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Tag: Facebook

  • L&T tops the charts on following on LinkedIn

    L&T tops the charts on following on LinkedIn

    Larsen & Toubro, India’s leading EPC projects, manufacturing, defence and services conglomerate, has topped the LinkedIn in terms of most followed Indian conglomerate, leaving behind Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group, Tata Group and Adani Group.

    L&T with its 20 lakhs 5 thousand plus followers is the top most followed conglomerate, with Reliance Industries followed the second most at over 18 lakhs 98 thousand followers, over 15 lakhs 2 thousand followers for Aditya Birla Group, 4 lakh 83 thousand plus for Tata Group, over 3 lakh 41 thousand followers for Adani Group and over One lakh 58 thousand followers for Godrej Group, Linkedin data showed as on Sept 7, 2020.

    Larsen & Toubro spokesperson said: “We have grown this follower base through consistent and targeted messaging. The content strategy for a B2B conglomerate like L&T needs to be highly focused and different from a typical FMCG or a consumer products brand play book. We focussed on our strengths and leadership in our areas of business, while still maintaining approachability and creating engaging stories which impact people.”

    “We have realised that updates on big projects and achievements, and messages from our leadership consistently garner great response and engagement from the followers. Another message that resonates well with our audience is about Make in India achievement – a pride in building the things that help build the Nation, whether in infrastructure or technology and defence,” the spokesperson added.  

    The companies have been using this social media network to reach to professionals, students, potential employees to keep them updated about thoughts of their leadership, their achievements, milestones, HR initiatives, updates on campus recruitments etc. LinkedIn (90 per cent) is the top social media platform preferred by B2B marketers in 2019 followed by Facebook (77 per cent) and Twitter (63 per cent), data by Digital Marketing Community showed. While most of the working professionals are still working remotely, there is a huge spike in social media engagements on professional network LinkedIn. LinkedIn insights show that globally, there has been a 50% year-on-year growth in content sharing, between March-June 2020. While the job searches and career related posts are the most engaged content on the platform, professionals watched nearly 4x the amount of LinkedIn Learning content in June 2020 than they did a year ago.

    India has second largest LinkedIn user base at 68 million after United States that has close to 170 million users, July 2020 data by Statista showed. Globally, there are more than 706 million professionals across 200 countries who turn to the network to connect, learn, and plan for their careers. 

  • Facebook to block new political ads a week before US presidential election

    Facebook to block new political ads a week before US presidential election

    KOLKATA: Amid large criticism against misinformation and allegation of meddling in elections, Facebook has decided to block all new political advertising on its platform the week before the US general election in November. 

    However, advertisers will be able to continue running ads they started running before the final week and adjust the targeting for those ads, but those ads will already be published transparently in Ads Library so anyone, including fact-checkers and journalists, can scrutinize them. 

    Facebook will also remove posts with claims that people will get Covid2019 if they take part in voting. It will attach a link to authoritative information about the virus to posts that might use to discourage voting, and it is also not going to allow this kind of content in ads. Notably, other social media platforms such as Twitter and Pinterest, have already banned political ads on the services. 

    “Given the unique circumstances of this election, it's especially important that people have accurate information about the many ways to vote safely, and that Covid2019 isn't used to scare people into not exercising their right to vote,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.

    For more than two years now, Facebook has been under constant pressure from authorities across many countries on antitrust and piracy issues. The data fiasco really got murkier when the cambridge analytica scandal came out for influencing 2016 US Presidential election. However, it had been alleged for the same outside US as well including Brexit. 

  • BJP leads political ad spends on Facebook

    BJP leads political ad spends on Facebook

    NEW DELHI: Social media has emerged as one of the most powerful tools in elections. All the political parties are making the utmost use of social media platforms during the elections to tilt the opinion in their favour.

    From February 2019 till August 24 this year, BJP spent Rs 4.61 crore on Facebook advertisements and Congress Rs 1.84 crore, according to the data available on the social media giant’s spending tracker. Keeping an eye on Maharashtra elections, the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party spent most on this money tp push social issues, elections, and politics. 

