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Apologising for unintentionally hurting sentiments, restaurant aggregator <keyword id="830092" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="zomato" source="Orion">Zomato</keyword> on Thursday withdrew an ad after it came under fire for depicting the actor who played the Dalit character <keyword id="1339390" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kachra" source="Orion">Kachra</keyword> in the film "<keyword id="20409" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lagaan" source="Orion">Lagaan</keyword>" as items made of recycled waste. The ad, which draws a link between the character Kachra with 'kachra', the Hindi word for garbage, was aired on World Environment Day on June 5. As ire grew and the ad came under attack on social media for being casteist, the company issued an apology from its official Twitter handle and said the intent was to "spread awareness about the potential of plastic waste and benefits of recycling in a humorous way". "Unintentionally, we may have hurt the sentiments of certain communities and individuals. We have taken down the video," it said. The ad, aiming to show the food delivery company's recycling efforts, was termed "disgusting", "blatantly casteist", and "extremely insensitive" by netizens on Twitter. "Masaan" director <keyword id="1005369" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="neeraj-ghaywan" source="Orion">Neeraj Ghaywan</keyword>, filmmaker Madhurita Anand and Dalit historian Karunyakara Lella were among those who spoke out. In the nearly two-minute ad, actor Aditya Lakhia, who played the character in the 2001 hit film, is depicted as a lamp, paper, paperweight, watering can, and different types of jackets -- the accompanying text detailing how much recycled 'kachra' was used to make each item. The company in its now-deleted ad on YouTube also claimed it has "recycled 20 million kg of plastic kachra so far". "Zomato voluntarily recycles more than 100% of the plastic used to package orders, and keeps it out of landfills. This 20 million kg of plastic waste, recycled in FY 23 under our 100% plastic-neutral deliveries initiative, can be turned into many items of immense value. We believe in the power of recycling, and kachra - the best spinner in the entire British Raj - does as well," the description of the ad read. Discussing the controversial ad campaign, communications strategy consultant Karthik Srinivasan said Zomato did not think adequately about making the character perform "seemingly dehumanising and menial tasks". "There's a context to Kachra's character in 'Lagaan', and within the larger spectrum of commercial entertainment in India, on how castes are portrayed, and how Dalits, in particular, are portrayed or stereotyped. "Coming from that angle, to see the character perform seemingly dehumanising and menial tasks -- even if he is performing them figuratively, as 'waste' and not his Lagaan character per se -- made the ad seem very awkward," Srinivasan told PTI. He added that Zomato attempted to mine a "kind of sly humour" from the name for waste upcycling/recycling. The video was slammed online for its seemingly casteist overtones. "#Kachra from #Lagaan was one of the most dehumanised voiceless depictions of Dalits ever in cinema. @zomato has used the same character and made a repulsive #casteist commercial. A human stool? Are you serious? Extremely insensitive," Ghaywan wrote on Twitter. Filmmaker Madhurita Anand wrote in reply to Ghaywan's tweet: "That is just so offensive. One has to wonder who these people are who created the advert, approved it and put it online without once thinking about it." Dalit historian and writer Karunyakara Lella also hit out at Zomato for its "Dalit phobic" advertisement. "Why #Zomato is insensitive to Dalit sentiments? Why it takes liberty to hurt Dalit life by humiliating Dalit Identity? #BoycottZomato for #DalitPhobic #casteracist advertisement," Lella wrote. Another Twitter user, Sana Satpathy, said Zomato is "beyond disgusting" and its marketing head should be fired immediately. She used the hashtag #BoycottZomato and called for a public apology. The food delivery company has found itself on the wrong side of marketing in the past as well. In 2017, an outdoor ad campaign in major cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru showed Hindi expletives "MC, BC" as abbreviations for mac n' cheese and butter chicken. The company later withdrew the ad after backlash on social media. In 2022, Zomato pulled down an advertisement featuring actor Hrithik Roshan who was shown to be craving for a "thali" (food platter) in Ujjain so he ordered it from "Mahakal". Priests of the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh objected, claiming that it offended Hindu sentiments and demanded its withdrawal. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra had issued directives to the police to look into the controversy. The company later apologised clarifying that the "Mahakal" reference was for a restaurant and not the temple. The character Kachra in "Lagaan" is a polio-affected Dalit. When Aamir Khan's character Bhuvan insists on adding him to the cricket team - the central theme of the film -- after spotting his spinning skills, upper caste members openly reject the idea as he is an "untouchable". However, he ends up playing a crucial role in the cricket match. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/bajaj-finserv-after-twitterati-scream-foul-about-pesky-calls-rbi-says-will-look-into-it/articleshow/100849176.cms">After Twitterati screams foul about pesky calls, RBI says 'will look into it'</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/hiring-in-india-slowed-down-by-7-in-may-foundit-report/articleshow/100848986.cms">Hiring in India slowed down by 7% in May: Foundit report</a>

Zomato takes down ad depicting 'Lagaan' character Kachra as recycled waste items

<ul><li>After consumers spammed Zomato’s social media pages criticising its <keyword id="152806" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="butter-chicken">Butter Chicken</keyword> ad on YouTube, the brand has decided to give its users an offer they wouldn’t refuse. </li><li>It is calling for entries for an ad from its consumers and has promised a handsome reward of Rs 25 lakh for the best creation. There are 2nd, 3rd and 4th prizes, too! </li><li>Apart from the quirkiness in which they made this announcement, we loved the fact that the platform agreed with the consumer reaction to their ads and said they agree their YouTube ads suck. </li></ul>Zomato’s latest social media plan is proof that the brand has a super innovative marketing team working behind the scenes. After consumers felt tired of watching Zomato’s YouTube and TV ads, a few of them took to social media platforms to make fun of the brand for its Butter Chicken ad. However, Zomato is taking this criticism in its stride and has come up with a rather smart idea that will not only help it come up with some fun campaign ideas, it will also help it win brownie points with its consumers. The food-tech firm has admitted that its “YouTube ads suck!” So now, the brand has opened the floor for consumers to send in their entries for a creative ad. Apart from the novelty of the idea of crowdsourcing an ad, the fact that they admitted that they are as tired of watching their Youtube ad as is their consumer, made them win a lot of hearts. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Users can send in their entries by uploading their advertisement under one minute on Instagram (not TikTok, reminds Zomato with an lol) with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/zomatoloot/">#zomatoloot</a> before Gandhi Jayanti. The best entry will win Rs 25 lakh and the ad will be aired on TV. There are 2nd, 3rd and 4th prizes as well. The winner will also get bragging rights. The creator is required to follow all social distancing rules. Another criteria for judging the best ad will depend on the likes the ad sees on Instagram. Winners will be announced 7-10 after Gandhi Jayanti. It is Zomato’s honest and witty communication that has helped it see steady growth now as par to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/zomato-ceo-bets-on-full-recovery-for-food-delivery-soon-affluent-indians-and-ipl-season-drive-orders/articleshow/78270715.cms">pre-COVID </a>levels. The overall sector is clocking ~85%+ of pre-COVID GMV (Gross Merchandise Value), up from ~75%+ last month. With the ongoing IPL season and the subsequent festival season, Zomato is also expecting food delivery in both metros and smaller cities to make a full recovery soon – and resume growing over pre-COVID levels.

