Category: Social Media

Instagram introduces Reels to entertain India

NEW DELHI: Instagram today announced the extension of the testing of Reels, a new video format, to India. This format offers a new way to create and share short videos on Instagram, aimed at redefining the future of entertainment on the platform.

With Reels, people can express themselves while entertaining others, whether that’s by trying out a fun new dance or spreading the message on something they care about. People can record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects and new creative tools on Reels; share them with their followers on Feed; and, if they have a public account, make their reels available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore.

Sharing to Reels in Explore gives people the opportunity to access a larger audience, especially since more than 50 per cent of accounts on Instagram globally visit Explore every month. Explore can showcase an entertaining selection of reels made by public accounts on Instagram, which may inspire people to create their next reel.

Facebook India vice president and managing director Ajit Mohan said, “With the rise in video consumption overall and videos making up over a third of posts on Instagram in India, Instagram has a big role to play in unleashing expression in the country. People across the big and small cities of India come to Instagram to express themselves safely, and also to be entertained. With Reels, we’re unveiling the future of entertainment on the platform, in a way that ignites creativity. With the multiple creative formats, whichever way you want to express yourself, it can now be on Instagram.”

Facebook vice president of product Vishal Shah said, "Instagram has always been a place where culture is created, because people come to share the things they care about and be entertained. We’re constantly listening to our community, and have heard that they want to make and watch short-form videos on Instagram and have the opportunity to be discovered by our broader community. We’re excited to expand the test of Reels to India and give the next generation of creators born and bred in India a chance to share their native and cultural context — and be potential global stars."

The feature will start rolling out to users in India from 7.30 pm IST and at the onset, will be populated with content from a diverse set of public figures and creators, such as Ammy Virk, Gippy Grewal, Komal Pandey, Arjun Kanungo, Jahnavi Dasetty aka Mahathalli, Indrani Biswas aka Wondermunna, Kusha Kapila, Radhika Bangia, RJ Abhinav and Ankush Bhaguna.

India is the fourth country, after Brazil, Germany and France, where this new format is being tested. This entertainment experience builds on the work done in the past year to enable expression, such as the vast library of music available on the platform thanks to a partnership with prominent music labels; the Spark AR effects on Instagram that enable more creation and expression on the platform; and the ‘Born on Instagram’ program, which has led to discovery and growth of creators from all across India.

While this is a test, Instagram is committed to getting the experience right and will continue to learn and build as India creates and shares reels. To see reels from India on the day of launch, do follow #FeelitReelit.

To create a reel:

Select Reels at the bottom of the Instagram camera. You’ll see a variety of creative editing tools on the left side of your screen that you can use to create your reel, including:

Audio: Search for a song from the Instagram music library for your reel. You can also use your own original audio by simply recording a reel with it.

AR Effects: Select one of the many effects in our AR library, created by both Instagram, and creators all over the world, to record multiple clips with different effects.

Timer and Countdown: Set the timer to record any of your clips hands-free.

Align: Line up objects from your previous clip before recording your next, which helps for seamless transitions like outfit changes or adding new friends into your reel.

Speed: Choose to speed up or slow down part of the video or audio you selected, which helps you stay on a beat or make slow motion videos.

To share a reel:

With Reels, you can share with your followers and have the potential to be discovered by the huge, diverse Instagram community on Explore. Reels that you post to Feed or Explore will also appear in the Reels tab of your profile. You can also share to Stories or in Direct, though your reel would then disappear after 24 hours, not be shared to Reels in Explore, and not appear on your profile.

If you have a Public Account: You can share your reel to a dedicated space in Explore, where it has the chance to be seen and discovered by the wider Instagram community. You can also share to Feed so your followers can see your reel. When you share reels featuring certain songs, hashtags or effects, your reel may also appear on dedicated pages whenever someone clicks on that song, hashtag or effect.

If you have a Private Account: You can share to Feed so your followers can see your reel. You can also share to Stories or in Direct, though your reel would then disappear after 24 hours.

