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<ul><li>Once a hub to Millennials and GenZ, Facebook is now perceived as a ‘boomer network’ by young internet users.</li><li>Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has reiterated time and again that he wants to ‘cater more towards young people.’</li><li>It has even replicated Instagram’s success model by launching video editing tools and Reels, but can it ever entice young people in India? We speak to social media experts, GenZ internet users and GenZ Content Creators to find out.</li></ul>In its July-September 2021 quarterly earnings conference, Meta’s cofounder Mark Zuckerberg seemed a little worried. He was vocal about it, too. He wants to see a shift. A shift that would take years. “We are retooling our teams to make serving young adults their North Star rather than optimising for the larger number of older people,” Zuckerberg <a href="https://s21.q4cdn.com/399680738/files/doc_financials/2021/q3/FB-Q3-2021-Earnings-Call-Transcript.pdf">said</a>. Meta’s social media firm Facebook is losing its popularity among teens and young adult users across its key markets, according to numerous studies. They are jumping to other social media platforms. This slow departure of young users, increasing data privacy concerns and rising cost per impression threaten <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/news/facebook-google-digital-ad-market-share-drops-amazon-climbs/">Facebook’s advertising business</a>, as it could lose its grip on social media ad spend. Business Insider India spoke to content creators and young internet users born between 1997 and 2012, who are also known as Generation Z, and social media experts, who believe Facebook has lost its fame to the perception war and might not see a revival. To pique the young audience’s interest again, Facebook has replicated various social media formats that have worked for other platforms. It is almost like Joey from popular sitcom Friends believing that he can pass for 19 by simply replicating what young people wear. <div type="image" title="Friends meme for Facebook story" msid="90206584" hostid="261"></div> Facebook’s 360-degree photo format was allegedly derived from YouTube, Facebook Stories was apparently inspired by Social Media Platform Snapchat and its most recent feature Reels is from its sister platform Instagram, which is seemingly a Short-form Video Platform, TikTok’s clone. Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion 10 years ago to stay ahead of the game, for the exact same reason. From adding Reels to introducing virtual reality, does the recent revamp speak to Zuckerberg's concerns about the company losing its popularity among young consumers? Well, the fear of a major technology company losing its young users has already spread internally. A <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-25/facebook-files-show-growth-struggles-as-young-users-in-u-s-decline">whistleblower’s Securities and Exchange Commission </a>(SEC) complaint had revealed last year that the time spent for U.S. teenagers on Facebook was down 16% year-on-year and that young adults in the U.S. were also spending 5% less time on the social network. Another report by Statista says that <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/309166/boomer-senior-social-networks/">Facebook has been overrun by Baby Boomers</a>, people born between 1946 and 1964. Market research company eMarketer has also downgraded its estimates for Facebook's young user growth in France and Germany. It said that the percentage of teenagers on Facebook in Germany will <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/content/facebook-losing-younger-users-in-germany-and-france">drop </a>to just more than one-third compared to 2019, with usage among ages 34 and younger declining through 2023. It goes on to say that teenagers using Facebook in France will drop to 27.9 million by 2023. The story is similar in India, which is Facebook’s biggest market in terms of size with 340 million monthly active users (MAUs). It has lost 2.7% of GenZ users and 1.9% millennials in 2022 than 2018 and added more older users. As per Napoleon Cat, a research firm for social media analytics, Facebook had 36% GenZ users in 2018 and it has come down to 33.3% in February 2022. It has been on a steady decline. Just a month ago, Zuckerberg had announced that Facebook witnessed its first-ever decline in users across the world. The daily active users (DAUs) on Facebook were down to 1.92 billion between Oct-Dec, Q4 of 2021 from 1.93 billion in Q3 2021. App store optimization tool and analytics firm AppTweak also reported that GenZ prefers Instagram over Facebook. <div type="image" title="age-distribution2 (1)" msid="90206593" hostid="261"></div> Karan Lakhwani, head of business development in India for AppTweak says, “Retention data on Facebook suggests that it retains over 70% of its new users for over 0 days. On the other hand, Instagram retains 82% of its users for over 30 days. These metrics suggest a high engagement and low churn on Instagram. While over 70% retention is amazing, Facebook loses to Instagram on retention of new users in India.” <div type="image" title="historical-retention (1)" msid="90206618" hostid="261"></div> Other social media platforms are winning the attention war Teens, GenZ and the cohort after them, Millennials make up about <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/751005/india-share-of-internet-users-by-age-group/#:~:text=Around%2054%20percent%20of%20the,the%20total%20internet%20user%20base.">65%</a> of the total internet user base and the platforms and brands that these people choose are considered <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/oct/10/mondaymediasection9">‘cool</a>, aspirational and desirable’ by other age groups. As per Consulting firm Deloitte, GenZ and Millennials are also the largest <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/in/Documents/about-deloitte/in-deloitte-millennial-survey-2021-India-report-noexp.pdf">demographic </a>groups in India and they hold high levels of <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-17/gen-z-has-360-billion-to-spend-trick-is-getting-them-to-buy">disposable </a>income globally. So Zuckerberg's concern to stop this slow leak of young users is not really a surprise. Despite the company’s efforts to stay relevant, GenZ internet users interviewed by Business Insider India gave a variety of reasons for rejecting Facebook, including its outdated user interface and the platform’s increasingly older demographic. Shraddha Khaire, a 23-year-old from Mumbai, says she only uses Facebook to share work-related updates and says that Facebook “shouldn’t try to win back GenZ at all.” “But if they [Facebook] really want to – they can leverage newer trends and work with young brands. Facebook has now become just another social media platform that we have an account on – much like LinkedIn. I only use Facebook if I have a work-related update to post or a life update for that matter. I believe the reason why Genz audience is spending less and less time on Facebook, is because they want more – more ways to socialise, share posts, photos, messages, etc, and just like you move on from one thing to the other, I gradually moved on from Facebook to Snapchat and Instagram and more.” GenZ internet user, Pranav Krishnan, head of culture, communications and corporate social responsibility at advertising agency Schbang, has significantly decreased his time spent on Facebook. He prefers other networking platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram. “I believe Facebook doesn’t have much of a chance to bring GenZ back to the application unless they integrate the same with Instagram and drive all the content through one application. The other way around would be to pivot the application in the virtual world of the Metaverse which may bring back the GenZ users. Users directly join Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn rather than Facebook, which used to be the thing earlier. GenZ is quite energetic, they prefer anything that helps with convenience, adds value/a unique perspective to their lives and Instagram and Snapchat have been able to do just that,” says Krishnan. Urvi Dalmia, account manager at digital marketing agency 22Feet Tribal Worldwide, says Facebook had its time and it is Instagram’s time now. She is on Facebook because her job requires her to be active there. “We don't ask people if they'll switch back to CDs/DVDs to watch movies instead of streaming them on Netflix. For me, it's about the relevance of the app. Facebook is not adding any value to my life, I'd rather not go back. I still have the Facebook app only because I'm in digital marketing and I require it for professional reasons. I would've left the app long ago otherwise. Also, Facebook doesn't have content that interests me anymore. It's just old videos/news/old listicle links, etc. I think one of the reasons we left Facebook was also our parent's involvement in our social media lives. We did not want their interference so we moved to apps that were new and young.” Can Facebook woo young content creators? Whether it is Facebook’s recent addition of Instagram’s short-form video format Reels onto its platform or investing over $1 <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2021/07/investing-1-billion-dollars-in-creators/">billion </a>in creator programs, it is clear that Facebook is trying to build its own influencer community and trying to leverage on the boom in the creator economy. However, is it late to the game? “Facebook for a while, if I talk in the sense of fashion, became something like the 2000s’ low waist jeans. Something everyone knows about, but no one is actively trying it out,” says Tarini Shah, a GenZ digital content creator. She believes that there’s still hope. “I think Facebook can get Genz onboard because the early Genz was on Facebook for a while before Instagram became ‘the thing.’ Facebook is perceived as a platform where parents post updates about their grandchildren and random things, which we really aren’t interested in. GenZ chases quality content; something to keep their minds engaged or escape from reality,” adds Tarini. She suggests that Facebook can attract GenZ creators and new audiences through exclusive content series like YouTube Originals. “It can get the audience to at least open the app and then further convince them it isn’t just some place where you go to get your ‘throwback Thursday’ photos.” For Dev Raiyani, an Indian GenZ digital content creator based in the US, Facebook was the first social media app he ever used, but he grew out of it slowly as TikTok and Instagram came into the picture. He found it more easily accessible and usable. He said that more focus on artificial intelligence (AI) can get Facebook more attention from young users. “I wouldn’t lie, Facebook is perceived as a ‘boomer network’ by young people. But the switch to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/facebook-is-changing-its-name-to-meta/articleshow/87346459.cms">Meta </a>really changed my perspective on it. Our generation is super into cryptocurrency, NFTs [non-fungible tokens], games and seeking all those in the metaverse is amazing,” says Raiyani. Urjita Wani, a 23-year-old comedian and script writer based in Mumbai, spends three to four hours a day on Instagram and uses Facebook once in a blue moon. She describes her relationship with Facebook as, “It has become like my house’s door now; doesn’t get too many visitors and I can only answer it when it rings.” “As a comedian with a public profile on Instagram, I don't think I can really control who checks out my content. But I joined Instagram when it had launched because it was a new, interesting platform. And back then, I had the mental space and time to try out new social platforms unlike now (sorry, Clubhouse). Of course, one of the many reasons why I stopped using Facebook was because my relatives would inundate my feed with their likes, comments and tags. Also, I didn't want them to pry into my social life,” shares Wani. The only way, Wani says, Facebook will entice her back into the platform is if it recognises Instagram's shortcomings and updates itself accordingly. Digital advertising agency SoCheers’ founder and director of operations, Siddharth Devnani, also said he prefers Instagram because he can be “edgy there.” To woo young consumers, Devnani said, the platform will have to change its perception. “I am a grown up and I still try to be much more parent-friendly on Facebook than on Instagram. That’s how the platform is positioned. Even if my parents follow me on Instagram, I would be okay to do a little edgier stuff on Instagram than on Facebook. But it is not like Instagram is the answer. Your content depends on your network; who is going to see it. Teenagers do much edgier stuff on Snapchat too. Facebook has also struggled with misinformation campaigns, it is pretty heavy on news and religious content is higher there -- and that perception is going to be very hard to break,” Devnani says. “Facebook will not see a revival, regardless of what Meta throws at it, inspired by Instagram,” says Karthik Srinivasan, a social media expert and communications consultant. “I don't think teens or GenZ may be going to what Meta believes is the next-big-thing. To some extent, Meta has already lost the perception war to TikTok. To some extent, I feel Meta may have internalised this too given how much more Instagram is now like Facebook in terms of traction among the most important user base. I also think that Meta has been consistently making future-looking bets to manage the dwindling interest in the social products it launches – Instagram was a hedge against Facebook, and Metaverse is a hedge against Instagram, and so on.” The reason why he thinks the older audience is still on Facebook is because of familiarity and ease of use. “I believe Gen-X and Boomers are using Facebook (as also WhatsApp) more out of habit than any conscious interest. This is because all the people they know and interact with frequently are on those platforms. If another platform brings people together and gains traction (the way TikTok did in the US), the GenX may still stay on their Facebooks [sic] because of their friend circle. But this won't be seen as growth by Meta that constantly wants the younger bunch to actively use their platforms and buy things through them.” Following the publication of internal documents, Facebook has been weathering a series of scandals and has been working on fixing its brand image. By the time it fixes its loopholes, there will be another social media app in the market that GenZ will declare as its new ‘low waist jeans.’

