Augmented Reality

A static print ad suddenly comes to life — with an interactive video of the brand. That’s augmented reality. While sitting in a coffee shop, why would you wait for the server to bring you the menu when you can get it on the mobile phone. That’s Blufi for you. Then, there’s holography and 3D wall projectors that promise to change the way we see signages and OOH. At Cannes 2010, Kate Hyewon Oh, creative director, Cheil Worldwide made a presentation on the technologies that brands and agencies will have to look at in the time to come. Narasimha Suresh realised how the mobile can become a media platform and technology the enabler. But he wasn’t at Cannes this year listening to Kate. Suresh founded TeliBrahma six years back and his entrepreneurial journey in mobility, he says, comprises applications using technology like augmented reality for brands in India. “We were always excited by mobile technology — the power of PC in your hand. We believed in several markets including India and we believed mobile technology will leapfrog in these markets,” says Suresh. And like the exponential jumps in mobile users month after month, Suresh claims a 100 % q-o-q growth without divulging the turnover of the company. “The biggest issue was around the hype and expectation. Mobile was predominantly considered as a response generation/lead generation media,” says Suresh of the initial challenges. “Extremely low SMS charges and lack of results delivered were not helping either”, he adds. Mobile as a communication platform for brands is still largely responsible for lead generation. But TeliBrahma’s president, P R Satheesh, says the solutions on offer integrate with traditional media and ensures brand building across touch points like print, television, outdoors, events and retail. Citing the example of WagonR, Satheesh says the campaign reached more than 5 lakh potential consumers through branded games and interactive brochures. “Or one can focus on a static print ad to download interactive content like a 3D model of a car along with specifications. So there’s rich media experience and sharp targetting,” says Satheesh. For a new technology start up, getting brands hooked to applications is a herculean task and Satheesh admits that agencies like GroupM deserve credit in propagating the importance of the mobile platform. Integrated solutions may be an abused phrase in the marketing and communications space today, but Satheesh thinks it’s these two words that will fuel TeliBrahma’s growth in the market place. “Both agencies and brands are looking at mobile and digital solutions.” Talk to ad professionals in India and overseas, and they will say digital is the next big wave. Some say that we are already in the thick of a new digital revolution. However, with the internet lagging behind mobiles in India, the digital wave will hit us through the little device in our hands. And that’s the wave solution providers like TeliBrahma are waiting to ride.

Source: Brand Equity, The Economic Times

Augmented Reality

A static print ad suddenly comes to life — with an interactive video of the brand. That’s augmented reality. While sitting in a coffee shop, why would you wait for the server to bring you the menu when you can get it on the mobile phone. That’s Blufi for you. Then, there’s holography and 3D wall projectors that promise to change the way we see signages and OOH. At Cannes 2010, Kate Hyewon Oh, creative director, Cheil Worldwide made a presentation on the technologies that brands and agencies will have to look at in the time to come. Narasimha Suresh realised how the mobile can become a media platform and technology the enabler. But he wasn’t at Cannes this year listening to Kate. Suresh founded TeliBrahma six years back and his entrepreneurial journey in mobility, he says, comprises applications using technology like augmented reality for brands in India. “We were always excited by mobile technology — the power of PC in your hand. We believed in several markets including India and we believed mobile technology will leapfrog in these markets,” says Suresh. And like the exponential jumps in mobile users month after month, Suresh claims a 100 % q-o-q growth without divulging the turnover of the company. “The biggest issue was around the hype and expectation. Mobile was predominantly considered as a response generation/lead generation media,” says Suresh of the initial challenges. “Extremely low SMS charges and lack of results delivered were not helping either”, he adds. Mobile as a communication platform for brands is still largely responsible for lead generation. But TeliBrahma’s president, P R Satheesh, says the solutions on offer integrate with traditional media and ensures brand building across touch points like print, television, outdoors, events and retail. Citing the example of WagonR, Satheesh says the campaign reached more than 5 lakh potential consumers through branded games and interactive brochures. “Or one can focus on a static print ad to download interactive content like a 3D model of a car along with specifications. So there’s rich media experience and sharp targetting,” says Satheesh. For a new technology start up, getting brands hooked to applications is a herculean task and Satheesh admits that agencies like GroupM deserve credit in propagating the importance of the mobile platform. Integrated solutions may be an abused phrase in the marketing and communications space today, but Satheesh thinks it’s these two words that will fuel TeliBrahma’s growth in the market place. “Both agencies and brands are looking at mobile and digital solutions.” Talk to ad professionals in India and overseas, and they will say digital is the next big wave. Some say that we are already in the thick of a new digital revolution. However, with the internet lagging behind mobiles in India, the digital wave will hit us through the little device in our hands. And that’s the wave solution providers like TeliBrahma are waiting to ride.
Source: Brand Equity, The Economic Times