To watch Reels:

Reels in Explore is a new space to enjoy reels created by the diverse community on Instagram. Discover your new favorite comedian, inspiring advocate, trending dance or beauty trend in a vertical feed customized for you. If you enjoy a reel, you can easily like, comment or share it with your friends.

July 8, 2020
It’s a match! Tinder and Pocket Aces team up to show how people are Dating In 2020 in the new format ‘FilterCopy Mini’

NEW DELHI: In a bid to constantly innovate, and cater to the changing content consumption habits of the audience, Pocket Aces’ short-form video channel, FilterCopy, has launched a new Instagram-first format called ‘FilterCopy Mini’ that will focus on telling short, relatable stories in just under a minute.

‘Dating in 2020’, the first series of videos under the format, reveals the experiences of 5 young couples that match on Tinder during the lockdown. The 5 one-minute videos successfully showcase how the audience is now adapting to the ‘new normal’.

The global pandemic has accelerated the way people date online. While the need for human connection is enduring, COVID-19 has dissolved the lines between our digital and physical lives, and social distancing has not meant disconnecting. Furthermore, dates, especially first ones, are getting creative — a reality, depicted in these 5 FilterCopy Mini videos. From matching with neighbours you have never spoken to before, having a dance challenge as your first virtual date to finding someone you can enjoy grocery shopping with or simply two former classmates rekindling a could-have-been romance after matching on Tinder — each ‘Dating in 2020’ FilterCopy Mini promises to let the viewers in on a fresh and heartwarming date.

Featuring some of the biggest digital faces of the country like Ahsaas Channa (Kota Factory, Girls Hostel), Rohan Shah (Firsts, Hacked) Apoorva Arora (Firsts, College Romance), Ankur Rathee (4 More Shots, Made in Heaven, Thappad), Akanksha Thakur (Cheesecake, Pitchers, PA Girls), popular American YouTuber, Jaby Koay and beloved TV actor Vishal Vashishtha, the five FilterCopy Mini ‘Dating in 2020’ videos are now available on FilterCopy’s Instagram page.

Commenting on the launch of the new format, FilterCopy, Channel Manager- Sripriya Yegneswaran, said, “To stay true to our mission of solving boredom, we’re constantly innovating on content formats and exploring fresher ways to keep our audiences engaged. After the huge success of both the seasons of Firsts, an Instagram-first format on our other channel, Dice Media, we had enough data to recognize that there was a massive appetite for bite-sized ‘stories’ which led to the inception of FilterCopy Mini. We’re quite excited to bring this freshly brewed format to the audience with Tinder as our first partner since it is the most intuitive fit for the current dating landscape that we are trying to showcase in Dating in 2020.”

Speaking of the partnership, Tinder spokesperson, said, “The most important thing we can do right now is to give our members a way to escape social distancing and self-quarantine and find solidarity with new matches around the world. Tinder is about making new connections and breaking down barriers – whether that’s digitally or IRL. Through this partnership, we’re showcasing how in challenging times, we still find a way to maintain social rhythms that will sustain us”

Catch all the episodes on Filtercopy’s Instagram page. You can also binge all episodes on YouTube. Stay tuned for more freshly brewed content from FilterCopy!

July 6, 2020
TikTok ban to see influencer spillover onto YouTube & social spaces

KOLKATA: The recent ban on Chinese social media platform TikTok in India sent shockwaves across the country's TikTok community. The platform, which leverages viral, user-generated content, has more than 120 million users as recorded in June 2020.

TikTok has emerged as a viral phenomenon in India, providing the power of digital content creation and virtual stardom to many in India. The country is also the largest market for the app outside China. Currently, TikTok influencers command a sizeable following, benefitting from lip dub, stunts and quickie content on the short video format platform.

"The TikTok ban will lead to a boom in influencers and viewers onto other video-based platforms and homegrown competitors. We at Bisbo India, expect a surge in influencers and viewers to hit YouTube, Instagram and Sharechat," explained Bisbo India founder and creator Shakir Ebrahim.

