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<ul><li>Till now, WhatsApp has been a relatively untapped marketing tool, however, the launch of WhatsApp ads might soon change the game.</li><li>Marketers are currently using the WhatsApp for Business App and the WhatsApp for Business API.</li><li>Sectors like travel, diners and niche news channels have been using WhatsApp to reach their consumers.</li><li>Industry experts tell us about the different ways in which marketers can make the most out of the platform.</li></ul>As we enter a new year and decade, one trend that digital marketing experts across the world have been talking about is <keyword id="8555229" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="whatsapp-marketing">WhatsApp marketing</keyword> and how it can help brands reach out to their audiences effectively. With close to 1.5 billion users across the globe, the Facebook-owned app is perhaps one of the most popular and frequently used apps in the world. Recently at the Facebook Marketing Summit (FMC) 2019 that took place in Netherlands, the company announced that it will soon show ‘Status ads’ to its users where they will be able to see the name of the advertiser along with their associated advertisement. This is expected to open a floodgate of opportunities for brands interested in getting up, close and personal with their consumers. However, while there is still some time for WhatsApp to launch ads, we explored the other ways that marketers can use the platform. How marketers can use WhatsApp Currently there are two products from WhatsApp that can be used by marketers to reach out to their consumers. Firstly, the WhatsApp for Business App, that can be used by small businesses and secondly, the WhatsApp for Business API that has been designed for medium and large businesses. Explaining how these two products can be used by marketers, <keyword id="831440" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sabyasachi-Mitter">Sabyasachi Mitter</keyword>, Founder and MD, Fulcro says, “The WhatsApp for Business App is meant for the use of small businesses. It is similar to the WhatsApp mobile app which you already use on your phone, with some additions like auto-responders and a basic product catalogue. This app is used manually and cannot really scale beyond a few 100 customers. The WhatsApp for Business API is solution that is aimed at enterprises and brands that wish to engage with their customers at scale. It provides an API-based interface that allows brands to communicate using the WhatsApp platform. There is no ‘app’ that a business can just download and get started, and requires a brand to setup a proper infrastructure. Brands need to invest time in the setup of the WhatsApp for Business API.” The WhatsApp for Business API provides brands with the ability to communicate with customers in 2 ways - a notification message or a Session Window, adds Mitter. Notification messages can be sent to customers who have signed up to receive notifications from the brand. These messages have to be pre-approved by WhatsApp. “When customers message to a brand, they open a ‘Session Window’. In this window, a brand can communicate with a customer for a 24-hour window from their last message in a free-form mode. Here they can send all sorts of content, including images, videos, and documents,” he shares. For the longest time advertising was about one way interaction with consumers. However the advent of internet has allowed brands to get closer to its consumers, to have more two-way communications. That is exactly what WhatsApp allows brands to do. Delving deeper, <keyword id="5817401" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vishal-Rupani">Vishal Rupani</keyword>, Co-founder and CEO, mCanvas says, “There are some business teams which prefer to send out messages using their personal WhatsApp account, and not a business alternative and it works well on a small scale. But if we’re going to consider the use of WhatsApp as a marketing tool at scale, then it’s time to look at the bigger picture. Large brands are using WhatsApp Business API to send out personalised appointment reminders, shipping alerts, order notifications, product demonstration videos, verification codes, boarding passes, and 2-way customer surveys and support messages.” So how can brands benefit from using the platform? Considering the wide usage of the app, it makes for a platform where brands can directly reach out to an already-engaged audience. Citing some interesting figures, Rupani says, “According to Hootsuite, the engagement rates on WhatsApp are distinctly high, where 98% of mobile messages are opened and read, with 90% of them getting opened within three seconds of being received. Marketers can leverage the wide reach of the app to tap into consumer segments on a personalised level. Further, the messaging interface of the app makes it tempting enough for any user to click on. If that’s not enough, then the personalised nature of WhatsApp messages evokes a desire to engage with the message.” Speaking about sectors that have been finding the most value out of investing on WhatsApp, Mihir Mehta, AVP – Digital Planning and Buying, iProspect India says, “Since it is a conversational and interactive platform, a lot of sectors like