Zomato is offering 25 lakh for a consumer-created ad after users said its ‘YouTube ads suck'

<ul><li>Zomato's ₹ 9,375 crore initial public offering (IPO) opens for subscription today.</li><li>We take a close look at Zomato’s marketing strategy, which has helped the brand grow leaps and bounds in 13 years and none of its success would have been possible without its witty campaigns.</li></ul>With the online food delivery market at the cusp of evolution, Zomato signs for its initial public offering (IPO) today. All eyes are on Zomato, afterall it is India’s first-ever foodtech brand to go public. The <keyword id="9029084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="zomato-IPO">Zomato IPO</keyword> will also be the second largest share sale after the ₹ 10,355 crore IPO from SBI Cards and Payment Services last year. The huge buzz and anticipation reflected in this tweet by Zomato. <div type="twitter" handle="zomato" handlename="zomato" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1100268333352525826/IkyIXuZ4_normal.png" favoritecount="7644" retweetcount="513" status="mereko to aisa dhak dhak horela hai" createdat="1626233503000" id="1415151999713120261"></div> The global FoodTech giant that we know today, started as a small discovery and review platform Foodiebay in 2008 and today, it is a multinational company with its presence across 16 countries. Before launching Foodiebay, Zomato’s co-founder Deepinder Goyal had already experienced failure in this category with his earlier online food delivery platform named foodlet.com. He got together with Pankaj Chaddah, who left four years ago, and started Zomato. By the end of 2008, Zomato became Delhi’s largest online directory of restaurants. Zomato has grown leaps and bounds since 2008 and none of this would have been possible withouts its robust marketing strategy. It hasn’t just served us good food, it has also kept us well-entertained with its engaging marketing strategy across all platforms. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Twitter" text="Twitter">Twitter</cmsannotation> It has kept its messaging simple and relatable that often elicits a huge response from the audience. According to Talkwaker, Zomato’s Twitter account adopts a tone that is frivolous, witty and sometimes even counter intuitive. It often asks a question on Twitter to engage with its audience. <div type="twitter" handle="zomato" handlename="zomato" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1100268333352525826/IkyIXuZ4_normal.png" favoritecount="571" retweetcount="17" status="suggest a local dish from your area that everyone should try" createdat="1623912535000" id="1405417153130483714"></div> Today, it has 1.4 million followers on Twitter. With this one tweet, Zomato started a trend and many brands jumped onto the bandwagon. <div type="twitter" handle="zomatoin" handlename="zomato india" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1309450648287506432/Z0myUNLs_normal.jpg" favoritecount="19395" retweetcount="3680" status="Guys, kabhi kabhi ghar ka khana bhi kha lena chahiye" createdat="1562143050000" id="1146337153674174465"></div> From PUBG’s ban to when Rashi-ben put an empty cooker on the Rasoda, Zomato’s always the first brand to be a part of social media trends. <div type="twitter" handle="zomatoin" handlename="zomato india" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1309450648287506432/Z0myUNLs_normal.jpg" favoritecount="16520" retweetcount="1477" status="khali cooker gas par chadhane se acha hai order hi kar lo" createdat="1598161603000" id="1297409918094344194"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="navdhad" handlename="ND" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1410995976618217472/USdeIJn0_normal.jpg" favoritecount="252" retweetcount="32" status="Someone sent me this and I can’t even. Well done @ZomatoIN. 😂😂 https://t.co/UI2P4L0bga" createdat="1599057108000" id="1301165938713059328"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Zomato’s email marketing strategy" text="Zomato’s email marketing strategy">Zomato’s email marketing strategy</cmsannotation> Zomato’s marketing strategy is refreshing and relatable. It tries to leverage humour whenever, wherever possible. While email marketing seems like a dying phenomenon, Zomato has proven time and again that if you do it right, consumers click and order. Food-tech firm Zomato is known for its powerful visuals, bold colours and humour. It is that one brand whose emails you don’t want to unsubscribe to. Its email marketing is based on food insights and eating behaviour. During the lockdown, parents were quite skeptical about ordering food online. So, Zomato reached out to its mailer base with a smart, witty solution or cheat-sheet. <div type="image" title="zomato cheat sheet" msid="84435508" hostid="261"></div> Zomato once imagined what Biryani’s curriculum vitae would look like and won our hearts. <div type="image" title="Zomato biryani mailer" msid="84435494" hostid="261"></div> It often sends topical emails as well. <div type="image" title="zomato guddu bhaiya" msid="84435553" hostid="261"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Zomato’s Out-of-home marketing" text="Zomato’s Out-of-home marketing">Zomato’s Out-of-home marketing</cmsannotation> Experts often say that pictures do well on billboards but Zomato has proved them wrong time and again. It always sticks to its brand colors and it is easy to spot a Zomato ad even between heavily crowded Mumbai streets from a distance away <div type="image" title="Zomato billboards" msid="84435408" hostid="261"></div> Even if you are Indiranagar ka gunda, you would stop your vehicle to read these billboards for a good laugh. <div type="image" title="Zomatos-Outdoor-Ads-Are-Going-Viral-And-They-Are-Totally-Killing-It-1280x720" msid="84435389" hostid="261"></div> How to make you laugh and salivate at the same time? Zomato knows it well. <div type="image" title="best-zomato-ads-6" msid="84435414" hostid="261"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Zomato’s best marketing campaigns" text="Zomato’s best marketing campaigns">Zomato’s best marketing campaigns</cmsannotation> When it turned a bad advertisement into one of the most talked-about marketing campaigns In September 2020, after consumers felt tired of watching Zomato’s YouTube and TV ads, a few of them took to social media platforms to make fun of the brand for its Butter Chicken ad. However, Zomato took this criticism in its stride and came up with a rather smart idea that not only helped it come up with some fun campaign ideas, it also helped win brownie points with its consumers. The food-tech firm has admitted that its “YouTube ads suck!” and opened the floor for consumers to send in their entries for a creative ad. Apart from the novelty of the idea of crowdsourcing an ad, the fact that Zomato admitted that it is as tired of watching its Youtube ad as its consumer, made Zomato win a lot of hearts for its honesty. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Zomato also gave ₹25,00,000 to the winner of this marketing contest. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> It isn’t just humour, Zomato knows how to bring about social change as well. On Women’s day in 2020, Zomato released an ad featuring PV Sindhu’s dad cooking. With the hashtag #SoWhatIfIDontCook, the brand celebrated women for their skills and work other than cooking, unlike that expected of an ‘ideal’ woman. It reminded the audience that cooking is a choice, not a woman’s ‘duty.’ <div type="Youtube" id="P_5g0Jp2x2c" title="Cooking is her choice, not her duty - Women's Day | Zomato" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P_5g0Jp2x2c/mqdefault.jpg"></div> It has also tried to keep its employees and delivery partners first with various campaigns. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Humour can be a powerful tool to get your point across and from various pop culture references to punning their way into our inboxes, Zomato has done it all. *All images embedded in this article were downloaded from Zomato's Twitter handle*

From Foodiebay to becoming India’s first FoodTech platform to sign up for IPO: Here’s how Zomato changed food marketing in India in 13 years