"TikTok works because of its short content length. Recently, TikTok users had begun working with informative and educative content (including explainers). I look forward to how they'd synergise their short video sensibilities to YouTube," he added.

Ebrahim also talked about how the ban on TikTok would fuel similar, homegrown startups. "TikTok had hooked its specific junta. Platforms like Mitron, Chingari or Roposo would be an easier adjustment for them."

This is not the first time the app has faced public ire and legislative action. India had banned the platform in April 2019, when an Indian court ruled that the app could expose children to sexual predators, pornography and inappropriate content. TikTok had successfully appealed against the move, convincing the court it had taken steps to safeguard against such dangers. However, recently it has clarified that it is not going to take any legal route.

July 4, 2020
Facebook hires directors to support growing partnerships in India

NEW DELHI: Facebook has hired Francis Jose, Manohar Hotchandani and Paras Sharma in its growing partnership team in India. With extensive experience in technology, telecom, media and entertainment, these new additions will help lead strategic partnerships and initiatives to support Facebook’s continued growth in India, with an overall aim for driving better value for business partners.

Facebook India director and head of partnerships Manish Chopra said, “We are proud to expand our team with addition of Francis, Manohar and Paras – who are not only leading industry talents but also share Facebook’s passion to create unique experiences that drive business value for our partners and bring the world closer together.”

Paras Sharma will be the director for media partnerships and lead the charter across news, entertainment, sports and music verticals for both Facebook and Instagram. Sharma comes with 23 years of experience with leading global media organizations like Viacom CBS Asia, Fox International Channels and ESPN Star Sports. He has worked across various functions including media, creative, content production, acquisition & programming, OTT platforms, marketing and business management and has led teams in diverse regions including India, SEA, China & Japan, with a focus on expanding to newer markets, creating localized programming and new programs; to grow audiences and engagement across linear and digital platforms.

Francis Jose is the new director of mobile & connectivity partnerships for India and will drive engagements across the telecom, ISP & mobile devices industries in India. He joins Facebook from Samsung India Electronics and prior to that he has worked at Blackberry, Reliance Communications, Airtel, Aptech & BPL Mobile. Over the past 21 years, he has held responsibilities across a wide spectrum of roles including network engineering, business development, sales & distribution as well as strategic partner management; working with clients & principals to develop newer go to market strategies and expand their user bases.

Manohar Hotchandani joins as director, business development and will be working across multiple opportunities in India, with a keen focus on growing gaming, commerce, AR/VR. He joins Facebook from Amazon where he led the Alexa voice service (AVS) business post a long stint at Microsoft across multiple roles. Manohar has 25+ years of experience across business development, ecosystem creation and management & P&L management with MNC companies like Microsoft and Amazon.

All three of them will be reporting to Manish Chopra, director and head of partnerships at Facebook India.

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July 1, 2020
TikTok ban: Indian UGC apps ready to take on traffic; see advertiser interest too

KOLKATA: TikTok had become a rage among millions of Indian youth until the Indian government’s interim ban crushed its multi-billion dollar strategy. Creators, influencers and marketers will have to seek an alternative platform as the future of TikTok remains uncertain in the country. But the flip side of the story is a silver-lining for Indian platforms and video sharing apps which are now poised to grow fast. UGC platforms like Roposo and Bolo Indya have started seeing a massive user base shift to their platforms.

These homegrown apps had already been growing since the last few weeks when the call to use local brands started. With the recent decision of the government, they are set to see never-expected traffic, at least the instant reaction seems so. Bolo Indya co-founder Varun Saxena says it saw over one lakh new creators joining the platform in less than 24 hours and around five lakh new videos had already been created. Roposo co-founder Mayank Bhangadia says a number of TikTok influencers have already announced their shift to the Indian short video app. He adds that it will direct followers to the platform as well.

“It is a big boost for most of the short video platforms because these creators will look for a new platform. It’s a big opportunity for Indian applications from the perspective of getting new creators and high volume also,” Saxena adds.

