Insearchindia.com's Media, Advertising, Marketing Watch
Facebook, Twitter give viral marketing a pulse
Insearchindia.com Team
(8 February 2010 10:45 pm)
MUMBAI: Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter
are increasingly helping brands to create a viral impact on
consumer purchase choices through word of mouth (WoM).
Citing an example while speaking at the The Mindshare Brand
Equity Compass 2010 here today, Perfetti Van Melle India CEO
Sameer Suneja said that a particular telecom company wasn't
entertaining my friend's complaint. Irritated, he set his
status message on Facebook against the telecom company.
This was followed by some friends spreading similar status
messages and the viral impact led the telecom firm to act
in haste.
"In an hour's time, the telecom operator agreed to help
and requested in changing the status message. Such is the
power of social networking," he said.
According to marketers, WoM is fast catching up via the
social networking sites with 70 per cent of Indians
aged 15-34 age group. Also, about 60 per cent consumers
trust and take purchasing decisions based on online
discussions.
According to Suneja, WoM works for rational purchases,
there are different categories of rational purchases including
food. "Buying food products are high on impulse and in such
cases WoM plays the catalyst," he says.
Author Chetan Bhagat is also of the opinion that WoM does
the trick when there aren't sufficient marketing budgets.
"If one is to attract a crowd for an event in a short notice,
WoM is a very effective medium. But, it's effective when the
news is fresh and 'awesome'. A marketing budget of
Rs 500,000-7, 00,000 can buy a lot of space on the internet
which can be effectively used."
So how does WoM work as a marketing tool?
Says FritoLay India CEO foods division & Pepsico India
region president Gautham Mukkavilli, "A stressed consumer
looks in for simplified choices. Before zeroing in on what
to buy, the consumer makes sure he accesses his personal
space that can be anything from dance class to a blog."
