ixigo wanted to connect with its audiences in a way that not only provides enjoyment to them, but also builds up brand awareness and positive attitude amongst existing and new users.
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How Ixigo Reached 25 Million Users on a Shoestring Budget
1. Challenge
To execute an innovative “low cost high reach”
capsule for travellers that builds up brand
awareness and positive attitude amongst
existing and new users.
2. Objective
• Come up with a creative solution that is simplistic and solves
an informational problem in a fun way.
• Create content that is useful and share-worthy.
• Create positive brand association which is self-propelling.
• Make it compelling and a social talking point.
3. How We Did It
On August 27th 2014, ixigo released a 2 min 30 sec video on travel hacks.
The video strikes a perfect balance between brand philosophy and usability.
4. Video Execution
In-house Production
Cost of production, distribution and promotion - $500
• From jewellery hacks to luggage hacks, it covers almost everything that
you’ll need to know while packing your bags smartly.
• The video was created in a way to hook a viewer in the first few seconds.
• Key points are conveyed through words on the screen so that they can be
easily understood without sound (earphones/speaker agnostic).
5. Why Did We Make a Video?
• Most people prefer videos over white papers, long articles, case studies
and even live demos.
• The purpose was to drive high engagement and leverage Facebook’s
latest native video features.
• In an age of information overload, it is vital for businesses like ixigo to offer
content that is easy to digest. Nothing works better than a 2-3 minute
video; ‘snack-able content’.
• As per the annual CISCO report, by 2015, 1 million video minutes, the
equivalent of 674 days will be shared on the Internet every second.
6. Platforms Used For Promotion
Facebook was our chosen platform, since we had an active audience base of
700,000+ fans. With this we were able to leverage our fan base for the
incremental growth.
7. Video Results in 2 Weeks
Video reach 25.7 million
Video views 4.3 million
Video likes on Facebook 435,039
Video comments on Facebook 51,854
Shares on the video 223,132
10. What Worked For The Video
Short and crisp – With the dropping attention spans and chaotic newsfeeds,
short and crisp content works well for virality. This video was a 2.3 minute,
crisp guide to smart packing.
People are more likely to share something if they have a strong,
positive response to it.
People want raw content that feels genuine to them.
It is not about the production quality but the storytelling and value users
get. “How-to” guides work really well. The simplicity and the basic edits of the
travel video did bring out the authenticity of the hacks explained.
Keep it simple and get to the point.
11. Video ROI - Cost vs Reach
With just over 30K INR
spend ixigo was able to
garner a reach equivalent to
a 30 sec spot on TV on
prime time/cricket.
The ROI was mind blowing:
just Rs 1.2 to reach 1000
viewers vs Rs 23-35 to
reach a similar base on TV.
It proves how videos on
digital is now mainstream if
done in the right manner.
Create meaningful and
engaging content and then
distribute it intelligently.
₹ 30K
₹ 900K
₹ 1.1M
25 Million 26 Million
45 Million
Video Prime time shows on GECs IPL
Spends INR Reach (MM)
ROI - Cost in INR to reach 1000 users
1.20
34.60
23.30
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
IPL
Prime time show on GECs
ixigo viral video
*the above calculation is based on approx no’s found on the web and is just indicative
14. Conclusion
It is important to have a great content strategy and distribution plan in place to
attract new and repeat users.
It is equally important to encourage existing fans to spread the word further
and use them as brand advocates.