1. Team Invicta- Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
Chandrima Das, Gaurab Arka Chaudhuri & Rajyalakshmi K

2. Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 2

3. Market for Blogging in India
Current & Potential
Bloggers
Potential Bloggers
Current Bloggers
People who are aware but
People who are comfortable
do not blog / People who
with the concept of
are new to the concept of
blogging
blogging
Regular Bloggers Infrequent Bloggers Increase Awareness Increase Adoption
How can we make them What are the reasons How do we introduce them What are the reasons for
Directi bloggers behind infrequent blogging? to blogging? not blogging?
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 3

4. 4 out of 5 online Indians are in the „prime‟ of their life (19-35
years)
3 out of 4 of them belong to the „consuming‟ and „aspiring‟
class (almost half of them belong to SEC „A‟ and „B‟)
Half of all Internet users are employed
Their average monthly family income is 3.2 times the
national average
3 out of 4 of them come from the non-metro towns and
nearby villages
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta *Source: India Online 2009, Juxt consult survey 4

5. What Indians do when they are online
90%
% of respondents who performed this activity
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Search for Job search Search for IM/ Chat News Dating/ Cricket Sports Matrimoni Search
travel other Friendship other than als engines
products products cricket
%undertaking 84% 71% 68% 67% 62% 55% 53% 52% 49% 49%
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 5

6. Types of Blogs
C
h Personal Professional Corporate
a
r
a Product/ Firm
Topic Hobbies, Social, Political Technical, Management,
Information &
c issues Science
Promotion
t
e Consumers, B2B
Target General audience Fellow professionals
ri Audience partners
st
i
None; Promote their
c Degree of Low Medium
own products
s Monetization
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 6

7. The Personal Blogger
Demographics Interests Frequency of Blogging
Political/
Age Income Linguistics Hobbies Professional Infrequent Occasional Regular
Social
Blog Platforms (Blogs listed on
The Indian Blogger Indiblogger)*
Blogger
We ran a • Of the respondents, 70% were male, 73% Wordpress.com
survey between the age group 20-25, 52% have
Wordpress.org
among been blogging for 3 years or less.
Unknown
Indian • A huge majority (89%) blog about Blogger custom
bloggers to personal or lifestyle related topics
Wordpress custom
create a followed by Humour (37%) and
Others
profile for Religion/spirituality (37%)
our target • According to Indiblogger, 42% of Indian
blogs are updated once per1-4 weeks An overwhelming majority uses Blogger‟s free
services to Blog
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta Source: Indiblogger Development blog 7

8. Differentiation & Market positioning
Factors Features User To target existing
friendly
Competition
bloggers, position
Existing Bloggers Differentiation
Directi as a
Segmentation superior service
Marketing with extensive
features
High Medium Low
Blogging Market in
India Primary Target segment
Target segment Similarity to Tech
existing users Savvy
School students
College goers who don’t blog
New Bloggers Secondary Target segment
Target segment Similarity to Tech
existing users Savvy
Small business owners
Housewives/ Senior citizens
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 8

9. Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 9

10. Privacy,
Template and Image storage Visitor stats and
Commenting and Collaboration
customization and Galleries Blog import
Main
Contact
Competitors
Can restrict access to Supports Administrator
Can include any type of and non-administrator
invited Google account
Can edit template 1 GB for image storage. 3rd party scripts for roles only.
holders
layouts, styles and One can browse images tracking. Can submit posts by
Visual confirmation and
colours, or install a only by signing up for Supports import only email. Can receive new
moderation options,
third party theme Picasa web albums from another posts by email too (for
but no editing of
Blogger.com blog team blogs)
comments
No template editing. Does not allow 3rd Individual posts can be Supports Administrator,
3GB for image storage. Editors, Authors and
Style sheet editing is party scripts, displays 2 password protected or
Paid upgrades available. Contributors
only available as a paid days stats on the admin Private
Simply add the tag Submit your posts by
upgrade. Support and homepage. Moderation, comment
[gallery] to any post or email. Images can be
customization Supports import from editing and Akismet
page to create a gallery attached.
dependent on theme any blog. spam protection
Stylesheet editing and 3rd party themes without having to pay, and visitor stats comparable to the tracker scripts
one can obtain for free are what holds Wordpress from overtaking Blogger
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta Source: Invicta analysis 10