travel, diners, niche news channels prefer to use it to reach their consumers.” The brands that have been doing it right on WhatsApp Some brands that have been leveraging WhatsApp, primarily for customer service are Nykaa and BookMyShow. However, there are some other brands that have been innovating on the platform to reach out to its consumers. Giving a few examples, Rupani says, “Brands in the hospitality industry have effectively used WhatsApp Business to create a flawless experience for users at every step. For instance, OYO, the Indian hotel booking site, assists their customers with personalised alerts regarding booking confirmation, directions to the hotel on the day of check-in and even makes cancelling their bookings easy and hassle free. Further, KLM, the flag carrier airline of The Netherlands also uses WhatsApp Business API to send booking confirmations, boarding passes, check-in notifications, and flight statuses to users, once they’ve completed a booking on the airline’s website.” He shares that Absolut was one of the first brands to creatively use WhatsApp to promote its limited edition Absolut Unique vodka with branded social content. “In this campaign, consumers interacted on WhatsApp with a fictional bouncer named Sven. They were encouraged to send text and voice messages, photos and videos to convince him, that they deserve to receive one of the two passes available to the brand’s exclusive party. This was a unique twist to how WhatsApp can be used as a marketing tool,” adds Rupani. WhatsApp v/s other social media platforms While other social media platforms help brands get direct engagement with their consumers too, WhatsApp has a different set of benefits. Explains Mitter, “We have to realise that the two platforms are very distinct and have different purposes. WhatsApp allows a brand to engage with a customer one-on-one, while on Social media, a Brand will engage with a community, and both have a place in the consumer journey. For example, when seeking support, WhatsApp would present a better option to the customer, as they can be serviced one-on-one on a dedicated conversation.” “Both platform types also help support each other. Communicating with a consumer on WhatsApp needs the recording of explicit consent, either through a form or through an incoming message, Social Media can be used to help inform customers and give them a viable reason to give consent,” he adds. While WhatsApp and other social media platforms play different roles in a consumer’s life, it is important to understand that an effective use of these apps can help marketers get through to a really engaged audience. Moreover, the launch of WhatsApp status ads is set to take the game to the next level, allowing brands to put their thinking hats on and innovate. Brands will need to ensure that the ads shown on the platform do not become intrusive. Now how brands make the most of this platform is something we will have to wait and watch. Needless to say, we have interesting times ahead.

Why WhatsApp marketing could be the next big thing for digital marketers

<ul><li>After Facebook invests $5.7 billion in Reliance Jio, we talk to digital experts to find out what it means for the industry. </li><li>Experts opine that this will be a win-win situation for both the players as Facebook can now cast its net wider, reach out to Tier III and rural markets, and help boost the digital ecosystem. </li></ul>US social media giant Facebook has bought a 9.9% stake in Reliance Jio for $5.7 billion (Rs 43,574 crore). The deal is expected to give the social media giant a stronger foothold in what is seen as Facebook’s largest market. While Facebook has been known for large acquisitions in the past (Instagram, Whatsapp and Oculus), the deal with Reliance Jio only gets it a minority stake. However, it could have some far-reaching implications. We reached out to some digital experts who spoke to us about the possible implications of this move. Here’s what they had to say: <keyword id="2705387" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shamsuddin-Jasani">Shamsuddin Jasani</keyword>, Group MD, Isobar - South Asia: The investment from Facebook in Jio is going to be a big game-changer. I believe this is just the start of a longer collaboration, which is going to be beneficial for both the companies and also going to change the entire landscape, help us evolve into the future. What we have witnessed in the COVID scenario, this deal is only going to accelerate that even in the post COVID scenario. Digital is here to stay and people realise its power now. With Jio, Facebook can now go deeper and engage with smaller towns and cities. It has a tremendous penetration but through all of its products and backing on Jio's plans on becoming a huge player in the market, I think the possibilities are endless. The future holds some great innovations in business that can be brought forward by this combination. I also think that this will help Facebook come into the payment thing in a much bigger way than through WhatsApp alone, so I do believe that this is a game changer for the industry. Understand that pretty much hundred percent of Jio customers come in after their Aadhar cards have been verified. Imagine that data now also synching up with Facebook