It's that time of the year. December. Looking back or looking forward time. I try to see ahead. What's the scene for the digital space in India, in the coming year? My few thoughts on where Digital is headed, in 2012. Would love to read your opinions too. Do share..

1. Predictions for Digital: 2012
Also known as ‘Sticking-my-neck-out’
syndrome, in month of December!
SANJAY MEHTA

2. THESE DECEMBER DISEASES
SANJAY MEHTA

3. These December Diseases
• Round-up of the year gone by (Best of, Worst
of, Ugliest of, Smartest of, etc.)
• Predictions for the year to come
• Latter is easier – no one has seen it, and will
take 12 months to prove you wrong; by that
time, your predictions would be forgotten
• AND if by chance, you got lucky and got many
right, you can always ‘tom-tom’ it yourself!
• So I stick my neck out too.. !
SANJAY MEHTA

4. CRYSTAL BALL GAZING 2012
SANJAY MEHTA

5. My Predictions for Digital: 2012
1. E-commerce / Online Retailing will continue
to show blazing growth in India
2. Group Buying / Daily Deals on the other
hand…the model will crack!
3. Media Spends will see a sharp swing to what
is considered as digital, though boundaries
will blur in 2012
4. Integration: Traditional+Digital+Social etc.
5. Facebook pages will have to fight clutter
SANJAY MEHTA

6. My Predictions for Digital: 2012 (contd)
6. Google+ will be one more promising project
of Google…that didn’t go far!
7. Social Media will see a few embarrassments
(and I hope it’s not our clients!!)
8. Online Reputation Management will be HOT
9. India’s Old Spice equivalent will happen –
beyond Kolaveri (and I hope it’s our client!!)
10.We’ll see M&A in agency space
SANJAY MEHTA

7. 1. E-COMMERCE / ONLINE RETAIL
WILL CONTINUE TO ROCK AWAY..
SANJAY MEHTA

8. 1. E-commerce / Online Retail
• Last 12 months have seen serious break-out in
volumes
• Internet penetration, broadband, mobile
growth have all been factors
• Most important though: a new digital native
generation of consumers
• Blazing growth will continue, largely driven by
Tier-II, Tier-III markets
SANJAY MEHTA

9. 1. E-commerce / Online Retail (contd)
• Tier II / Tier III – same aspirations and similar
means, but fewer or non-existent brand stores
• Flipkart, Infibeam and other leaders of today
will continue to grow and maintain position
• But several new, niche specialist sites will
emerge and challenge category leadership
• Amazon will acquire, but not Flipkart
• Indian retail majors will not acquire yet
SANJAY MEHTA

10. 2. GROUP BUYS / DAILY DEALS:
THE MODEL WILL CRACK UP..
SANJAY MEHTA

11. 2. Group Buying / Daily Deals – the
business model will crack!
• Taggle was not able to tackle, and now we will
see Snap Deal’s model also Snap!!
• 10% off is not a big deal, and 75% off can’t
sustain – something’s got to give!
• The MRPs of Spas would have got permanently
rerated; other categories can’t!
• Excess inventory – physical or perishable (hotel
rooms, spa capacities, saloon chairs, airline
tickets etc.) may still work
• Good as a niche play, can’t challenge core
commerce
SANJAY MEHTA

12. 3. MEDIA SPENDS WILL SHIFT
MORE TOWARDS DIGITAL
SANJAY MEHTA

13. 3. Media Spends will see BIG shifts
• Bunch of factors will influence the shift
• Economy blues will prohibit large mainline
campaigns
• Good time for brand managers then, to walk-
their-talk on digital becoming more crucial
• Boundaries between traditional and digital (and
all other types in between) media will blur
• But agencies playing in digital space will see
larger billings, any which way
SANJAY MEHTA

14. 4. INTEGRATED MARKETING
SANJAY MEHTA

15. 4. Integration’s the word
• Your TVC has a call to action to a Facebook
page, and the campaign extends there
• Your successful TV campaign takes a new leaf,
in terms of sequels on YouTube
• Flash mobs at the mall largely aimed to create
content that will viral on social media
• Bloggers invited to your press conference
• Live tweeting of your on-groundevent
SANJAY MEHTA