<ul><li>Uber Eats in India discontinued its operations on January 21 and was acquired by food giant Zomato.</li><li>We speak to industry experts to find out the reasons why the food delivery platform took a nosedive and if the onus can be put on macro-economic factors or its brand-building strategy.</li><li>Experts opine that working with minimum funding, rivaling against stronger communications from competitors, disadvantages of being a late entrant, not having a separate identity, getting sidelined from the parent company and offering deep discounting were some of the factors that led to its decline.</li></ul> Food aggregator Uber Eats, which started its journey in 2017, was acquired by Zomato on January 21 for ₹2,485 crore. While its entity will cease to exist, Uber Eats’ consumers, restaurants and delivery partners will now be directed to Zomato. However, the buyout has left more than 200 employees on a cliffhanger. The acquirer Zomato started in 2008 and now has over 40 million users. Swiggy, on the other hand, started in 2013 and has gathered 42 million users. Uber Eats, which was established just three years ago, had over 10 million users. And with Uber Eats’ huge consumer base in its kitty, Zomato will now have control over 50-55% of the food delivery market. Experts opine that one of the reasons for Uber Eats downfall was its heavy discounting strategy. The operational losses amounted to ₹2,197 crore, more debts followed and a heavy competitive market did not let it sustain. As Uber Eats hits its brink and merges with Zomato, we speak to experts to find out the reasons, what could the platform have done differently to sustain and explore if upping its marketing game before would have helped in dodging the bullet. Increasing the frequency of communication with audiences Uber Eats had on-boarded Alia Bhatt as its brand ambassador -- the only food aggregator in India to get a celebrity involved in its communication. However, it released its first brand campaign after two years of its existence -- in the month of January 2019 called ‘Everyday moments.’ According to Voodly, it garnered more than 50.3 million views by the end of January and secured the first spot on the list of Top 10 Most Watched Indian Ads on YouTube. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="fUN47Yeefvo" title="Alia’s Tinda Moment! | Uber Eats" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fUN47Yeefvo/mqdefault.jpg"></div>



















 Karthik Srinivisan, Social Media and Brand Expert, says that there isn’t much for food aggregators to talk about so its communication strategy cannot be blamed. The ads can be about ‘variety, prompt delivery, post-delivery customer care, ease of ordering, UI/UX, payment options, loyalty program, promotions, etc.’ Gone are the days when brands would wait for some key occasions for a big media splash. Now it is more about participating in daily conversations, listening to what your consumers say. And being active on social media isn’t very expensive either. Srinivasan thinks Uber Eats could have been more consistent like Zomato and Swiggy here. “To be in the top-of-mind recall in such a category, the brands need to continuously be in the buzz. Zomato and Swiggy have cracked that code to a large extent, always being in the social buzz one way or another. Brands are moving away from one or two big-budget media blitzkrieg every year to announce their brand name to the largest number of people, to having sustained presence throughout the year to the most appropriate target audiences. This ensures that brands do not have only two peaks in a year where people notice their communication, but there's a consistent wave (instead of peaks) all through the year where a large enough number of target audiences notice their brand. Uber Eats perhaps did this less impressively or consistently compared to both Zomato and Swiggy,” adds Srinivasan. However, Srinivasan says the real reason is unplugging Uber Eats’ support system. “Beyond all this is the investors' appetite to continue funding these businesses despite losses. At some point, they may want to pull the plug to cut their losses and that could be the bigger reason for the sale.” N Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research feels Uber Eats did not offer anything different from its competitors and its USP wasn’t clear in its communication. “Other than the fact that they used a celebrity for endorsements, I think the ads did not communicate much. With more number of restaurants available on the competing apps, the promise of variety or choice, felt lame,” he explains. Chandramouli rates Zomato’s communication strategy the most innovative in the category, followed by Uber Eats and then Swiggy. Late mover disadvantages Almond Branding’s Founder and Director, Shashwat Das, thinks the reasons for Uber Eats’ downfall has more to do with the business model and category dynamics rather than its communication strategy. “The two largest incumbent players in the market, Swiggy and Zomato, were already half-way to the top by 2017 and had by now exclusively tied up with major restaurants. Uber had to hence rely on heavy discounting to acquire and retain users and deep discounting strategy is never sustainable as consumer keeps benefiting but none of the market players win in the battle of dominance. Last-mile delivery is an operations-heavy, low-margin business where most of the startups failed due to lack of knowledge, field experience, and funding,” notes Das. “Uber knows from its cab hailing experience that any app brand that is not number 1 or 2 in the country it operates in, will find it difficult to be a successful and profitable business. In any app-based delivery brand, only ONE brand remains top-of-mind for consumers, with one more kept as backup. There is rarely room for a #3,” seconds Chandramouli. Some of the restaurants in India still offer free home delivery with no price caps and Das thinks the food market isn’t easy to crack. Downloading more apps, building new relationships and settling for lesser pay cuts did not make a stronger pitch for restaurant partners either. “Once an app signs up a merchant, a regular flow of business determines what importance the delivery app holds for the restaurant. Plus, the incumbents had more focus, spend-power and aggression than Uber Eats. With Uber Eats India accumulating more losses than Uber, its cab hailing sister-concern, added to the pressure from international investors after their poor IPO, the only good option for Uber was perhaps to cut losses and focus on their core,” says Chandramouli. Developing a distinct identity While Uber Eat’s core idea was to piggyback on Uber’s image and use its established network, Chandramouli suggests that this wasn’t a smart move as it affected Uber’s disruptor position. “I think they should have launched the food-delivery business under a different brand. Truly speaking, Uber's cab hailing app was always recognized as an innovator and leader, but by launching Uber Eats, it almost seemed like a me-too, copycat brand, losing its innovator positioning. Another risk of extending the Uber brand to this new business was that cab hailing apps business required a more involved and intimate decision of the consumer, which a food-delivery app did not,” he elaborates. Thanks to Swiggy and Zomato’s heavy funding, they had the bandwidth to innovate and offer discounts. However, their core focus is food delivery and Uber’s, on the other hand, is mobility. Das thinks this could be one of the reasons why it was sidelined and cut at the source when it fell loose. “Even though Uber Eats was launched with much fanfare, Uber couldn’t focus on it as much as its competitors. Clearly its core mobility ambitions in India were its top priority. Cab hailing companies like Ola and Uber after having burnt their fingers in this cash-guzzling sector saw more merit in focusing on their core rather than the side businesses,” says Das. Was it a smart move for Zomato? As per media reports, Uber will get a 10% stake in Zomato in a deal that values Uber Eats at $300-350 million. "It was a bad deal for Zomato I think, giving away stock worth 300 million USD, to a company struggling to stay afloat. I think Swiggy will gain from this. And for Uber, of course, this seems to be their long term strategy of buying into local food compaines," says Shubho Sengupta, Brand Consultant. "There is no economic crisis for those who order on Zomato. They are in the top 15% earners of this country," adds Sengupta. All eyes on Swiggy and Zomato While Dunzo and Food Panda also exist in the battleground, the horse race will continue between two stalwarts Zomato and Swiggy. This consolidation, experts opine, will bring some more financial discipline, nudge them to be more creative and source the much needed tech support from their parent companies.

What went wrong with Uber Eats?