data. So the opportunities are tremendous, from an advertisers perspective, reach, consumer and SME perspective. Sabyasachi Mitter, Founder and MD, Fulcro: On the face of it, the close to 10% stake purchased by Facebook in Jio Platforms is a bold move to get into retail e-commerce through Jio Mart. This will help both players in taking the challenge to the entrenched players like Amazon and Flipkart, especially in grocery retail by tapping into the reach of Jio and co-opting the local kirana stores. On paper taking orders and payments through WhatsApp is a game changer, however, we have to bear in mind that the Indian consumer behaves very differently from theory. For starters most kirana stores and small businesses already extensively use WhatsApp for order taking. The use of UPI and Paytm has become widespread and second nature. While people trust WhatsApp for communication and conversations where security is not much of a concern, whether they will trust WhatsApp payments over specialised payment solutions is something that time will tell. <keyword id="3054169" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Duggirala">Varun Duggirala</keyword>, Co-founder &amp; Content Chief, The Glitch: The FB-Jio deal is what one would call the coming together of two data super powers. While the implications for both companies to extend their reach and grow their data set is immense along with the possible e-payments and e-commerce implications it can drive (mainly through WhatsApp but through other social platforms that FB owns as well) what remains to be seen is the net neutrality implications this can have and where that balance will lie. But all in all, it’s definitely going to drive major competitive advantages for both parties. Ambika Sharma, Founder &amp; MD, Pulp Strategy: The Facebook investment in Reliance Jio making it the largest minority shareholder in Jio and values the platform at an enterprise value of Rs 4.62 lakh crore. It is the largest FDI in the technology sector in India and with this, the deal values Jio Platforms among the top 5 listed Companies in India by market capitalization. Apart from this, there is a commercial partnership, which has been signed between Jio, Reliance Retail and WhatsApp for Reliance’s new e-commerce platform called Jio Mart, which will be targeting seamless Kirana transactions with Jio Mart using WhatsApp. Jio now eyes 60 million Small Businesses across the country, which are the fabric of the unorganized retail economy. The aim is to grow and transform India’s digital ecosystem and the focus of the collaboration will be to enable new opportunities for more than 60 million Small Business owners across India. With communities around the world in a lock down, many of these entrepreneurs need Digital Tools, which they can use to find and communicate with customers to grow their business. Whatsapp Payments is in the middle of a beta trial for a million users and we are hoping to get regulatory approval, but this collaboration (with Jio Platforms) is meant to really fuel the small business side of the economy. As the Economy is in crisis the deal comes as a fresh air to the market and RIL stocks today closed at 10% gains. This deal will be a win-win deal for both the partners and the deal will play a meaningful role in mobile commerce space. With Facebook as a shareholder, Jio will be in a full-fledged battle with multiple internet-based businesses. This partnership will own a large chunk of hyper-local, e-commerce, payments, telco provider and advertising ecosystem. It will also provide a platform for both companies to tap growth opportunities in India, which ranks among the fastest growing economies and has the second highest number of internet users in the world. India is the next best thing, especially now that Mukesh Ambani has made it accessible by forcing down data charges and offering low-priced handsets and services in all Indian languages. Roopak Saluja Founder &amp; Chairman, The 120 Media Collective: "This is an ultra-synergistic power play, the likes of which can be orchestrated by very few. For Facebook, this will likely spell the end of any further major regulatory hurdles; few factors can match up to a Reliance partnership when it comes to increasing the ease of doing business in India. And Reliance gets to pare down its burgeoning debt to some degree. You can expect them to make a gateway play together. Get ready for the wechatification of WhatsApp in India- a super app for everything from delivery to payments to content and much much more. If you thought Jio was a game-changer for digital penetration, watch this space for more." <keyword id="4574743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shrenik-Gandhi">Shrenik Gandhi</keyword>, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, White Rivers Media: Glad to be seeing such positive news in such grim times. This investment not only has monetary benefits for both organisations, but has economic benefit for the nation. This deal will empower digital transformation of millions which shall boost not only digital ecosystem but also the nation. The next 100M internet users will be easier to get on board, thanks to this deal. I am pretty sure, in the post-COVID world, the world will be closely watching India!

