Aquil Busrai and Sajid Shamim (BMD 96) in Mint article

From the Mint

Companies heed the online message

Indian companies are increasingly using online social platforms to connect a dispersed workforce as well as to reach out to elusive customers in multiple markets. While information technology (IT) firms are in the lead, mainly to foster internal communications, consumer product makers are discovering the potential of social networking sites as brand promotion tools. . .

. . . “What were once thought to be Internet fads are now commanding the attention of people and businesses around the world,” says Aquil Busrai, executive director, HR, IBM India and South Asia. . .

. . .

There’s so much activity, it is all real data for any marketer

SAJID SHAMIM

Executive director, marketing, Reebok India Co

Photograph: Harikrishna Katragadda / Mint

How many hours do you spend on the Internet in a day/week?

I spend 13-14 hours a week on the Internet.

What social networking/social media sites do you visit?

I am a member of the Orkut, Facebook and LinkedIn communities, and spend a total of around 30 minutes on these sites a week.

Have you derived any insights from these websites?

The reason I signed up with these websites is for the marketing insights they provide. People are really into social networking—my friends are constantly updating their profiles, sending photos and sharing information. I see so much of activity and engagement happening, and this is all real data for any marketer.

Have you ever identified a trend by visiting social media sites and then included it in your company’s digital marketing strategy?

It was after I became active on these websites that we strengthened the presence of Reebok on social media sites. We have allocated much of our online budget to social media. We are currently planning an engagement tool in this space—it is currently a work-in-progress, so I can’t share too much on it yet.

Is it important for marketing heads, and marketing departments in general, to be active on digital platforms to keep track of current trends in this space?

Absolutely. Social networking is growing at double the rate of digital advertising, and the number of hours consumers spend on these websites is exceptionally high. These websites give brands a captive consumer base, so it is necessary for marketing departments to know what is happening here to target their communication better. If marketing personnel are not active on digital platforms, they will be left out in the long run.

(Priyanka Mehra) . . .

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