<ul><li><keyword id="97416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-maps">Google Maps</keyword> is now showing ads within the mobile app as users try to search for destinations.</li><li>Spotted by Business Insider India, the navigation showed a KFC ad pinned as the first result under the search menu.</li><li>Google introduced location-based ad targeting in November 2019 but no ads were seen immediately after.</li></ul>Google is now showing ads within the Google Maps application to users in India. Spotted on Friday, the navigation app showed a KFC ad pinned on top of destination options in the search menu. 
 <div type="image" title="IMG-20200209-WA0001" msid="74111842" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Screenshot of KFC ads on Google Maps&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 "This is not new exactly," Google spokesperson told Business Insider. However, the Google Maps mobile app has remained ad-free for the past 15 years. The application claims that the ad is based on "current search terms". According to the tech giant, the new feature only works as well as the information shared by the user. The company analyses IP addresses, device locations, and search terms in order to show users relevant promotional pins. If your location tracking is live, Google can pull local businesses in realtime. However, if your location tracking is switched off — Google can still make suggestions based on your local history. 
 <div type="image" title="IMG-20200209-WA0004" msid="74111859" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;How Google personalises your ads&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 If you’re not looking for personalised suggestions, Google does give users the option to turn off ads from KFC, should they wish to do so. 
 <div type="image" title="IMG-20200209-WA0003" msid="74111871" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Option to turn off ads in Google Maps&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 Nonetheless, prepare to have your Google Maps cluttered with at least one ad as you try and search for your destination. The new feature was introduced in the latest update, released on February 8 when Google Maps celebrated turning 15. The app now sports a new icon and five-easy to access tabs — Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute and Updates. Local search ads Google announced that it was expanding local campaigns to develop "location-based ad targeting" in November 2019. "These [ads] are designed to drive foot traffic to local businesses," said Google. As an advertiser, you don’t get a lot of choice over where and when your ad will appear. You only get to choose how you wish to target customers like shopping ads or across apps. Choosing the "smart" option lets Google decide what combination of advertising will yield the highest return. Advertisers can also choose the ultimate goal of their marketing campaign — calls, store visits or actions on the website. "Advertisers provide their budget, business locations and ad creative. Google then uses machine learning to automatically optimize their ads to appear across our properties (Search, YouTube, Maps, websites, apps)," Google told Business Insider. 
 <div type="image" title="image (3)" msid="74111938" hostid="261"></div>



 A ₹17,000 crore mobile-centric opportunity Google, with its multiple verticles, is always looking for new ways to make money. Currently, digital advertising in India stands at ₹13,683 crore. By the end of 2020, <a href="https://dentsuaegisnetwork.in/uploads/digital_reports/DAN-e4m-Digital-Report-2020-Web-C3.pdf">Dentsu Aegis Network</a>’s (DAN) report estimates that it will rise to ₹17,000 crore. "The dominant growth factor of Digital comes from the proliferation of smartphones, backed by cheap data plans, that has shifted a significant amount of digital ad spends to mobile advertising," explains <a href="https://dentsuaegisnetwork.in/uploads/digital_reports/DAN-e4m-Digital-Report-2020-Web-C3.pdf">Nawal Ahuja</a>, co-founder and director of the Exchange4Media Group. Google knows this and wants to make most of the opportunity. Ahuja estimates that ad spend on mobile devices will increase by 41% in 2020 to overtake ad spend on desktop. However, not everyone is happy with Google’s latest move. Businesses like Zomato, Trip Advisor, and Yelp have voiced concerns that Google could this feature to its advantage. In the past, Google has been the subject of anti-trust investigations that question the company’s use of its dominant position in the market. "We believe their continued practices should raise increased concern in the name of competition and consumer protection," said Trip Advisor in a <a href="https://www.itnews.com.au/news/google-maps-seeks-business-transit-reviews-in-new-look-as-it-turns-15-537604">statement.</a> See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-maps-is-getting-a-major-update-today-for-its-15th-birthday-heres-everything-thats-new/articleshow/73984186.cms">Google Maps is getting a major update today for its 15th birthday - here's everything that's new</a>

Exclusive: Google Maps will tell you where to buy burgers before showing you the way

<keyword id="10387" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> on Thursday signed a definitive agreement to acquire UK-based <keyword id="3248886" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Metaswitch">Metaswitch</keyword> Networks, a leading provider of virtualised network software and voice, data and communications solutions for operators, for an undisclosed sum. The convergence of cloud and communication networks presents a unique opportunity for Microsoft to serve operators globally via continued investment in <keyword id="161016" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Azure">Azure</keyword>. "This announcement builds on our recent acquisition of Affirmed Networks, which closed on April 23. Metaswitch's complementary portfolio of ultra-high-performance, cloud-native communications software will expand our range of offerings available for the telecommunications industry," said Yousef Khalidi, Corporate Vice President, Azure Networking. As the industry moves to 5G, operators will have opportunities to advance the virtualization of their core networks and move forward on a path to an increasingly cloud-native future. Microsoft aims to leverage these two organisations -- extending the Azure platform to both deploy and grow these capabilities at scale in a way that is secure, efficient and creates a sustainable ecosystem. "We will continue to support hybrid and multi-cloud models to create a more diverse telecom ecosystem and spur faster innovation, an expanded set of unique offerings and greater opportunities for differentiation," said Khalidi. 5G will ultimately give operators a path to accelerate service innovation and deliver new transformative experiences that are faster, more resilient and more secure, spurred on by software advances to drive transformation at scale, said the company. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/makemytrip-will-now-deliver-food-jumps-into-the-ring-where-zomato-and-swiggy-are-already-fighting-it-out/articleshow/75733805.cms">MakeMyTrip will now deliver food – jumps into the ring where Zomato and Swiggy are already fighting it out</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/carry-minati-youtube-vs-tiktok-video-removed-for-violating-terms-of-service/articleshow/75749665.cms">Carry Minati's 'YouTube vs TikTok' video removed for violating terms of service — fans claim injustice</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/want-a-haircut-at-home-there-are-120000-people-on-urban-companys-waitlist/articleshow/75749662.cms">Want a haircut at home? There are 1,20,000 people on Urban Company’s waitlist</a>

