Young and active Indian social media users are adding a whole new dimension to the social debates around political developments. Political parties are spending enormously to woo them and make them their supporters. However, how to target the right audience as per their political alignments and user profile is the biggest challenge in front of political parties. Showcasing how AAP with the help of a unique concept by IITians is truly democratizing the Indian elections like never before. For the very first time that the Indian electorate can ask the candidate’s plans for their constituency, cross examine them directly at any and every moment of time and not just hear 1 sided speeches. Frankly.me has 48 AAP members on their platform and they are actively answering the queries from general public. Apart from AAP members, Frankly.me also has Ajay Makhen and Kiran Bedi with them from the old school. Nikunj Jain, Co-founder, Frankly.me commented, “The team Frankly.me is really proud and happy with the recent advancements in the platform and it’s steadily rising popularity with the empanelment of noted public figures including politicians. With Frankly.me, these personalities intend to understand the masses and their expectations better. This facilitates them with first-hand information directly from the common people and gives them insights which are more perceptive.” The application is for Android and iOS users. Targeted at empowering common people with the ability to have one to one conversations with anyone in the limelight- be it celebrities, politicians, entrepreneurs, IAS officers or sports personalities, it is open to users all over the world. The funding will be used to focus on India for the next 15 to 18 months and towards overcoming the challenge of expanding in a market with more than 20 officially recognized languages. Taking advantage of the country’s fast-growing mobile penetration rate, the platform intends to impact the Delhi elections this year to gain more traction. Currently, it boasts of having a cluster of noted public figures including politicians like Arvind Kejriwal, the ex-chief minister of Delhi, Yogendra Yadav and Kiran Bedi. Exposure from public figures on the platform has resulted in 1,000 to 2,000 new users each day. The model tries to compete directly with formidable rivals like Twitter and Youtube. The factor that gives it an edge is that it enables two-way communication easily. The Questions submitted are up-voted by other users, so the most popular ones are seen and hopefully answered. Frankly’s interface also enables in-depth discussions to take place.
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Khatron Ke Khiladi, a licensed Indian version of Fear Factor started its Season six from Feb 07, 2015. With its promotion going on full-scale, the Mall promotions that recently concluded in Mumbai created enthusiasm among the on-goers with the use of Oculus Rift Technology. These promotions were held over the weekend in R City Mall Ghatkopar and Oberoi Mall in Goregaon. Riddhi Dogra a contestant/actor of Season 6 visited Oberoi Mall on Sunday. Technologies such as Oculus Rift & Kinect camera were used at the event to create a daring Slacklining challenge for the participants. The event gathered a huge crowd of approximately 2000 participants directly participating in the event. It was a daring the challenge where participants were required to wear Oculus Rift thereby creating a Virtual Experience of being on the top of a 50 storey building. This environment covered a rope tied to the ends of two 50 storey building. 5 Fear factor flags were attached at different points on the rope. Contestants were also required to hold a bar to balance their walk over rope. This wireless bar automatically sensed the position of the contestant and was used to balance the rope. When the challenge begins, the contestant feels like being on the top of a 50 storey building, they have to collect all the 5 flags attached to the rope in order to complete the challenge. Less than 50% of the participants were able to complete the challenge. They were handed over different gifts for completing this challenge. While the event was fun and creative, few participants who failed to complete the challenge and fell off the rope were scared and tumbled over the floor.
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Online real estate platform CommonFloor.com, introduces CommonFloor Retina, world’s first virtual reality innovation in real estate that is available to the masses. This technology offers ‘real’ property experience for the seekers allowing them to view/review/assess multiple properties from anywhere at any point of time. Commenting on the launch of the biggest technological innovations witnessed by the real estate world, Sumit Jain, Co-founder & CEO, CommonFloor.com, said, “As a new-age online realty player, technology and innovation are part of our core DNA. Property buying demands huge time and financial investment by the buyer and it is our constant endeavour to create tools and technology that makes property search easy for the consumer and gives them a wow experience. CommonFloor Retina is a result of one such quest that adapts technology smartly to the consumer’s advantage.” Lalit Mangal, Co-founder and CTO, CommonFloor.com said, “We believe in making strategic investments in building cutting edge technology. This product is pegged to be a game changer in the real estate industry in India and globally. We will work closely with the builder community to scale-up the number of projects listed, thereby helping property buyers to choose from as many projects that may want to visit.” JC Sharma, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Sobha Limited, “CommonFloor has been instrumental in transforming the way we view properties. Their latest introduction, CommonFloor Retina is indeed commendable. This state-of-the-art technology product will enable our customers to take a virtual tour of the property they wish to see in the comfort of their home. It allows them to experience both the interiors and exteriors of the property in an interesting manner and saves a lot of time, especially if one need to choose between several properties.” To use CommonFloor Retina, a user simply needs to Install the CommonFloor Retina application on their android phone, launch the App and insert the phone inside CF Retina headgear and sport the headgear to experience a virtual tour of the property of his/her choice. This offers buyers an unforgettable experience and insights about the property from the perspective of space and ambience among other features. The simple magnet on the headgear acts as a navigation tool. The App also saves the builders the cost and space to construct a model apartment. “It is an interesting product that can help a home buyer visualize the building and apartment under consideration in greater depth. It should be useful to customers who cannot be physically present at the property location before buying, and also to people who have already purchased a property and want to share it with their family & friends,” said Vyoma Pandit, Senior DGM, Marketing, Brigade Group.