What does Facebook’s $5.7 billion investment in Reliance Jio mean for the digital industry?

<ul><li>Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Saturday announced <keyword id="8192304" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-budget-2020">Union Budget 2020</keyword> which gave an impetus to the country’s digital ecosystem.</li><li>The budget came up with an optional new tax regime which could lead to lower taxes for taxpayers.</li><li>She also acknowledged the role entrepreneurs have played in creating more jobs and capital for the country.</li></ul>As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget on Saturday, the industry came together to applaud the government’s digital push with the announcement of the setting aside of Rs 6,000 crore for BharatNet, to ensure low cost internet reaches every household in the country. The government also announced an optional new tax slab which has lower tax rates, although the people opting for the new tax regime will not get any exemptions. The FM also spoke about the role that entrepreneurs have played in creating jobs and bringing in more capital to the country. However, there were a few industry experts who felt that the expectations from ‘the budget were much higher and it feels like a missed opportunity.’ Here are the views of some experts: Ashish Bhasin, CEO, APAC and Chairman, India - Dentsu Aegis Network: I think this is a good budget in some ways because it has attempted to put money in the hands of the middle class through rationalisation of tax rates as well as has concentrated on looking after the agricultural sector, including introduction of best practises like storage for producers and other measures. However, I do feel that the expectations from the budget were much more and it does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity. While it is good to see that the dividend distribution tax has been abolished, I expected more on the rationalisation of direct taxes, particularly the cess introduced over and above the tax rates. It is good to see efforts being made to encourage new-age skill development as well as helping the start-ups and what's particularly interesting is the proposal to set up data centre farms all over the country. This will prepare India for the economy of tomorrow. It is also good to see attempts at simplification of taxation through digitisation but the proof of the pudding will lie in seeing its implementation on ground. It would be fair to say that at best it is a mixed budget and while there are some encouraging decisions, enough does not seem to have been done for the situation the economy is in. RS Sodhi, Managing Director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation: <keyword id="7836802" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Budget-2020">Budget 2020</keyword>, an excellent move, will bring more investments in the dairy sector which will increase the farmers’ bargaining power to get better prices for their produce, if done properly it will create 80 lakh jobs in Rural India and 16 lakh jobs in Urban India. Anand Bhadkamkar, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India: The budget has provided relief to the middle class with lower tax rates which is a welcome move, as it will provide more liquidity. On direct taxes, the abolition of DDT and introduction of a tax dispute resolution scheme is a welcome step alongside tax reliefs for startups. The budget is focusing on easing and simplification of compliance, with changes in corporate laws as well as in GST and direct taxes. However, I was expecting further simplification of cess and surcharges beyond tax rates across slabs. The proposals for development of road infrastructure, setting up data centre parks and skill development initiatives are welcome steps in addition to allocations for social welfare schemes. However, the expectations from the budget were high on the background of current economic slowdown, and as such seems to be short on matching those expectations, with no specific industry sector focused sops to provide stimulus. While the budget shows focus on long term growth and social development, overall in the current scenario it looks like a mixed budget, falling a bit short of market expectations of more corrective measures. Mukesh Kalra, Founder &amp; CEO - ETMONEY: The Finance Minister's proposal to introduce a new tax regime is a great step towards giving equal chance to every Indian in the lower income segment to maximize their post tax incomes. In the old regime, an individual supporting a larger family &amp; negligible savings was forced to pay higher tax compared to an individual supporting a smaller family or one with no dependents. This created disparity when it came to effective taxation for the former group. In the new regime, the disparity ends &amp; also frees up income in the hands of individuals to give a boost to consumption. Nishant Pitti, Co-Founder &amp; CEO, EaseMyTrip: In tune with the present government vision to encourage Indian travellers to travel more and contribute