Microsoft acquires Metaswitch Networks adding to Azure's capabilities

New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): <keyword id="9766785" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections-2024" source="Orion">Lok Sabha elections 2024</keyword> have seen a <keyword id="20108198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-turnout" source="keywords">voter turnout</keyword> at polling stations of about 66.95 per cent so far, as approximately 451 million people have voted during the first four phases of ongoing general elections. In a bid to encourage voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers, ECI has enhanced its targeted interventions to reach out to every eligible voter. The Commission led by CEC Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, further directed CEOs of the states going to poll in the fifth, sixth and seventh phases to timely distribute voter information slips to all electors and enhance outreach activities. "Commission strongly believes that partnership and collaboration are essential pillars of the voter awareness programme. It's heartening to see that, at the Commission's request, different institutions, influencers and celebrities with significant reach are working enthusiastically on a pro-bono basis," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. Further, he added that a higher voter turnout would be a message from Indian voters to the world, about the strength of Indian Democracy. He urges all the voters to cast their vote in huge numbers, as voting day is not a holiday but a day of pride, by participating in the festival of democracy. According to an official release, various <keyword id="21686177" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-awareness-drives" source="keywords">voter awareness drives</keyword> and campaigns have been carried out by stakeholders in collaboration with ECI. Telecom Service Providers such as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Bharti Airtel Limited, Jio Telecommunication, and Vodafone-Idea Limited are reaching out to every mobile user in the respective parliamentary constituency through push SMS/Flash SMSs, outbound dialling calls to mobile users, RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging and WhatsApp messages/alerts. These activities are carried out two/three days before the poll and even on the poll day, in regional languages, with an appeal to vote. ECI has collaborated with BCCI for voter awareness activities during the ongoing IPL season. The voter awareness messages and songs are being played at different stadiums during the cricket matches. The most innovative aspect of this campaign is the administration of voter's pledges by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in a pre-recorded video message, at various IPL venues. Further, voter awareness messages are integrated into cricket commentary. Cricketers from 10 IPL teams have encouraged voters to participate in the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections in 2024 with their recorded voter awareness messages. A voting day alert was sent to all Facebook users pan India to inform and inform the voters about the general elections and to nudge them to participate in the festival of democracy, the release mentioned. The release further stated that WhatsApp personalised messages have begun on polling day. Google India is contributing through its iconic feature of Google Doodle on poll days and banners appearing on YouTube, Google Pat and other Google platforms. The Retail Association of India has been actively engaging with voter awareness activities, through their retail network, whereby retail chains are encouraged to celebrate the election as a festival. The vast network of post offices and banking institutions was utilised by ECI to reach out to a wide and diverse audience across the length and breadth of the country. In collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the parliamentary elections campaign logo "Chunav ka Parv, Desh ka Garv" has been integrated with the IRCTC portal and tickets. Voter awareness announcements have been integrated with the public address system at all railway stations. The logo stickers are used on coaches of the superfast trains. In collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, hoardings on voter awareness have been installed in about 16,000 retail outlets. In collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, airlines are making an inflight announcement with an appeal message to participate in the ensuing elections. Voter guides are being kept in aircraft seat pockets. Apart from this, many airports are providing space for the display of voter awareness messages. Selfie points have been installed at airports in 10 major cities viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Patna, Chandigarh, and Pune. Cinema theatres across the country are playing ECI voter awareness films and ECI Song Main Bharat Hoon, Hum Bharat Ke Matdata Hai, at regular intervals, as a part of the Public Service Awareness (PSA) film. Sansad TV is creating short films on Unique Polling Stations set up in remote corners of the country by the election machinery after navigating difficult terrains to demonstrate the challenges in ensuring voting at the last mile. AMUL, Mother Dairy and other milk co-operatives have started branding their milk pouches with the message 'Chunav Ka Parv, Desh ka Garv' and encouraging voters through social media platforms. AMUL is also encouraging voters with its unique messaging through AMUL Girl Topical advertisements in newspapers. Prasar Bharati: Doordarshan has produced, various short films, including appeals from constitutional functionaries like President of India, Vice President of India, and Chief Justice of India, among others. Further, unique polling stations are being covered by the regional Kendra's audio-visual documentation. Music App Spotify is running a campaign called 'Play Your Part', and they have issued print advertisements, and curated the playlists for the elections, on their app. Payments app PhonePe has integrated voter awareness message into their app and is actively encouraging voters. BookMyShow has launched an integrated campaign, titled "Aaj Picture Nahi, Bigger Picture Dekho," to raise awareness among voters. MakeMyTrip is running a campaign titled 'MyVoteWalaTrip', whereby discounts are offered to citizens going to vote. Food delivery platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy are disseminating voter awareness messages through their platforms and social media activities. Grocery App Blinkit changed its logo to "Inkit" for the elections, incorporating a message encouraging people to "Go out and Vote" as a tagline. Uber India is reaching out to voters through multi-channel messaging (in-app, emails, push notifications), offering discounts for rides to polling stations, and amplifying voter awareness messages on social media platforms. Bike app Rapido has been encouraging voters with a free ride to vote. Urban Company has launched 'I Have Voted Campaign' to encourage voters. Tata Neu app, serving as the Tata Group's group-wide consumer-facing mobile app, prominently features the "Cast Your Vote" animated banner on its homepage, with additional initiatives currently underway. Truecaller is enhancing its layout by displaying voter awareness message during outbound calls Some other independent initiatives are Mankind Pharma #VotingVirgin campaign, clothing brand Neeru's "Vote ki Taiyaari" TVC, Tinder's "Every Single Vote Counts" campaign, creatively curated social media post by Matrimonial sites like Jeevansathi.com, etc and discounts for voting by popular brands such as Shoppers' Stop, MakeMyTrip, Chroma and many more. Four phases of Lok Sabha polls have been held and the voting will conclude on June 1 with results on June 4. The remaining phases will be held on May 20, May 25, and June 1.

451 million voters! First four phases of Lok Sabha elections witness 66.95% voter turnout so far

Tesla CEO <keyword id="6355315" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="elon-musk">Elon Musk</keyword> said that his <keyword id="381751" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Electric-vehicle">electric vehicle</keyword> (EV) company wants to launch cars in India, but the country's <keyword id="564430" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="import-duties">import duties</keyword> on EVs are "highest in the world by far". Replying to an Indian YouTuber on <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword>, who asked him to launch <keyword id="4241163" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tesla-cars">Tesla cars</keyword> ASAP in India, <keyword id="364027" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Musk">Musk</keyword> blamed high import rates in the country. "We want to do so, but import duties are the highest in the world by far of any large country!" he wrote. "Moreover, clean energy vehicles are treated the same as diesel or petrol, which does not seem entirely consistent with the climate goals of India," he added. Last year, a report said that India has taken a slew of measures to promote the use of electric cars in the country. The government slashed Goods and Services Tax (GST) on electric vehicles to five per cent from earlier 12 per cent but to protect domestic automakers, it levies 125 per cent duty on imported vehicles. "I'm told import duties are extremely high (up to 100 per cent), even for electric cars. This would make our cars unaffordable," Musk earlier said while responding to a tweet from an Indian follower. Close on the heels of the <keyword id="6360189" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-budget">Union Budget</keyword> providing tax relief for buying electric vehicles, the GST Council in its meeting last year in July cut the tax on electric vehicles (EV) from 12 per cent to 5 per cent, effective August 1, 2019. The twin rate cuts are set to further boost the EV sector. The Budget, last year, had proposed an Income Tax deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh on the interest paid on the loans taken to purchase electric vehicles. SEE ALSO- <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/reliance-retail-the-cash-cow-for-mukesh-ambanis-ril-may-be-hit-by-the-second-wave-of-the-pandemic/articleshow/84644924.cms">Reliance Retail, the cash cow for Mukesh Ambani’s RIL, may be hit by the second wave of the pandemic</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/zomato-paytm-sony-liv-disneyhotstar-down-as-massive-internet-outage-sweeps-across-many-countries/articleshow/84653441.cms">Zomato, Paytm, Sony LIV, Disney+Hotstar back up after glitch takes down internet</a>