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As bigger brands continue to invest more in experiential activities, they continue to carry out engagement initiatives round the year. Having the importance of engagement recognized, bigger brands plan their calendar well in advance, whereas, mid-sized and smaller brands in terms of market may not find it compelling to take the engagement approach. Big or small, experiential way provides an instant connect with potential consumers that traditional TVCs and ads may not provide. Although experiential marketing is an added cost to traditional marketers and measurement may not be easy, there are takeaways that provide the right reasons to invest in experiential marketing. Let’s look at some of those reasons that makes engagement important for all brands. Awareness There is no other best way to make the masses aware of a product than physically making it available within the reach of potential consumers. As most of us get busy with our lives, we tend to spend the least amount of time watching ads on TV and print to know what a brand has recently launched and the takeaways of a certain product. But, when a brand does an on-ground activity that gets people talking, the chances of spreading awareness among people is much higher, faster than other mediums. It also lets the prospects experience how a product can be part of their lives helping brands achieve more conversions. Drive Purchasing India being a market where consumers tend to spend only after careful deliberations and recommendations, it certainly helps to let them experience a product first-hand. The more a brand gains trust by letting prospects experience their products, the more the consumers are likely to make a purchase. Also, when a potential consumer experiences a brand and then visits a local store later, he or she is more likely to recall a brand that they recently engaged with more than other brands. It all boils down to the fact that if a brand has a good product and a potential consumer experiences it, the chances of it getting converted into a purchase goes up. Cut Through Spamming We get spammed with marketing so much these days that even electronic mail services like Gmail has a separate tab for promotional content. All it takes for a brand is some creative design, content and a designer to get mailers and promotional materials sent through the digital medium, but the question we must ask ourselves is how many of them get read or even noticed by an user, probably very little. Even the TV and print mediums are littered with marketing materials that we hardly pay attention to a marketing message unless it stands out. Engagement activities cuts through these marketing messages by providing a first hand experience to consumers. It allows a marketer to get the front seat at a show by directly engaging with consumers who are his/her prospects before an attempt to convert them is made. Feedback Loop Although social media is a great medium to gather feedback on products, it is often used for conversations that may not establish a clear communication from consumers to brands, moreover chasing credible material might prove difficult given the expanse of social media. Whereas, through experiential activities, brands can actively receive real-time feedback on their products from consumers that they can leverage to improve and innovate. Just like the first hand experience one gets in experiential marketing, brands can get first hand feedback from consumers. Acquire Credibility What could be more credible than a brand presenting itself to consumers on the ground. Usually, people see brands as a bunch of corporate employees sitting behind glass walls in some fancy building. But, when brands get involved with the community and reach out to the masses, the relationship gets humanized. The more conversation a brand establishes with its potential consumers, the more the people will feel a connect and find the brand credible, which helps in driving loyalty from consumers eventually leading to long-term conversions.