However, he also mentions that most of the TikTok influencers are now exploring where they can get a good follower which includes Instagram and YouTube too. He adds that for a few days they will be creating content on all the platforms and will stick to one once they get a loyal audience. Saxena says Bolo Indya is favourable to creators compared to others as its format, interface, time length is very similar to TikTok.

According to Bhangadia, this change is extremely good for an Indian entrepreneur and will give them a very good boost. He says that they have got calls from close to 20 brands inquiring about how to advertise on Roposo the morning after the ban. They are hopeful that the shift will be happening in the next few days.

“Roposo is best positioned because we have been working for the last few years and we have built a product which is not available anywhere in India. The kind of camera feature we have along with other features is not available on all apps. The holistic nature of the platform is able to accommodate many communities. We don’t focus only on lip sync or short act. We have all kind of talented people. Hence, creators are shifting to us,” he adds.

Saxena says that they were already doing content marketing working with certain brands. And the major reason brands were working with the platform despite the fact that it had less volume compared to TikTok was the higher spending power of users on the app compared to TikTok and Helo. While new creators will give it a better volume also, Saxena is optimistic that they would definitely see more and more brands coming to Indian applications for content marketing.

“In a short to medium term, advertisers and agencies will look at alternate platforms to help them meet their marketing goals. Some of the banned platforms are sizeable, so it would be difficult to find an immediate apparent replacement. In this case, a combination of replacements or an increase in presence in existing platforms can be an option. Also, the ban is still a little unclear from an implementation standpoint. The downloaded apps are still running, though new downloads are at a halt. If the government calls for a complete ban, things will go south for these platforms. Even then, I don’t believe brands will advertise on these apps, fearing public outrage,” TheSmallBigIdea CEO and co-founder Harikrishnan Pillai says.

“For influencers, from a short-term POV, the business will be affected if they have had a single platform focus. From a long-term perspective, Indian apps have a great opportunity to grow. ‘Revenge Download’ will lead to a sudden spike of Indian apps. Whether they manage to be sticky and effective, time will tell,” Pillai adds.

While the sudden spike in traffic will be a pressure on the apps, they are ready to take on new users. Saxena says they had started updating their infrastructure a couple of weeks back because it was expecting something like this to take place. They have been pro-actively ready to take the kind of surge it saw since Monday night. As he shares, there was hardly 1.5 minutes of downtime because it was upgrading infrastructure.

Bhangadia is also confident about Roposo’s engineering team. He also says that the team has been preparing because the app had seen surge coming in the last four months since the lockdown started. It got accelerated in the last few weeks when people started shifting to Indian products. He also mentions that they are part of a much larger InMobi group.

"This is a welcome move from the government against platforms that have had serious privacy, cybersecurity and national security risks. We expect the government to continue their support for the Indian startup ecosystem,” ShareChat public policy director Berges Malu comments.

July 1, 2020
Facebook launches Avatars in India

NEW DELHI: Facebook today announced the launch of Avatars in India. With much of our social interaction these days are taking place online, it’s more important than ever to be able to express yourself personally on Facebook. Avatars will allow you to create a digital persona that’s uniquely representative of you and will enable you to share a range of emotions and expressions in a fun and personalised way.

Starting today, people in India will be able to make an Avatar, a cartoon-like version of themselves by choosing from a variety of faces, hairstyles and outfits that have been specially customised for India. They will also be able to use their Avatar in Facebook comments, stories, your profile picture and Facebook Messenger chat windows and can even share it on WhatsApp chats.

How to create your avatar:

Our Avatar creator enables people to customise how they want to represent themselves across many dimensions such as facial features, hair, and outfits (to name a few!). This creator can be accessed from Bookmarks in your FB app, as well as from the comment composer. It’s also easy to access the avatar creator from someone else’s avatar shared across Facebook.

To create your avatar, use your mobile device and go to the Facebook or Messenger comment composer, click on the “smiley” button, and then the sticker tab. Click “Create Your Avatar”! Or find the avatar creator in the Bookmarks section in your Facebook app. (Note: Avatar creation from Messenger is currently only available on Android, but will be rolled on iOS soon.)