Elon Musk wants to bring Tesla to India but high import duties are a challenge

<ul><li>GenZ content creators have taken the internet by storm and their influence is only going to grow.</li><li><keyword id="7372416" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="viraj-sheth" source="Orion">Viraj Sheth</keyword>, Co-Founder and CEO, <keyword id="9491005" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monk-entertainment" source="Orion">Monk Entertainment</keyword> writes what makes this passionate generation special different from the other generations and why 2022 will only make GenZ creators shine brighter.</li></ul>Have you heard? There's a new word in town buzzing around, and no, we're done with 'millennial'. It's the Generation Z, and they're the new wave of influencers, ready to take the year by storm. Traditionally defined as the group of people born between 1997-2012, this generation is also dubbed as 'digital natives' because they quite literally grew up watching their cartoons on YouTube instead of Television sets. The GenZ skipped the Facebook phase entirely and jumped straight to posting pictures (and now reels) on <keyword id="819905" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="instagram" source="Orion">Instagram</keyword>. With higher empathy and self-awareness than the previous generations, they are not shy to lay their life bare for their followers and talk about their feelings with a refreshing, complete transparency. They may have a lower attention span than most other generations and think they know better than their professors, but haven't we all? Arguably the biggest advantage, and yet at the same time, the biggest disadvantage that the <keyword id="159493" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="gen-z" source="Orion">Gen Z</keyword> have over the other generations is the omnipresence of smartphones and access to high-speed internet. While as per parents, this has led to terrible repercussions, I believe this has its fair share of pros attached to it. The Gen Z is the generation that is truly, unabashedly expressing themselves on social media and rightfully so, making money on the internet. When the lockdown hit and a lot of these folks had the option to attend schools and colleges virtually, they resorted to spending all this added time in pouring out their creativity on social media platforms. 2020-2021 saw the rise of the Gen Z creators, 2022 will see the power of the Gen Z creators. The lockdown saw the rise of a massive set of Gen Z social media creators across every possible category. While the common notion seems to be that the Gen Z are only equipped with making quick, thoughtless dance and slow-motion content, this couldn’t be further from the truth. This new wave of influencers has seen someone like Aastha Shah who has bravely battled vitiligo and is not afraid to speak about it on her profile. It has seen some fantastic comedy creators like Bihari Ladka who along with his grandmother makes content that entertains millions, there's even cooking creators like <keyword id="13353836" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aditya-hirlekar" source="Orion">Aditya Hirlekar</keyword> (aka Nom Nom) who have found creative ways to film recipes. Did you think that was it? More to the list of Gen Z influencers is <keyword id="13353835" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aryaki-joon" source="Orion">Aryaki Joon</keyword> who has brought her sense of fashion to the fore and inspired her audience to support small and local fashion brands and also Dev Raiyani who has given the younger generation some beautiful music to tune in to. Aside from their fantastic content, another major reason for the rise of these GenZ stars is due to the increase in the GenZ consumer. Around 60-70% of the audience demographic of these creators ranges from the ages of 18-24. The Indian internet is getting younger on an average, every passing day, and GenZ creators speak their language and ride that wave. The average Gen Z creator is more likely to speak up about social causes, actively support small businesses, and be mindful and empathetic towards people’s feelings while making content. They love Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter because of the snackable nature of short-format content making them quick, snappy, and impactful with ease. With their innovative ways of narrating stories, they’ve been able to build an engaged community that far surpasses the numbers of their millennial peers in the same number bracket. Due to these numbers, they’re also increasingly attracting more attention from global brands like Netflix, Tinder, L’Oreal, Unilever, Zomato, OnePlus, and more titan brands. 2022 should see a drastic surge in their popularity with their ever growing audience. On that note, 2022 is not the Year of the Tiger, it's the Year of the Gen Z Creator. Now you've caught onto the wave.

2022: The year of GenZ creators

Kantar’s Managing Directors tell us why ‘Purpose’ is an important contributor to brand equity in India

<keyword id="6573969" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Glenn-Saldanha">Glenn Saldanha</keyword>, Chairman and Managing Director, <keyword id="105572" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="glenmark-pharmaceuticals">Glenmark Pharmaceuticals</keyword>, said the company hopes to see similar positive outcomes in Indian patients of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">Covid-19</keyword> during the clinical trials of anti-viral <keyword id="2739896" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="favipiravir">Favipiravir</keyword> for Covid 10. Globally, as per reports COVID-19 patients treated with Favipiravir have shown positive outcomes, such as reduced symptoms and quicker disease recovery. Saldanha said a single global protocol is insufficient to tackle every nation's situation; we also need to rely on our own statistics and measures for control. "The same goes for treatment options, and that is why we are exclusively studying Favipiravir on the Indian population before adopting its widespread use in market", he added. Q: Glenmark has initiated Phase 3 clinical trials on anti-viral Favipiravir for COVID-19 patients in India. What will be the next step on this? A: With the DCGI's go ahead for phase 3 clinical trials, Glenmark will now be testing the efficacy and safety of Favipiravir in Indian patients. The data we receive at this stage of the trial will tell us if the antiviral can become a suitable and effective COVID-19 treatment in India. Following this, Glenmark will submit the clinical trial data to the DCGI and seek marketing approval for Favipiravir in the Indian market. Q2. Which hospitals in India are being enrolled for the study? A: We have a good representation of leading public and private hospitals enrolled for the study. These are SSG Hospital &amp; Medical College, Vadodara, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital &amp; Research Centre, Pune, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital &amp; Medical Research Institute, Mumbai, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Government Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad, AIIMS in Raipur, HCG Hospital, Ahmedabad, Dr Balabhai Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai, and Kasturba Hospital, Mumbai. Q: Favipiravir is a generic version of Avigan of Fujifilm Toyama Chemical of Japan. What has been the use of Avigan and has it been used for COVID? A: Avigan has demonstrated activity against influenza viruses and has been approved in Japan for the treatment of novel influenza virus infections. Recently in the past few months and according to reports, post the outbreak of COVID-19, multiple clinical trials involving this drug have been initiated on COVID-19 patients in China, Japan, Italy, Egypt, a few Asian countries and in the US. Q: What is the potential of the drug being tested? A: Globally, as per reports COVID-19 patients treated with Favipiravir have shown positive outcomes, such as reduced symptoms and quicker disease recovery. Having internally developed the API and the formulations for the product, Glenmark hopes to see similar positive outcomes in Indian patients during these clinical trials. Q: How do you view the coronavirus situation in India? A: I believe India's response to the health crisis has been prompt from the beginning, and is reflective of collective action by the center and state authorities, frontline health workers, private health sector and non-profit organizations. No doubt, there have been setbacks and loss of lives and livelihoods, and the country will take a while to recover from the effects of this damage. However, given the magnitude of our population and scale of the crisis, I think India's timely and stringent response has helped a great degree in controlling the devastating impact of the disease. Q: Different countries have shown varying infection and mortality rates with COVID-19. What are your thoughts? A: There are several factors at play that determine a country's infection and mortality rate. For instance, we have seen higher rates of COVID-19 in countries with a higher proportion of elderly population, or in countries that initiated their containment lockdowns at a later stage of the disease. This is why a single global protocol is insufficient to tackle every nation's situation; we also need to rely on our own statistics and measures for control. The same goes for treatment options, and that is why we are exclusively studying Favipiravir in the Indian population before adopting its widespread use in market. Q: How long do you think the lockdown should continue? A: As you know, the central and state governments are closely monitoring the evolving situation, and we look forward to any updates from them on lockdown directives. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/carry-minati-youtube-vs-tiktok-video-removed-for-violating-terms-of-service/articleshow/75749665.cms">Carry Minati's 'YouTube vs TikTok' video removed for violating terms of service — fans claim injustice</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/want-a-haircut-at-home-there-are-120000-people-on-urban-companys-waitlist/articleshow/75749662.cms">Want a haircut at home? There are 1,20,000 people on Urban Company’s waitlist</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/makemytrip-will-now-deliver-food-jumps-into-the-ring-where-zomato-and-swiggy-are-already-fighting-it-out/articleshow/75733805.cms">MakeMyTrip will now deliver food – jumps into the ring where Zomato and Swiggy are already fighting it out</a>

Interview: Glenmark Chairman has his hopes pinned on a flu drug Favipiravir to cure COVID-19