towards the nation's growth, this budget takes it a step ahead. The budget has focused on promoting tourism &amp; travel with an overall budget of Rs. 2500 crores in year 2020-21. Government aims to develop 100 more domestic airports under the UDAN scheme. To promote travel via railways, the government will focus on more Tejas type trains that will connect tourist destinations in India. The Finance Minister has also laid stress on the development of archaeological sites into iconic sites with on-site museums. Five such sites are- Rakhigarhi, Hastinapur, Shivsagar, Dholavira and Adichanallur. Government has also announced the renovation of 4 key museums. Rs,150 crore have been allocated for the ministry of culture in 2020-21. We are hopeful that this budget will open new avenues for the travel industry. Sabyasachi Mitter, Founder and Managing Director of Fulcro: The key takeaway for me has been the simplification of tax regimes as well as giving a boost to consumer and investor sentiments. The removal of DDT is a significant move and long overdue as it effectively leads to double taxation. Simplification of personal Income Tax rates by giving the option to tax payers to avail the reduced tax rates by not availing deductions is a welcome step towards a future free from the historical legacy of compliance issues. The focus on encouraging start-ups is also welcome, both in terms of giving relief to the ESOP taxation which has been increased to 5 years. The turnover of availing 100% income Tax benefit has also seen two key changes; increasing the turnover threshold to 100 crores as well as increasing the block of years from which to avail three years of exemption to 10 years from the 7 years presently. All of these will increase the cash in hand of corporates, individuals as well MSMEs leading to a spur in demand. Specifically to the digital ecosystem the aggressive plans to increase the coverage of Fiber to Home being extended to 1 lakh gram panchayats will give a significant boost to the digital ecosystem. The recognition of the need for data and therefore the policy announcement on data centre parks is also a welcome move. Anish Sarkar, CEO, Sodexo BRS India: Sodexo always believes in giving our consumers the freedom of choice; the tax proposals in the budget are also on a similar philosophy. We believe that consumers should have a higher purchasing power – while this announcement will give them the power to choose their tax structure, our consumer base will continue to benefit from the current regime. Sodexo’s solution suite goes much beyond tax-saving products; driving the digitization of corporate cafeterias &amp; factories along with digitizing expense management to achieve workplace efficiency. We are very focussed on enhancing the employee experience of our clients by creating an ecosystem of value-added benefits much beyond tax savings. Devendra Shah, Chairman, Parag Milk Foods Ltd: We happily welcome the government's big push to the India's dairy industry. We are excited to be a part of the government's plan to double India’s milk processing capacity. Strategic measures like increasing the coverage of artificial insemination and eliminating Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis in cattle will result in higher yields. While such measures are welcomed, the dairy sector also needs to ensure the yearlong availability of green fodder. We can currently import the green fodder from Australia, Canada and USA. All these collectively help in Increasing milk consumption amongst urban and rural consumers thus attracting new investments and jobs. Navin Khemka, CEO, Mediacom South Asia: What is required is more purchasing power to the Indian middle class. This will help boost demand in the sluggish economy. I hope the investment in infrastructure and kisan express helps in achieving this objective in the long run. Short term, however, I think this budget is status quo. Demand growth could be sluggish and this could continue to impact media investments by corporates. Indroneel Dutt, CFO, Cleartrip: The government has backed its vision to turn India into one of the world’s top tourism hubs by allocating INR 2,500 crore for promoting tourism in general and setting aside a sum of INR 3100 crore for the Culture Ministry to boost regional tourism. What would be wonderful is to have an empowered nodal body comprising of the Govt / OTA / airline, hotel and other industry representatives with the objective of promoting discoverability, ease of booking and fulfilment of our cultural, natural and heritage sites. Introduction of more Tejas Express type trains and the inauguration of several culturally-significant archaeological sites are other much-needed moves. We also welcome the Hon’ble FM’s proposal to develop 100 more airports as well as the doubling of the airline fleet by 2024. This calls for skilled manpower development in parallel. The aim to double the fleet to 1200 in the next 3 years will certainly accelerate the passenger growth rate. Ramesh Kaushik, VP Brand Experience at Blackberrys: The government