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Every event organizer today, wants to make sure that they deliver the best event experience they can offer to their attendees. No one wants to leave a single stone unturned to turn their event into a success and the incorporation of latest technology is a no brainer in this pursuit. The world of technological advancements in the modern era is rapidly evolving. From the use of creative lighting decors to the most updated form of invitations, the usage of technology in an event has turned out to be a real crowd pleaser. The latest one being LED screen, which is being voraciously used by event organizers around the globe. EE lists 5 creative ideas to use LED screens at your next event- 1- Live streaming- This one is a must when it comes to a sports based events or musical concerts. In most celebrity oriented concerts today only a handful of attendees get the privilege of enjoying the performance up close. The rest of the crowd has to sit at the back hoping for the organizer spent enormously on a good sound system. With the positioning of LED screens at strategic locations and live streaming simply everyone can enjoy the event without the added hassle of reconsidering their seats. Also, giant LED screens can be used to create a perfect ambience for your event which goes a long way in engaging the audience to your offering. 2- Pre-Shows and Montages- An event rarely starts on the schedule. Most of the times some sort of contingency erupts and the emcee has to takeover to not let the audience feel bored. LED screens in such scenarios can be effectively used by airing pre-shows footages or some interesting videos to keep the audience hooked. Also video and pictorial montages can be played at weddings events on the LED screens to give the guests an insight into the journey of the happy couple. 3- Sponsor commercials- LED screens are estimated to overtake billboards in the near future. They can be creatively used to air the commercials by your sponsors. Such kind of advertising will not only leave a bigger impact on the audience about the brand but this decision will also bring in a large smile on the faces of your sponsors. Creative Audio Visuals adds and effects by using the screen for this will be an added advantage. Usage of 3D features, Live conferencing, 3D mapping, croma screens are guaranteed to enhance the experience. 4- Social Media Station- LED screens can also be used as social media stations at events and weddings. All you have to do is request the attendees to constantly update the social media platforms with a unique hashtag. With their updates and notifications visible to everyone on a giant screen, the audience is sure to take away with themselves an experience to remember for a lifetime. 5- Local Participation- Everyone enjoys and little bit of spotlight on them and now an event organizer can provide it to their guests. Evoking local participation before and during the event from attendees is a show stealer. One can ask the attendees their expectations from the event or how big a fan are they of the performer and air the video live during the performance. Also, creative games like Kiss Cam and Propose live to your love will certainly add an extra feather to the shining hat of the organizer. - See more at: http://everythingexperiential.com/5-creative-ways-to-
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Marriott International Asia Pacific recently announced its unveiling of Meetings Imagined (MeetingsImagined.com) and its Meeting Services App to the region’s events planners and organizers. The two digital innovations are intended to assist the planner, from inspiration to execution. Meetings Imagined will be launching across approximately 100 properties throughout Asia Pacific and 13 Marriott International properties in India as follows. Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield Goa Marriott Resort & Spa Jaipur Marriott Hotel Kochi Marriott Hotel Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity JW Marriott Hotel Pune JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel Transforming Meetings into an Experience: Meetings Imagined Meetings Imagined is an online platform modeled on the user-friendly Pinterest.com and the Chinese Huaban.com online forum. It provides expert tips on everything related to meetings, including networking activities, maximizing social media exposure and creating the right meeting environment. Meetings Imagined also includes the latest meeting trends and hundreds of inspirational images to spark creativity. Marriott International’s research discovered that there are seven purposes for meetings: celebrate, decide, educate, ideate, network, produce and promote. Meetings Imagined allows meeting planners to design their meeting with a purpose in mind; the website is curated around these purposes and the component building blocks of meetings – setup, food & drink, tech & supplies, and experiences. In addition to the website, event planners can collaborate on event creation with Marriott International’s Meetings Imagined specialists who are available in 11 Asia-Pacific markets. “Marriott International has been studying the way planners interface with hotels when they organize events. We have mapped out the planners’ journey, from the moment they have a need for a meeting, all the way through to how they search, book, plan and design the meeting. We aspire to provide something different to address the milestones – and pain points – in the planners’ journey.” said Ms. Peggy Fang Roe, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific at Marriott International. “Meetings Imagined is a unique approach to help planners and organizers to design more inspiring and engaging meeting experiences for their delegates based on the purpose of the meeting.” Offering real-time connectivity: Meeting Services App The Meeting Services App is a continuation of Marriott International’s innovation in technology, spaces and services, and builds upon the brand’s existing offerings. The app provides real-time connectivity to Marriott for meeting planners and features a wide range of functions. This includes a chat facility to connect MICE organisers with Marriott’s event team throughout the planning and execution process, and allows Marriott to respond immediately to any issues or requests, and to inform the planner on how the request is being handled. As of this year, the Meeting Services App is available in 20 languages , at 100 hotels under Marriott Hotels, JW Marriott, Renaissance, The Ritz-Carlton, Autograph Collection and Courtyard by Marriott across the region. The app would be active in India from June, 2015. The app will be available to meeting planners who use Marriott’s facilities through the following brand names: Marriott Hotels: Red Coat Direct JW Marriott: JW Event Concierge Renaissance: R.E.N. Meetings Expert The Ritz-Carlton: ((chime)) Autograph Collection: Meeting Services App Courtyard by Marriott: Courtyard Connect Win a Stay at any Marriott International Hotel in India To inspire event planners to share their meeting ideas, Marriott International is launching a “Share & Win” game until May 9, 2015. Participants simply create an account and compile their set of meeting ideas in the form of photos which will be shared via Meetings Imagined. A two-night stay at any Marriott International hotel in India will be awarded to the winner whose set of photos is most actively shared.
