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Tag: Facebook

  • Five Likee Features Every New Likeer Must Explore

    Five Likee Features Every New Likeer Must Explore

    Pioneering short video platform Likee, launched in 2017 by Singapore-based Bigo Technology Pte Ltd. is continuously marching ahead with its innovative feature offerings. A top short video platform, Likee has registered a high number of downloads in India as well as abroad amid the cut-throat competition in the sphere. A sprawling user base is proof of the increasing popularity of the platform. Easy navigation, swipe, and smooth browsing have been instrumental in Likee’s success. Likee enhances short video making experience with dramatic filters and interactive user-interface.

    While there are multiple reasons that make Likee one of the most preferred apps, here are five differentiating features that every new user must know.

    Swipe to navigate: Anyone can easily use Likee with its helpful navigation. User can continue to swipe up for non-stop browsing of user videos. They can swipe right to directly open sections such as popular videos, Follow, nearby videos, live chat.

    Omnichannel login: One can create a Likee account by entering their existing credentials on Google, Facebook, and Instagram. The feature of Omnichannel login availability saves a lot of time and effort required to set up and manage a separate account. A Likee account can also be linked to other social media accounts easily.

    Language selection: Languages help in connecting like-minded people. A key characteristic of the Likee app is its availability in the local languages of India. Starting from 15 local Indian languages, Likee is available in international languages like Portuguese, Brazilian, Arabic, Indonesian and more.

    Nearby video: One of the unique features of the Likee app is its nearby video option. With this feature, users can view videos that are being created around their location. The nearby option lets users connect with fellow Likeers in close vicinity and get inspired by their talent.

    Hashtag searches: Hashtags have made browsing easy on every social media platform. Likee has made use of this feature to attract more and more user engagement while helping users consume niche content. The hashtag based videos get instantly popular on Likee, garnering millions of views and eventually going viral on other social media channels also.

    Millions of users are already enjoying the Likee experience, which enables them to showcase their talent and skills. Likee is also actively involved in promoting hashtags with several Bollywood inspired challenges. When the majority of online users end up falling in love with apps that make browsing easy, hassle-free and fun, Likee’s score in the category is praiseworthy. With interactive look and feel, amazing user interface design, ease of usage and productivity, Likee is effortlessly ruling the hearts of online app users. Existing features of Likee have been successfully inspiring millions to make videos, since the inception of the platform. On the other hand, the widening new user base on the platform is calling for the inclusion of more engaging features in the near future.

  • MX Player’s integrated campaign #IsLoveComplicated reaches over 52 million Indians

    MX Player’s integrated campaign #IsLoveComplicated reaches over 52 million Indians

    MUMBAI – On the occasion of Valentine’s Day, while most brands sought to highlight love stories that end with happily ever after, leading entertainment streaming platform – MX Player decided to bring to light the ‘reality’ of love in a modern day relationship. The platform released its new MX Original Series ‘Pawan and Pooja’ that deals with the lives of 3 couples, ALL named Pawan and Pooja –  spanning across 3 generations.

    With an objective to bring alive the concept of the series and effectively break online clutter, MX Player conceptualized the campaign #IsLoveComplicated.

    The genesis of this idea is rooted in the theory that many couples do not openly discuss the conflicted reality of love and hence, the brand decided to create a microsite – http://isloveuncomplicated.in/ to conduct an anonymous digital ‘Pyaar ka Poll’ survey to understand the dynamics of functional relationships in India. The microsite held 8 hard-hitting questions revolving around the core themes of the series such as: whether or not couples were dissatisfied in bed, whether or not they kept secrets from their partner, and whether or not they’ve ever indulged in an exaggeration of their love on social media, to name a few.

    In addition to the microsite, MX Player also effectively used  Instagram, Facebook stories, and specialist content channels such as Femina, Filmfare, iDiva, MensXP, SpotboyE and more to gauge India’s view on love today. The survey witnessed a participation of over 15 Lakh Indians and MX Player was able to piece together a picture true to love and relationships, as seen by audiences today.