remains committed to accelerate consumption in budget 2020. Government measures of reducing corporate tax and initiatives to boost MSME sector will definitely help accelerate industrial and corporate growth in the country. Measures like simplifying GST and income tax relief are sure to give requisite push to consumer consumption and demand thereby accelerating growth across industries. Additionally allocation of funds for infrastructural development is a welcome move clearing path for expansion. We expect more measures/announcements specific to the retail industry from the government in the coming future that will give the right impetus to the industry. Sameer Makani, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Makani Creatives: Budget 2020 aims at the betterment of all sections of the society. The key highlight is certainly the tax regime where the government has proposed alternative tax policies and new rates to benefit the taxpayers. The vision to improve the start-up scenario in the country will help in creating more job opportunities and further ensuring the economic growth. The Skill development programme will enable overall personality development In comparison to budget 2019, MSMEs will experience a 71% rise over and above the budgetary allocation. Sudhanshu Agarwal, Founder &amp; Director, Citykart: The announcements made by the government in Union Budget 2020 are a promising move to boost the income and purchasing power of people. So far, the rollout of GST has resulted in gains of about Rs.1 lakh crores to consumers, which is likely to increase further with revised GST laws being implemented from April 2020. Simplification of GST norms will be significant in inspiring consumer demand &amp; consumptions and spur industrial growth. Additionally, allocation of Rs.100 lakh crores for infrastructure development also opens growth prospects for the brands in non-metro cities. However, we feel specific measures pertaining to the retail sector have still not been fully addressed in the budget. Kunal Lakhara, VP of Finance and Operations, Pocket Aces: Budget 2020's revised fiscal deficit target of 3.8% of the GDP seems more realistic and focus on spends/benefits was required to boost the economy. The thrust on entrepreneurship and tax regulations for both startups and taxpayers is a move in the right direction. India is the third largest startup hub globally and the announcement of an investment clearance cell to provide end-to-end support to startup founders will encourage more youth to be job creators. Further, the ability to defer taxes on ESOPs will democratise wealth creation for startup employees, ensuring the right talent is benefitted. Finally, the decision to grant 100% tax exemptions to sovereign wealth funds on their investment in priority sectors will provide the much needed funding boost to the sector and create value in the longer run. Sahil Vaidya, Co- Founder &amp; Director, The Minimalist: Following the announcement of the Union Budget 2020, one thing is certain, is that the Government is heavily focused on becoming an entrepreneurial superpower. By investing in the MSME sector, the Government’s support towards new companies will go a long way in producing high growth business. Furthermore, the tax waiver on ESOPs will enable more talent to place their bets on early stage disruptive start-ups, which have the potential to become the corporates of tomorrow. Among other sectors, the Budget 2020’s focus on start-ups and technology will be a boost to companies that are doing some cutting edge design thinking to enable the best of digital products for a booming digital economy. Sanil Jain, Co-founder, CupShup: The start-up ecosystem in India is not more than a decade old and has come a long way to become the third largest in the world after USA and China. 2019 was not what we can call a good economic growth year but this budget has definitely brought some relief to start-ups. The implementation of the Investment Advisory Cell will aid new start-ups. Deferring the Taxation on ESOPs is definitely a big win as it will go a long way in acquiring and retaining quality talent. While on the other hand, decreasing direct tax to a historic low of 22% will boost export opportunities and drive growth across various industries. Nikhil Mathur, Managing Director – India, GfK: The proposal to boost rural economy, infrastructure and enhance purchasing power of middle class, if implemented well would certainly be fruitful. It could further improve the consumption of consumer durable and electronics. As per GfK data, CE-MDA category registered a volume growth of ~9% in 2019/2018. I think the market is expected to grow in the back of technology companies and given the state of economy we can be hopeful of a better future. Besides, encouraging local manufacturing of mobile phones and semiconductors may fuel the ‘Make in India’ vision.

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Why WhatsApp marketing could be the next big thing for digital marketers

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