Facebook wants to bring back young adults on its platform but they say there’s nothing much it can do to win them

<ul><li><keyword id="7413619" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mall91">Mall91</keyword>, Dealshare, CityMall, Bulbul, WMall along with the Facebook-backed <keyword id="3480589" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Meesho">Meesho</keyword>, have raised funds in the past few months. </li><li>Each of these startup is targeting the next 200 million consumers from smaller cities.</li><li>It all started with social media giant <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> investing an undisclosed amount in Meesho in June.</li></ul>The Indian <keyword id="623994" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-commerce">social commerce</keyword> sector seems to be the latest ‘hot sector’ for investors. Many Indian startups – Mall91, Dealshare, CityMall, Bulbul, WMall along with the Facebook-backed Meesho, have raised funds in the last few months. Each of these startup is targeting the next 400 million consumers from smaller cities by leveraging on the expanding reach of social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. With growing data penetration in India, social commerce is only set to grow. "Social commerce is basically a direct correlation to data penetration in the country. Today, everybody in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities also has an availability of the internet. A long-time back shopping online was restricted to a certain population, today there is an exponential possibility due to the availability of the internet, everybody has access to it from every sector of the society,” said Roma Priya, Founder of Burgeon Law, a boutique law firm. Priya added that given that social commerce has a more one-on-one, viral nature is a great way for a trust deficient demographic to buy again. Funding galore Today, Mall91 has raised $7.5 million through its Series A funding round led by Go-Ventures and participation by Beenext, Kalaari Capital, AngelList India. With the latest funds, Mall91 aims to drive growth and plans to expand to other top 8 local languages of India. The company is also planning to grow its supply chain capabilities domestically and internationally. It all started with social media giant Facebook investing an undisclosed amount in Meesho in June. Meesho is a marketplace for resellers, and connects them with customers via social media channels like WhatsApp and Facebook. “With this investment in Meesho, we want to fuel a business model that can result in rapid job creation and the rise of a female entrepreneurial class in India," Facebook India head Ajit Mohan had then said in an <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-ups/facebook-invests-in-bengaluru-based-meesho-1560427873327.html">interview.</a> This was followed by Dealshare which raised $11 million from Matrix Partners, Falcon Edge Capital and others. Meanwhile, barely one year old social e-commerce platform CityMall which operates in local languages-- raised an undisclosed amount from Jitendra Gupta of Citrus Pay, Alvin Tse of Xiaomi, Manish Vij and Harish Bahl from Smile Group, Rishab Malik ex-co-founder of Droom, Rajesh Sawhney of GSF and M&amp;S Partners. In May 2019. Bulbul, which is a live social commerce app, raised $5 million in a round that was led by Sequoia. It is also a part of Sequoia’s accelerator programme. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-invests-in-indian-startup-meesho/articleshow/69782285.cms">Facebook invests in Meesho showing that it will enter online e-commerce sooner than later</a>

Social commerce is the latest investor favourite as they target India’s next 400 million users

<ul><li>In the last few years, <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> has established itself as the primary private messaging platform across the world</li><li>The data miner of our industry - <keyword id="6354576" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>, announced that it will start throwing advertisements on WhatsApp status/stories section soon</li><li>Brands such as Tinder, McDonald’s, Tide, Reebok and Zomato had already found a <a href="http://www.adageindia.in/digital/brands-find-a-backdoor-to-stick-their-ads-on-whatsapp/articleshow/70222012.cms">backdoor </a>to advertise on WhatsApp but now experts think direct <keyword id="3211590" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp-ads">WhatsApp ads</keyword> will untapped avenues for brands</li></ul> In the last few years, WhatsApp has established itself as the primary private messaging platform across the world. The data miner of our industry - Facebook, announced that it will start throwing advertisements on WhatsApp status/stories section soon. Brands such as Tinder, McDonald’s, Tide, Reebok and Zomato had already found a <a href="http://www.adageindia.in/digital/brands-find-a-backdoor-to-stick-their-ads-on-whatsapp/articleshow/70222012.cms">backdoor </a>to advertise on WhatsApp, the most-used messaging app, through quirky stickers and GIFs. On top of that, WhatsApp announced last week that its user base has grown by 200%, with <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/whatsapp-all-set-to-launch-pay-service-in-india-has-400mn-users-in-the-country-does-that-mean-bad-news-for-paytm/articleshow/70405438.cms">400 million</a> users hailing from India. And now that WhatsApp ads will finally be a reality, we spoke to experts to find out what this means for marketers and consumers, and how will they leverage the new medium of advertising. “Whatsapp advertising is the most awaited ‘Out Now’ news in the digital advertising space. Currently, brands are making an entry into the Indian consumer’s favorite chat app through stickers and gifs, aligned with the primary purpose of the app: chatting. Ads in WhatsApp stories is an expected move. It will be interesting to watch how its mothership Facebook integrates it - into its existing advertising offering,” said Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO &amp; co-founder, TheSmallBigIdea. Rahul Shenoy, Sr. Brand Services Director – Digital, FCB Interface says it will open untapped avenues for brands. “The launch of WhatsApp ad services will provide marketers with new and untapped avenues to engage with their customers. From promotional offers, contest alerts to new launches; brands will be able to use WhatsApp to advertise their offerings to potential customers. This will enable them to not only get discovered quickly, but also help drive business directly via the platform.” While the messaging application has been infamous in the past for spreading fake news, experts believe that this viral potent, if used wisely, can be a boon for marketers. “Given the cultural dynamics of India, WhatsApp, by its very virtue, has turned into a forwarding platform. The key, therefore, is to capitalize on this insight and create branded content that has the potential for high shareability. Subtlety is the key,” said Sahil Vaidya, Co-Founder, The Minimalist. Vaidya thinks brands that cater to Tier II cities and beyond, should not miss riding on this bandwagon. “With the highest number of WhatsApp users coming from India, it's critical for brands to wake up to the reality that Whatsapp will be an important channel for their marketing mix. However, it is much more effective for a certain category of brands- the ones that are targeting India 2.0 (popularly used to refer to the rising class of people from Tier II and Tier III). With a significant majority of DAUs coming from that demographic, every brand looking at capitalizing on this new consumer class should use Whatsapp for product communication.” Sonal Jhuj, Vice President- Strategy, DDB Mudra Group says WhatsApp is ‘deeply personal and convenient. Hence, brands will have to find a way to work with that reality.’ When asked who will be the early adopters of this trend, Jhuj said the large user base can attract brands from even unexpected categories. “Similar to Instagram, personal care, fashion, SMEs are likely to be early adopters who will be more willing to test and learn. Though with the sheer reach of Whatsapp, I wouldn’t be surprised to see retail, telecom, and finance jump on.” Pillai answers, “Chat Feature is at the core of a product like WhatsApp. So as an advertising platform, brands with radioactive levels of consumer interactions/queries leading to purchase would benefit from it. Electronics, automobile, real estate, banking could be some of the sectors. Also due to its sharp targeting, it’s a fabulous, upselling/cross-selling platform. Also brands with content at their core like broadcasters will be a big beneficiary.” Experts also highlighted some of the challenges that marketers could face and how they could be prepared to face them. Shenoy thinks replication and constant nagging might lead to ad fatigue. “Brands have a tendency to replicate messages across platforms. If your customer has seen the same ad on their Facebook and Instagram feed, it could lead to ad fatigue. Also frequent and irrelevant messaging could result in blocking, which would prevent you from contacting your customer in the future. Hence, the key to using WhatsApp ads effectively will be to customize ads for the platform and measure your interactions with customers so that each message you show them has value,” According to Vaidya, the challenge will be for ‘smaller brands who can't undertake any marketing activity without a clear view of the ROI’. “Since WhatsApp is not built as a platform for advertisers, culling out the KPIs of any activity isn't feasible and might therefore not blow up as a medium of choice ubiquitously,” he explains. However, the biggest challenge of all is that WhatsApp is a personal messaging application. After the ads are beta-tested and executed, it might drive away consumers to competitions like Telegram, ShareChat. Even when Facebook bought WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion, it had promised its audience an ad-free usage for the first five years. Now the platform has developed a very personal and friendly image, can introducing ads be perceived as intrusive by consumers? Shenoy denies. “Since WhatsApp ads will be shown only in the stories section, the core messaging functionality of the platform will continue to be non-intrusive &amp; personal. Users will be able to swipe up on these stories to explore the links, only if they choose to. Considering WhatsApp is more personalized than other social media platforms, brands will have to make their promotions more interactive and personalized to prompt users to engage with them,” he says. Jhuj says there will be concerns initially but consumers will eventually evolve. “Consumers are always going to be open to something that makes life richer or easier. Advertising that does either will do just fine, no matter how personal a medium WhatsApp may be considered to be. So it's for brands to find the balance.”