    Taking the campaign beyond just digital, the statistics gleaned from this poll were highlighted through outdoor, radio and print. With smart insights and seamless execution, a simple digital survey was transformed into an integrated campaign across platforms with statistics from the poll to support bold relationship claims.

    Furthermore, this campaign saw traction from many influencers like Neha Dhupia, Kusha Kapila, Prince Narula and Divyanka Tripathi, who discussed the show launch and even participated in some compatibility activities with their partners.

    Elaborating on the same, MX Player marketing and business partnerships head Abhishek Joshi said, “This real life social experiment flips the regular Valentine’s day approach on its head and the campaign tackled hard hitting questions about love, rather than the typically seen emotional drivers of romance and happiness.”

    Talking about the scale of the campaign, he added saying, “#IsLoveComplicated is a digital first campaign which was able to scale into a 360 degree integrated approach with powerful OOH communications.  What makes the campaign impactful is that we could use the power of digital to reach out to the masses & use the insights across multi-channel communications.”

    The results for a poll brought to the surface some very real issues that individuals experience in relationships today.

  • Filmfare Awards to simulcast on Facebook globally

    Filmfare Awards to simulcast on Facebook globally

    MUMBAI: Worldwide Media, India’s leading lifestyle and entertainment content company, has entered into a strategic partnership with Facebook for its iconic Filmfare Awards Franchise. The year-long partnership will provide exclusive non-linear digital simulcast partnership to the entire Filmfare awards franchise including Filmfare Hindi, Filmfare Marathi, Filmfare South, Filmfare Punjabi and Filmfare Glamour and Style Awards in 2020.

    Kickstarting the association with 65th Amazon Filmfare Awards, the awards show will simulcast on February 16 at 9.00pm on Filmfare’s official Facebook page, in addition to red carpet highlights, backstage footage, special moments and best of Filmfare archive content, that will be exclusively available digitally on Facebook and Instagram. 

    Ensuring enhanced reach and innovative content, 65-year old iconic Bollywood awards, will now harness the global reach of social media. Speaking about its partnership with Facebook, Worldwide Media CEO Deepak Lamba said, “Filmfare Awards has for a while now been clear market leader in audience reach and engagement driven by our TV coverage, leveraging our large digital and social platforms, and via extensive news reportage by the TOI group. We are also excited because we will leverage the various FB tools to drive like-minded communities of Bollywood buffs to discuss, debate and enjoy topics and content of similar interest levels. It will enable them to talk about the world of movies, favourite stars and artists all year around, centered around exciting content that the Filmfare team creates.” 

    “Social media is revolutionizing the way audiences discover, consume and share entertainment content. We have seen people form some of the most vibrant global communities around their favorite movies and stars on Facebook and Instagram. We are excited to partner with Filmfare to bring exclusive and engaging videos, photos and more for people on our platforms.” added Facebook India director and head of partnerships Manish Chopra.

    As part of #FilmfareOnFB this year, Filmfare has launched its official Facebook group “All Things Filmfare'', where fans from around the world can relive iconic moments of the Filmfare legacy and can discuss their favorite Filmfare moments. Fans can also join in on the #FilmfareOnFB buzz. This year, over 30 creators will also join in the pre-Filmfare anticipation, talking about their favorite Filmfare moments, of which five creators will get to be on the Filmfare Red Carpet and backstage, to create exclusive content for Facebook and Instagram.

  • Facebook appoints Avinash Pant as marketing director for India

    Facebook appoints Avinash Pant as marketing director for India

    MUMBAI: Facebook today announced a new addition to its leadership team in India, which is driving the charter for the company’s deepening focus in the country. The latest addition to the India leadership team is Avinash Pant, who will take on the role of Marketing Director at Facebook India. 