16. 4. Integration’s the word (contd.)
• Business scandal that refuses to die on Twitter
• Or a story that breaks on Twitter, and then finds
wings as it gets on to mainline media
• Driving traffic to your YouTube takeover page, via
banners on Rediff or Yahoo
• All of these are real, and already there today!
• Will become the norm in 2012
• Think ONE-line: mainline-new media-social-
digital-ATL-BTL….it’s all about the brand after all!
SANJAY MEHTA

17. 5. BRAND PAGES
ON FACEBOOK
WILL HAVE TO
FIGHT CLUTTER
SANJAY MEHTA

18. 5. Facebook pages will be cluttered
• Everybody and their uncle will have one!
• And new ones will keep coming up daily!
• The fight to acquire fans will continue; those who
can’t (and few who won’t) fight will look for ‘the
deeper meaning’
• Creativity will be at a premium – how to make my
Facebook page noticed and get more fans
• The wiser will focus on the ‘right’ community and
engagement, and real business goals!
SANJAY MEHTA

19. 6. GOOGLE+ WILL BE AN ALSO-RAN
SANJAY MEHTA

20. 6. Google+..aah..Google+
• Would be acknowledged as one of the best
Google projects on Social Media..
• ..before being given it’s rightful place in
HISTORY
• It may morph into a decent search engine aid
or a cool Web meeting (hangout) place, but as
a wannabe social network, the game would be
up
• The geeks will continue to use it like their
private network, and swear by it too
• But Facebook will remain streets ahead
SANJAY MEHTA

21. 7. WHOOPS..I AM ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
EMBARRASSMENTS WILL HAPPEN!
SANJAY MEHTA

22. 7. Social Media will see few boo-boos
• There is an itch for top management to get on
to Social Media, especially Twitter
• “Anand Mahindra’s there, I should too..”
• And as top management go, they listen less
• 2012 will see a few of them making mistakes!
• (Hope it’s not one of our clients!  )
• Causes could be: not realizing consequences,
or being trigger (twitter) happy, etc.
• All hell will break lose, then.. !
SANJAY MEHTA

23. 8. REPUTATION WILL HAVE TO BE
MANAGED: ORM WILL BE HOT
SANJAY MEHTA

24. 8. ORM will be the NORM.. !
• Online Reputation Management has not been
taken very seriously by most brands yet
• As negative mentions, brand attacks, customer
revolts, etc. become common, brands will wake up
• Some will directly impact market share, some the
market cap, and most will be expensive to correct
• ORM will thus become the norm – more brands
will want to detect and protect, rather than fix!
• Budgets will be treated akin to insurance premia
SANJAY MEHTA

25. 9. THE FIRST OF INDIA’S BIG SOCIAL
MEDIA BRAND WINS WILL BE SEEN
SANJAY MEHTA

26. 9. India’s big SM winner will happen
• Tata DoCoMo’s fan base is largely incentive
based
• Kolaveri Di was a winner, but..
• We don’t have a very strong SM winner, from
regular product brands yet
• We don’t have our Old Spices or Blendtechs
• 2012 will see the big SM brand winners in India
• (hope it’s one of our clients  )
SANJAY MEHTA

27. 10. M&A IN AGENCY SPACE
SANJAY MEHTA

28. 10. Consolidation in the space?!
• Digital and Social Media space dominated by
independent agencies, including boutique ones
• Majors and larger agencies will scout space
• A first major acquisition will be seen in 2012
• Consolidation may happen amongst the smaller
agencies as well
• This, in spite of the slow economy!
SANJAY MEHTA

29. Ouch..the neck hurts!
From sticking out for so long..
• What’s your take? Love to
hear your opinions as well..
• Meanwhile, wishing all of
you a Fabulous New Year!!
Sanjay Mehta
Jt CEO, Social Wavelength
Twitter: @sm63
SANJAY MEHTA