A really impressive headline caught my eye yesterday. It went as follows “For the first time in its marketing history in India, the cola company has launched its upcoming TVC on the digital medium a few days before it goes live on TV channels. It aims to make the TV ad available to more than 4 million digital media users before it broadcasts on TV.”
Now that’s news for sure. But I am not sure how many business owners and Marketing heads would have paid notice to this historic development. Starting an internet marketing or a mobile campaign before a traditional one is not a new phenomenon in developed markets, but for a global Brand as big and for the market like India it surely does matter. So what does it mean for the Digital medium and for brands / products already on it or those who are moving towards it.
First of all Congrats to all those who make the Internet as a Medium work or should I say rock! The consumers! Without the users internet marketing would be dead. This decision on part of Coke shows their acceptance of the digital medium as an important one, Important enough to deserve preference over traditional media. This is an acknowledgement that the target audience is shifting media preferences and the Brand would like to follow suit. And why not, we all know the impact of social media – facebook, twitter, linkedin, add to that the huge surge in traction on various categories of portals like travel, lifestyle, finance, jobs, entertainment etc. We should forget that mobile usage is at the cross roads of a Digital Marketing Boom. We have increased number of Blackberrys and thanks to 3G the new high end touch phones bring with them better browsing capabilities, larger screens and more room for apps and the like. The iPhone is already settling down and the lastest appreciable gizmo the Android based Motorola Milestone is going to change the way phones and mobile technology is percieved in India. Given all the above it is not surprising that Coke intends to use mobile marketing in a big way. Infact the article quotes a company spokes person on this.
For those who are skeptical to enter the Internet Medium, I would say ‘its a good time to start investing’. For those who are present but unwilling to try larger investments I would suggest that they revaluate their plans, study the medium and make an informed decision. Every day thousands of new users join the Internet and as penetration and education grows so will the ability of the medium to deliver. For those who are already using the medium extensively its a great moment. You are part of a revolution and a glorious era of the Digital Medium. And I would really appreciate if those who are using Internet Marketing extensively would share their experiences as this would help the medium grow and evolve faster.
So whether its Search Marketing – PPC or Search Engine Optimisation or Branding using a mix of Display, Search and social elements of the internet medium or whatever marketing mix you have found working for you, the way forward is to Share.
I am sure there are many skeptics as there should be as without them there would be no challenge but if you are a business owner or leading the marketing department its time you took notice. The Internet and Mobile marketing opportunities will continue to grow as a faster pace and the early adapters will stand to gain much more than the late entrants.
Good luck!
Recent Posts