    The role of Marketing Director will be a new one at Facebook India, with the mandate to drive the company’s consumer marketing efforts across the family of apps, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Pant comes with twenty-two years of experience working with leading consumer brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, The Walt Disney Company, and most recently, Red Bull. In his last assignment as the India Marketing Director at Red Bull, he was responsible for building the brand in India, especially amongst the youth, through unique partnerships and content related to sports, music, and dance. Pant is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He will report to Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, India. 

    The announcement comes a year after Facebook announced a new leadership structure in India bringing the company’s functions under Ajit Mohan, reporting directly to its headquarters in Menlo Park. 

    Over the last year, the company has spearheaded several India-focused initiatives with a particular focus on fuelling entrepreneurship and breaking the gender imbalance on the Internet. ‘Boost with Facebook’ and the ‘VC Brand Incubator Program’ were aimed at accelerating the growth of SMBs. In 2019, Facebook also made its first minority investment in a company, Meesho, a social-commerce venture empowering first-time entrepreneurs, especially women in small towns. The company also announced a tie-up with the Government of India’s Common Services Centre (CSC) to provide tools and training to more than 25,000 women in 3000 villages around the country. It was also a year when Facebook announced a ground-breaking partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC) that made it the exclusive digital content rights partner in the Indian subcontinent for ICC global events.

    Said Facebook India VP and MD Ajit Mohan, “We’ve been working towards deepening our mission to build empowered communities, form stronger local partnerships, create economic opportunities for SMBs and entrepreneurs to grow in India, and, to do our part to break the gender imbalance on the Internet. Consumer marketing is a new strategic area of focus for Facebook and one where we will dramatically increase our investment in communicating directly to consumers. Avinash is one of the best marketers in the country, and am delighted that he is joining us on this exciting charter to shape the voice of Facebook’s family of apps in India.”
    In the last few months, Facebook has recruited for key roles across multiple functions such as Marketing, Sales, Partnerships, and Policy. Consistent with the new organization structure, these roles have been spread across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. 

    “We are dedicated to creating an environment where our people can be their authentic selves and unleash the power of their diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Teams at Facebook are focused on channeling that energy to be an ally to India in its exciting journey of transformation and growth,” added Mohan. 

  • The future of AI and ML-driven platforms in the coming decade

    The future of AI and ML-driven platforms in the coming decade

    Whenever I talk about artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), most people immediately think of Terminator or one of the many sci-fi movies that show super-intelligent machines trying to overpower the human race. But in reality, we use AI in our day-to-day lives more often than we think, because it has been adopted by the major platforms, such as Google, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, Myntra, and Flipkart. When you scroll through Facebook and see videos and articles that pique your interest, when Netflix recommends The Witcher before you can mourn the end of Game of Thrones, or when Myntra lets you know that your outfit will be incomplete without a pair of matching shoes – all this is the work of AI and ML-driven solutions. So we can easily say that it is one of the most disruptive technologies in history that is helping companies enhance efficiencies and boost revenues. It is no wonder that as per PwC's recent report, AI's potential contribution to the global economy is slated to be $15.7 trillion by 2030!

    However, the industry is still evolving, and we are a far cry from creating systems that can contend with a creative, intelligent human brain. So, without any further ado let's take a look at a few trends that are going to shape the future of AI- and ML-driven platforms this decade.

    Smarter Search Functionality: With the rapid development of natural language processing (NLP), I am sure that search engines would gain a better understanding of our language using linguistics, semantics, and ML techniques. When you search via text or voice recognition using conversational language, technology will be able to respond to even the most complex queries. Search engines and ecommerce websites will display more relevant, contextual results, leading customers straight to the products they want, thereby increasing the chances of conversion.

    Working with Limited Data: One of the challenges AI developers and data scientists face is stringent data privacy laws. More than hundred countries have various data privacy laws in place, so it is complicated to make data both protected yet accessible. However, with time, the reasoning abilities and intelligence will improve, which means that we can work even with limited data. Unlike the data-hungry platforms of today, machines in future will learn to cope in cases of missing, unreliable or changing data.

