India has the world’s largest youth population falling between the age group of 10 and 24 years. The United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of the World’s Population report elaborates that today every third person in an Indian city is a youth. Plus, in about seven years from now, the age of a median individual in India will be 29 years, living in a city.
India is set to experience a dynamic transformation in the ongoing retail boom that has struck a chord with Indian citizens, particularly the youth.
On the transforming Indian retail market and catching up the pulse of youth on social media platforms, Kabir Lumba, Managing Director, Lifestyle International Pvt Ltd writes in the IMAGES Business of Fashion Yearbook 2015 that along with a strong focus on the Indian consumers, importance also needs to be given to technology and also on offering quality services. He says, “While catering to the Gen X Indian consumer, it also becomes imperative to never forget that the primary focus will always need to be on providing a great product.”
Sachit Bhatia, Founder, Troika Consulting emphasises on the importance of engaging youths with brands at social media platforms which is no longer a fad anymore; it is a strategy that no brand can afford to ignore and also is the future.
In his article published in IMAGES Business of Fashion Yearbook 2015, Bhatia explains what best connects with the youth and what are the trends online, so brands can have a clear understanding of each platform and the interests of their consumers. Taking this into account, what is going to be the trend socially then, among the youth today and beyond?
Now, coming to the various avenues of marketing that social media offers, Bhatia elaborates that each platform demands a ‘No one size fits all’ strategy. “On Twitter, you have to be creative with words whereas on Instagram, you need to be creative with pictures.The top social media network platforms in India are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn – these need no comprehensive introduction,” he says. Here are the unique characteristics of each, according to Bhatia:
Facebook
The sheer strength of the audience at this platform and the ‘everyone’s on it’ rule makes it a MUST platform for a brand to be on.
Twitter
The very nature of this platform makes it difficult to attract followers without active updates and contests. The strategy is simple – to draw people who are followed by a crowd. For instance, @MissMalini for the fashion circle.
LinkedIn
This remains a B2B oriented platform with more consulting jargons than youth-related engagement for consumer brands. Nevertheless, Van Heusen is one brand that utilised the platform to its benefit by hosting a competition for fashionable professionals.
YouTube
It does not take too long to build an audience here and get viral. In a very shortspan of time, ‘Google Reunion’ ad was able to attract a million views. The online video audience in India grew an astounding 27 per cent over 2012-13 and YouTube continues to be the top video property with more than 55 per cent share. And, to the advantage of brands, youth form over 50 per cent of the audience here.
Instagram
Instagram is one of the fastest growing social platforms. Launched as a photo sharing space, it rolled out display advertisements in November 2013. Instagram recently bagged a US$ 40 million deal with Omnicom, a global advertising group with big brands such as Pepsi and Nissan as its clients. Nike and Starbucks are the most popular brands on this platform, so do research on them while designing your Instagram strategy.
Let’s have a look at the relatively newer and faster growing platforms, which are slowly catching up in India. These, as discussed in the trends above, are more visual and mobile oriented.
Pinterest
With a largely female audience globally, this platform is still in its nascent stage in India. It offers a visual way of displaying your products by categorising them into different boards. It also runs many boards by brand enthusiasts. If you are looking for a modern gallery for your products that directly links them to your website or e-commerce portal then Pinterest is the one platform for you.
Vine
The short six-second video trend is catching up like wildfire with the youth. You don’t need any technical skills to master this platform. All that you need is just some creativity and fun element. This was used to give live updates during Lakmé fashion week last year. A property of Twitter, the largest age group of Vines is 18–20 years. Going forward, this forms an integral part of your video marketing strategy. This was an account of some of the biggest platforms for social media in India. The social landscape though is vast and not limited to these. As the youth start spending more time on their smart phones, the focus will be to engage them more on mobile applications.
Instant messaging networks and other personalised mobile apps are going to be the next big thing to engage with the youth. WeChat already offers a plethora of marketing avenues to brands, and WhatsApp might soon join this marketing bandwagon. Thus, to remain relevant, brands need to be quick and adapt to changes along with the youth.
Compiled from IMAGES Business of Fashion Yearbook 2015
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