    Four other advertisers, linked to the BJP, also made it to the top 10 list including three that share the same address in Delhi as the ruling party’s national headquarters, according to the tracker.

    These four include two community pages, ‘My First Vote for Modi’ (Rs 1.39 crore) and ‘Bharat Ke Mann Ki Baat’ (Rs 2.24 crore); Nation With Namo, which is categorised as a news and media website (Rs 1.28 crore); and, a page (Rs 0.65 crore) affiliated to BJP leader and former MP R K Sinha, who owns Security and Intelligence Services (SIS).

    According to Facebook, an ad is categorised under “social issues, elections, and politics” if it is made by or on behalf of a candidate, political party, or advocates an outcome; is about a particular election or referendum; is regulated by political advertising, or is about a local social issue.

    In total, these accounts and BJP spent Rs 10.17 crore on advertising, which accounts for 64 per cent of the total amount spent by the top ten rank holders, that is Rs 15.81 crore. The period covered includes the general elections in April-May 2019, which saw the BJP return to power with an overwhelming majority.

    Earlier, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), claimed that BJP is by far the richest political party in India. The ADR analysed the audited accounts of the BJP, and six other national parties, including the Congress, for 2016-17. In 2019, BJP earned Rs 2,410 crore.

  • Facebook’s Ajit Mohan & the new world order

    Facebook’s Ajit Mohan & the new world order

    KOLKATA: The SARS Cov2 virus has drastically changed consumer behaviour. Facebook India vice-president & managing director, Ajit Mohan believes that digital influence is not just limited to online buying but offline too.

    Speaking at IAMAI's Marketing Conclave, Mohan said that digitally influenced purchases have gone up by 15-20 per cent for some of the largest consumer goods categories in India such as apparel, mobile phones, packaged consumer goods that traditionally had offline chains. Citing a study by Nielsen, he said that before the pandemic, digital marketing was one of the most effective ways to drive offline sales for Mondelez’s chocolates in kirana stores.

    “The Covid2019 pandemic has crunched a few years of consumer behaviour change into a few months and weeks. Adtech is one sector that has grown during the pandemic,” he added. 

    As the festive season nears, Mohan predicted that a huge chunk of purchases is likely to happen online. According to him, video and virtual experiences are going to be at the heart of festive buying this year.

    He also shared that voice and video calls across all Facebook apps have doubled while live from Facebook page in India has grown three times in June year-on-year. These consumer trends have led to the launch of products like Reels on Instagram and Room on Facebook.

    Speaking about the economic impact, Mohan highlighted that the pandemic is just not a public health emergency but also an economic crisis, which has particularly impacted small businesses across the country. Most of them have shut shop, some are working with reduced workforces, while others are experiencing lower sales.

    Mohan said that he believes Facebook has an important role to play in the recovery of small businesses and the economy. And a lot of its energy is focused on how it works not just with MSMEs but with the entire ecosystem that helps in rejuvenating the economy

    “It’s very clear that the fundamental behaviour of consumers is in a transition mode. And as marketers, I genuinely believe it will be a mistake on our part to look over the next few months in India as growth returns aggressively. It will also be incorrect to replicate marketing models and playbooks that are no longer relevant. The only way forward is to look at models relevant to the world that is coming out of the crisis,” he concluded. 

    (It maybe recalled that earlier this year, Facebook invested $5.9 billion for a 9.9 per cent stake in Reliance Jio Platforms. It had announced that it planned to work with the company to empower 60 million small businesses, including mom-and-pop stores in India. A little later JioMart, a joint venture between Reliance Jio Platforms and Reliance Retail (India’s largest retail chain), started to allow customers to track shipments through WhatsApp.)

  • Facebook global CMO Antonio Lucio to step down

    Facebook global CMO Antonio Lucio to step down

    New Delhi: Facebook global chief marketing officer Antonio Lucio announced via a social media post that he is stepping down from his role. Lucio has been CMO of Facebook since September 2018 and will remain in that position until September 18, 2020. Currently, he is helping the company transition through the end of the year.

