Web 2.0 get noticed

Today the whole world is changing rapidly. Internet and mobile has changed the way people communicate and socialize. Though the history of internet and mobile communication is very brief, expectations have run high for it to change everything.

Things are starting to change in marketing too, companies are turning online across the whole spectrum of marketing activities, from product development to after-sales service, and they see online tools and telecom as important and effective component of their marketing strategies.

Today the customers have changed; they no longer want to be trend followers but to be trend setters. They want to act differently than others and hence want to buy and consume differently. These changes have forced the marketers to thing out of box and go beyond the basic marketing concepts. Customers have matured today and they demand delight from the marketers than satisfaction. So the marketers have to think innovatively to reach to the minds and hearts of the customers. Today’s customers can be mesmerized by innovative product design and marketing practices.

Companies using Web 2.0 technologies have developed an easier and more flexible way of bringing technology into businesses, compared to traditional top-down approaches. CRM package enables to easily find out what customers like and dislike. This provides benefits to both parties. The rich dialogue also brings ideas and suggestions on future product developments, which is extremely valuable.

Collective Intelligence

The ability of new media to easily store and retrieve information, predominantly through databases and the Internet, allows it for it to be shared without difficulty. Thus, through interaction with new media, knowledge easily passes between sources, resulting in a form of collective intelligence. The use of interactive new media, particularly the Internet, promotes online interaction and this distribution of knowledge between users.

Mashups and Mashup Editors as marketing tools

A mashup is a Web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool. The term Mashup implies easy, fast integration, frequently done by access to open APIs and data sources to produce results that were not the original goal of the data owners. An example is the use of cartographic data from Google Maps to add location information to real-estate data, thereby creating a new and distinct web service that was not originally provided by either source.

Role of RSS Feeds in boosting Marketing efforts

RSS feeds and Atom feeds are web feeds used to provide latest information to the right audience or syndicate content on the web. Web feeds give exposure to a website through content aggregation and syndication. Web feeds allows web users to select the content they want to view. A web user can use feed readers to access information on the web they like and get latest updates delivered to them.

With RSS Feeds, clients can syndicate their website content and announce their website’s latest information to their customers before they even visit the website. Advantages of RSS Feeds Program includes:

• Keeping in touch with your customers

• Inclusion of feeds in RSS feed directories to increase exposure

• Increased revisits

• Instant distribution of latest website updates to the target audience

• Increased link popularity

• Improved quality of website traffic

Marketing through Social Networking Sites

Social networks make viral marketing and word-of-mouth marketing much easier than before. The best use out of social networks is not to make money ‘directly’ off them, but to harness their marketing potential and to use them to market your own business.

If you want to be part of the solution then you have to offer something of value.

The benefits of creating digital footprints via social networking are endless:

• Generates increased revenues

• Increases customer touch points

• Increases branding opportunities

• Puts you in the same space as your consumers

• Facilitates consumer interactions

• Increases your range of messaging

• Process is cost-effective

Viral Marketing and use of Technology

Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet. Viral promotions may take the form of video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, ebooks, brandable software, images, or even text messages.

Marketing through online Avatars

An avatar is a computer user's representation of himself/herself or alter ego, whether in the form of a three-dimensional model used in computer games, a two-dimensional icon (picture) used on Internet forums and other communities, or a text construct found on early systems such as MUDs. It is an “object” representing the embodiment of the user. The term "avatar" can also refer to the personality connected with the screen name, or handle, of an Internet user.

Marketing through Web Widgets: Brand Extension

A web widget is a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation. Widgets often take the form of on-screen tools (clocks, event countdowns, auction-tickers, stock market tickers, flight arrival information, daily weather etc).
Widgets are now commonplace and are used by bloggers, social network users, auction sites and owners of personal web sites.

Media and entertainment companies are increasingly using widgets to run Ad campaigns. The use of web widgets has been increasingly proposed as a marketing channel that could replace the less effective targeted banner ads and take advantage of the viral distribution in social networks.

Widgets as such cannot be used to deliver a brand message like other advertising formats. Instead, it must be a practical extension of your brand-- a microcosm that delivers the same brand promise.