WhatsApp is Launching Ads on its Platform But How Prepared are Indian Marketers?

<ul><li>Google announced its plans to launch a ‘Advertising Transparency Report’ and a ‘Political Ads Library’ ahead of the general elections in India on Tuesday. </li><li>Facebook and Twitter have asserted that will be putting an online library of election advertisements in place for public access. </li><li>The global tech companies are implementing a rigorous verification process from advertisers in India in order for them to be able to air their ads online.</li><li>It's not just about political ads on Google, Twitter or Facebook but also Instagram, YouTube and any other platform that uses Adsense or Adwords for ad revenue. </li></ul>The world is still recuperating from the Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal from last year and technology companies are hedging their bets worldwide. As the world’s largest democracy — India — prepares of its general elections, Google and Facebook are trying to ensure that everything is on the up-and-up. Especially since it wasn’t too long ago that the Indian government was considering <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/government-looking-for-options-to-block-social-media-sites-in-india/articleshow/65304882.cms">blocking social media apps altogether</a> to hedge against unrest for the duration of the elections. The search giant, Google, just announced that they will be launching their own ‘Advertising Transparency Report’ and a ‘Political Ads Library’ in India. Both, the report and the library, will allegedly provide comprehensive information about who is purchasing election ads on Google’s platforms and how much money is being spent. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="&quot;In 2019, over 850 million Indians are expected to cast their vote to elect the country's next government. We're thinking hard about elections and how we continue to support democratic processes in India and around the world.&quot;" auname="Chetan Krishnaswamy, Director-Public Policy, Google India"></div>















 Facebook made a similar announcement in December where it said it would set up an ‘online search ad library’ and made it mandatory for advertisers to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-hits-the-street-to-verify-political-ads-in-india-but-that-might-not-be-enough/articleshow/67145040.cms">disclose their identity and location for verification</a>. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="&quot;By authorising advertisers and bringing more transparency to ads, we can better defend against foreign interference in India's elections.&quot;" auname="Facebook blog"></div>















 Even Twitter is on the ‘online library’ bandwagon with its ‘Ads Transparency Centre’ announced on January 10, that is yet to roll out. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="“Twitter is heavily used by the influencers and the politicians and the government in India, so we’re very fortunate in that degree. And we want to make sure that we are doing what we can to make sure that we maintain the integrity of the conversation around the election.”" auname="Jack Dorsey, Twitter Chief Executive Office (CEO)"></div>















 Putting the right checks in place It’s not just Facebook that’s looking for verification, but Google as well. They recently updated its election ads policy, which now requires advertisers to provide a ‘pre-certificate’ issued by the Election Commision of India (ECI) for each political ad that they plan on running. The advertisers, themselves, will also have to verify their identity in order to run ads in the first place. In order to keep voters in the loop, Google’s also going to tailor its algorithm so that electoral information from the ECI and other ‘authoritative sources’ will be easily discovered on Google Search. It’s important to remember that Google Ads are everywhere, not just when you’re on Google’s Search Engine. This includes YouTube and whichever sites have Adsense and Adwords on their portal. Facebook — and its subsidiary Instagram — will be doing their part by running disclaimers on all advertorial content related to the elections on its platform. Any information about how much of spent, the range of impressions, and the demographics of who actually viewed the advertisement will be publicly available through its library. Facebook’s verification process is already gone live, but Google will only be accepting requests starting February 14. Media spending on advertising already <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/advertising/ahead-of-polls-bjp-becomes-the-number-one-advertiser-on-television/articleshow/66759018.cms">shot up</a> ahead of the 5-state assembly election in December. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even capitalised on Facebook’s ‘10 Year Challenge’ by creating their own <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/bjps-5-year-challenge-follows-facebooks-10-year-challenge/articleshow/67586112.cms">‘5 Year Challenge’</a> on Facebook. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/this-app-lets-you-review-politicians-in-india/articleshow/64401370.cms">This app lets you 'review' politicians in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/bjps-5-year-challenge-follows-facebooks-10-year-challenge/articleshow/67586112.cms">Facebook's '10 Year Challenge' takes a political dimension in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-evms-hacked-news-congress-attacks-narendra-modi-and-bjp/articleshow/67629226.cms">India's elections are rigged, claims an American 'expert'</a>

Here's how global tech giants are tackling 'fake news' ahead of elections in the world's largest democracy

