Pitch November 2013

Page 20

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Mobile + Social + Video

An all-new formula for Viral Marketing

Vinish Kathuria Digital Enthusiast and Evangelist

vinishk@live.com

The phrase “spread like wildfire” takes on a new meaning in the Digital World

B

ack in school, when we wrote essays for English courses, I remember writing about the accomplishment of one Indian leader, and how the “news spread like wildfire” across the length & breadth of the country. The co-relation to wild fire seemed exciting and was sure to get me good marks on the essay, so I never really stopped to think how a message actually travels to millions of people in a country. Over the years, growing up on newspapers and radio news as a kid, to watching Doordarshan news on a Black & White TV as a teen, to the advent of Color TV and multiple channels during college, and now being addicted to the Internet in the professional era, the role of technology in spreading messages has become increasingly clear to me.

The value of Video as a medium in being effective in driving the messaging of an offering has never been questioned, as is clear with the fact that the Global TV Ad industry expected to cross $200 billion in the next 5 years. In an environment, where watching videos on Mobile is the trend and Mobile Video Traffic is more than 50 per cent of overall Mobile traffic, it is obvious that Mobile is the new delivery mechanism for video content, with two important differences. First, it’s an individual medium, offering more privacy and therefore catering to more personalized consumption. The second, and more important for a marketer, it also provides

Or so I thought… till a relatively recent phenomenon hit home when I noticed the younger members of my extended family, and even those in my team at office absorbing content in a new way - watching videos on their mobile phones or tablets, and sharing their experiences on social media. Videos + Mobile + Social. Wow ! A combination that could open up a whole new world for marketers.

Watching videos on mobile is the trend and mobile video traffic is more than 50 per cent of overall mobile traffic, it is obvious that mobile is the new delivery mechanism 18

Pitch | November 2013


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