April Fools Day !

Given the fact that, there have been “n” number of contests happening on Twitter & Facebook daily.  People who are contest freaks were all set to win a lot of freebies on 1^st April as well.

There are people on Twitter who keep tweeting like a machine & it seems like their only aim in life is to play & win contests. Sometimes I wonder if they have a “LIFE” of their own or they  “LIVE” only to play such contests!

So on April Fools Day as a lot of people were trying to keep themselves safe & not get fooled by their friends and family, little did they know that a Brand which has been making them win big will fool them.

One such Brand which really caught my eye & whose prank I found interesting was “Godrej Aer”. 

These people have definitely been planning the campaign for a while now as they really made the prank look so genuine, not only on their social media platforms but also on their website.

So ! What was the Prank about?

Godrej Aer promised to bring out the World's  #firsteverfragranceapp.They made use of  their website, Facebook & Twitter for their campaign. 

On Twitter :  

They asked people to tweet with the hashtag #firsteverfragranceapp & tag as many friends possible. People tweeted with enthusiasm as to which fragrance they would like from their app & the winners were given prizes like a Sony Cybershot Camera and an IPad Mini.

On the Website:

When you go their website www.godrejaer.com It feels like a robot is welcoming you & asking you to wait & do as he says. The voice of the lady asks you to come closer to the screen in order to be able to smell the fragrance when the green light goes on.

After a couple of seconds you get a notification whether you can smell the fragrance with two options “Yes”  or “No” – Once you click on “YES” it takes you to a page which says “Come on, You can’t be serious, We can’t make fragrance come out of your screen”.

The ones who clicked “NO” were given another  option “Come closer to the screen, Inhale deeply when the green light comes on. Press the spacebar when you’re ready.”

Then again when someone presses a space bar it says “Come on, You can’t be serious, We can’t make fragrance come out of your screen”.

On Facebook:

They also developed an application on Facebook which said “sweet rose fragrance app” – The world’s #firsteverfragranceapp. Download it for free & smell fresh roses on your device”.

When people clicked on Download they got a customized message with their name “Dear _________  aerpril’s fool! “ Along with a message that Godrej Aer can’t make devices fragrant but with their products you could make your car & room fragrant!

Overall I think it was a very well ideated & executed campaign, Something different & creative I have come across in a while.

The best part was, they made it look so real by working on their website, using Facebook + Twitter that made many people actually fall for the Prank! 

How important is it for a Brand to have an Online Presence?

With the aggressive competition & advanced technology in today’s world it has become very important for Brands to create their online presence.  This isn’t just applicable for the biggies but also for the small well established brands. 

When a prospect meets you & you exchange Business Cards both scan through the Business Cards. The contents of most of the Business Cards these days are - Organization Name, Name of the Person, Designation, Contact no, E-mail Address & a link to their website. People who are highly active on Social Media also share their Twitter handles & links to various profiles.

How does this help? Well, when a prospect meets you he/she wants to see your past work, products, etc. Having a website helps your Brand in many ways. People can check your website anytime as it is available to everyone via Internet. Your website tells about your work – it is like an alter ego – people can go “WOW” or just drop the plan to do Business with you. If you have a website make sure you give it the best look – spend some money & get it made professionally – The quality of your website tells who you are. It doesn’t have to be a Flash website, a basic website which is neatly done can suffice. It will also help in Search Engine Optimization. 

A website is something which can be viewed from anywhere in the world. People abroad can view your website & get information about your Brand. You can not only get clients from your city but your country or another country. Therefore I think it is very important for a Brand to have an Online Presence – a Website is a must have.

Now comes the latter!

Does your Brand really need a Social Media Presence? 

Well Yes & No Both! Depends from Brand to Brand. A Brand which caters directly to the consumers should definitely have a Social Media presence, be it a store down the street or a home-made cup cake’s business.  A lot of people have realised this & are coming ahead & creating a Social Media Presence. However, Some people still think that having a Social Media Presence is not Important for their Brand. They still believe in the principle “Word of Mouth”, But does WOM really help? If your Brand is on Facebook it can grab more eyeballs, When you post something on your page & if someone likes it / shares it – it shows up on their wall, this is then seen by the people in that person’s list & so on.  People may not exactly know who you are but your 1 post can make them want to go to your page & check who you are, what you do, etc.

Social Media is best for the reputation of your Brand. Remember there are many people trying to kill your brand, direct interaction with consumers, catering to their problems, complaints etc can help your brand a lot & also manage its reputation.  

It is not really important for a company dealing into B2B products to have a Social Media Presence but yes having a website will sure help it grow its business.  For such companies LinkedIn is the best bet as it will not only help in Networking but also help in genuine inquiries from serious buyers.

To sum it up, It is important for every brand to have an online presence for higher brand recall.

The world is going the Digital way, Are you ?