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June 30, 2020
We place highest importance on user privacy & integrity: TikTok India head Nikhil Gandhi

NEW DELHI: On Monday, the government of India banned 59 Chinese apps in the country. A day later, one of the most popular short video applications TikTok has been taken down from both Apple App store and Google Play store.

In an official statement, Tik Tok India head Nikhil Gandhi said, "The government of India has issued an interim order for the blocking of 59 apps, including TikTok and we are in the process of complying with it. We have been invited to meet with concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and has not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government."

Adding, "Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so.We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity. TikTok has democratised the internet by making it available in 14 Indian languages, with hundreds of millions of users, artists, story-tellers, educators and performers depending on it for their livelihood, many of whom are first time internet users."

Users who have the TikTok app downloaded can still use the app and post videos but officially the platform is now banned in the country.

TikTok had nearly 119 million active users in India and was among the top 10 apps on Google Play store and Apple App store.

June 30, 2020
Govt bans 59 Chinese apps including TikTok

KOLKATA: As the tension between India and China escalates, the Indian government has banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, UC Browser, Shareit, Shein, WeChat, Xender. The ministry of information technology has invoked its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act and has said that the apps are engaged in activities “which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.”

The ministry has mentioned that it received many complaints from various sources including several reports about the misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India. The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.

The indian cyber crime coordination centre, ministry of home affairs has also sent an exhaustive recommendation for blocking these malicious apps. This ministry has also received many representations raising concerns from citizens regarding security of data and risk to privacy relating to operation of certain apps. The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) has also received many representations from citizens regarding security of data and breach of privacy impacting upon public order issues.

“Likewise, there have been similar bipartisan concerns, flagged by various public representatives, both outside and inside the Parliament of India. There has been a strong chorus in the public space to take strict action against Apps that harm India’s sovereignty as well as the privacy of our citizens,” it stated.

The government has decided to disallow the usage of those apps, used in both mobile and non-mobile Internet-enabled devices.

June 29, 2020
Covid2019 boosts digital influence on consumers

NEW DELHI: Over the course of the last three months, consumers attitude and behaviour has gone through some very fundamental changes, shared Nimisha Jain, managing director and partner, Boston Consulting Group, while releasing the latest Facebook India-BCG findings. The novel SarsCov2 crisis has given a major boost to digital influence on consumers in the country.

The findings were revealed during a virtual event and panel discussion attended by several leaders of India Inc, and saw businesses such as Samsung India, Mondelez India and Big Bazaar, all of which have deep offline retail networks, throw light on how they’ve leveraged digital in these times.

“If you go back in history, SARS in 2003 was a tipping point for e-commerce in China. We believe that this [the pandemic and lockdown] is an important time when we could have a similar shift in India as well,” Jain added.

A key takeaway from the reports is that 70 per cent of urban consumers for mobile and 55-60 per cent for apparel will be digitally influenced. It’s critical that brands amp up their digital engagement and customise their proposition to win in the new normal.

The report says that the online share for mobile phones is likely to reach 45 per cent in the coming two years; up from 38 per cent in the pre-crisis days.

The report has highlighted smartphones as an ‘essential’ category in consumer’s daily life, consumer spending sentiment for mobile phones continues to garner mixed responses. Around 29 per cent of the respondents to the BCG survey said they are more likely to decrease spending in the next six months; 40 per cent of which might buy a cheaper variant of a mobile phone, while 15 per cent of them might look at a cheaper brand altogether.

The report says that three kinds of consumer trends have made the smartphone even more central to our lives—a reversal of past trends such as bringing the outside in-home through virtual experiences, acceleration of past trends leading to stronger adoption of digital and online, and the formation of new habits such as DIY. No wonder that 55 per cent of those surveyed said that they intend to increase spends on mobile phone via an online channel in the next six months.

