Tag: Mobile Apps

Subscription-based mobile apps: Strategies for monetization and user retention

Entrepreneurs have many opportunities in the mobile app industry, a billion-dollar economic force. However, to capitalize on these opportunities, they must monetize them effectively and cleverly.

According to Statista industry forecasts, mobile app revenue will significantly increase by 2027. It predicts a growth explosion in all market segments, with new revenue records reaching 21 distinct industries.

Development is not the conclusion of the trip. The initial step is merely to launch your app. In a crowded market, getting users’ attention is the true test. The key is to use strong strategies that attract users and offer unique value while ensuring a smooth user experience.

By carefully designing an exceptional app, you can establish a unique market position, boost user engagement, and eventually enjoy its success.

The success of an app is largely dependent on its monetization strategies. A carefully thought-out plan guarantees:

1 Revenue generation: Businesses must be able to earn money from their apps through monetization strategies to pay for app development.

2 Sustainable business model: Entrepreneurs can establish a long-term growth-enabling sustainable business model by implementing a successful monetization strategy.

3 Encouragement of innovation and updates: Successful monetization techniques supply the funds required to invest in R&D, innovation, and creativity.

Let’s start with app monetization to lay the foundation before exploring the fascinating world of mobile apps.

Selecting the ideal app monetization strategy unlocks your app’s full earning potential, much like finding the proper key.

Before choosing one, you must weigh several elements to decide whether a subscription retention model is the appropriate pricing plan for your platform.

The freemium model has transformed app monetisation, which allows apps to be downloaded for free but offers in-app purchases or additional paid features. Among the benefits are :

1 Large user appeal: Since freemium apps are initially free, a large user base is drawn to them. This may result in increased usage and revenue opportunities.

2 Increasing use: Giving away an app’s downloads for free might encourage users to try. This increases the likelihood that they will utilize it and makes it easier for them to do so.

3 Chances to sell more: Basic functionality is included in freemium programs. Users become interested in this. They could then desire more. You can then provide premium choices at that point.

Let’s grasp the mobile app market’s status before diving into specific ways to make money. Mobile apps are in high demand, with billions of smartphone users globally. The global mobile app market is set to reach $407.31 billion by 2026. What’s more? Mobile app income is also shooting up at a rapid pace.

The revenue generated by mobile apps is continuously increasing. About 268 billion were gathered in this manner in 2022. The majority of the revenues from this app market came from advertisements. Approximately 205 billion were generated by app purchases. Although users have a wide selection of applications, developers are up against fierce competition. To be profitable, they must select the appropriate strategy. This might mean the difference between winning and losing in this high-stakes game.

Another effective method of app monetization is through in-app purchases (IAPs). Developers can allow users to buy virtual goods, premium content, or extra features straight within the app by using this model. Whether it’s getting rid of advertisements for a smooth experience, accessing premium content in a productivity app, or breaking through new levels in a game, in-app purchases offer users real value while making money for developers. In-app purchases can be successful if you provide users with relevant and appealing products that improve their experience and increase conversions.

The article has been authored by AdCounty Media co-founder and chief strategy officer Kumar Saurav.

June 17, 2024
Women account for 28% of the country’s total app consumption, rural at 16.4%: Study

Mumbai: Indian women account for 28 per cent of the country’s total app consumption, with rural users accounting for 16.4 per cent. Together they drive over 70 per cent of purchasing decisions. Their purchasing power is reflected in key categories of app usage including social media apps, which increasingly convert sales, and e-commerce, according to a study from retention cloud platform CleverTap shared on Wednesday.

Analysing the usage of over 300 different mobile apps with an average monthly user base of more than four million, the new study revealed opportunities in India’s mobile app market, led by women and rural regions.

Women have major purchasing power, led by e-commerce

Women in India drive over 70 per cent of purchasing decisions, with their purchasing power reflected in key categories of app usage including social media apps, which increasingly convert sales, and e-commerce.

Based on the findings, the study suggests providers of ed-tech, social media, and fintech apps, in particular, consider marketing their apps to women. Women currently account for 37 per cent, 32.5 per cent and 31 per cent of usage, respectively, and are major consumers of products and services in these sectors.

Indian women outpace men in E-commerce app usage, accounting for 54 per cent of all usage. Global e-commerce brands would do well to create highly personalised and relevant commerce experiences for Indian women in order to drive revenue growth and cement customer loyalty.