    Lucio said, “This has been a challenging year for all and an especially reflective year for me, following my mother’s passing before the lockdown. Given the historical inflection point we are in regarding racial justice, I have decided to dedicate 100% of my time to diversity, inclusion and equity. Though these issues have been core to my personal purpose and my work for many years, I want to make them my sole focus. I will devote the next chapter of my professional life to helping companies and agencies in the marketing and advertising industries accelerate their transformation and to drive holistic and profound change. It is a time for reckoning for our nation and industry, and it is time for me to play a more active part in accelerating change.

    In leaving Facebook, I am nothing but grateful.

    I believe in Facebook’s mission, and COVID has demonstrated the platforms at their best. As the company evolves, striking the right balance between preserving freedom of speech and eliminating hateful speech on the platforms is a generation-defining question that must continue to be addressed. I know the company and its leadership agree on the centrality of this important task.”

    Prior to joining Facebook, Lucio served as the global chief marketing and communications officer at HP. And he also had a similar position at Visa. 

    Lucio was reporting to Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox. Cox recently returned to Facebook after departing from the company in March 2019. One of the biggest roles that Lucio took on was handling the negative press Facebook received following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

    Lucio has over two decades of experience of working at multiple brands such as Pepsico, HP, Kraft Foods, P&G, Visa and others.

  • Former TV9 senior execs to launch News First; a Kannada news channel for the quality-conscious viewer.

    Former TV9 senior execs to launch News First; a Kannada news channel for the quality-conscious viewer.

    Catering to the changing demands of quality-conscious viewers, two former executives of TV9 Kannada, who were responsible for its immense success, are launching a new 24×7 Kannada language news channel called News First. 

    The new-age news channel will be different in its approach and offering, in comparison to the existing players in the market, aiming to curb the audience fatigue that has set in the market.

    News First will have an exciting lineup of programmes dominated by strong content created with the blend of technology and creativity. Backed by a strong team, the channel will introduce sophisticated graphics and exclusive content that will be new to the Kannada market. 

    The brand already has a strong digital presence, with 620K+ subscribers on YouTube and a similar number of followers on Facebook.

    The brand is making all the right noises online and has accumulated close to 220 million video views on YouTube and attains around 24 million reach on Facebook monthly.

    Elaborating on his vision for the new channel, News First editor-in-chief SH Maruthi said,

    “We at News First look at quality as something beyond the visible. It’s in every aspect of news delivery. Most of all it is in contextualizing content as per TV and digital requirements.”

    News First CEO S Ravikumar shared, “When we helped set up TV9 Kannada in 2006, live news was still an unknown quantity. Our energies were all into bringing live news to an audience fed on recorded news. Today the market is so much more dynamic, audiences are so much more fleeting and eager for freshness in news. At News First, we are acutely aware of content being the mainstay of today’s news culture. That’s why we have an exciting line up of innovative programs to make audiences savour our programming menu.”

    News First business head S Divaakar added, “The Kannada TV news market is a competition between channels living on the edge and between No. 2 and No. 3. There is no one thinking of having a go at the market leader, which currently seems undisputed. With a solid product, innovative program line up and a competent team, we are keen to go for gold. The pluses are keeping us in high spirits. It is a highly challenging situation for sure, still, we’ve been getting very positive vibes from the market. We believe if there is anyone who can quickly move up to No. 2, it’s us.”

  • Saregama IP boosts profits despite revenue fall in first quarter

    Saregama IP boosts profits despite revenue fall in first quarter

    BENGALURU: India music label and movie studio Saregama India Ltd (Saregama) reported 100 times growth in consolidated profit after tax (PAT) at Rs 22.01 crore for the quarter ended 30 June 2020 (Q1 2021, quarter or period under review) as compared to the Rs 0.22 crore for the corresponding year ago quarter Q1 2020. The company’s consolidated operating revenue declined 39.2 percent y-o-y in Q1 2021 to Rs 76.49 crore from Rs 125.90 crore in Q1 2020.

    Saregama says in a media release for the quarter that the primary profit driver was the increased consumption of Saregama IP: Music, Films, TV Serials on digital media by people staying at home. “There is more content getting consumed by more number of people in the post-Covid2019 era than the pre-Covid2019 one. These results have come despite Caravan sales slowing down in light of retail network being shut and no new shoots of our TV serials during this quarter.”