    More Accurate Insights and Predictions: Deep learning capabilities coupled with advanced data analytics will help businesses derive more accurate insights into the minds and patterns of customers, as well as help predict and interpret behavior. Moreover, AI- and ML-led platforms will receive these actionable insights in real-time, enabling them to tweak their business strategy on the fly.

    Better Product Recommendations: Customers are expecting highly personalized shopping experiences, and AI and ML-driven platforms will evolve to fulfill the role of a live salesperson. So if you are shopping during Christmas, the platform will use past purchase history and current activity to recommend products, and it will also be able to adjust prices of high-demand items in real-time. Leading shopping search engines such as Google Shopping, Amazon DSP, and Taglr are already leveraging AI. For example, Taglr's easy-to-use digital advertising platform, ShopperAds – analyzes demographics, preferences, shopping patterns, and past purchases to recommend relevant products, thus cutting down on transaction time and customer acquisition costs. And as ML algorithms never stop learning, with every shopping experience, the recommendations will be more tailored and precise.

    Better Customer Support: Bot platforms will be able to offer 24/4 support via virtual agents and live chat and solve problems in a human-like fashion. Also, ML models will use the questions and answers generated to predict future conversations, thus facilitating interactions with customers. There will come a time when we wouldn't know whether we are chatting with a human or a bot!

    So, it is abundantly clear that in next 10 years AI and ML-led platforms will not only completely revolutionize the way businesses interact and engage with consumers, but also help businesses improve productivity, reduce costs, and save time.

    (The author is Taglr CEO. The views expressed are his own and Indiantelevision.com  may not subscribe to them.)

  • 7 Top Video Trends to Watch Out for in 2020

    7 Top Video Trends to Watch Out for in 2020

    In a world where capturing consumers’ attention is getting harder, and customer acquisition is getting more expensive, video is one of the best ways for brands to communicate with their target audience. With the new year rolling in, now is a great time for brands to rethink their video strategy and take it to the next level in order to maximize conversion. Here are a few exciting video trends that we believe will be game-changers in 2020 and beyond:

    Personalized Videos

    Personalized videos include the viewer’s name and other details in the storyline, enabling brands to deliver communication that is highly relevant and targeted. Such videos leverage CRM data to help build stronger relationships with customers and enable effective generation of qualified leads.

    Interactive Videos

    Interactive videos put viewers in the driver’s seat, enabling them to make choices as they watch. Infused with quizzes, opinion polls, treasure hunts and more, interactive videos pique viewers’ interest and help build brand loyalty. Since they have higher recall value, they result in better conversion rates.

    Shoppable Videos

    Making videos shoppable allows brands to shorten the consumer journey and increase last-mile conversion. Being able to choose products and add them to a cart is not only a ‘wow’ factor for viewers, it also empowers them with greater convenience and ease of access.

    Vertical Videos

    With smart phones becoming the de-facto device among millennials, creating videos for viewing in portrait (rather than landscape) mode is the latest megatrend. As influencer marketing gains popularity, and brands cash in on the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) factor, vertical videos are fast becoming the norm across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram.

    360-Degree Videos

    360-degree videos literally provide a larger than life viewing experience, by capturing the action from all directions! This innovative technique offers an immersive, interactive viewing experience that results in higher video completion rates.

    User Generated Content (UGC)

    Today, brands are increasingly listening to their audience and tapping into the stories that people are co-creating. UGC videos are now a vital part of brands’ community building efforts.  They inspire greater trust than brand sponsored content, are shared more widely and require very little investment.

    Silent Videos

    Silent videos, which primarily rely on visuals for messaging, are currently trending on social media platforms. The convenience they offer is clear – people can watch these videos whenever, wherever without missing anything. Whether they are in a busy public place (like an airport/metro), or in a quiet area (like a hospital), they can enjoy an uninterrupted viewing experience.