Indian men account for a significant share of app interaction across several key verticals, including gaming (94 per cent), travel and transportation (84 per cent), on-demand services (78 per cent) and media and entertainment (77 per cent). Overall, men account for 72 per cent of mobile usage.

Rural India – a massive opportunity

Rural India is an underserved market on the cusp of seismic change. While app usage is currently 16.4 per cent, the split across verticals, CleverTap data shows consumers across cities and areas outside metropolitan centres gravitate to apps that can help them improve their education and quality of life.

Edutech (19.2 per cent), media and entertainment (17.7 per cent) and fintech (17 per cent) stand out as verticals that attract a disproportionately large number of rural users.

Adoption rates for health and fitness (13.2 per cent) are at the low end of the scale, but personalised strategies such as goal setting and reminder functionality can increase these numbers.

Among urban users, adoption rates for health and fitness, e-commerce, and travel and transportation are nearing saturation levels (85 per cent and above). This dynamic underlines the importance of shifting focus to growth opportunities emerging in rural areas, where competition is lower, and returns are higher.

User retention remains a challenge

CleverTap analysis also confirms the pivotal importance of focusing on user retention. Uninstall rates are a challenge across all app categories, negating costly user acquisition (UA) campaigns and threatening companies’ potential growth. Uninstall rates are highest in the gaming (44 per cent) and social engagement (46 per cent) sectors.

By contrast, sectors, where users perceive a high degree of value and convenience, have the lowest uninstall rates: On-demand services (21 per cent) and health and fitness (25 per cent). While these areas are better at retaining users, losing nearly a quarter of a subscriber base is still alarming. Data-driven offers, loyalty programs, and hyper-personalised marketing and messaging are just some of the ways brands and businesses can stem the attrition of these apps.

“Global events have radically changed consumer behaviour, particularly among women, who now rely on apps as the go-to channel for all aspects of their lives,” said CleverTap global CEO Sidharth Malik. “Similarly, rural users have come to depend on apps to make transactions or continue their education, and now view apps as a means to improve their lives. Understanding the striking and significant differences among user segments and preferences is the critical first step for companies to connect, convert and ultimately grow retention and lifetime value.”

Methodology

A mobile-savvy country where apps drive commerce, communications, education and social interactions, India was the second-largest global market in terms of app downloads in 2021, according to a report by Data.ai. The CleverTap study demonstrates that mobile-first brands and businesses have an opportunity to reach underserved demographics in the world’s second-most populous nation and fastest-growing major economy.

To understand mobile usage behaviour and identify trends in in-app consumption across India, the CleverTap data science team analysed over 300 mobile apps across different verticals, with an average monthly user base of more than 4 million. The usage behaviour was broken down by location (urban/rural); by gender across verticals (fintech, ed-tech, media and entertainment, health and fitness, travel and transportation, e-commerce, social engagement); by responses to engagement campaigns across different channels and verticals; and uninstall rates across verticals. More than 782 billion push notifications, 52 billion emails, and 10 billion in-app notifications were analysed for this study.

March 16, 2022
Global app downloads totalled 36.1 bn in Q4 2021

Mumbai: Global app downloads reached 36.1 billion in Q4 2021, a 2.7 per cent year-over-year increase on Google Play, according to the latest data published by Sensor Tower.

The mobile app space is still in a state of transformation amid the ongoing global pandemic. While categories such as shopping, finance, and entertainment dominated the download list, others too bounced back amid the pandemic lockdowns across the world.

According to Sensor Tower’s Q4 202 Store Intelligence Data Digest, finance and tools were among the quarter’s top categories with 39 per cent and 26 per cent year-over-year growth on Google Play, respectively. However, cryptocurrency and investing apps gained momentum with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) emerging as a top trend.

Instagram had its best quarter since at least 2014, with installs up 10 per cent from its previous high in Q32021. Instagram was Meta’s first app to take the top spot since Whatsapp in Q42019.

The last quarter was also the second time in the past two years that Tik Tok was not the top app by worldwide downloads. The last app to surpass Tik Tok in a quarter was Zoom in Q2 2020.

Meanwhile, record-breaking eight mobile games, including PUBG Mobile from Tencent, Honor of Kings from Tencent, and Genshin Impact from miHoYo generated more than $1 billion globally from the App Store and Google Play in 2021. PUBG Mobile, localised as Game For Peace in China and Battlegrounds Mobile in India, and Honor of Kings rank as the number one and number two revenue-generating mobile titles worldwide this year, accumulating $2.8 billion each, up nine per cent and 14.7 per cent year-over-year, respectively.