11. Minimize Maximize
switching costs stickiness
to switch from (switching costs) Features
competitors to of using Directi‟s
Directi‟s service Blog services
Offer feature sets
which can exploit Incentivize heavy Points of parity Points of difference
the specific usage to support
nature of the revenue streams
Indian market
To ensure that Directi‟s To ensure that Directi
service is at least as good offers superior service in
The objective is to leverage network effects and in all feature sets as the specific domains to
stickiness for the service to become more widely next best service differentiate itself
used and entrenched
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 11

12. Point of Difference
Point of Parity Features
Features
Users can edit templates, Full support for Blogging
use 3rd party templates in Indian languages
Support number of
Upgradable storage space Corporate & professional
collaborator roles. Enable Blog Aggregator feature
for files. Gallery plug-ins blogging platform with
email posting with images set
available support and consulting
attached
Password protected posts Can import from any Blog
Comment moderation, Can use 3rd party plug ins Social networking and Feature set for Blogger
editing and Spam for Blog stats, stats on community feature set recall and stickiness
protection dashboard
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 12

13. Preferred reading language for
Internet users in India* PROPOSED FEATURES
English Hindi Tamil Telegu Marathi Gujrati
Malyalam Bengali Oriya Kannada Others
Indic text display support
5% • Full browser support
8% 8% • Easy to use backward compatibility with old
4% Operating systems and downloadable single click
4% font solutions
26% 4% • Page translator widget for blogs
25% 3%
3% Indic text usage support
7% • Downloadable keyboards for typing in Indic
28% scripts
• Enabling “quick Indic text” inserts in an
English language post to facilitate usage of
In addition, the % share of Internet users in “Hinglish” and other colloquial hybrids
India from Rural areas is growing every year
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta *Source: India online study 2008 by Juxt Consult 13

14. Frequency The
Attrition Traffic A two point program to
of posting break this cycle
Spiral
Incentivize
The Post frequency-Traffic conundrum Push Traffic
frequent posting
• A large number of bloggers drop off the Blogosphere
after the first 3-4 months -> User Attrition
• We believe a major factor for this is lack of traffic and
response.
• Correspondingly traffic and response drops off with Blogger points for
infrequent posting Blog aggregator, Social,
commenting, posting,
• The spiral continues till the blogger stops posting community features
Awards and ranks
altogether.
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 14

15. We propose to
Blogger Blog Aggregator Viewer
turn the Home
page of Directi‟s
blog service into a The blogger gets to put snippets
The Aggregator provides Viewer gets to see personalized
Blog Aggregator, of his blog's content on the Blog
categorization and a good menu content if he so wishes. He gets
drawing traffic for service Home page. This
system, attractive packaging, can to see posts according to
users. increases visibility and traffic to
act a broker for ads relevance, popularity, recency
his blog
Category Wise Blog Listing Directi Blogging Points Annual Meets and Awards
• Exclusive Blog sections for major areas of • Incentivize participation and act as a • Acts as an added Social Incentive for
interest like sports, leisure, travel, “Badge” for presenting a user as a frequent members, besides points.
literature. Under each section, there will and committed member of the Blogging • Most active members will be eligible for
be demarcation between main five types community. Both Bloggers and blog Honours and Awards.
of Blogs namely by Personal blogs, viewers (by putting review comments) • Incentivise members to remain active and
Corporate Blogs, Genre, Media type and earn points by commenting, posting and spread word of mouth. Incentives range
Device feeds (For example, a moblog). also based on the ratings their posts get from material (Blogger points) to Social
• Make it easy for Bloggers to form from the community of users. (honours at Annual meets).
communities of interest. • Points can be reimbursed through
sponsored gifts etc.
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 15