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Myntra has announced the company’s transition to an “app only” platform w.e.f. 15 May 2015, marking the end of desktop and browser based shopping. With mobile-based commerce emerging as the next biggest opportunity, Myntra sees this as a step towards creating a differentiated shopping experience for its consumers, which will be individualized and engaging. The rapid expansion of smartphones from 120-140 million in 2014 to 600-700 million in 2020 will provide the base for creation of an inclusive market unprecedented in the history of fashion shopping. Mobile apps are taking utilitarian role in users’ life by being the default mode of accessing and consuming internet services. According to a recent study, 90% of smartphone users in India use apps, which is close to 158 million as of today. The country ranks second only to the US in the usage of shopping apps. [caption id="attachment_1958" align="alignnone" width="300"] (c) Sachin R. Saraf[/caption] By going App Only, Myntra aims to strengthen the core value proposition of helping people “Look Good”. There has been an incredible customer response to the fashion focused content and services such as style solutions by stylists, look good tips and curated offerings backed by a wide selection of brands. The company plans to take the next step by bringing a whole new experience to its users through a rich set of features that would enable discovery and consumption of fashion products, content and services – personalized to individual’s need, taste and choice. Speaking on this occasion, Sachin Bansal, Co-Founder & CEO, Flipkart, said, “There has been a tremendous growth of smartphones in India & it will continue to multiply over the next few years. Consumers’ are shifting fast to smart phones for commerce and information consumption in a big way. Smart phones with apps are becoming utilities that consumers access constantly for their various needs on a daily basis. We are already seeing the development of mobile-based commerce, which will be the most powerful, personalized, intuitive & inclusive market. It’s a great step that Myntra has taken towards creating a differentiated experience that will generate customer pull and make it a one stop solution for all fashion needs.” According to Mukesh Bansal, CEO, Myntra & Head of Commerce, Flipkart, “We are immensely pleased to announce our transition to an app only platform and promise a very exciting & new age shopping experience to our customers. Fashion is a very personal experience. We believe that only mobile can truly deliver this experience as it captures user’s lifestyle and context in manner that no other medium does. Think of all the hardware and software features that one can leverage like camera, contact, location etc. to understand the user’s context and deliver the experience that is deeply personalized”, he added.
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Using the latest in virtual reality technology, BBC Global News Ltd recently launched a dramatic new interactive trade campaign to showcase how it delivers personal, portable and on-demand news for the digital age.Be Everywhere campaign, which premiered at Cannes Lions last week (21 – 27 June) in the BBC World News pop-up studio space (Cabana 20/21 on La Croisette), illustrated the innovative digital opportunities available to advertisers in a new and unique way. Using direct mail, Be Everywhere virtual reality viewers are on their way to all corners of the globe so targeted potential and current clients can explore a fully immersive 360 video experience.Armed with the Be Everywhere smart phone app (available via the Apple App store and Google Play store) and their viewer, people could join presenter Babita Sharma in a virtual studio. The 360 experience allowed viewers to have a peak behind the scenes as Babita demonstrated the leading news brand’s digital products and the advertiser benefits. Be Everywhere highlights the BBC’s international news services’ position as a leader in digital innovation. The campaign demonstrated what BBC World News and BBC.com/news are offering their global audiences as they completely transformed the BBC News experience, from the development of the ‘sticky player’ to ‘my news’ on the redeveloped BBC News App (28million downloads and growing), while showcasing opportunities for agencies and advertisers. About the campaign, Chris Davies, Sales & Marketing Director, BBC Global News Ltd, said: “We know more than half of the BBC’s online traffic comes via mobile and tablet devices and with BBC.com now reaching a global audience of over 80 million unique browsers per month, that’s a huge opportunity for our clients. The ethos of Be Everywhere is digital innovation in all aspects of our work and I am delighted we are bringing this campaign to life in such a unique way. Exploiting developing technologies in this manner really illustrates our digital offer, demonstrating first-hand what the BBC can do. Whether it’s content that works seamlessly across devices or precise audience targeting, the campaign shows our dynamic and innovative approach for both audiences and advertisers alike and showcases how we are staying ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing media landscape.” The Be Everywhere video can also be viewed online at http://advertising.bbcworldwide.com/beeverywhere/#video
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