<ul><li>The pandemic and the ensuing lockdown has changed our lives, perhaps forever. It has brought about many behavioural changes among consumers. While some were temporary, there are many that will perhaps become permanent.</li><li>People discovered the many conveniences of <keyword id="1245953" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott" source="Orion">OTT</keyword> platforms during the last 2 years and the sector is only expected to grow from here.</li><li>Baskar Subramanian, Co-founder and CEO, <keyword id="751982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amagi" source="Orion">Amagi</keyword> writes why OTT is getting consumer love and why the streaming media is here to stay. </li></ul>The pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns completely transformed our entertainment experience. From 'Let's go for a good movie', we moved to 'What should we watch on <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword>?'. Movie premiers and live sporting events like IPL and others have moved to OTT. For example, Netflix released the Kangana Ranaut starrer Thalaivi and Zee5 released Bob Biswas starring Amitabh Bachchan exclusively on OTT platforms. Homegrown web series like The Family Man, Sacred Games, Aarya, Special Ops, Aashram, Mirzapur and more undoubtedly elevated the popularity of OTT platforms among the tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z population who had embraced OTT over Cable TV or DTH subscriptions even before the onset of the pandemic. Post the pandemic, however, the trend has only increased, fuelled by the many conveniences that OTT offers over traditional broadcast. With streaming TV, the fight for the remote is laid to rest. Every person in a household can watch their favorite shows on their personal devices. Content can be viewed even while travelling, and consumers are spoilt for choice with languages, content variety, and on-demand viewing. Consumers have made their preferences clear - more people are cutting the cord, shifting from paid TV subscriptions to internet-based streaming services. Boston Consulting Group predicts that the OTT content market is at an inflection point in India and is likely to reach a market size of $5 billion by 2023. From just two OTT platform providers in 2012 to about 40 players at present, the OTT revolution has come a long way in India. Estimates from Phando Corp suggest that monthly active users (MAUs) for India’s OTT video sector have grown at a blistering rate of 300% since 2019 to reach 680 million in 2021, with rural and tier 2 &amp; 3 cities consumption reaching an 80% share. West Versus India Several factors including the widespread availability of broadband infrastructure, the ubiquity of mobile phones and other connected portable devices, and quest for personalised experiences have spurred the adoption of OTT consumption in the Western world. At the same time, technology investments, the emergence of new apps, features, and independent platforms for OTT content have also been growth drivers. Tech companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Apple, YouTube, connected device providers such as Samsung, Xiaomi, LG, and studios such Disney, MGM, Paramount, Sony are among the major corporations who have entered the OTT space, giving a plethora of programming choices to the consumers in the West. The growth in OTT platforms combined with the subsequent content boom has seen vernacular content from different regions gaining international popularity. South Korean dystopian drama broke all records by becoming the most watched content on Netflix by netizens around the world. Similarly, Indian dramas such as Sacred Games and Delhi Crime were viewed and enjoyed by a global audience. As a result, all eyes are now firmly set on opportunities in emerging economies, specifically in the Indian subcontinent, with major players from the west entering the foray with attractive subscription offers, and diverse content catalogues. Some have chosen to collaborate with or acquire local brands to establish a firmer foothold in the region. For example, with the launch of Disney Plus in the US back in 2019, the streaming service promptly expanded to many other countries, including India. However, instead of getting a dedicated app for Indian users, the company acquired the Hotstar streaming platform and soon rebranded to Disney+ Hotstar. The coming together of Disney and Star TV Network (20th Century Fox) attracted tens of millions of subscribers in India and provided them access to a premium catalogue of content from Disney and Star TV. One of the challenges in India is the ability to monetize online content. Research suggests that the Advertising-led Video on Demand (AVOD) model is far more popular than Subscription-led video on demand (SVOD) models given the reluctance of viewers in India to pay for online content. While about 60% of total video viewing in India happens on YouTube, Netflix has 40 Mn monthly active users. Disney Plus Hotstar too has reached the critical mass with its freemium model, well-supported by relevant collaborations, such as sports (read cricket), which drives volume. Also, a KPMG study reveals that, unlike the West, only 10% of viewers access OTT platforms for watching original content. Rather, OTT is used primarily for the convenience of anytime and personal viewing of movies, music, sports or to catch-up with TV content. Driving OTT Growth in India As a country with a population of 1.23 billion, India is the next big market for OTT platforms. Some of the growth drivers for OTT players in India, based on the precedent from the West include: ● Investments in Content Video streaming services are expected to spend around ₹1,920 crore to create original content for India in 2021, driven in part by the sharp rise in audiences during the 2020 lockdown. The platforms will further increase spends, including on sports, to ₹30,000 crore, during 2021-25, according to the latest FICCI-EY media and entertainment industry report. Around 500 original titles are likely to be released in 2021 across platforms, as opposed to 385 titles in 2019 and 220 in 2020. The investment in original content makes sense given that viewers are learning to pay for the content they consume, especially original content. In 2020, 29 million subscribers paid for 53 million OTT video subscriptions (not counting subscriptions bundled along with data plans), a figure that is estimated to increase to 39 million subscribers for 71 million subscriptions in 2021. Netflix has more than 40 originals scheduled for 2021 and is expanding its slate by nearly three times compared to 2020. Amazon Prime Video has 50 local originals in various stages of development and 30 in various stages of production. Demand for original content will likely double by 2023 compared to 2019 levels. ● Content – the New Battlefield for Viewers Increasing number of consumers from tier-2 and tier-3 cities have spurred the production of regional content. Alt Balaji has seen a change after the pandemic. Before the pandemic, the top 8 cities in India contributed to 70% of their total audience; post-April 2020, 60% of the traffic is from other tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Old favourite shows are being re-aired on OTT platforms, while investments in new content production continue. Recently Amazon announced the acquisition of MGM, for $8.45 billion, giving it access to MGM’s library of 4000 film titles and 17,000 TV shows. We have witnessed the emergence of a wide variety of content including Indian content since India has a diverse market with over a dozen languages that are widely spoken across the country. OTT players are shifting their focus towards localisation of their platforms, to be able to connect with the Indian users, be it in terms of regional languages, geography and user experience etc. India already has about 40 OTT players and 10 music streaming apps in existence catering to various entertainment and media demands. This has opened the doors for OTT platforms to promote regional and hyperlocal content. In fact, a leading OTT player recently released 11 shows during the lockdown- all locally curated shows. The share of regional language consumption on OTT platforms is expected to cross 50% of total time spent by 2025, easing past Hindi at 45%. ● Government Regulations The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has, in the past year, stressed the need for some form of regulation of OTT Platforms to streamline the sector. In this regard, the MIB recently notified the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. The new rules require OTT platforms to set up a robust three-tier grievance redressal mechanism. The first level will comprise regulation by the OTT Platform itself through a grievance officer. The second level will be an institutional self-regulatory body formed by publishers of content and their associations. This self-regulatory body will comprise industry experts headed by a retired Supreme Court/ High Court judge /eminent personality in the relevant field. At the third level is an inter-department committee constituted by the MIB that will provide oversight and hear appeals for decisions taken at level two or if a complaint is referred to the inter-department committee by MIB. Regulation might help improve the quality of content in the future. ● The Future of OTT - New Applications and Content Innovations There is no doubt that the future of <keyword id="6357922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="television" source="Orion">television</keyword> is OTT, and the industry is at a nascent stage. Content is the force that defines the direction of evolution in the industry. New applications such as learning, education and fitness are being explored. Pricewaterhouse Coopers reported that in 2018, more than 40% of new internet users in the world were children. Edtech platforms like Byjus and Unacademy use the OTT streaming approach for education. Similarly, possible applications for learning management in corporations are being explored. While fitness was never considered an activity that could be done remotely, the pandemic saw this notion change. According to a Bobble.AI report, besides video conferencing apps and websites, fitness applications such as Lose Weight, Cure.fit, recorded a 104.53% rise in daily active users. Video streaming platforms are also creating content to cater to this trend. Disney+ Hotstar has partnered with Brilliant Wellness, to introduce content from its fitness experts, yoga, and spiritual gurus. -- India’s large population and relatively young age demographics make the business environment dynamic and interesting. Digital savvy young consumers in India are spread over a wide geography and have a vast range of preferences, languages and appreciate multi-cultural entertainment. As content and technology come together to create a solution that caters to this unique business environment, OTT and streaming media are here to stay.

How India is ‘Cutting the Cord’ to drive an OTT revolution

<div type="image" title="tiktok us" height="1920" width="2880" msid="76983059" hostid="261"></div>Hello and welcome to the post-Bastille day edition of <keyword id="1083886" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="trending">Trending</keyword>, Business Insider's weekly look at the world of tech. I'm Alexei Oreskovic, Business Insider's West Coast Bureau Chief and Global Tech Editor. If you want to get Trending in your email inbox every Wednesday, <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/trending">just click here.</a><h2>This week: <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword>, the disruption Silicon Valley never saw coming</h2><div type="image" title="TikTok teens" height="1997" width="3000" msid="76983064" hostid="261"></div>After the coronavirus, TikTok has emerged as the great transnational obsession of 2020, captivating teens, business chiefs, pundits, political parties, and world leaders — all for different reasons.<ul><li>President Trump and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-considering-banning-tiktok-2020-7">have now both floated the idea of banning the Chinese social media app in the US</a>, though the rationale ranges from national security concerns to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-explainer-privacy-facebook-google-2020-7">privacy</a> to some sort of a coronavirus retaliatory strike, depending on who's talking. But: Unlike in India, where new downloads of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-bans-59-mostly-chinese-apps-including-tiktok-uc-browser-wechat-2020-6">TikTok were recently banned</a>, a US president can't actually make an internet app disappear by fiat. Still, there are various things a Trump administration could do to make it very difficult for most American to use TikTok (and those things, by the way, would <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-us-tech-companies-benefit-tiktok-ban-2020-7">be welcome news for American internet companies suddenly sweating the upstart rival)</a>. In the corporate realm, some companies are already moving ahead to block TikTok on their own. Companies like Amazon and Wells Fargo recently banned (and in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-tells-employees-to-delete-tiktok-due-to-security-risks-2020-7">Amazon's case, subsequently unbanned</a>) the app among employees.</li></ul><ul><li>TikTok users meanwhile had a collective freak out last week when a technical glitch briefly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-video-views-like-counts-at-zero-disappeared-glitch-2020-7">caused their video views and like counts to reset to zero.</a> But after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tulsa-rally-campaign-officials-admit-tiktok-kpop-fans-2020-6">K-pop loving TikTokers took credit for</a> Trump's Tulsa rally fiasco, few would be foolhardy enough to dismiss the TikTok demographic right now.</li><li>Social <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword> competitors like Instagram and <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> certainly take TikTok users seriously — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-ban-competitors-capitalizing-instagram-reels-youtube-byte-dubsmash-2020-7">the two internet companies have recently rolled out products and features that mimic TikTok.</a></li><li>And then there's the Republican and Democratic party national committees, which both put themselves in the awkward position of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/democrat-republican-parties-warn-staff-not-to-use-tiktok-2020-7">telling campaign staffers they're not allowed to use the very app</a> through which they need to reach a coveted slice of the electorate.</li></ul>It's all very bizarre. But then again, the US has never really been in a position before when an app from China, and not Palo Alto or Seattle, is setting the agenda and conquering the world (even though Musical.ly, the app TikTok is built on, was originally a Silicon Valley startup <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/social-video-app-musically-acquired-for-up-to-1-billion-2017-11">before it was acquired by China's ByteDance</a>).Expect to see a lot of Kevin Mayer in the coming months. Mayer is a former Disney exec, most recently overseeing the launch of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-plus">Disney+</a> streaming service, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-ceo-kevin-mayer-disney-streaming-executive-los-angeles-bytedance-2020-5">who took over as TikTok's CEO in June.</a> Mayer remains in LA in his new job, thousands of miles away from the headquarters of TikTok's owner, ByteDance, in Beijing. That's no accident of course. Mayer's job is to convince the world that TikTok is a company that happens to be from China, and not a company that is part of the Chinese state apparatus. How successful he is at that task is anyone's guess.According to Ben Thompson, of the <a href="https://stratechery.com/2020/the-tiktok-war/">influential Statechery blog</a>, the best option for TikTok to avoid the wrath of the US government would be for it to be sold to a non-Chinese owner. There's probably no shortage of interested buyers — in tech and in the media realm that Mayer hails from — but I'm not so sure there's a motivated seller.In the meantime, TikTok is likely to continue to grow the size of its audience and its staff. As the chart below shows, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-doubles-employee-headcount-2020-linkedin-data-teams-offices-staffing-up-7">TikTok more than doubled its number of global employees between December 2019 and June 2020.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-doubles-employee-headcount-2020-linkedin-data-teams-offices-staffing-up-7"><div type="image" title="TikTok employee growth" height="1348" width="1667" msid="76983068" hostid="261"></div></a><h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-testing-robot-in-egypt-by-mahmoud-el-komy-2020-7">Snapshot: Doctor Roboto says 'Open Wide'</a></h2>Depending on where you live, getting a coronavirus test can be a bit of a process. If you're in Egypt though, you may be lucky enough to get your throat swabbed by the physician of the future. Created by 26-year-old mechanical engineer Mahmoud El Komy, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-testing-robot-in-egypt-by-mahmoud-el-komy-2020-7">this remote controlled robot can collect oral swabs,</a> take temperatures, and even recognize when people are wearing masks.The droid picture below is the second version. The third prototype, which El Komy is currently working on, will be able to take nasal swabs!<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-testing-robot-in-egypt-by-mahmoud-el-komy-2020-7"><div type="image" title="Egypt coronavirus test robot" height="3560" width="5472" msid="76983072" hostid="261"></div></a>Tech earnings season kicks off on Thursday, with <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword>, followed by the usual cast of characters, including Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft, through the end of the month. If you're the type that likes to read up on companies before the numbers hit the tape, here's a nice overview of who's who at the streaming giant. READ: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-org-chart-top-execs-content-product-marketing-finance-2020-1">We mapped out Netflix's 56 most powerful executives and their roles in an exclusive interactive chart, including its new CMO</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-org-chart-top-execs-content-product-marketing-finance-2020-1"><div type="image" title="netflix org chart 4x3" height="1251" width="1667" msid="76983079" hostid="261"></div></a>Special event: Join Business Insider and Salesfore on Tuesday, July 28 at 12:00 p.m. ET for "Digital Optimization: How manufacturers can take small steps for big wins," a free digital event. The session will explore how manufacturers can pivot to digital to create a customer-first experience, enhance relationships, and build trust. <a href="https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/2465686/1F006602982679F306D893E9C83E6D70?partnerref=editorial_newsletter_inclusion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to register</a>.<h2>Recommended Readings:</h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-postmates-original-pitch-deck-used-to-raise-seed-round-2020-7">LEAKED: A decade before Postmates was acquired by Uber for $2.65 billion, its founder used this 13-slide pitch deck to sell his idea for the new delivery service</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/3-more-zuckerberg-family-office-workers-misconduct-racism-declarations-2020-6">When colleagues accused Mark Zuckerberg's personal security chief of racism and harassment, the family said there was no evidence. In sworn declarations, 3 workers said otherwise.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/waymo-palantir-databricks-samsara-zoox-most-valuable-ai-startups-pitchbook-2020-7">The top 20 most valuable venture-backed AI companies, including Palantir, UiPath, and Databricks — valued at over $120 billion total</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/caffeine-raises-113-million-andreessen-monetize-livestream-rap-battles-2020-7">A former Apple TV designer built a livestreaming startup to challenge Twitch, and he's betting the key to winning will be live rap battles</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/g2-applied-for-ppp-loan-after-building-1-million-staircase-2020-6">G2, a software review startup that raised $100 million, spent lavishly on things like a $1 million office staircase. Then it had layoffs and filed for a PPP loan. It shows the challenge of giving startups a coronavirus bailout.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-google-took-its-internship-program-online-for-2020-2020-7">Here's how Google re-made its famous summer internships so that they could go on while the coronavirus forced everyone to work from home</a><h2>Not necessarily in tech:</h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-conspiracy-theory-facebook-youtube-misinformation-2020-7">What it's like when one of your oldest friends becomes a conspiracy theorist</a>OK then, thanks for reading. And remember, if you like this newsletter, <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/trending">tell your friends and colleagues they can sign up here to receive it</a>. — Alexei