16. Aggregator Features
Visibility for Traffic Display of Customization
• Greater visibility of Individual
Ease-of-use
Streaming for Relevant of Blogger
individual blog pages and to forViewers
Blogs Blogs Content Page
display blogs of interest
• Excerpts and not full blog
Blog
posts will be displayed. If Aggregator
anyone wishes to read the
full post, they will be re-
directed to the Blogger‟s Other
own site Blogging
Platforms
• All blogs will carry a
aggregator toolbar for
continued blog surfing Low High
In the initial stages, a user friendly site will attract traffic, hence increasing the switching costs and in the
later stages, networking effects will set in with a large customer base
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 16

17. Exclusive features
Blogger points - an exclusive “badge” to show Exclusive
that a user is a frequent user . Both bloggers and Features
blog viewers can earn points by commenting, Customisable features
posting and on ratings by other users Interactive features
Customizable security features Customizable add-ons to blogger page like
Customisable favorite quotations, cartoon strips, special
Features graphics
User friendly features Extensive customizability for Corporate
Category-wise blog display using
bloggers to integrate with the company‟s User
recommender application interface
Emailed newsletter and custom feeds
A top bar showing most active blogs, most
discussed topics User Friendly Features
Basic Blogger features
Easy to use templates
Clear display of content
Basic Blogger Features Good back end and graphic support
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 17

18. Affiliate Advantages
Integration • Profile integration with
with other other social • Easy Migration from Other
Social networking, job sites. Blogging Platforms –
Networking • Automatic post updates Complete Transfer of all
sites integrated with profiles Posts and Profile
• Migration Further Lowers
• Ability to create Extensive Switching Costs for
Profiles similar to Orkut bloggers
Networking or Facebook. • Networking features
features on • Followers, Connections, creates an unique blogging
Directi‟s service Blogger Groups experience
• Support for Micro- • Integration of Blogging
Blogging with a more Forum like
Environment
• Feed reader options can • Enables Extended
easily be enabled. Discussions on popular
topics
Recommender • Bloggers can recommend
other blogs and specific
posts even, an updated
version of a blogroll
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 18

19. Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 19

20.  Blog published & maintained by corporates as a method of communicating with customers & other
stakeholders
 Breaking out of the “Faceless Entity” Mould
Corporate blog – Why? Corporate blog – Types
Creating a Mindshare External Sales Blog
Customer Relationships Relationship Blog
Media Relations Branding Blog
Internal
Knowledge Management Knowledge Blog
Market Test New Products & Ideas Collaboration Blog
Recruitment Culture Blog
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 20

21. Personality of the Blog
• Blogs generally represent independent viewpoint – need for informality
• Should not look like Press Release or Corporate Communication
• Personal Stories, Experiences, Viewpoints
Who Blogs?
• Determined by the Nature, Topic & Target Audience of the Blog
• Purpose: Mindshare, Customer/Media Relations – CEO, Higher Level Executives & Managers
• Purpose: Recruitment – Employees from All Levels: Brings out the Work Culture – Google Blog
Building Relationships
• Need for a Dialogue Process – Actively Seek & Implement Customer Feedback
• Cannot be Used as a Pure Marketing Tool
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 21

22. Credibility of Blogs & Social Media
As a Whole They Enjoy a Lot
of Credibility 15% Global
Specific Source
Enjoy Some • More than 15% of Fortune 500 Companies have blogs
As a Whole They
Credibility Enjoy Some
• Blogs used to promote Upcoming Products &
54% Credibility 27% Services – Google, Kodak
• Blog for Customer Service, Feedback – Dell, Flickr
• Blog for Providing Enhanced Value to Customers –
Monster.com
As a Whole They Enjoy Little Credibility 4%
Effect of Slowdown on Social Media Spending India
• Gradual Popularity since 2005 – still in Nascent
No Change 21% Stages.
Increase • Bigger Corporate Presence in Social Networking
54% Platforms than in Blogs
Can‟t Say 16%
• Only 8 among the NIFTY 50 have Corporate Blogs
Decrease 9% • Blogs more common among Tech Companies or
Start-ups
• Corporate Blogging in India – almost Virgin Market
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta Source: India Social Media Survey 2008 Blogworks.in 22