<ul><li>The <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword> that made people stay at home, brought businesses to a halt, paused travel and let to cancellation of events.</li><li>So what will be the future of <keyword id="2540701" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Influencer-marketing">influencer marketing</keyword>, on the other side of the lockdown? <keyword id="184778" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ankit-Agarwal">Ankit Agarwal</keyword>, Founder, <keyword id="8371701" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Do-Your-Thng">Do Your Thng</keyword> (DYT) tries to find the answer.</li></ul> While nobody can pull a Nostradamus, it is clear that the <keyword id="43587" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic">pandemic</keyword> has changed influencer marketing. These changes are not temporary or short-lived. They are fundamental. Since we began battling the unseen adversary, travel has paused, events are cancelled and, worst of all, businesses had to close shop. No sector evaded the disruptive tentacles of the novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. And it is the most sobering of realities that there is no going back to normal. What we will face after we win the fight is a “new normal.” This much is clear from the actions brands are taking. Airbnb’s co-founder articulately wrote “We don’t know exactly when travel will return. When travel does return, it will look different,” while announcing that 25% of the company has to be laid off. Closer to home, Zomato’s founder has shared an uncannily similar email. The company is letting go of 13% of their workforce, and they’ve “decided to make partial or full work from home a permanent feature of (their) lives.” So, like the rest of the world, creators and the influencer industry have felt the winds of change, and these will only gain momentum post-COVID-19 catapulting creators into overdrive. The Future Face of Influencer Marketing While the true implications of the pandemic are far more enormous than anyone can predict, what we have seen over the past two and half months are two core learnings. One, how the audience wants to receive communications has altered. Two, the pandemic gave birth to a stronger sense of community. Make these factors the lens through which you view influencer marketing and then carry forward any strategy in the coming time. The change for creators Travel creators got grounded, and fashion creators were out of Insta-worthy locations for photoshoots. So, they pivoted and started generating content that helped their community. This change - diversification of skills and content - will carry over post-COVID-19. If you are a creator who wants to thrive in the future, broaden the type of content you generate. The two niches that are rising and will continue to do so are wellness and home life. Think cooking, fitness, mental health, cleaning, nutrition, DIY, etc. Another shift for creators is more control over the content. Before the coronavirus, brands governed campaign guidelines. After the lockdown, the creator became the artist, producer, director, and editor, giving them an upper hand. Furthermore, brands realised that the creator knew better how to develop and deliver a message that fetches higher engagement. This shift in the balance of power, which built a more equal partnership, will persist. The adjustment for brands We already know online screen times soared due to people being home-bound. Since the traditional means of entertainment (movie theatres and TV soaps) are not restarting anytime soon, the consumer will continue to spend more time online. Now couple this fact with a Google Insight – “YouTube is 3X more effective than TV in driving incremental impact” of a campaign. For a brand, it means one definite marketing adjustment – go digital and leverage the power of its natives, i.e. creators. It’s the only option to stay on top of your consumer’s mind as we move through the next few months. Since the pandemic has also switched purchasing habits and limited discretionary spending, brands need to modify product positioning too. You have to show the consumer how your product fits into their everyday lives. The last refinement brands must address is reframing their message to resonate with the consumer. A campaign will get more traction when the audience sees themselves in it. For instance, a celebrity advocating a home cleaning appliance will not work. A micro- or nano-influencer, who the audience knows does actual housework, will get better results. The about-face of content Typically, people see just two sides of influencer marketing – the creator and the brand. But it’s the content that balances both, and that too has done an about-face due to COVID-19. In the past few years, Facebook and Instagram veered into highly curated and contrived content. From selfies with perfect lighting to postcard-worthy vistas of far-flung destinations, there was a steady stream of polished aesthetics. The lockdown was a game-changer. Spontaneous content, and content that gave a view into every day, messy life became more popular. In the ensuing time, this revolution in the type of content published and devoured will persist. Both brands and creators should keep in mind that there is no more room for staged or heavily edited content. Keep it raw and authentic. An endnote. The novel coronavirus outbreak did make creators the biggest channels for brands to influence consumers. Expect this trend to continue. Having said that a change in influencer marketing strategies is necessary to gain scale in eyeballs. Pick the right creator or brand, one whose synergies match with yours; craft authentic and resonating messages; and finally, don’t create content just for the sake of it. Every piece must inspire, entertain or educate, adding something meaningful to the conversation. -- This column has been authored by Ankit Agarwal, Founder, Do Your Thng

Will Covid-19 catapult the future of influencers into overdrive?