Silicon Valley and Trump are united against TikTok — for different reasons

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/tiktok">TikTok</a> is becoming bigger than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/facebook">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/instagram">Instagram.</a></li><li>Connie Chan, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, says TikTok has one key advantage over other social media apps: its content.</li><li>A recommendation engine fills the app's front page with videos it thinks the user will like, rather than only videos made by people and pages that the user already follows.</li><li>"It curates things in such a way that everything you see generally makes you happy," Chan told Business Insider.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summarymary">Click here for more BI Prime stories</a>.</li></ul>It seems there's no stopping TikTok.TikTok has been downloaded 1.5 billion times, putting it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-hits-15-billion-downloads-outperforming-instagram-2019-11">ahead of Facebook and Instagram's downloads this year</a>, according to data from analytics site Sensor Tower. The short-form video app has exploded in popularity with the younger Generation Z, a demographic that Facebook is eager to capture. Connie Chan, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, believes TikTok has one key advantage over its competition: an ever-growing library of delightful content."It curates things in such a way that everything you see generally makes you happy," Chan told Business Insider. As a partner at Andreessen Horowitz for eight years, Chan has had a front-row seat for the rise of social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, which all raised funding from the Menlo Park, California, firm.Chan, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2018/07/17/andreessen-horowitz-names-connie-chan-a-general-partner-ending-vc-firms-no-promotion-policy/#7d0286511beb">who's focused on investing in startups</a> building products for mobile, real estate, and e-commerce, suggests that part of the reason for TikTok's success is that the app is designed to inspire happiness. It's set apart from other social media apps because it relies on algorithms to choose videos for the app's front page - which greets the user as soon as they open the app - instead of showing content only from friends, celebrities, and pages that the user follows. The app pulls from a wider variety of videos to hold a user's attention, Chan said.She named three reasons for what she calls TikTok's "content advantage" over its competitors: a lack of a language barrier, a drove of evergreen videos, and the relative ease of creating viral videos.<h2>Feeding the algorithms</h2>The contents of TikTok's front page, known as the "For You" page, are spit out by a <a href="http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/11/how-to-get-on-the-tiktok-for-you-page.html">recommendation engine</a> that fills the user's feed with videos based on what they like and whom they follow. A lot of the videos are made by people the user doesn't already follow. They might be from another country or speak a different language. (Users in India account for about a third of the app's downloads.) It doesn't matter, according to Chan, because the creator will often mouth the words over a recorded track. She said there is no language barrier.Popular videos on TikTok tend to be less timely than the engagement news, <a href="https://www.insider.com/woman-who-invented-gender-reveal-parties-has-mixed-feelings-2019-7">gender reveals</a>, and job changes that circulate Facebook on an endless loop. They may appear on the front page - which doesn't show time stamps for videos - months or even years after publishing, because the content is still relevant to the user's interests, according to Chan. By comparison, an <a href="https://help.instagram.com/1986234648360433">Instagram post disappears</a> from the feed in a few days."They can show you something from two years ago, and you wouldn't know and you wouldn't care," Chan said.The app also makes it easy to produce viral videos, one of the reasons for its so-called content advantage. TikTok has a culture of memes and challenges. One user posts a video that has a funny voiceover. It goes viral and inspires thousands of other users to make their own videos using the same voiceover. Replicating a video doesn't require "as much creativity or brainpower" as coming up with a new idea, Chan said."You're going to see a hundred variations of the same exact dance or the same exact hand gesture," Chan said. "That really lowers the bar for people to create something that's going to get a lot of views." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/top-10-trends-in-digital-media?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=tiktok&amp;itm_campaign=top-10-trends-in-digital-media"></a>

A tech investor whose firm made early bets on Facebook and Instagram explains TikTok's superpower

As social and digital media turns into a greater piece of our wider business process, so does the demand for performance tracking and enhanced transparency measures to give definitive links between digital ad spends and subsequent <keyword id="6357824" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sales">sales</keyword> impact. 
 
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/news/driving-in-store-sales-with-facebook-">Facebook</a> played a lead part in this – they introduced Conversion Lift in 2015 which compares point of sale data to <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> aspects to track how Facebook ads lead to real online sales and how it has proven impact on offline/in-store sales. 
 
How <keyword id="138037" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tanishq">Tanishq</keyword>, <keyword id="876891" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Veet">Veet</keyword>, &amp; <keyword id="142280" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Garnier">Garnier</keyword> increased their offline sales using Facebook Ads 
 
Veet 
 
Taking a multi-screen approach to driving sales, Veet used Facebook to bolster its TV ads and strengthen its campaign with the aim of encouraging women to buy its hair removal cream. The brand partnered with creative agency iContract and Facebook’s Creative Shop to devise an integrated campaign and adapt its existing TV ad into snappier video ads. To ramp things up, it powered the ads with reach and frequency buying to reach 18 to 55-year old women in India on a massive scale. This robust multi-screen strategy made an impact on Veet’s target audience, resulting in 11% incremental lift in the in-store sales in a market where Facebook ads were implemented vs a market where they were not. 
 
Garnier 
 
Garnier’s skincare brand found that in-store sales for its acne-fighting face wash for men increased after it ran a Facebook-only campaign to measure the impact on sales in a cluster of major and minor markets in India. It used demographic and location targeting to reach men aged 18–34, as well as reach and frequency buying to reliably connect with 60% of its target audience on Facebook. The brand witnessed a 26% increase in in-store sales in a large market where they ran the Facebook ads. 
 
Tanishq 
 
Most people still like to touch and feel the jewellery before making a final decision, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be enticed into stores using online content. The brand chose to showcase its designs with stunning close-up shots using carousel ads to catch people’s attention. Crucially, it led them to its offline stores by including a “Shop Now” call-to-action button that brought people to its website, where they could get a discount voucher to be redeemed in-store. The incentive paid off and Tanishq saw a 30% increase in in-store sales among 25 to 44-year olds during its campaign as well as an increase in the in-store footfall. 
 
What's incredible about this is we're getting more and more measures to track better and correlate online and offline practices, which will in the end enhance the accuracy and targeting abilities available in all applications, and for all advertisers, with levels of transparency not available via other ad methods. 
 