January 12, 2022
250 mobile apps launched at the second edition of India Mobile Congress

New Delhi: Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications and Minister of State for Railways, launched 250 mobile apps at the India Mobile Congress, one of the biggest marquee Mobile, Internet, and Technology event for South-East Asia. These apps are related to artificial intelligence, integrated services, health, pharma, security, safety, food, sports, social networking, travel, education, and disaster management, among others.

As the smartphone industry continues to grow, the adoption of apps has also grown over the past few years. IMC provided the perfect platform for these startups to launch their ventures in front of a global audience that constituted the who’s who of the telecom and technology industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI said, “The second edition of IMC has received tremendous response and the participation has been overwhelming. It is a matter of great pride for us to provide such a large platform for young entrepreneurs to showcase their innovation. The flourishing smartphone industry opened new windows of opportunities and the app industry is definitely a frontrunner where new opportunities are concerned. With people increasingly becoming dependent on mobile apps, the prospect of innovative and relevant apps being launched becomes more real.”

While apps offer a definite business case, many apps launched today are targeted at public welfare. Apps for blood donation and cleanliness point to the fact that today social welfare is at the helm for many and it augurs well for the nation at large.

Some of the following apps were launched today – ONGO Framework, Build4Us, Dalmia BestPrice, Antariksh Technology Ventures (OPC) Pvt Ltd, khabar aap kaa, Reverie Language Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Flock, Rubique Technologies, CricDost (XSC Techsol Pvt Ltd), Get Set Go, GenieTalk, Interperso, KONNECT, V-Cloakroom, KOMPASS PRO, ISOMETRIK, Ride Lord, Goldbin, cleaneety, Fridel, Road Inspector, Blood bank, Davaorder, No Food Waste India, Online Teacher training, Web Cycle, Cyanodoc Healthcare, Abbidyn, Knowmad.app, Delhi Blood Bank, Vaani, Indovators, Titration ColorCam (Light Lab, IISER Kolkata), Urban Yogi, WildWatch, Oniv, Street Buddy, Budget Travel, PayJal, The Community Warehouse, Seehat, Sutras, Healthol, Heuro, Ohire, Smart Cities Wheel, Voice Verso, MIHI, BlockMark, DisasterAid, Nexgen Conferences Pvt. Ltd, Bigfix, Biztips, Seehat, Datacultr among others.

Follow updates on #IMC2018

For more information please visit us at www.indiamobilecongress.com

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October 27, 2018
TRAI extends date on exercise on common mobile banking for all sectors

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has decided to receive comments on a Consultation paper on regulatory framework for the use of USSD for mobile financial services by 14 September 2016.

In an extension notice to the paper issued early this month, it said counter-comments can be given by 28 September 2917. Stakeholders had been set of ten questions and the earlier dates were 31 August with counter-comments by 14 September 2016.

With consumers gradually getting attuned to it and the growth of Mobile Apps and OTT requiring mobile banking, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has started an exercise to find the best way of making or receiving payments through the mobile.

Keeping in view the success achieved by many countries in delivering financial servicesthrough mobile telephone, the Government of India, in November, 2009, constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) to submit a report and recommendations on the framework fordelivery of basic financial services using mobile phones. The framework proposed in the IMGreport has been accepted as the basis for delivery of basic financial services using mobile technology by a Committee of Secretaries under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary in April 2010. The IMG framework envisages opening of mobile linked ‘no- frills’accounts, which would be operated using mobile phones.

In the IMG framework, TRAI was expected to provide the required regulatory framework governing the quality of service, provisioning and pricing of mobile services for delivery of basicfinancial

Also see

http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/trai/trai-begins-exercise-on-common-mobile-banking-for-all-sectors-160805

August 30, 2016
TRAI extends date on exercise on common mobile banking for all sectors

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has decided to receive comments on a Consultation paper on regulatory framework for the use of USSD for mobile financial services by 14 September 2016.

In an extension notice to the paper issued early this month, it said counter-comments can be given by 28 September 2917. Stakeholders had been set of ten questions and the earlier dates were 31 August with counter-comments by 14 September 2016.

With consumers gradually getting attuned to it and the growth of Mobile Apps and OTT requiring mobile banking, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has started an exercise to find the best way of making or receiving payments through the mobile.

