by Paul Joseph
August 14, 2011
Featured
We feel the need to belong, to form a part of a group who make us feel wanted, and loved and understood. And what better place to do that than the Internet? We’re not suggesting you stop going out more often, but there are increasing signs of “like-minded” individuals e-huddling together and carrying out activities which are of common interest, and this is where niche social networking steps in. By targeting a specific audience, a niche social networking site is able to create an automatic bond between people. Niche social networks center around a specific hobby or activity . Which means if you like planting cactus in your garden; chances are you will take help from the Internet, where you will most probably find a bunch of like-minded people who prefer cacti to lilies or roses. Someone who is deeply obsessed with the same idea has already created some kind of interactive forum or web page where fellow cactus-lovers unite, and voila, a “niche” is created, which will be targeted by Advertisers with glee. All the eggs in one basket This is the basic principle with which advertisers are able to pinpoint whom they can target next. For them, a niche site contains a specific demographic of people who share the same interests, views and likes. Chances are they are all from a specific income group as well. Digressing from our initial thorny example, if you have a large group of BMW fanatics who have formed a website to cream over how much they love those cars, you have a set of individuals who are able to spend a specific amount on a product. So a company like Rolex can position their ads on this website, where you have a ready market for people who can actually afford their watches. This means future clients are targeted specifically, and is an advertisers dream come true. The US Army is on it! Their private social network milBook is nearing 20K members. Touted as a secure, behind-the-firewall Facebook-type social network, it has hundreds of user groups and is making a mark as the most widely adopted Web 2.0 tool by the Department of Defense. Through discussion topics, they can exchange ideas among self-created groups on Army policies, external cultural influences and the like. The information can either be restricted to that user or shared with the entire milBook community. Regardless, it will always remain behind the firewall. Ibibo.com drives the point home According to the ComScore Study on Social media (of August’ 2010), ibibo.com saw its user base jump from (July 2009) 15,62,000 users to (July 2010) 29,60,000 users. It offers niche users nuances that were Indian in context. “It actually caters to niche Indian taste”, Rahul Razdan , President Product and Operations, ibibo.com. said. “An Indian gaming user really did not know much about Italian mafia but could relate to an India mafia game . They could look for some variations of a card game played in Diwali. The site offers games typical of an Indian scenario like cows on the road”. “It is like a local soap opera where you could add features and twists and turns to suit local niche appeal “, he said, adding, a generic global social network could not really hope to address such issues. “As a local social gaming platform we have worked. We have picked up traction big way”, he said. The jury is still out though, but with India’s Internet population only going up, it’s only a matter of time before we are being snobby about which niche site is “cooler”. Do you network in a Niche? Tell us now!
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by Paul Joseph
August 13, 2011
Featured
It is safe to say that the Tablet sector in India is on fire. After a large range of tablets like the Xoom , Galaxy Tab , iPad2 , Sony S1 , Acer Iconia and Playbook in the upper segment, there are now also a decent range of lower and mid range tablets; namely Lenovo’s range of tablets, G’Five with their budget tablets and the Indian Government’s Sakshat tablet due. Telecom service provider RCom has become the first 3G operator in India to launch its own 3G enabled tablet. Creatively called the ‘Reliance 3G Tab’, it has the following specs: 7 inch Capacitive LCD Touchscreen 512MB RAM microSD Card Slot upto 32GB, with 4GB memory card provided by Reliance Android 2.3 Gingerbread 2MP Rear Camera, Front Facing VGA Camera for Video Calling Lightweight at 0.4kg The front facing camera for Video Calls, coupled with Reliance’s 3G network ranging 13 Circles and 333 Towns make this device very attractive for those looking to use Video Calling. They have further said that to enhance value, discounts on monthly and annual data plans will be available. The best part about the tablet though, is its price. It will be available for Rs. 12,999/- opening it up to a whole new segment. Mahesh Prasad, President, Reliance Communications Limited said , “Reliance Communications has always been a pioneer in taking bold steps to innovate and re-invent the telecom ecosystem in the country, and has always believed in bringing products to Indian customers that fulfill their needs and desires with incredible affordability. The launch of Reliance 3G Tab is in line with this principle. We believe the unmet demand of a fully loaded tablet at an aggressive price point will now fuel the aspirations of the evolved customers. Equipped with the best 3G network in India, customers can now enjoy superior 3G broadband speeds for Internet access and uninterrupted data experience without buffering on their Reliance 3G Tab along with a host of other features.” Within the next few days, it will be available across 13 3G circles. A dedicated line will be open to provide technical assistance to users. While the tablet may not sport Android’s Tablet-OS Honeycomb, it can be overlooked because that requires a dual core processor. If they did include that, the current pricing would not be possible. Do you think the tablet will be able to make room for itself in the already crowded market? Are you going to consider the Reliance 3G Tab?
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