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/marketingAPAC/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/marketingAPAC/</a>

This is how these brands increased their offline sales using
Facebook Ads

<ul><li>As the whole country became more health-conscious and ‘immunity’ became the talk of town after COVID, Indian health and fitness startup <keyword id="2963907" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fitternity">Fitternity</keyword> saw an uptick in its users and adoption rate.</li><li>We speak to Jayam Vora, Co-Founder &amp; COO, Fitternity to discuss the impact of lockdown, trends in the <keyword id="987203" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="fitness-industry">fitness industry</keyword>, vision for the brand and marketing strategy. </li></ul>After the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown earlier this year, the fitness industry hit a major roadblock. On-ground gyms and fitness studios had to shift to online platforms. With this, Indian healthtech space saw a boost and live streaming fitness routines became the new normal. However, isolation, fear of contagion and the uncertainty can be nerve-wracking for anyone. Fitness apps, therefore, started offering a holistic approach to health and help their users relieve stress by organising counselling sessions with mental health experts, nutritionists, spiritual trainers as well. COVID redefined fitness in our country and pushed organisations to become more wellness-oriented. With the increasing rate of digital adoption, Indian health and fitness startup Fitternity saw its new users and customer acquisition grow by 150% in quarter Apr-Jun vs. Jan-Mar. It also empowered 4000+ fitness studios and trainers to go online. As gyms and studios reopen and users resume working out at physical centres, Fitternity is also expecting a large surge in consumption of users wanting to access physical infrastructure, while having an option of virtual fitness training. It has already adopted a hybrid model, where on-ground fitness centers are acting as its subsidiary. Fitternity claims to be the largest fitness discovery and booking platform with over 11.3 million+ unique users across a network of 12,000 gyms, studios, fitness centres, hotels, and swimming pool facilities among others. We caught up with Jayam Vora, Co-Founder &amp; COO, Fitternity to understand the impact of lockdown, trends in the fitness industry, vision for the brand and marketing strategy. Excerpts: Q. How was the lockdown period for the organization? What has your strategy been to minimize the impact as an organization? We have always been a digitally-led company that worked towards understanding the pulse of the consumers and catering to their fitness and wellness needs. Fitternity’s network of gyms and studios is spread across 12+ Indian cities. We had been working on expanding our offerings into a virtual domain to cater to customers in cities that we were not present in. Since lockdown, we accelerated the launch of our virtual offerings to ensure users don’t miss out on their fitness needs. Here is how we changed our strategy: Consumers: Having had a strong digital presence and a good user base of +11.3M users, we harnessed our technological strength and expertise and developed these digital products over the first month of the lockdown: Interactive Online Sessions, FitTV- Video On Demand, Personal Training, OnePass Virtual, 30 Day Fitness Challenge, Nutrition &amp; Mental Wellness Consultation Sessions Partner gyms and fitness facilities: We presented a tech-enabled platform to gyms/studios to continue their services to the consumers virtually. This also helped them in sustaining their businesses. Post the re-opening of gyms and fitness facilities, we are helping them comply with the government SOPs and helping smoothen the process in safely re-opening. Corporates Companies: While we have been working with over 75+ corporates as a part of our Fit@Work corporate initiative allowing companies creative solutions to manage employee wellbeing &amp; fitness like our OnePass Corporate Membership Plan. In the post-lockdown phase, we scaled our corporate integration from 50 to 200+ corporates and customised these solutions and introduced Corporate Live fitness &amp; wellness sessions, virtual plans enabling employees to have virtual access to gyms and fitness studios in India. Q. Fitternity was growing by 3X before the lockdown. How did COVID impact your business? What kind of spike in users did you witness? Our primary business model was such that helped users easily access services provided by the physical gyms and fitness centres. However, during the pandemic, based on our observation of the growing consumer demand for fitness and wellness services, we evolved our services on to the digital platform and empowered 4000+ fitness studios and trainers to go online. Through our new virtual offerings, we were able to extend our services to various demographics and provided flexibility to users to access a variety of workout options and guidance provided by industry experts and trainers. Over the past few months, our new users and customer acquisition grew by 150% in quarter Apr-Jun vs. Jan-Mar showing influx of new users into the ecosystem- Over 50,000 new users. We witnessed an average of 7/10 users praising their interaction with the trainers on livestream sessions and narrating how it made their experience very similar to taking an actual physical class. Over 85% of users have expressed heartfelt appreciation towards our virtual offerings. Also, we witnessed a spike in the demand for Corporate Wellness services with a 300% increase in inbound enquiries with a doubling conversion rate to on-board corporates for their corporate well-being programme. Q. With the reopening of fitness centres, you also tied-up with a few gyms across metro cities. Tell us a bit about this partnership and what does it entail? How has the hybrid model panned out for you so far? As a platform, we enable user physical access to gyms and fitness and centres across a partner network of 12,000+ studios and trainers. Fitternity being a managed marketplace, our relationship with fitness centres is that of a partner and revenue generator and we enable real-time bookings for consumers and corporate users. We realise that even with the advent of digital services, physical ways of accessing fitness and wellness services will not go out of fashion. It is essential to understand that while reopening of gyms and fitness centres in India, people will take a while to adjust to the new normal. Although a positive approach is being seen on both ends- business owners and consumers, a large part of the consumer segment prefers to workout from home for the convenience and flexibility that it provides. Hence, paving way for both physical and virtual fitness services to co-exist. Post reopening, we have been working closely with partner gyms and studios to create a safe environment for the consumers to workout in and build a sustainable standing as India re-opens. We are working with and ensuring the implementation of the Government mandated safety SOPs with our gyms/studio partners. Fitternity users can see and understand these mandated SOPS on Fitternity’s website/App and social media. We have also introduced an integrated CRM dashboard for capacity mapping and inventory management. Q. Speaking from a marketing perspective, how different was your strategy during the lockdown? How has your media plan changed? Will we see you investing in OOH, TV, radio, or any other traditional medium on a large-scale anytime soon? In the recent months, the industry patterns and behaviour of the consumer towards content consumption has led to a shift in brand messaging - earlier creating content that generated aspirational value to now creating content that is more utility and necessity based. Our marketing strategy since the onset of the pandemic has been more focused on social media over OOH, TV, radio and other traditional marketing channels. To keep our online offerings relevant and market them effectively, we have been providing snackable fitness and wellness content on various brand communication platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, E-mailers, Articles and more. We have always strived to create innovative and quality content that adds value to our followers/users by working on creating awareness with our strong base of like-minded influencers and social media. Q. How has COVID-19 changed the fitness industry? Have you witnessed any interesting consumer behavior trends during the lockdown and post? Due to the onslaught of COVID-19, there has been an increase of people wanting to build immunity. If we were to observe the change in the fitness industry, it can be viewed through multiple aspects. For instance, the consumer segment has expanded beyond just fitness and is more inclined towards gaining information on exercises that help in building immunity and understanding the nutritional value of the food that they consume. There has also been an upsurge in the number of times a user works out during a week. For instance, earlier, it was observed that a user would workout 4 times a month but the number has now increased to 3-4 times a week, which is a positive sign towards inculcating fitness in their daily routine. Personal training and coaching has garnered more attention over the last few months as people are seeking guidance while working-out from home. Consumers are also more aware about the importance of mental health and holistic wellness and are seeking ways in which they achieve this along with physical fitness. So it is fair to say that building immunity has become a core driving force for consumers to workout and hence achieve a healthy-wellbeing. Q. How big is the fitness industry right now? How do you predict it will grow in the post-COVID world? What part of the market share are you aiming for? If we were to observe the current consumer behaviour pattern, we can predict the future to have a more conscious consumer and newer set of users for whom the industry would have to come up with unique kinds of business models and fitness services. Physical and virtual ways of accessing fitness will co-exist. Earlier, the kind of advancements that would happen in the fitness industry over a span of 10 years, is now happening at a much faster pace and hence being made available for the consumer in a span of just a few years. From a market share stand-point, as gyms and studios reopen and users resume working out at physical centres, we are expecting a large surge in consumption. As an aggregator and marketplace, we are aiming to get to a market share where we impact 30% of total fitness services being consumed in the country. Q. In the post-COVID world, do you expect AR/VR/virtual training to become an even more important tool in the entire consumer journey when it comes to fitness? Are you already investing in technology? As the importance of digital is increasing, more companies are investing in technology and new introductions to the market, to which the consumers have been very accepting of. It is a two way effort -- wherein the consumer is also open to try out different technologically advanced products/services and companies are also investing in these efforts. This is being witnessed not just in India but also globally. However, it won't take away from the physical aspect of the business, but in fact make both technologically advanced digital services and physical services a robust way of working-out. Also, since fitness is an action based activity, AR/VR tools work well to present consumers an experience more engaging and interactive. Being a digitally led company, we have also invested in technological tools that help and contribute towards presenting our users with a seamless workout experience. Q. What is your vision for Fitternity this year? Our vision for Fitternity is to enable consumers to have access to fitness and wellness services in an easy, cost-effective and convenient manner. We are currently operational in 12+ cities and aim to expand this across 25 cities in India and in APAC and Middle east. Our aim is to expand our current network of gyms, studios, fitness centres, hotels, and swimming pool facilities among others from 12,000 to 45,000 and 5X growth in 18-24 months. Q. What are your broad marketing plans for the rest of the year? What will your area of focus be? Our focus has always been to guide our users and partners with relevant information. With the re-opening phase already set in motion, our marketing plan for the rest of the year is focussed towards helping users adapt to the hybrid business model of accessing fitness. While we are constantly innovating and improving our digital services, we are also working towards re-establishing consumer belief and trust in physical gyms and fitness centres. We are also focussing towards presenting a more holistic health and wellness service to our consumers and providing seamless access towards the same. Q. As a brand, what has been your biggest learnings from the Covid-19 experience? Our biggest learning was affirmed from this experience, that fitness is not restricted to a - ‘One Size Fits All’ approach. There has to be variants that cater to various needs of the consumers. Unprecedented times like these have brought in learnings that have impacted how society and businesses function as a whole. It has reinstated our belief in constant innovation and our zeal to create services that are focussed towards catering to the diverse needs of the consumers. The pandemic has also helped us be resilient and vigilant for any adversities in times like these. It has helped in gathering an understanding of ‘new normal’ of the industry and the consumer approach to the same.