    Saregama has mentioned the following highlights in its earnings release: (1) New Licensing deals with Facebook and Spotify (2) Two Yoodlee films released on Netflix: Chaman Bahaar and Axone. Both trended on Netflix Top 10 list says Saregama (3) License (remake, dubbing) deals for 2 Tamil TV serials in Telugu language (4) Carvaan sale re-started around mid-June and 15,000 units were sold during the quarter. There was a steep increase in the consumption of podcasts on Carvaan 2.0 during this period.

    Saregama consolidated operating EBITDA for the period under review increased 122.6 percent (more than doubled) y-o-y to Rs 42.79 crore (55.9 percent of operating revenue) as compared to Rs 19.22 crore (15.3 percent of operating revenue).

    Segment numbers for Q1 2021

    Saregama has three segments in Music; Films and Television Serials; and Publication.

    The company reported operating revenue of Rs 69.64 crore for Q1 2021 which was 36.8 percent lower y-o-y than the Rs 110.17 crore in Q1 2020. Operating result for the segment however almost tripled (increased by 198.8 percent) to Rs 38.5 crore in Q1 2021 from Rs 13 crore in Q1 2020.

    Films and Television Serials segment reported 58.9 percent decline in operating revenue in Q1 2021 to Rs 5.87 crore from Rs 14.29 crore in Q1 2020. The segment’s operating loss increased in Q1 2021 to Rs 3.61 crore from an operating loss of Rs 1.17 crore in Q1 2020.

    Publication segment operating revenue declined 93.2 percent to Rs 0.98 crore in Q1 2021 from Rs 14.4 crore in Q1 2020. Operating results for Q1 2021 was a higher operating loss of 3.13 crore as compared to an operating loss of Rs 3.05 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Saregama for Q1 2021

    Consolidated total income (operating revenue plus other income) for Q1 2021 declined 36.1 percent y-o-y to Rs 81.86 crore from Rs 128.08 crore. Consolidated total expenses in Q1 2021 declined 53.2 percent y-o-y to Rs 59.85 crore from Rs 127.86 crore in Q1 2020.

    Consolidated cost of materials consumed/Contract manufacturing charges for the quarter under review declined to by 98.8 percent to Rs 0.33 crore from Rs 26.95 crore in Q1 2020. Consolidated cost of production of Films and TV serials in Q1 2021 declined 86.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 1.79 crore from Rs 14.40 crore in Q1 2020. Consolidated employee benefits expense in Q1 2021 increased 13 percent y-o-y to Rs 17.44 crore from Rs 15.44 crore in Q1 2020.

    Consolidated finance costs in Q1 2021 declined 50 percent to Rs 0.95 crore from Rs 1.90 crore. Consolidated advertisement and sales promotion costs in Q1 2021 declined 80.3 percent to Rs 6.07 crore from Rs 30.76 crore in Q1 2020. Consolidated royalty expenses in Q1 2021 fell 6.6 percent y-o-y to Rs 13.29 crore from Rs 14.23 crore in Q1 2020. Consolidated other expenses during the period under review fell 42.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 10.94 crore from Rs 19.16 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.
     

  • Jio topline almost triples as op rev climbs in Q1-20

    Jio topline almost triples as op rev climbs in Q1-20

    BENGALURU: Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani’s largest start-up in the world Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (Jio Infocomm) saw standalone operating revenue climb 33.7 percent to Rs 16,557 crore for the quarter ended 30 June 2020 (Q1 2020, period or quarter under review) as compared to the Rs 12,383 crore for the corresponding year ago quarter Q1 2020. Standalone profit after tax (PAT) increased 182.83 percent (almost tripled) in the quarter under review to Rs 2,520 crore from Rs 891 crore in Q1 2020.

    The company says in an earnings media release that customer addition in Q1 2021 was 0.99 crore despite the COVID2019 related impact. It closed the quarter with 39.83 crore subscribers and ARPU of Rs 140.30 per subscriber per month, higher than the Rs 130.6 in the immediate trailing quarter Q4 2020.