    As the lines between content and commerce blur, brands must adopt new trends and technologies for video marketing. These can help deliver dynamic, compelling viewing experiences which build brand love, drive transactions and increase ROI. For best results, brands should partner with a one-stop video agency that offers both high quality creative services along and cutting-edge technology.

    (The author is vice president, Brands Services, Prime Focus Technologies. The views expressed are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

     

  • Facebook’s expanded transparency features will roll out in Q2 2020

    Facebook’s expanded transparency features will roll out in Q2 2020

    MUMBAI: Facebook is updating its Ad Library to increase the level of transparency for political ads and provide users with more control over the ads they see. The platform will be adding a feature that will help to view audience size in the ad library, will provide better ad library search and filtering, control over and see fewer political ads.

    The Ad Library is a unique tool to shine a light on political and social issue ads — a public archive that allows people to see all the ads politicians and campaigns are running on Facebook and Instagram and those that have run in the past. “This is an important step in making political ads more transparent and advertisers more accountable: the public can see every ad served to anyone in an easily searchable database,” said Facebook.

    Facebook launched the Ad Library in May 2018 and over the past several months they have spoken to dozens of political campaigns, activists, NGOs, nonprofits and volunteers about its policies for political ads. “Two themes we heard was that first, people want more transparency over who is using ads to try to influence voters and second, they want more control over the ads they see,” said Facebook.

    The platform further announced, “The expanded transparency features will roll out in the first quarter of 2020 and will apply in all countries where we facilitate “Paid for by” disclaimers on ads. We plan to deploy the political ads control starting in the US early this summer, eventually expanding this preference to more locations.”

    It also said, “There has been much debate in recent months about political advertising online and the different approaches that companies have chosen to take. While Twitter has chosen to block political ads and Google has chosen to limit the targeting of political ads, we are choosing to expand transparency and give more controls to people when it comes to political ads.”

    “We don’t think decisions about political ads should be made by private companies, which is why we are arguing for regulation that would apply across the industry. The Honest Ads Act is a good example — legislation that we endorse and many parts of which we’ve already implemented — and we are engaging with policy makers in the European Union and elsewhere to press the case for regulation too. Frankly, we believe the sooner Facebook and other companies are subject to democratically accountable rules on this the better,” said Facebook.

  • India tops list in requesting TikTok for content restrictions, user info access

    India tops list in requesting TikTok for content restrictions, user info access

    MUMBAI: India has topped the list in making the highest number of legal and emergency requests to takedown specific content and to access user information, TikTok said in its first-ever Transparency Report for the first half of 2019 (1 January 2019 to 30 June 2019).

    A short-video sharing application in its report claimed that India made over 99 legal requests and eight emergency requests to TikTok, taking the total requests to 107. Followed by the United States of 79 requests, of which 68 are legal and eleven for emergency requests.

    ByteDance owned TikTok in its report said that at least 47 per cent of India’s requests have been complied with by the platform, whereas it has obliged to 86 per cent of requests made by the United States.  

    The chart of content restricts missed China’s name. “We did not receive any requests from countries other than those listed in the chart below,” the transparency report said.

    TikTok, the China-based application touts over 1.3 billion installs worldwide, has recently been banned by the United States army amid security concerns. Similarly, the platform, which has gained popularity in India, has also come under scrutiny over objectionable content.

    Meanwhile, TikTok it received over 3345 copyrighted content takedown notices from across the world, of which 85 per cent content was removed, the report said. “We honour valid take-down requests based on violations of copyright law, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).”

    Like TikTok, the social media giant Facebook, along with search-engine giant Google have also been coming out with transparency report in a timely manner that specifies takedown requests.