Fitternity eyes to expand to 25 cities in India and be present in APAC and Middle east

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">AP Photo/Jeff ChiuPrime Minister of India Narendra Modi, left, with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg</div></div></div><ul><li style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook is changing how it manages Pages and ads on both its social network and on Instagram.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">The company will require political and issue-based ads and Pages with large numbers of followers to be authorized; advertisers will need to confirm their identity and location.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">The changes are aimed at increasing transparency and accountability and preventing election interference. </li></ul> Facebook is tightening the noose on advertisers and changing how it manages Pages and ads on its social network and Instagram.The company will now require Pages with large numbers of followers to be authorized and will require the same of political ads on its site and Instagram. The new requirements are aimed at increasing transparency and accountability and preventing election interference, Rob Goldman, Facebook's vice president of ads, and Alex Himel, its vice president of local and Pages, said in a blog post on the company's site. "We know we were slow to pick-up foreign interference in the 2016 US elections," Goldman and Himel wrote. "By increasing transparency around ads and Pages on Facebook, we can increase accountability for advertisers - improving our service for everyone."The company will require authorization for issue-based ads, such as ads around current political topics and debates. Advertisers will need to confirm their identities and location in order to get authorized. Facebook will ban those that don't clear the process from running political ads on either its social network or on Instagram.Each message from an approved advertiser will be labeled as a "Political Ad" and will show who paid for it. Anyone who manages a Facebook Page with a substantial number of followers will need to be verified as well. Page owners who do not clear the process will no longer be able to publish posts on them.The new requirement is intended to clamp down on users with fake accounts running Facebook Pages. Going forward, visitors to Pages will be able to see more information about them, such as name changes they've undergone.The changes are intended to prevent future abuse of Facebook's sites during elections, Goldman and Himel said in their post. They're also designed to give users all the information they need to assess the trustworthiness of both ads and Pages.The move to authorize issue-based ads comes on top of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/like-twitter-facebook-will-require-full-transparency-for-political-advertisers-and-other-businesses-too-2017-10">changes Facebook rolled out in October</a>. It announced then that advertisers running federal election-related ads in the US would be required to verify their identities and include disclosures with their ads. Facebook said it was working with third parties to develop a list of key issues, which it would refine over time. <h2 style="font-weight: 400;">The new requirements follow a series of changes by Facebook to get control of ads and Pages</h2>And the company has been taking other steps to prevent abuse of its services. It built a feature called "View Ads" that lets users see all the ads a Facebook Page is running, even ones that may not have been targeted at them. Facebook is testing the feature Canada and plans to launch it globally this summer. The company also is planning to release in June a searchable archive of all past political ads which would show not just their images and text, but also the amount that was spent on them and the demographic audience information that was used to target them at Facebook users. With the US midterm elections coming in November and elections in India, Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan, Hungary, and other countries slated for this year also, preventing election interference is a huge focus for Facebook right now, company CEO <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-april-2018-conference-call-on-facebook-privacy-full-transcript-2018-4">Mark Zuckerberg said recently</a>.Indeed, it's one of his top priorities for 2018, and Facebook will hire more people to assist with the effort, Zuckerberg reiterated in a post on his Facebook account. He also voiced his support for the Honest Ads Act, a proposed law that would apply similar disclosure requirements for political ads that are placed on online services that are already mandated for those that run on television or in print. He said he hoped the steps would help raise the bar for all political <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> online."These steps by themselves won't stop all people trying to game the system," Zuckerberg wrote. "But they will make it a lot harder for anyone to do what the Russians did during the 2016 election and use fake accounts and pages to run ads." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-russia-is-so-involved-in-the-syrian-civil-war-2018-3">Why Russia is so involved in the Syrian Civil War</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Facebook will now require pages with large followers as well as political ads to be authorized

<keyword id="8959" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="MTV">MTV</keyword>’s first ever café <keyword id="3148540" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="FLYPMTV">FLYP@MTV</keyword>, which opened its doors to Delhi this Christmas eve in Connaught Place, has left us absolutely dumbfounded with its mindblowing tech innovations! For the first time, we have a café in India with some of the best technology which you may not have encountered while partying or hanging out in the most happening places in the country, we bet. It starts with the moment you enter FLYP@MTV. A 55 inches television placed right at the entrance of the café runs you through the occupancy inside the outlet, the demographics (which means you get know who are inside - gender and profession-wise), live events taking place and profile of the week. 
 Once you are inside, a 32" touch-screen TV with an interactive world map welcomes you to choose countries from the highlighted selection. When a country is selected, the selfie function opens up; digital background, headgear and dishes (of the selected country) appear and photos are clicked along with your photo/selfie. These pictures will be posted on FLYP <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> Page! Isn’t that super cool? 
 
As you occupy one of the tables here comes the community/Chef’s recommendations hologram. Yes Hologram! Now, what’s that for? A 22" Hologram on 22" touch screen is displayed for presenting chef’s most popular dishes, for you to visualize the dishes in a hologram and then select using the touch screen. Did we just forget to mention the chef, the exclusive menu detailed with fusion and original in-house recipes has been created by celebrity chef Ranveer Brar. 
 
There’s more, wait! You will have portable devices with bottoms and sliders for available seating, calling the waiter, calling for cheque, searching profiles of people in the space, countdown timer for arrival of food, mini-display for upcoming song info, voting for the upcoming song to be played or not, controllers to play games on video wall, controlling ambient light and music volume in the table area, poking another person in the space or sending them a drink! 
 Business Insider got chatting with Mr. Saugato Bhowmik, Senior VP, Consumer Products, <keyword id="640183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom-18">Viacom 18</keyword> Media to know more about this café: 
 
How did the idea of an MTV café, and the concept of WORK, CHILL, PLAY come by? 
 
The entire idea behind the concept of WORK, CHILL, PLAY at FLYP@MTV was to create an experiential space where 
the youth of the country can come in and experience of DNA of MTV. The fun, quirkiness, boldness, attitude, stature, the overall ethos of MTV is something that we want our TG to experience in a format that they do not get bored with. 
 
FLYP@MTV is an extension of MTV’s philosophy to kill boring. The youth gets bored very easily today and it is important as a brand for us to keep them engaged and connected with us through different offerings 
 
MTV has ventured into multiple formats and have mastered the brand extensions through creative efforts; be it co-creating quality shows and campaigns or creating exciting properties or consumer merchandise and we feel this concept of WORK, CHILL &amp; PLAY with a quirky curated Food &amp; beverage menu will offer the youth multiple options to stay entertained through the entire day 
 
How do you want to position yourself in the hospitality space, especially when you have opened in CP – the hub of cafes in Delhi? 
 
Our positioning is simple and straightforward- we want to kill boring. We want to be known as a progressive destination to work, chill and play. The youth today is vibrant and loves to flip from work mode to surf mode to lounge mode and to party mode and in different order. Keeping this in mind, we have designed a place which is so much more than a café. FLYP@MTV is consistent with the DNA of MTV DNA – Experimental, Informal, Irreverent and Witty. The youth’s taste in music, style, products, food, technology etc. has all been kept in mind while working on the offerings of the café. Each element in the café gets its inspiration from various themes associated with MTV. 
 
Technology seems to be a a big part of this place. What went behind deciding on using tech innovations at FLYP @ MTV? 
 
The USP of FLYP@MTV is the engagement and interactive elements we have incorporated. For example, since we are a co-working space, it was essential for us to ensure that our consumers benefit from the each other so we have placed tablets at all tables at the café where in the consumers can check the different kinds of people in café as the same time as them and connect with them by sending a request on tablet first and upon acceptance meeting them in person next. Our talent record room is a never-seen-before element where anyone can record a song and upload it after reviewing audio and video file of the song. Usage of innovative technology like hologram on the touch screen showcasing the menu, registering a feedback on the feedback wall and a MTV Virtual Museum for the customer to explore MTV world in the previous years through oculus and controllers are some of the features that promise to take technology to a different level. 
 
What’s the short term and long term goals? 
In the short term, we want to be the must-visit destination in Delhi for people looking for inspiration, networking opportunities, a stage to showcase their talent and the best place to hang out at! MTV is known for anticipating the pulse of the youth ahead of the curve and with this café, we want to continue to set and fuel trends and create a gateway to new experiences for the consumers. In the long term, we want to continue to lead the change from on TV culture to an on-ground experience and expand into markets like Bangalore and Mumbai next followed by expansion in cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and even Jaipur. Our plan is to open at least 10 cafes in the next 5 years. 
 
What’s the kind of response you are looking at? 
The response so far since the opening has been overwhelming. To continue the momentum, we aim to engage with the hugely growing young urban population in the capital-NCR region and present them with newer opportunities to explore and experience. We have created experiences to ensure enough reasons for FLYP@MTV to become a cult work place and the must party hangout. For an experiential aspect, the café promises to be a learning hub for its consumers, allowing them to attend art, music and other workshops organized in-house without any extra charges. The food and cocktail menu which has been curated by the celebrated Chef Ranveer Brar has been detailed with fusion and original house recipes and an explosive events calendar has also been planned for the months ahead to keep up with the party quotient. We want more and more people to walk into our doors and become regulars eventually.