“We know that digital influence has significantly increased across the path-to-purchase – up to 70 per cent for some categories. We are now seeing businesses convert this increased digital influence into tangible business outcomes. A significant digital acceleration has happened on the back of social media, and with 400 million + Indians connected on the Facebook family of apps in India, we play a consequential role in the consumer journey. The opportunity for businesses now is to adopt new solutions that are now available, across the funnel – replicate in-person experiences by bringing alive virtual experiences, focus on efficiency and truly incremental outcomes by platform, and leverage friction-less ways of staying in touch with the consumer in times of physical distancing," shared Facebook India director and head global marketing solutions Sandeep Bhushan.

90 per cent of consumers who have purchased apparel online during the lockdown has shown a willingness to continue. Within CPG, this figure is 80 per cent for food-related sub-categories, and 84 per cent for non-food-related sub-categories, these trends might follow beyond the pandemic, says the report.

Futurebrands consulting MD and CEO Santosh Desai, one of the panellists, shared that the pandemic has made us adapt to new habits for instance online education, cooking etc. “Today we are forced to think of things in a new way and what will remain are the opportunities. Marketers should not be complacent, they should dig deep to challenge the current trends.”

Furthermore, the report reveals that people intend to explore online channels a lot more for purchasing smartphones, consumer packaged goods, and apparel in the coming six months. For instance, 55 per cent intend to increase online spends on mobile phones in the next six months.

June 25, 2020
Digital influence in urban consumers rises up to 70%: Facebook India-BCG

NEW DELHI: Facebook India and Boston Consulting Group have released three new reports that delve into Covid2019-induced changes in the consumer path-to-purchase across mobile phones, apparel, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories. The reports are the follow up to the ‘Turn The Tide’ report released last month.

A key takeaway from the latest reports is that digital influence has increased significantly in urban consumers – up to 70 per cent for mobiles , 55 to 60 per cent for apparel, and up to 20-25 per cent for non-food CPG categories.

There are three kinds of consumer trends that we are witnessing that have made the smartphone even more central to our lives – reversal of past trends such as bringing the outside in-home through virtual experiences, acceleration of past trends leading to stronger adoption of digital and online, and formation of new habits such as DIY.

The findings were revealed during a virtual event and panel discussion attended by several leaders of India Inc, and saw businesses such as Samsung India, Mondelez India, and Big Bazaar, all of which have deep offline retail networks, throw light on how they’ve leveraged digital in these times.

Said Facebook India director and head, global marketing solutions Sandeep Bhushan, “We know that digital influence has significantly increased across the path-to-purchase – up to 70 per cent some categories. We are now seeing businesses convert this increased digital influence into tangible business outcomes. A significant digital acceleration has happened on the back of social media, and with 400 million+ Indians connected on the Facebook family of apps in India, we play a consequential role in the consumer journey. The opportunity for businesses now is to adopt new solutions that are now available, across the funnel – replicate in-person experiences by bringing alive virtual experiences, focus on efficiency and truly incremental outcomes by platform, and leverage friction-less ways of staying in touch with the consumer in times of physical distancing.”

The reports also points out that some of these trends are here to stay even beyond the pandemic. 90 per cent of consumers who have purchased apparel online during the lockdown show willingness to continue. Within CPG, this figure is 80% for food related sub-categories, and 84 per cent for non-food related sub-categories. Furthermore, the reports reveal that people intend to explore online channels a lot more for purchasing smartphones, consumer packaged goods, and apparel in the coming six months. For instance, 55 per cent intend to increase online spends for mobile phones in the next six months.