Keeping in view the success achieved by many countries in delivering financial servicesthrough mobile telephone, the Government of India, in November, 2009, constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) to submit a report and recommendations on the framework fordelivery of basic financial services using mobile phones. The framework proposed in the IMGreport has been accepted as the basis for delivery of basic financial services using mobile technology by a Committee of Secretaries under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary in April 2010. The IMG framework envisages opening of mobile linked ‘no- frills’accounts, which would be operated using mobile phones.

In the IMG framework, TRAI was expected to provide the required regulatory framework governing the quality of service, provisioning and pricing of mobile services for delivery of basicfinancial

Also see

http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/trai/trai-begins-exercise-on-common-mobile-banking-for-all-sectors-160805

August 30, 2016
TRAI begins exercise on common mobile banking for all sectors

NEW DELHI: With consumers gradually getting attuned to it and the growth of Mobile Apps and OTT requiring mobile banking, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has started an exercise to find the best way of making or receiving payments through the mobile.

As a first step, it has issued a Consultation paper on regulatory framework for the use of USSD for mobile financial services. Stakeholders have been sent a set of ten questions and have to respond by 31 August with counter-comments by 14 September 2016.

Keeping in view the success achieved by many countries in delivering financial servicesthrough mobile telephone, the Government of India, in November, 2009, constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) to submit a report and recommendations on the framework fordelivery of basic financial services using mobile phones. The framework proposed in the IMGreport has been accepted as the basis for delivery of basic financial services using mobile technology by a Committee of Secretaries under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary in April 2010. The IMG framework envisages opening of mobile linked ‘no- frills’accounts, which would be operated using mobile phones. These accounts would be held bybanks and the money would be stored in the banks and not in the users’ mobile phones; thecustomer would be able to perform five basic transactions cash deposit, cash withdrawal,balance enquiry, transfer of money from one mobile-linked account to another, and transferof money to a mobile-linked account from a regular bank account. The IMG framework alsoenvisaged compensation to the key players after taking into account the actual costs incurred bythem. In the IMG framework, TRAI was expected to provide the required regulatory framework governing the quality of service, provisioning and pricing of mobile services for delivery of basicfinancial services.

Mobile financial services can be delivered using any of the following communication modes:
(i) Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
(ii) Short Messaging Service (SMS)
(iii) Wireless Access Protocol (WAP)
(iv) Stand-alone Mobile Application Clients (Mobile Apps)
(v) Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)
(vi) Using SIM tool Kit (STK)

With about 22.5 crore Jan-dhan accounts in the country, more than 100 crore Aadhar cardissued to the citizens and more than 100 crore mobile connections in the country (of whichabout 45 crore are in rural areas), it was expected that the USSD-based mobile banking servicewould gain popularity amongst the unbanked/ under-banked population (the target masses of financial inclusion) with passage of time and would soon achieve a critical mass. However, evenafter two years since August 2014, when it became available to all GSM subscribers in thecountry, the progress of USSD-based mobile banking is below expectations. In May 2016,only about 37 lakh mobile banking transaction attempts (over USSD channel) reached NPCI’splatform (*99#). Clearly, something is amiss. The situation demands a comprehensive review toensure that the service which has successfully deliver.

August 5, 2016
TRAI begins exercise on common mobile banking for all sectors

NEW DELHI: With consumers gradually getting attuned to it and the growth of Mobile Apps and OTT requiring mobile banking, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has started an exercise to find the best way of making or receiving payments through the mobile.

As a first step, it has issued a Consultation paper on regulatory framework for the use of USSD for mobile financial services. Stakeholders have been sent a set of ten questions and have to respond by 31 August with counter-comments by 14 September 2016.

Keeping in view the success achieved by many countries in delivering financial servicesthrough mobile telephone, the Government of India, in November, 2009, constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) to submit a report and recommendations on the framework fordelivery of basic financial services using mobile phones. The framework proposed in the IMGreport has been accepted as the basis for delivery of basic financial services using mobile technology by a Committee of Secretaries under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary in April 2010. The IMG framework envisages opening of mobile linked ‘no- frills’accounts, which would be operated using mobile phones. These accounts would be held bybanks and the money would be stored in the banks and not in the users’ mobile phones; thecustomer would be able to perform five basic transactions cash deposit, cash withdrawal,balance enquiry, transfer of money from one mobile-linked account to another, and transferof money to a mobile-linked account from a regular bank account. The IMG framework alsoenvisaged compensation to the key players after taking into account the actual costs incurred bythem. In the IMG framework, TRAI was expected to provide the required regulatory framework governing the quality of service, provisioning and pricing of mobile services for delivery of basicfinancial services.