Podcast

A podcast is a series of audio or video digital media files which are distributed over the Internet by syndicated download, through Web feeds, to portable media players and personal computers. Though the same content may also be made available by direct download or streaming, a podcast is distinguished from most other digital media formats by its ability to be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added. A very narrow target group can be targeted with a high probability of conversion.

As a promotional vehicle for an upcoming event, such as Pixar's Cars Video Podcast, which advertised the release of Disney/Pixar's Cars animated feature film with a series of behind-the-scenes clip.

Email as a Marketing channel:

It is an effective and cost-efficient digital communication tool. There are numerous companies that provide excellent email service that allows companies to track who opens their emails and clicks on their links. This will give them an indication of what their individual prospects are responding to and allows them to start providing information based on that interest. Most important is the message they send. Marketers can increase the value of e-mail through:

• Integration across media, channels, and data.
• Maintaining message consistency across all media; the tone and message of e-mail should reflect the look and feel of print, banner, and broadcast campaigns.
• Growing one’s internal e-mail database effectively.
• Capitalizing on the closed-loop environment that e-mail provides by integrating all available data
• Viral Marketing is a low-barrier, low cost, highly effective new Internet strategy. The concept—also known as referral marketing—centers on the premise that computer users read e-mail forwarded from friends and forward that e-mail to others

Trends in Product Review and Posting Web Sites

Google has a new product site, as does Yahoo and a number of other product comparison sites. Some charge and some don’t. The point is that each listing is another digital footprint that can lead consumers to your site or at a minimum provide a branding opportunity.

Google’s new service actually goes well beyond just uploading products. It allows users to upload a variety of types of information, many of which are lifestyle oriented.

Trends in Contextual Ads

Contextual ads using search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN can generate a high volume and low cost stream of traffic. Contextual ads can be used like it is seen on Google on the right side of the page when one makes a search query, or they can be embedded in articles. Either way, this type of advertising requires continual monitoring and fine-tuning to optimize results.

E-Stores

The changing life style of the youth and access to high speed internet at every time and place has made it possible for the marketers to renovate the channels of their distribution.

People now value time and convenience over money. E-shops provides 24X7 shopping format to the customers along with wide range of options and interactive media. And this made the companies to extend beyond the brick stores to click stores i.e. e-stores. These e-stores makes it convenient for the customers to browse the products as per their needs and to compare the same with the competing brands while sitting at home even at the odd hours

Issues faced by new telecom entrant in India

•Fast changing demand of the customer and focus on personalization

•Large number of players

•Mobile number portability

•Technological capabilities

•Tariff plans

•Horizon of planning

•Government regulations

•How much and where to focus: niche or undifferentiated

•Investment decisions

•High price sensitivity and churn rate

•Low ARPU

•Lack of high end mobile phones

• Positioning options(dynamic, under/over focussed)

Who will be a bigger power to reckon with: India or China

With similar backgrounds to start with, both the nations have captured the attention of world due to their stellar performance and future potential. But the journey of growth and development had different pace and direction. China, since 1978 has used administrative and political power to reform agricultural and industrial sectors, modernize infrastructure and improve human capital. India, on the other hand, since 1990s, has adopted a gradualist model. It has developed a well-functioning institutional framework (rule of law, protection of property, market regulation and a democratic political setup), letting the private sector drive the turnaround. China is also criticized for having a dual economy.

India and China population accounts for nearly two-fifths of the total world’s population. There are many similarities in the history of two countries. As during the most part of the 19th and 20th centuries, both countries were besieged by internal domestic turbulences and foreign invasions. Since after their independence both countries had preferred self-sufficient economies with strong government controls in the public sector, agricultures, industries and many other economic areas.

China has emerged as a low-cost manufacturing juggernaut invading global markets in a sizeable array of products, with a high and rapidly rising level merchandise exports and imports. In comparison, India’s post-1991 growth performance has shown improvement. Although its success in the services sector exports is noteworthy, its economic performance did not match that of China.