Boston Consulting Group, managing director & partner Nimisha Jain said, “Across mobile, apparel and CPG, we are observing changes in how and what consumers buy. We expect the online sales market for mobiles to touch 45 per cent in the next 2 years. 8 in 10 consumers are avoiding going out, which will lead to casualization of wardrobes. Nearly one in two consumers plan to increase spend on heath and immunity related food products. 70 per cent urban consumers for mobile and 55-60 per cent for apparel will be digitally influenced. It’s critical that brands amp up their digital engagement and customise their proposition to win in the new normal”

How Leading Brands Are Building For The New Path-To-Purchase

Samsung India senior vice president Asim Warsi said, "As India's largest consumer electronics company, we have taken the onus to create new shopper journeys to aid physical distancing by leveraging our digital technologies with our deep retail presence in India. Facebook is our partner in this journey of helping our retail channel discover and target local consumers digitally. In addition, we have enabled consumers to purchase our mobile and electronic products online, whilst getting the deliveries offline from their neighborhood Samsung retail stores. Also, we are now delivering our financing solution – Samsung Finance+ – to the consumers' doorsteps. These digitally forward initiatives have helped us make a sharp recovery post lockdown.”

Mondelez India director-marketing (chocolates) Anil Viswanathan said, “At Mondelez India, we understand the role our products play in our consumers’ life. While essential items continue to remain a key priority amongst consumers, in home snacking has come to take precedence as part of the ritual of spending more time with family or with oneself. Amplified social media influence has also triggered a trend wherein homebound consumers are now increasingly looking at ways to indulge in or create at home moments and in doing so they are predominantly relying on trusted brands like Cadbury, Oreo, Tang etc., which represent superior quality and the assurance of safety amid these uncertain times. Understanding that time and safety are the essence of the moment, we are leveraging all existing channels, and experimenting with new ones ala Direct to Consumer to serve our consumers. The key is to continue to remain agile and adapt to the changing requirements of our consumers and to facilitate ease of service across channels.”

Three Steps Business Can Take Across The Funnel To Build For The Increasing Digital Influence:

Leveraging the cross-industry experience and consumer understanding of Boston Consulting Group and Facebook India, the report also lays out recommendations for mobile, CPG and apparel businesses to explore along the new path-to-purchase. Examples highlighted below.

Pre-Purchase:

o Create digital experiences and influence to replicate in-person experiences: Due to physical distancing, less number of people are likely to walk into a store, experience the product, and make a consecutive purchase. Therefore, more virtual experiences need to be built for the remote living reality.

Brand example: Recently Samsung partnered with Facebook to train offline retailers to go digital in a big way. In the first phase, Samsung and Facebook have already trained more than 800 offline retailers, with more training sessions lined up in the coming weeks. The training is focused on enabling offline retailers build a digital presence through the Facebook family of apps, making their business known locally, and building credibility among the local population by setting-up their business pages and accounts on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. As a result, the offline retailers are likely to witness a growth in their business as they discover more local consumers online.

Purchase:

o Relook at media mix model urgently to build efficiency in acquisition: As businesses, and especially those with traditional product categories, start spending more online, they would feel the urgent need to understand truly incremental outcomes by platform as well as cross-platform efficiency. This would increase the need for industry-leading digital measurement standards.

Brand example: Cadbury 5 STAR ran Facebook and Instagram video ads in 2019, and saw*:

o 2.6X return on ad spend from Facebook as indexed to TV

o 1.8X return on ad spend from Instagram as indexed to TV

o 5.8X return on ad spend from short video ads on Facebook and Instagram

o 1.3X higher return on ad spend from ads with upfront branding

*As per custom mix modelling (CMM) by Nielsen

With the rise in demand for in-home snacking during lockdown, Cadbury Chocolates leveraged their website to bring consumer's favorite snacking brands right to their doorstep. Both Facebook and Instagram were instrumental in getting the message across. Cadbury Chocolates witnessed 1.2x return on investment as a result of this.

Post-Purchase

· Stay connected with your consumer in times of physical distancing: In times of physical distancing, it’s essential to stay in touch with the customer and continuously eliminate friction in the path-to-purchase. Consequently, conversational marketing digital solutions driven by WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and digital CRM tools can prove to be very effective to engage the consumer with value-driven outreach after the purchase has taken place.

Brand example: With increased digital adoption (recharges, bill payments etc.) amongst the telecom customers, Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) launched a WhatsApp chatbot to cater to consumer's needs

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June 24, 2020