Mobile financial services can be delivered using any of the following communication modes:
(i) Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
(ii) Short Messaging Service (SMS)
(iii) Wireless Access Protocol (WAP)
(iv) Stand-alone Mobile Application Clients (Mobile Apps)
(v) Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)
(vi) Using SIM tool Kit (STK)

With about 22.5 crore Jan-dhan accounts in the country, more than 100 crore Aadhar cardissued to the citizens and more than 100 crore mobile connections in the country (of whichabout 45 crore are in rural areas), it was expected that the USSD-based mobile banking servicewould gain popularity amongst the unbanked/ under-banked population (the target masses of financial inclusion) with passage of time and would soon achieve a critical mass. However, evenafter two years since August 2014, when it became available to all GSM subscribers in thecountry, the progress of USSD-based mobile banking is below expectations. In May 2016,only about 37 lakh mobile banking transaction attempts (over USSD channel) reached NPCI’splatform (*99#). Clearly, something is amiss. The situation demands a comprehensive review toensure that the service which has successfully deliver.

August 5, 2016
Puthu Yugam goes Korean, network launches mobile apps

MUMBAI: They were late entrants into a market that was dominated by the Marans’ Sun group. Nearing three years into its foray in broadcast television media space with a News channel ‘Puthiya Thalaimurai TV’ (PT), besides running the successful Tamil magazine of the same name, the New Generation Media Corporation owned by the Sri Ramaswamy Memorial (SRM) group had launched a general entertainment channel (GEC) Puthu Yugum (PY) on 23 October 2013.

Targeting the Tamil youth during prime time, Puthu Yugum has brought in south Korean shows to its programming mix. On offer are dubbed versions of south Korean dramas acquired from broadcasters MBC and KBS such as Boys over Flowers (KBS2), The Greatest Love (MBC), Playful Kiss (MBC), Moon Embracing the Sun (MBC), Iris (KBS2), Pasta (MBC)and A Hundred Year Legacy (MBC).The shows originally broadcast in south Korea from 2009 onwards, are aired between 7 pm to 8 pm Monday to Thursday with repeats at 10:30 pm, along with a marathon run on Saturday at 9 pm on Puthu Yugam. Show rights are with the channel for approximately one to three years.

“Since Puthu Yugam is from the SRM group that also runs the SRM University, our president Dr Sathyanaranan had an opportunity to observe the trend of the students. He noted that they are obsessed with Korean (K) series. He suggested us to bring them to Puthu Yugam. K series has brought lot of young blood into the channel,” says New Gen Media Corporation CEO RBU Shyam Kumar.

PY is also in talks with channels in Turkey, UK and US to acquire some of their shows. Shyam says that the culture, storytelling as well as sentiments which seem to match with those in Tamil culture, is appealing to the audience they cater to. This apart, he adds that several Tamil directors are inspired from Korean films and series.

Nearly 25 fresh dubbing artists are being employed to lend their voices to the Korean characters. A specialist Sanjay Mohan, who has worked for Star Vijay and NGC, and is well versed with both Tamil and Korean languages, has been roped in to monitor the content translation.

Advertisers such as Poomex, Head & Shoulders, White Tone, Harpic, Lizol 10X, Vodafone, Wheat naturals and Prestige have been brought onboard for the Korean shows. The channel refuses to declare the acquisition cost but says that although it differs from channel to channel, it is equivalent to acquiring a “mega show from a Hindi GEC for Tamil dubbing.”

The two channel group also considers the digital space important. New Gen Media Corp convergence head K Manikandaboopathi says, “Digital is all about convenience. Smartphones/apps are the way people seek information these days and the audience growth is unlimited. It’s an untapped market with unlimited potential. Positioning our brand via handsets and tabs is the way forward for us and has more option for audience engagement.”

Manikandaboopathi says that rather than invest in advertising the app, cross promotion is done via Facebook, TV and the website. 74 per cent of app downloads are from India itself. The PT app has had 240,000 downloads on Android since its launch in November 2013 with about 1.25 lakh downloads happening during the recently concluded elections. The group has invested Rs 50 lakh on the PT live, PPY live, PT VOD, PY VOD and PT Tickr apps. Two of the group’s shows have special apps- Chinna Chinna Cinema (Puthu Yugam) and Nerpada Pesu (Puthiya Thalaimurai). Some of the apps are free while some are paid.

