Twitter

In 2010, the chief detective of the West Midlands Police in the UK used TweetDeck to keep an eye on the demonstrations involving two controversial and politically opposed groups. He also checked out Facebook rumours of stabbings and vandalism and posted on Twitter when the information was found out to be false. A real groundbreaking policing that most would agree with.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) along with a group of researchers from the City University London and Britain’s National Health Service are gearing up ahead of the 2012 London Olympics to develop strategy to tackle epidemics via Twitter.

On the home ground, Ministry of External Affairs, India, has an official presence of Facebook which has its fair share of gradually increasing fan base. Although less on interaction and exploiting the timeline feature, the page documents various happenings through the years in form of pictures, videos and links. It also provides timely information on developments from the inside. With a little deeper focus and interaction the page can really go places.

Ministry of External Affairs, India’s Facebook Page

In the recent past, the Prime Minister’s Office, India had also launched the official twitter handle. With close to 95,000 followers, this is a prime information decimation point for the Government of India. It is now also a tool for PMO to directly engage with the public, a task which was till now not so easy to do.

Prime Minister’s Office, India’s official Twitter page

Indian Air force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces under the government of India. Its Facebook page has a current fan base of a staggering 313k. The page is exemplary in engaging the audience and keeping them looking for more. The IAF page on Facebook gives out news regarding developments in the defense sector and provides photos and videos of fleet acquired along with various feathers in its cap that inspire bravery in a way one would expect from a defense organization.

At a much local level, the Mumbai traffic Police has about close to 12,000 odd fans on their Facebook page which is fairly simple in its core approach. The page gives out traffic updates from time to time and those following them appreciate that gesture. Also, the updates that go into that page talk about various sightings of rule violation on the streets that call for much engagement with city dwellers. Way to go Mumbai Traffic Police.

The Heritage foundation, a Washington D.C. based American think tank inspiring leadership with an already overwhelming Facebook presence of over 421k fans and over coupled with over 8000 subscriptions for its YouTube channel has an enviable audience engagement. The heritage foundation has now taken to Pinterest, the newest social media platform to furthermore extend its virtual footprint and get people to check out their boards and pins on various policies pertaining to education, family, healthcare etc. To reinforce credibility, there are boards that showcase charts and graphs. A move par excellence.

The YouTube Channel of The Heritage Foundation

The scope to expand and engage on Social Media:

It is evident from various international, predominantly, and domestic organizations that Social Media offers a much larger benefit in establishing trust and reinforcing core values of government that often has a shady and dodgy public perception. A strong presence on social platforms helps to shape up perceptions and bust myth while establishing a strong emotional and rational bonding with the people.

In India, as far as government agencies’ optimum use of Social Media is concerned, it is still latent. While a few of them have already created pages and handles, there is barely any interaction or measures taken to engage people positively. In this context, Indian Air force is something one could draw an inspiration from.

Why this Kolaveri for Facebook?

Deepak — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:01:01 +0000

If we were to go only by comments on posts about Facebook on various publications, we would think that Facebook was probably thinking of taking over the world while all we can do is watch and wait.

Indeed, after the Instagram deal, majority of the comments were about either:
1. How this is the end of Instagram
2. How this is the end of Facebook
3. How Facebook will kill Instagram
4. How Facebook overpaid
5. How Facebook could have just downloaded Instagram for free from the app store (this joke needs to die, seriously)

While a small proportion talked about how this could actually be a good thing.

In addition to the aforementioned rage, there is generally quite a bit of ”Kolaveri” for Facebook. In particular, over three points: how it doesn”t innovate, how it sells our information to big bad corporates and how it”s gotten boring.

I”m sorry, but I beg to differ. I do have a healthy sense of skepticism, but I would like to give Facebook and Instagram a shot here. Why the presumption that such big-ticket purchases are going to only spell doom? Zuckerberg may have his faults, but one cannot accuse him of not being a master strategist. He wouldn”t pay double the week-old valuation of Instagram if he wanted to kill it. He could have just bought the talent (12 strong) from the company, bought out patents and developed his own photo-sharing platform on mobile. Sure, it might have ended up being buggy, but with sheer numbers (800 million vs Instagram”s 40 million), it would have acquired the most important thing – users. This was ironically clear when Instagram itself when it came to Android, knocking off alternative apps like Photofunia.

Oh, no. Zuck sees something more than 40 million users and some fancy filters here. I don”t know what he has up his sleeve (if I did, I”d be running my own social network, not sitting here writing blogs). But I am willing to bet he has plans, and big ones. And his investment of $1billion (which is pittance, by the way, given what the Facebook IPO will bring in) will pay off, big big time.

But moving away from the Instagram issue itself, why IS there such raging anger against the world”s largest social networking site? Is it just a case of trying to bring down the big bad company? It”s fashionable to trash companies once they”re out of the lovable zone of being an underdog, after all.

Let”s look at the typical cribbing points.

1. Selling info to corporates: Let me put it this way. Facebook is free. Who”s going to pay for server space for hosting thousands of photos and status updates? Has to be someone. And who”s going to pay for the benefit of being socially connected? Someone does. Noone will want to ”upgrade” to a paid, ad-free version of Facebook. So there”s only one way out, and it”s a brilliant business model – sell your personal information to people who can target their ads to you. Now before you outrage, read that sentence again. What exactly is so bad about it? The ”personal information” being sold is not embarrassing diary entries or pictures in compromising positions, but basic things like age and interests. Heck, I would WANT Facebook to know that so it could target me ads for guitars and comics rather than make-up and automobiles. What would Facebook want your embarrassing deep dark secrets for anyway? Zuck definitely doesn”t have time, and I”m willing to bet that people don”t sit and read your direct messages and chuckle about them in Facebook server rooms (or for that matter, in GMail server rooms). Have a little faith, limit what you”re sharing on social media and remember, unless you pay for it, you have no right to crib about it.

2. Boring: Facebook is not boring. Facebook isn”t even exciting. What IS boring / exciting is the users that make it. So if your feed puts your to sleep (“YAWN! So many people getting married!” or “YECH! Fed up, everyone is taking pics of cats with their new DSLRs”) then it”s not Facebook”s produce team that is at fault. Some people need to make new friends or get newer interests. Blaming Facebook for ”boring” content is like blaming paper for having boring stuff written on it.

Bottom line – Facebook has innovated superbly over the last few years to be part of our lives, so well integrated. It”s not going anywhere, and I”d definitely like to see it give its acquisitions a shot before passing a judgement about whether it is evil / doomed.

I don”t think anything sums this up better than the fact that most of the conversations predicting Facebook”s death happen on… yes, Facebook itself.

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