Know why MTV’s brand new Cafe in Delhi is the
place to visit this year!

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Facebook" title_caption="Messenger exec David Marcus," class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/570ffa7e52bcd01f7b8bc8d7-960/screen shot 2016-04-14 at 1.10.23 pm.png"></a>FacebookMessenger exec David Marcus,</div></div></div>Facebook thinks that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-f8-app-free-future-2016-4">we're at the start of a new era</a>, but the developers who will be responsible for ushering it in still need a lot of convincing.The social network is trying to revolutionize the way people and businesses communicate with the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-launches-its-messenger-platform-for-bots-2016-4">launch of a new set of tools to let companies build </a>"smart" chatbots for automating conversations with users.The thesis here is that people hate talking on the phone and downloading new apps, so chat bots within Messenger are a new avenue for customer service, sales, and content distribution.Facebook launched its beta platform with 33 partners - for example, Staples has a bot to answer product questions, a startup called Spring has one to sell people apparel, and CNN's will blast out links to news stories. Walking around Facebook's F8 developers' conference, we heard more buzz about bots than any of the other product updates that the company trotted out. From startup developers and brand people, we heard some excitement but a lot of hesitation, too. Here are five concerns we heard:<h2>1. The technology is not fully baked</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">PonchoPoncho the weather cat doesn't feel very useful yet</div></div></div>Although Facebook painted a picture of the future where bots will save time and provide real utility, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-facebook-messenger-bots-2016-4">the current experiences feel like a novelty</a> (<a href="http://gizmodo.com/facebook-messenger-chatbots-are-more-frustrating-than-h-1770732045?rev=1460641242652">at best</a>). "It's brand new and, well, it feels very brand new," the <a href="http://chatbooks.com/">CTO of a photobook company</a> said after checking out Facebook's informational booth on building bots. Although he can see the eventual benefits of an automated system to help new customers easily create their books by pulling photos from Facebook, the current tech isn't "there yet.""Bots are unlikely to have much of an immediate impact other than creating a ton of buzz that companies will over react to," says Forrester analyst Julie Ask. It might be easy to order an Uber, but other experiences will still feel clunky for a while. "A lot of heavy lifting has to be done in AI and other supporting technologies for these experiences to be truly magical."<h2>2. Customers may balk</h2>A common refrain was "wait and see" whether customers will use them.Yes, tapping into a new base of 900 million users sounds appealing, but chatting with businesses feels like something only power users will embrace, and there's no sense whether those 900 million are using Messenger for anything more than - for example - the occasional group thread with their one friend with an Android phone. Without real proof that users will embrace chatbots, smaller companies with a bunch of other tech problems to work on don't see setting up a bot as a big priority. One exec at a marketing company said that he sees real potential as a way for clients to reach new customers outside of "noisy" email blasts, but right now, businesses can't reach out to people directly through Messenger bots anyway (though they can buy ads that direct people into a chat). His enthusiasm represents a line Facebook will have to straddle very carefully: Making an investment in chat worthwhile for businesses without alienating users.If people already <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/14/facebook-messenger-spammy-chatbot-must-improve-and-fast">find these initial bots spammy</a>, they won't use them. And if developers don't hear proof about how bots drive real sales or increased customer satisfaction, they won't bother building them. Because monetization is a big factor. An employee at a big media company said that the jury would be out until it was clear that bots really drove traffic. He also expressed annoyance that this new bot experience seems to have <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/11/introducing-notify-a-notifications-app-from-facebook/">replaced the Notify app that Facebook launched last fall. </a><h2>3. Our users aren't on Messenger </h2>Messenger currently has 900 million monthly active users and people are exchanging <a href="Over one billion messages are sent between people and businesses on Messenger each month">over one billion messages with business accounts per month</a>. But several business owners we talked to who cater to an older audience didn't feel like they'd find their target customers on Messenger anyway. (Facebook hasn't released demographic stats around the app.) Something else we heard several times was a call for Facebook to release numbers around Messenger's daily active users, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-daily-active-users-2015-5">like Snapchat does</a>. <h2>4. What about WhatsApp?</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Reuters</div></div></div><a href="https://www.practo.com/">One startup CEO</a> who had flown in from India expressed his dismay that the bot API only works with Messenger, not Facebook's other chat app, WhatsApp, which is incredibly popular in India.Letting users bypass the need to download a separate app to use a service is particularly valuable in emerging markets where people have less smartphone memory and less bandwidth for downloading, he reasoned. <h2>5. Facebook is too powerful</h2>Facebook is trying to eat the internet.At least that's the perception of some developers who feel uneasy at the thought of someday relinquishing their app experience to <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/facebook-live-now-you-can-never-leave">Facebook's ever-expanding universe.</a> "It feels inevitable," one startup developer sighed, believing that when Facebook wants something it usually gets it.Others aren't so sure."They're trying to create this paradigm shift," an exec at a digital ad company said, "But I doubt they can make it work." <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-on-conversations-as-a-platform-and-chatbots-2016-3">Although a lot of</a> <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/17/facebooks-messenger-in-a-bot-store/">really smart people have said</a> <a href="https://medium.com/chris-messina/2016-will-be-the-year-of-conversational-commerce-1586e85e3991">that chatbots are the next big thing</a>, even Facebook's gargantuan size isn't a guarantee that that they'll take off. <a href="https://twitter.com/libovness/status/697816588431593476">Silicon Valley might be obsessed</a>, but we don't have real proof yet that users will be too. <h2>Just day one</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Facebook / Stan Chudnovsky</div></div></div>Ultimately, Facebook's Messenger Platform is just in beta, and we won't really know how it will fare until it's loose in the wild for a while. "Facebook rolled out the earliest, v.001 version," said the CEO of <a href="https://www.makesnaps.com/">a brand messaging company</a>. "Facebook gave the business world a canvas, it's up to partners to create."Stan Chudnovsky, head of product for messaging, says he hopes that at next year's F8, Facebook will be able to regale the world with success stories from tens of thousands of bots: If we can say, next year, that we have tens of thousands of bots on the platform, and they are providing amazing experiences to the vast majority of our users, and we go from one billion messages sent between people and businesses today to a number that is significantly larger than that and have a list of businesses that have substantially grown because of being on Messenger... That would be the goal. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mit-city-lab-traffic-model-2016-3">Scientists came up with an intersection model that would eliminate traffic lights</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="B2b3hnMjE6ar3xNFqO0BVGECM9C9qpXR" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

The folks we spoke to at Facebook's conference this week had 5 complaints about its big plan

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="BI Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/527135bfecad04204a96e32f-960/bii-top-global-social-properties-4.png"></a><keyword id="1736808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="BI-Intelligence">BI Intelligence</keyword></div></div>Social media transcends geography, and the sheer scale and diversity of audiences on the sites makes them tremendously important. 
It's no longer all about <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword>. Instead, users in some of the biggest countries are gravitating to regional sites. Others are heading en masse to U.S.-based networks, meaning that some of the largest social sites are global communities first and foremost.
In a <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">new report from BI Intelligence</a>, we compare the world's largest social networks in two ways. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">First, we evaluate the biggest properties side-by-side in terms of total audience size. Then we analyze the markets where each has the most growth potential, and their demographics in terms of country-of-origin.</a>
Here are 10 of the most surprising facts from our first annual global media census: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Facebook still has the largest user population at 1.16 billion monthly active users.</a> But it's seldom-discussed that <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">YouTube is close behind with 1 billion MAUs.</a></li>
<li>China's giant social media network, Qzone, is running in <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">third place at 712 million total users</a>. It's twice as large as global social messaging app <keyword id="790242" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword>, and nearly three times as large as <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword>.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Three of the world's top 10 social properties are messaging platforms: WhatsApp, LINE, and WeChat.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">IPO-bound Twitter is smaller than many of its less-known rivals</a>, including <keyword id="279713" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tumblr">Tumblr</keyword>, WhatsApp, and LINE.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Eighty-six percent of Facebook's users are outside the United States.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Facebook has 95 million users in China (despite the fact that it's officially blocked), 68 million in India, 42 million in Brazil.</a> Taking these population together, they're twice as large as Facebook's U.S. population of 100 million.</li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Nearly 25% of LinkedIn's users are in India. In fact, there are more Indians than Americans on LinkedIn and Google+.</a></li>
<li>Despite being blocked in China, the major social networks still have many millions of Chinese active users who use various stratagems to access these services. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Google+ has 100 million users in China, Twitter has 80 million, and YouTube has 60 million.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">LinkedIn, the only major social network that is not blocked in China, has over 20 million users in the country.</a> </li>
<li>Asia-Pacific overall has more active social media users than any region, and Southeast Asian markets are off the charts when it comes to <keyword id="6354485" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="mobile">mobile</keyword> social media usage. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Eighty-two percent of Thai smartphone owners access social media daily on their phones.</a></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Access The Full Report And All Our Social Media Data By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today&gt;&gt;</a>
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">In full, the report:</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Provides a census comparing social networks to one another in active audience size</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Examines the nuances of how each of the largest social networks shape up on a global level and where their audiences are coming from</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Posits where the major social networks might next build their audience</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Takes a regional look at how social media usage has developed in the biggest markets, and how behavior is shifting</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/social-media-census-2013-10?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=SOCINTL&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile" onclick="this.href = this.href + '-' + window.location.search.substr(1).replace(/\&amp;|\=/g, '-');">Zooms back out to take a broad look at where the biggest social audiences reside</a></li>
</ul>

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