    Jio Infocomm standalone EBITDA for Q1 2021 was Rs 7,005 crore, which was 50 percent higher y-o-y than the Rs 4,670 crore for Q1 2020. Standalone total income (net operating revenue plus other income. without GST) for Q1 2021 increased 35.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 16,833 crore from Rs 12,399 crore in Q1 2020. Jio Infocomm’s network standalone operating expenses during the period under review increased 36.6 percent to Rs 5,225 crore from Rs 3,284 crore.  Standalone access charges in Q1 2021 fell 10.4 percent to Rs 1,393 crore from Rs 1,555 crore. Standalone license fees/spectrum charges for Q1 2021 increased 41.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 1,818 crore from Rs 1,287 crore in Q1 2020. Standalone employee benefit expense in Q1 2021 fell 18.9 percent to Rs 318 crore from Rs 392 crore in Q1 2020. Standalone net finance cost in Q1 2021 declined 29.6 percent to Rs 1,168 crore from Rs 1,660 crore in Q1 2020. Standalone other expenses in Q1 2021 fell 3.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 523 crore from Rs 310 crore in Q1 2020.

    Jio Platforms Ltd

    Jio Platforms Ltd (Jio Platforms) is an Indian digital services company and a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd. The company owns India's largest mobile network operator Jio Infocom and other digital businesses of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL). Jio Platforms has raised Rs 152,056 crores to bolster Jio’s initiatives towards delivering breakthrough technologies and building the world’s leading digital services platform. Jio Platforms has raised the money across thirteen investors which includes Facebook, Google, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, TPG, L Catterton, Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, Intel Capital and Qualcomm Ventures. Reliance Industries, post completion of these investments, would hold 66.48 percent equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis. Of the total investment, Jio Platforms Limited has already received Rs 1,15,694 crore as subscription amount.

    Jio Platforms consolidated revenue for Q1 2021 increased 12.2 percent from Rs 15,373 crore reported for the immediate trailing quarter. Jio Platforms consolidated PAT for Q1 2021 increased 6 percent to Rs 2,519 crore from Rs 2,377 crore in Q4 2020. Jio Platforms consolidated EBITDA for Q1 2021 increased 12.8 percent q-o-q to Rs 7,047 crore from Rs 6,250 crore in Q4 2020.

    Company Speak

    RIL chairman and managing director Ambani said: “Jio started with a vision of connecting everything by building a robust and secure wireless and digital network and extending the benefits of digital connectivity to everyone in India. Thirteen investors, which include the largest technology companies and investors globally, now share a common vision with us. Jio Platforms Limited with partnerships across promising Indian start-ups and globally renowned technology companies is set to drive the next leg of hyper-growth for digital businesses. Our growth strategy is aimed at meeting the needs of all the 1.3 billion (130 crore) Indians. We remain focused on playing a leading role India’s transformation into a digital society.”

    Reliance Industries

    RIL consolidated revenue for the quarter was Rs 100,929 crore. Consolidated EBITDA for the quarter was Rs 21,585 crore. RIL says that despite lockdown due to COVID2019, net profit including exceptional items for the quarter was higher by 30.6 percent y-o-y at `Rs13,248 crore. Cash Profit was also higher by 16.7 percent y-o-y at Rs 18,893 crore. EPS including exceptional items for the quarter was Rs 20.7 per share, increased 22.1 percent y-o-y.

  • This friendship day, stay connected with friends with these unique features by Facebook!

    This friendship day, stay connected with friends with these unique features by Facebook!

    NEW DELHI: International Friendship Day is here! This is the perfect occasion to let your friends know how precious and loved they are!

    In the era where social distancing is a must, we are lucky to be a part of a generation where technology has enhanced so much, giving us plentiful online forums for social interactions. 

    Here’s how you can celebrate Friendship Day on Facebook this year – 

    Messenger Rooms

    Spend quality time with friends through group video calls with Messenger Rooms. Create a room right from Messenger or Facebook, and invite anyone to join your video call, even if they don’t have a Facebook account. Host celebrations, or just hang out on the couch with friends. 

    If you have the Messenger app, you can also be creative and explore various AR effects like bunny ears, and new AI-powered features including immersive 360 backgrounds and mood lighting, for a more interactive and fun experience.