<ul><li>Nutrition expert Dr. <keyword id="4449519" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="nandita-iyer">Nandita Iyer</keyword> shares her views on what the term ‘<keyword id="1695225" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Superfood">superfood</keyword>’ actually means, and whether we need to indulge in the trend or not. </li><li>Any food that has a high proportion of one or more of these nutrients — such as vitamins, minerals or antioxidants — qualifies to be known as a superfood</li><li>"If you look at Indian superfoods, something like <keyword id="6400986" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="amla">amla</keyword> clearly tops the list because if blueberries are topping every international listicle on superfoods, amla has fifty times the antioxidant capacity of blueberries." - Dr. Nandita Iyer </li></ul> From <keyword id="55635" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Turmeric">turmeric</keyword> to <keyword id="6446946" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ghee">ghee</keyword>, Indians often tend to undervalue their historic possessions, but the moment it starts making waves abroad, we are more than willing to embrace something that was available to us all along. And strangely enough, some also resort to splurging copious amounts of money on imported fruits, vegetables, seeds, oils and whatnot while ignoring the real gems our land provides us. Business Insider spoke to nutrition expert Dr. Nandita Iyer who, after her first book — The Everyday Healthy Vegetarian — is set to launch her next book Everyday Superfoods in March, this year. She shares her views on what the term ‘superfood’ actually means, and whether we need to indulge in the trend or not. <div type="Video" msid="81211869" hostid="261" title="Dr. Nandita Iyer weighs in on how Indian cuisine is and always has been packed with 'superfoods'" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=81211869"></div> In her book, she has a section on 'Superfood Compendium' in which she lists out 39 of the most potent superfoods grown in India. These include: <div type="image" title="Superfoods" msid="81242013" hostid="261"></div> <div type="image" title="Indian superfoods" msid="81241421" hostid="261"></div> Edited excerpts of the conversation with Dr. Nandita Iyer follow: What is your definition of a superfood? When I was researching my book Everyday Superfoods, the first question that came to my mind is, how did this word come into being? And what I discovered was quite funny. The first-ever recorded usage of this word was in a Jamaican newspaper, and it was actually a reference to a wine brand — they just got creative. And the second known instance was in 1949, where another Canadian newspaper was advertising a muffin using the word superfood. So I think that the whole thing of using this term for marketing is definitely not a new thing because even before the term started being used in its true sense of the word, it was actually being used by brands. The definition of a superfood is pretty simple — it is any food that is nutrient-dense. Any food that has a high proportion of one or more of these nutrients — such as vitamins, minerals or antioxidants — qualifies to be known as a superfood, which is the well-accepted definition in the scientific community. Some believe it is just a marketing gimmick. Would you say otherwise? A true superfood will definitely have health benefits that are good for general health and boosting immunity. But to loosely use this term for processed goods, packaged foods, is definitely, I would say, a marketing gimmick. In the pre-Covid times, I used to love walking around supermarkets and see what new products were there. And invariably, there would be a whole bunch of new products that called themselves superfood, which is pretty misleading. It is the worst possible way to mislead people who may not be aware of nutrition and who may not be having a scientific bent of mind, so they may believe what is written on the packet. It is just a way to jack up the price of any product — if a regular food item costs X, by calling it a superfood, you can easily charge 5X. Considering the environmental cost, what are your thoughts on imported food items like avocados, <keyword id="573117" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Quinoa">quinoa</keyword> etc. In my book Everyday Superfoods, I have a whole chapter on sustainability. Anything that gets the label of a superfood does benefit the farmers who are growing that particular superfood. However, it also leads to a whole bunch of other unpleasant side effects. Instead of focusing on what is local, instead of focusing on what is in season, everybody starts rushing towards buying that one thing because it is in trend, it is popular, and it is getting a lot of attention and likes on Instagram, and that is not a good way to eat at all. If a lot of farmers start growing turmeric alone because it is the next big thing it will lead to monocropping - where farmers, instead of growing a variety of foods, grow one kind of food in one place. And that means the soil gets depleted, so they are adding extra fertilisers, further polluting groundwater. So it is like a vicious cycle. When it comes to quinoa, I think it started getting popular in the 1980s in the US because it began getting imported from Central America etc. Then the United Nations (UN) declared 2013 "The International Year of Quinoa." That just led to prices going up, and every farmer in South America was growing quinoa, and they did not even want to eat it themselves because they said, 'I could sell it for so much more so why should I eat into my own earnings, right?' The locals themselves stopped eating their ancient grains, something they were so used to, and they started eating wheat and other grains. It just destroys the balance of things in nature. This is why the emphasis is on - what is local, what is in season, and what have your ancestors been eating? Michael Pollan is someone I really consider a guru, and he says, "Don't eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn't recognise as food." And did my great, great grandmother know about quinoa? That said, this is a complex issue. Quinoa is now well grown in Karnataka. That is why the prices have fallen from what used to be like Rs 1500 or kilo to now it is literally Rs 200 a kilo. The good thing is that the crop does not consume as much water as rice because it is a pseudo-grain and grows in slightly harsher conditions. So it is okay for me to buy quinoa, which is locally-grown and it has not travelled 10,000 miles to reach me. So there is no binary in this aspect, which is why this whole subject is so complex and so tough for people to decide what to eat, what not to eat. It takes a few extra seconds to see the back of the pack and see where it is grown because it will definitely be mentioned. <div type="image" title="Amla" msid="81241745" hostid="261"></div> Can you give us a bit of a primer on Indian superfoods? Since we talked about how it is not really a label that matters, the questions we need to ask are, is this a nutrient-dense food? Is this locally available? Is it readily available? Because anything you label as a superfood is usually costly, it is not available round the year and is often imported from far away. These will be very difficult to include in your daily diet, and like we already discussed, no superfood is a miracle pill that you eat once a year, and your life will be sorted. So, whatever it is, it needs to be consumed in a fairly regular way. It needs to be part of your lifestyle, and for that purpose, these can only be readily available and affordable foods. If you look at Indian superfoods, something like amla clearly tops the list because if blueberries are topping every international listicle on superfoods, amla has fifty times the antioxidant capacity of blueberries. And it is so cheap, local, and though it is seasonal, the beauty in Indian food and Indian cuisine is that there are at least five different ways in which amla is preserved - it is dried, it is made into a supari, it is preserved in honey, it is preserved as a sharbat, and of course, pickled. So while amla is available possibly for three months in a year, we can actually eat it round the year by just using our traditional preservation techniques. We do not need any factory or industry to be preserving it, these are all home-based preservation techniques. Fermented drinks like kombucha seem to be all the rage. What are the Indian alternatives to the same? So, we have our chaach, and there is a kaanji made in the North using mustard seeds and carrots fermented over two to three days. In the South, you have kanji, which is nothing but rice that is overcooked and soft and some buttermilk is added to that, and it is actually kept overnight to ferment. Sometimes it is also hard because when there was rice leftover the previous night and there was no refrigeration in the earlier days, so people would just add water to the rice and leave it outside on the counter. Next morning, it will be slightly fermented, and they will have it with some chopped onion or pickle. In Odisha, you have the pakhala bhata, which is again a similar thing where it is an overnight fermented rice gruel. This is a double dose of probiotics from fermenting the rice itself, and you are adding buttermilk, which is also a fermented drink. Do you believe that those who are not buying into this trend are destined for doom? I definitely think they are not doomed. But the superfoods I have mentioned in my book are so every day that invariably, people living in India are eating many of them in their standard diet. Like dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, lobia (black-eyed peas), green moong, these are all everyday ingredients but poor things — they do not come with this crown or this fancy label, but they are superfoods. Whether you buy into the trend or not, if you are eating Indian cuisine, you are already eating many of these things. We eat turmeric every single day, and black pepper is there in our masalas, plus our chai masala has so many ingredients. So Indian cuisine is so rich in superfoods by itself that even if someone is a non-believer in this trend, they are already eating it. I am sorry to disappoint them. However, it is definitely not true that they are doomed if they do not buy into the trend because, anything that we adapt, it has to be a gradual change in lifestyle itself, and that is what we need to believe and invest in it rather than just flipping from trend to trend because a trend is very temporary and a lifestyle is forever. In life, health and nutrition, there are absolutely no binaries. People want binary answers because it saves them from analysing their own life and health problems. They need to think for themselves and find out, 'Am I able to do this? Is this sustainable for me?' This is why I get quite frustrated when I see a YouTube video saying, 'drink this pink tea and you will lose 20 kilos'. Which is one of the reasons I wrote this book. It is not fancy, it is not clickbait, and it is not anything shocking. It is pretty much everyday knowledge, but definitely, that common knowledge and moderation seem to be somewhere lurking in the background. It is not convincing enough for people to follow a more moderate path. Also, our health is heavily dependent on our genetic lottery. I may abuse my health in every possible way, and I may still live to 100 with absolutely no problems. And someone who is so careful about their health does everything right and suffers a cardiac problem in their 40s. I am not saying follow the trend and go after every superfood you see, but try to take some baby steps towards a good lifestyle that you sustain for life. Not something you do because it is in the news today. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/ignore-low-cibil-score-for-street-vendor-loans-work-on-holidays-and-other-diktats-from-indian-government-to-banks-rushing-to-meet-march-target/articleshow/81223572.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">EXCLUSIVE: Ignore low CIBIL score for street vendor loans, work on holidays, and other diktats from Indian government to banks rushing to meet March target</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/bharat-bandh-over-eight-crore-traders-across-india-shut-shop-in-protest-against-rising-fuel-prices-and-changes-in-gst-rules/articleshow/81223361.cms">Bharat Bandh – over eight crore traders across India shut shop in protest against rising fuel prices and changes in GST rules</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/rbi-wants-you-to-memorise-all-your-debit-and-credit-card-numbers/articleshow/81186570.cms">RBI wants you to memorise all your debit and credit card numbers — Amazon, Zomato, Netflix and others argue this will make online payments more tedious</a>

Whether we like it or not, Indians are already partaking in the superfood ‘trend’

<keyword id="6359833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Goods-and-Services-Tax">Goods and Services Tax</keyword> (<keyword id="6354679" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST">GST</keyword>), the proposed national VAT to be implemented in India, may pose risk to internet platforms and tech giants like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Microsoft, since it will hold them responsible for the content published on their websites. 
 
This contradicts the safe-harbour provision of the Information Technology (IT) Act, which has so far exempted these online platforms from being responsible for third-party or user-generated content. Since both acts differ in their definitions, it might cause some confusion when it comes to legal matters. 
 
"The new GST Bill clubs all intermediaries as 'agents' who carry on the 'business of supply or receipt of goods and/or services on behalf of another' (emphasis added) and clubs these entities together with commission agents, brokers, etc," said a statement from the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the body representing tech giants including Facebook, Google, Flipkart and Microsoft. 
 The safe-harbour provisions under Section 79 of the <keyword id="6379296" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="IT-Act">IT Act</keyword> of 2000 says that other than certain conditions, "an intermediary shall not be liable for any third-party information, data or communication link made available or hosted by him," which does not hold entities like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Zomato liable for the content that gets uploaded on their website or gets posted by users. 
 
As per the new GST bill, an agent can be identified as "a person who carries on the business of supply or receipt of goods and/or services on behalf of another, whether disclosed or not, and includes a factor, broker, commission agent, ar hatia, del credere agent, intermediary or an auctioneer or any other mercantile agent." 
 
This means that the websites, termed as agents, would be liable for the content. 
 
As per IAMAI, the government needs to have a certain consistency with the definitions so that confusions in legal matters can be avoided. 
 
<a href="http://www.dalaltimes.com/images/2015/dec-10/gst_1600.jpeg">Image source</a>

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