However, the Korean dramas are not available on the apps, since the channel has not acquired the digital rights for them. The apps are the group’s way to reach out to younger audiences in India, between the age group of 18 to 40, specifically.

The company says that the PT application seems to have become quite popular, while, on the PY front, more work needs to be done as yet. It has had 30,000 downloads in six months. “We need to focus on increasing the visibility as this is mostly demanded by the non-resident Tamil diaspora. We have witnessed that the audience prefers catch-up TV via the app. So, a new and free video on demand app has just been launched last week on iOS and will soon launch on Android,” informs Manikandaboopathi.

While the News channel has made a mark among Tamilians with its claims of having overtaken Sun News and Jaya News within 60 days of launch in August 2011, the GEC is yet to firm up against the big guns that rule the Tamil TV GEC roost – Sun TV, Star Vijay, Jaya TV and Kalaignar. The Sun Network and Jaya Networks are connected to the political heavyweights in the country – the DMK and AIADMK families respectively, while the Star Network has a major stake in Star Vijay. While PT claims to be the only News channel without any political affiliation, SRM Group founder TR Pachamuthu had contested the recent Lok Sabha elections under a BJP ticket, but lost to the AIADMK’s RP Marutharajaa.

June 28, 2014
Market leader MSLGROUP invests further to strengthen its India leadership position in social and digital communication

MUMBAI :MSLGROUP India, Publicis Groupe’s flagship strategic communications and engagement company and the largest public relations and social media network in India, today announced the launch of its global digital and social practice in the country, Social Hive.

Alongside Social Hive, MSLGROUP has also launched a new proprietary and social tool: the Social Hive Index, which can benchmark a company’s social engagement and compare it to its peers.

The Social Hive team in India is led by Senior Vice-President Parveez Modak and Vice-President Narendra Nag. The team comprises of more than 40 consultants in Mumbai and Delhi who manage 5 million people across communities.

Social Hive’s strategic storytelling approach helps brands create stronger connections and relationships with the consumer.

MSLGROUP India’s social and digital communications is the leading practice of its kind, advising clients such as Sony, Monsanto, Volkswagen, KPMG, Singapore Tourism Board, Australian High Commission (OzFest), Whirlpool and eBay. The network has also won several international awards which showcase world class, outstanding performance in digital and social media, such as the International Business Awards (Bronze, Social Media Focused Campaign 2012, Sony Mobile) and the Bees Awards (Winner, Best Social CRM 2012, eBay India).

Jaideep Shergill, CEO, MSLGROUP India, said: “While MSLGROUP India has been a leader in digital and social engagement for years, the launch of Social Hive means that we are taking the practice to a new level, with even tighter connections across the globe. Digital and social capabilities are central parts of idea -based and fully-integrated client communications solutions. Our top talent at Social Hive makes us well positioned to continue to create award-winning work for our clients across all platforms”.

Through an integrated digital approach, MSLGROUP Social Hive has seven service offerings:

· Research and insights: Social listening and monitoring through the use of specialised tools, category analysis and regular reporting, social analytics and insights
· Social media marketing: Influencer marketing, contests and activations, stakeholder outreach programmes

· Content creation: Branded content, conversation calendars, community engagement

· Digital design and build: Facebook apps, mobile apps, social application programming interfaces, websites, microsites, banner ads

· Media planning and buying: Target-oriented digital media plans for specific audiences, buying media and release of ads, monitoring performance of ads, Facebook ads, portal ads

· Social business: Social customer relationship management, social commerce, social enterprise
· Proprietary platforms: People’s Lab, an MSLGROUP proprietary platform for crowdsourcing,

analytics and insights; and Social Hive Index, a proprietary social influence measurement tool

Glenn Osaki, MSLGROUP Asia president,added: “In this fast moving industry, keeping up is not enough. We have to lead. This large investment in Social Hive might be surprising given that we are already an industry leader in the digital and social space in India. But if we want to continue to attract the best talent and create the best campaigns for our clients, we have to constantly innovate and invest. Our expanding content creation capabilities, tools and insights will drive our digital and social leadership into the future.”

To learn more about Social Hive, please visit www.india.mslgroup.com/socialhive

June 2, 2013