  • Makani Creatives’ 360-degree campaign helps Netsurf to launch ‘Rang Dé’

    Makani Creatives’ 360-degree campaign helps Netsurf to launch ‘Rang Dé’

    MUMBAI: Netsurf ropes in Makani Creatives as a creative partner for 360-degree outreach campaign, including print and digital to launch their home-grown, natural cosmetic brand ‘Rang Dé’,

    Netsurf, India’s direct selling company with a customer base of over 2.5 million, has come up with a new product — Rang Dé, which represents Indian shades for makeup to embrace eternal beauty.

    Makani Creatives, known for its cutting-edge work on some of the biggest brands in India, will be handling the overall digital aspects from social media to digital media outreach for Rang Dé.

    The campaign focuses on the women of today, in an elegantly orchestrated single-take brand film conceptualized by the agency and choreographed by the eminent choreographer duo, Uma-Gaiti.

    Netsurf Communications Pvt Ltd chief executive officer and managing director Sujit Jain said: “The primary objective was to position Rang Dé as a contemporary, young, vibrant & exotically Indian brand. To create a fun, unconventional make-up routine that resonates with the women of today”.

    He further added, we were really excited to hear the concept; the entire collaboration between choreographers, Uma-Gaiti and Makani Creatives Pvt Ltd really helped us achieve more than what we expected out of the campaign film.

    The campaign film made its first appearance at the Filmfare Glamour & Style Awards, and is visible across all major digital platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

    Meanwhile, Makani Creatives creative director Sachin Padave said: "The idea was to position Rang Dé as a brand that helps you embrace yourself, without letting go of the fact that we're talking about different individuals, their different skin tones, beliefs, tastes and individualistic sense of fashion.”

    The campaign visuals portray multiple models with different skin tones, reflecting the different Indian ethnicities, and the fact that Rang Dé – with its organic range of products – can cater to any skin tone or skin type, a press statement said.

    The choreographer-duo Uma-Gaiti, who seamless helped making this film said, “We’ve directed a number of films and videos, but a one-take campaign for a beauty brand was a first for us. We were excited from the moment we heard about this project.”

    According to them, the share of limitations, they had, was with lights, camera, casting, choreography and etc. however, they believe limitations open doors to new ideas along with Makani Creatives we managed to pull off the ad campaign film beautifully.

    Rang Dé strives to bring out the best in every individual, imparting confidence to take on the world. Being herbal in nature with organic pigments escalates this exclusive range to offer countless benefits and kindness to your skin.

  • Gaana introduces ‘Stories’, the short-format content in music streaming

    Gaana introduces ‘Stories’, the short-format content in music streaming

    MUMBAI: After leading the industry with the vertical video format, Gaana videos, India's largest music streaming app, Gaana has launched its own form of video stories – a version of short-form video content to showcase engaging mini videos and influencer clips on the app. With seamless toggle and navigation gestures, the feature aims to offer uninterrupted music experience.

    Stories is the feature that has been popularized by apps like Snapchat and Instagram, has been adapted by Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Netflix and many others. With the advent of Gaana Stories, the brand has emerged as the only music streaming platform in the entertainment industry to showcase mini videos and influencer clips. These stories are designed to offer Gaana users a flavour of newly launched, upcoming or trending/popular songs. In its soft launch, Gaana has partnered with labels and artists to feature engaging stories to promote newly launched songs and artist stories.

    Speaking at the launch, Gaana CEO Prashan Agarwal said, “At Gaana, we have believed in producing premium content that is meant to be mobile, social and shareable. After our industry-first launch of Gaana Videos earlier this year, we wanted to go above and beyond in our ambition to host differentiated & engaging content apart from the core music streaming experience, and that led to the idea of Gaana Stories. In its most purest sense, stories are previews of songs that will help music lovers get a quick taste of newly launched, upcoming and trending songs.”

    Earlier in April, Gaana made its first major foray into video content by adding music videos to its audio-led experience. Built for the mobile, these exclusive & immersive vertical videos now accompany new and popular music on Gaana, and is handcrafted by artists in partnership with the brand with the intention to bring music lovers closer to the artist as they enjoy their favorite music.