Teens: They are a Moving Target

Hi All,
Few days back, I was travelling with my friend who's a photographer in his car. On the way, he picked up his 19 year old daughter from college. We started talking and in the short span i spent talking to her gave me some interesting insights and also made me realise the sweeping changes taking place among the teenagers today. For teens, there's no permanent role model and it's a moving target for say the favourite sportsman. It is Nadal one day, Federer the next and Dhoni next. Among movie stars, the current fav is Farhan Akhtar, but one is not sure for how long. Another trend in teens is trying to be the first on the block to know a new personality and flaunt the knowledge amongst peers. It is obvious that teenagers are more clued on thanks to availability of information across channels, but the most important platform is the Net. Mobile phones is another gadget which occupies a lot of mind space not only in teens but also children. The other my friend who has a seven year old son was telling me about how savvy his son is when it comes to navigating the phone. Truly, the worlds' changing and changing how? Little wonder, marketers spend sleepless nights trying to unravel the key to reaching out to these segments.
I welcome your thoughts on the topic.

Selling Mobile in Rural Markets

Further to my post on Mobile Telephony in the Hinterland (Aug 7, 2008), I have received some interesting comments and experiences from readers, which I want to share with you all. This comment has been posted by Vivek Dwivedi, owner, Rural Connect. Here goes:

Ayushi Vodafone (at that time it was Hutch) had initiated (with me as MART's Consultant) a pilot in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh to introduce "Hutch Saathi", two years back to promote its value added services(VAS) in rural areas. The idea was that Hutch Saathis will cover two-three villages and one haat per day according to their pre decided PJP and teach villagers how to use the cell phone and how to type the messages. At a later stage, they were taught to use the mobile to know the mandi rates. The Hutch Saathis also had a daily sales targets of RCVs(recharge vouchers) and new connections. They were paid Rs 100 per new connection as commission and their average was 2-3 connections per day per hutch saathi plus margins on RCV sale.
I invite others to please share their thoughts and experiences about activations, programmes, promotions under taken in both urban and rural market.

Mobile Telephony in the hinterland

I have travelled across Himachal, Eastern UP, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh and each time I marvel at the way mobile telephony is making further in-roads into the hinterland. Even if it's a population of only 1000 plus, the single shop within the village stocks recharge coupons or mobile accessories. The signages of Airtel, Idea, Vodafone to name a few adorn these shops. It's amazing that service providers have reached the last point of contact with the customers through these shops, which even FMCG companies have not touched so far.
These shops are grocer shops or kirana outlets, who now double up as mobile services outlets as well. In one instance, a tailor based in a small highway town along the Kalka-Shimla highway has become a mobile retailer, having converted half his shop into a mobile services outlet. And he's reaping the benefit, getting wooed by mobile services companies with freebies and margins. The sales team from companies are constantly on the lookout for such retailers who help them get an entry into such virgins markets. And as the next big battle for mobile services companies is the rural markets, expect more and more interesting marketing activities across rural India.