To sustain rapid economic growth, China and India must redress a multitude of imbalances and challenges. Manufacturing and services have been the growth engines of the two countries respectively. China needs to boost the service sector in order to generate jobs and expand domestic demand, while India needs the manufacturing sector to stimulate economic growth. Balancing consumption and savings is also crucial as investment generated demand may lose its effectiveness if domestic consumption is sluggish. To shift fiscal spending towards health, education and social security could reduce precautionary savings. It is therefore important to allow wage levels to keep pace with productivity growth. The declining dependency ratio, particularly in China, appeals for policy initiatives to avoid a scenario of becoming old before getting rich. With the pace of growth and development happening in India and China, it is widely believed that these Asian tigers will emerge as super powers. As both nations are strengthening their weak frontiers it is debatable as to who will be a bigger force to reckon with in the near future.

Are you responsible enough??

When I look ahead and imagine saying to my future generations “This is our legacy for you, I see a world we have mutilated for our selfish gains, devoid of all wonderful gifts and creations of God”, I feel ashamed, horrified, helpless and defeated. Our progress instantly comes to a naught and becomes meaningless, forcing me to ask questions…Is this what we had planned? Were we gifted by God with superior intellect just to plan our suicide, destroy all His creations without mercy for anyone? Can we be so ruthless, unmindful and irresponsible? How long should nature forgive us for our misdoings?

I am an optimist, but looking at mankind’s destructive activities against nature, I feel that our doomsday is not far. Sustainable development refers to transformations which optimize the economic and societal benefits available in the present, without jeopardizing the likely potential for similar benefits in the future. We all are aware of the fact that we have depleted and degraded our natural resources at a rate which is much faster than what nature can heal. India needs to take the lead and be a frontrunner in taking steps to tackle climate change. In a country with growing energy needs like India and where natural resources are our biggest asset, our efforts have to be very intense. So, we have to channelize our efforts systematically, so as not only to rectify our misdoings, but also lay strong foundations for future development.

The world in which we are living is very different from what it was just a few years back. It is high time we rectify our mistakes and make Earth a safer place for our future generations. Fortunately, nature is at our rescue by provides us with avenues by giving us an opportunity to rectify our mistakes by providing us with solar, wind, sea water, geothermal energy and other natural processes to meet our needs without causing harm. Conscious efforts are required to undo the damages we have caused and replan the process in sustained manner. Instead of letting our waste rot out in the open why not decompose it so as to generate biogas as well as manure. Offices should be designed so as to utilize the maximum amount of daylight. Electrifying villages through solar energy will provide with a permanent solution which is not only feasible but also profitable. “Green” concern should be the yardstick of our decisions. Green marketing, green buildings, green products should be our focus. This involves creating integrating environmental issues with development strategies, creating awareness, goal setting, measuring our results and directing all our efforts in a very scientific with a planned approach. Government, corporate and individuals have to work in partnership, create awareness and public opinion, share ideas and mobilize every citizen to be committed to address the global challenges. Government should provide more choices through standardization, measures to encourage leaner and cleaner production processes, putting eco-labels so that green alternatives are encouraged and better decisions can be taken. They should provide incentives for encouragement, eco friendly taxations and penalize for non-conformance. Saving power, recycling waste, reducing toxic waste reducing water consumption, using less packaging and bags, buying energy efficient devices, buying only green products, become vegetarian are few steps in this direction which individual consumers need to be conscious of. Companies should invest in processes and technology which address problems of shortage of resources, water scarcity, climate change and loss of biodiversity. The parameters to judge our success should be based on sustainable impacts on society. The existing business models of companies have to be revamped to redefine the processes and activities which minimize our carbon footprints; whereas entrepreneurs should create value by keeping these considerations centre stage of their planning right from start. This needs finding innovative ways and technological advancements. All the involved actors have to work in harmony with each other as well as nature to bring out the desired change.

Again, being an optimist, I realize that still there is hope, providing a strong impulse to act and make a difference. The biggest motivation to act is that this is a panacea to most of the ills affecting our society such as poverty, declining health, terrorism and so on. Every activity is crucial, since our sustainability is at stake. A small diversion from our targets can cause irreversible damage. I would reiterate that sustainable development is not only a natural way but also the most ethical and profitable way without threatening our existence on the planet, providing competitive advantage to nations and bright future if we follow and a dark future if we who ignore this blatant fact.