    Start a Watch Party

    Instead of sending your friends that funny video you saw on Facebook, watch it with them by starting a Watch Party. This feature lets you watch videos on Facebook together in real time. Tap “Write post” and select “Watch Party”. Search for your videos, add to queue, and tap done. Now sit back and bring out the popcorn.

    Facebook Groups

    One step away from bringing friends together, Facebook Group helps you create memories and stay connected.

    To create a Group:

    Click the three lines on the bottom right of your mobile and select Groups.

    Tap the plus sign on the top right and set your group privacy settings to Secret

    Invite your friends to join!
    Connect with Friends on Facebook Live

    Facebook Live enables you to share your experiences and perspectives in real time, with the people who matter to you – whether you’re someone who wants to broadcast to friends and family, or connect across continents. Do away with the distance and, connect in real time with your friends on Facebook Live. 

    To share live video, simply tap “What’s on your mind?” at the top of News Feed and select the Live Video icon. You can write a quick description and select the audience before going live. During your broadcast, you’ll see the number of live viewers, the names of friends who are tuning in, and can respond to comments in real time,

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  • “We are helping SMBs build a sustainable online model”: Facebook India’s Ajit Mohan

    “We are helping SMBs build a sustainable online model”: Facebook India’s Ajit Mohan

    KOLKATA: Facebook has always expressed its interest in small businesses globally. Moreover, a large chunk of the social media platform’s advertising revenue comes from that segment. Likewise in the Indian market, the company is putting a lot of energy to help small businesses come back faster from the pandemic crisis. In terms of ad spends, that market is coming back well as well as the overall number is moving up.

    Facebook India vice president and managing director Ajit Mohan spoke about its deep-rooted commitment to small business while participating in APOS 2020. “Around the world, businesses are starting to come back and a lot of our energy is leaning towards how we can help small businesses come back faster to where they can build a sustainable model,” said Mohan.

    “Facebook is fundamentally a marketing platform that is tuned to need of small businesses. Around the world what we have seen is that most frugal marketing spend come to Facebook because this is where small businesses can grow. Through the second half of March and April, we did see a very tight lockdown in India that had an impact on the ad market. But that started to change especially in the last few weeks of June and heading into July we see the numbers moving up,” Mohan added.

    Mohan also stated that experts tend to not incorporate and count India’s vibrant online ad market. One per cent of startups and five per cent of enterprises actually do spend money disproportionately on digital to find new sources of growth.

    Covid2019 has accelerated the shift from offline to online. It has brought new cohorts of users to the digital platform. According to him, the behaviour of coming online got hyperdrive. Facebook also saw extraordinary growth for all its platforms it sees that continuing.

    Mohan, who worked alongside Jio when he was in Hotstar, is again working as a partner of the former as Facebook has acquired a minority stake in Jio Platforms. According to him, there is an alignment of the mission of two companies. While Facebook’s energy comes from the belief in giving people the power to build community online, he sees the same passion in Jio as it is playing the role of enabler in the digital ecosystem. Moreover, the alliance of WhatsApp-Jio Mart was one of the focus areas of the Facebook-Jio deal. Mohan said if they could pioneer a certain model of shopping on WhatsApp giving a lean structure to it, Facebook could take the model globally.

    “We are just at the beginning of an exciting hockey stick. If we look at the last few years, the first phase of work was all-around access. The number of 4G users has gone from 50 million to 550 million in less than four years. It has all happened in a very short period of time and that’s the foundation. In the foundation phase, it has lit up multiple sectors. Now, the next five to 10 years will be to see the impact of all the hard work that has been done on the access front,” Mohan commented on the overall ecosystem.

    “If we can bring 60 million businesses online that creates an impact for leveraging the 550 million consumers who have already come online. Connecting the dot between businesses and consumers will open up the explosive economic opportunity not for just those businesses but for others who seek to serve them. With innovation, all kinds of opportunities open up in education, health, etc., and in ways that have barely scratched the surface. We have done the hard work and set up the foundation. Now is the moment to translate that to real innovation and economic opportunity,” he added.