Second Coming

The past several months has seen a frenzy in what is called web2.0 in general parlance, and the lions' share of it is being done by and in relatively new entities... which has led to a few experts already snooping around for the proverbial bubble...

I'm not expert enough to comment on that, but i really hope there is no bubble 2.0, because i am not sure that this time around, the crowd that's in the thick of things, is mature enough to handle it.. This is a good read...but oh well, we're almost going into my other blog's territory, so we'll get back to what this blog talks about.

So, whats in web 2.0 for brands? Yes, wrong question to ask because its too generic, but still... viral marketing, buzz marketing, vblog, podcasting, social bookmarking.. yes, some things have been around in various avtars earlier, but perhaps this is their time in the sun...

So how helpful is the phenomenon of create, share, collaborate in the Indian context? With an internet population of 25-40 million (depending on who you quote) and with an urban penetration of less than 10%, does it really matter what web2.0 is when even the static web (or web 1.0) is yet to make a serious impact on Indian media/brand/advertising? Does the long tail of any brand have enough numbers to justify its' venturing into the zone?

Even killer applications like bollywood, cricket, matrimony and other classifieds havent succeeded in drastically changing the fortunes of the internet in india, will this new edition of the web do it? Coming back, how best can traditional brands use this changing internet landscape to their benefit - by doing research and product development online? But thats a bit like blogs, and i personally consider that web 1.0. Building communities around the brand? Fair, but how many brands are like say, a Harley Davidson, in whose case the brand attributes make sense to build communities? But then again, HD didnt need the net for communities....

What will a Surf user/ Chlormint eater/ Clinic All Clear user talk online in a community on a larger timeframe? Will the stuf being created just fizzle out as fads? And there lies the real challenge, and to each band its own.....

and i bid adieu, while you crawl the web...

Stuck in a web

I happened to read this a while back, and this recently, and finally, the presentation below

While the last two are quite obviously connected, the first one is too, albeit in a round about way.

Having worked now for over 4 years in a brand role, out of which at least 2 have involved quite some work in the online space, i tend to agree with what Mr.Desai says, especially this part, "The real problem is our mental model of the brand. We see it as a fortress which we must defend against all interlopers."

I have seen this in all the 3 brands i have worked on, and this is exactly why internet marketing is still in its infancy stage in India. In fact, even among the brands that do some stuff in the space, a majority are those who make internet strategy decisions on an excel sheet as part of the media plan - print - x lakhs, outdoor-y lakhs, internet- z lakhs. Nothing wrong with this, except that the strategy ends up as an adaptation of the print/outdoor creative, and the activity on the web is limited to that.

And the next step, if it happens - in the typical knee-jerk reactions that are a regular sight everywhere, the CEO 'discovers' blogging, and wants someone to start a corporate blog, without even pausing to think what is going to be done there and whether it is sustainable. I know at least one example. :)

The problem is in 'letting go'. Brands and brand managers cannot come to terms with it, and are still stuck in a web that refuses to look outward except for the token market research, and we all know how that gets done. Ask the creative guys in agencies and they'll tell you horror stories of subjective likes and dislikes being thrust upon them, not just those, but whims and desires, as well. And one of the mandatory things to go online is the understanding that you will get some brickbats and your brand will be tossed around. The key is in dealing with it, and converting that into a better consumer experience. Are you game for that challenge? The answer, in most corporates (from what i've seen, and maybe i haven't seen enough) would be a resounding no!!

Knowing the RGB configuration of the brand takes 2 minutes of mugging up, but understanding the dna of the brand and working on it is a different ballgame, and if there are consumers willing to help, i wonder why brand guys have difficulty in accepting it.

and i bid adieu, brandishing my love for the internet :)