23. Blogging Platform Provides Unique Opportunity to Tap into Untapped Market
Consulting & Strategic Development Services
• Providing Consulting Services to companies considering starting a Corporate Blog
• Beneficial to corporates who lack core competency & experience in IT
• Highlight the pros & cons of starting a blog, a development plan with preset milestones
• Provide strategic guidance in deciding blog nature, structure & content
Blog Promotion & Visibility Enhancement
• Create a comprehensive marketing plan for corporate clients including adverting through both online & offline channels
• Leverage our Blogging platform & Aggregator services to promote the company‟s blog
• Direct traffic to the blogs of corporate clients through various promotion schemes on-site
• Implement strategies to enhance search-page ranking
Blog Authoring & Related Support
• Create a comprehensive corporate blogging solution including multi-author, multi-page support
• Premium services such as traffic analysis, user-behaviour tracking, forum support, etc
• Option to provide offline front-end to clients for asynchronous blogging – feature can also be leveraged to generate
revenue from non-corporate users
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 23

24. Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 24

25. All Blogs on the Directi Platform will Carry Advertisements
• Ads on Personal Blogs – Text by Default, Banner Ads only on Request – ensures uncluttered interface
• Context sensitive advertisement – depends on reader interest & blog topic
• Ad revenues shared with bloggers – incentive for bloggers to post & implement methods to increase
traffic
Decision – Third-party or In-house Advertising Provider?
Pros
Third Party
Pros
In House 
Leverage Existing Expertise Can be Adapted to Own Needs
Lower Capital, Labor Investment Can Leverage Across Multiple Platforms
Cons Cons
Not Customisable Not Core Competency
Lost Margins Higher Initial Investment Required
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 25

26. Revenue From Aggregator
• Promoted Blogs: Bloggers can buy Advertisements on the Aggregator Home Page – Separate Section
for these Promoted Blogs
• Search Ads: Bloggers can also bid for Keywords – when Readers search for Blogs within the Platform
using these keywords, the Sponsored Blogs will appear in a separate section on tops
• Adoption of these Promotion schemes driven by Ad Revenue Sharing with Bloggers – Blogs with More
Traffic get more ad revenue
Revenue from Value Added Services
• Consultancy Services: Consultancy Services provided for Corporate Blogging can be spun off as a
VAS for individual bloggers – provide guidance to bloggers in promotion , content management, etc
• Offline Blogging: Offline asynchronous blogging support provided to bloggers on subscription basis
• Advanced Blog Management Tools: Includes traffic trackers, tag popularity trackers, user
behaviour tracker, etc
• Spin off other services provided to Corporate bloggers as individually subscribed features
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 26

27. Comprehensive Corporate Blogging Solution
• Advisory & Consulting Service in designing, setting up & creating content for the blog
• Marketing & Promotion Plan to maximise traffic to the corporate blog – this will include cross-promotion
using our Blogging platform & Aggregator
• Corporate Blogs will carry ads (if the client chooses) of the company‟s products& Services – these ads will be
separately charged
• Separate Premium Service like traffic analysis, user-behaviour tracking, forum support, etc
• Charge for application that allows corporates to blog offline or from Blackberries
Principal
Revenue Ads Corporate Blogging Aggregator Value added services
Streams
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 27

28. Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 28

29. Message-increasing Affective- changing
Measures
awareness the attitude
67% of target segment spend time
Advertizing on Social on IM/ Chat and 55% on
Blogs are a more customizable
networking sites method to express and connect
networking sites
Episodes on “Starting your blog” Users would believe its easy to set
episodes with celebrity bloggers up their blogs
TV programs on News
and Youth channels
Projecting blogs as a medium for “Blogs are a cool way to
youth to express themselves communicate”
Awards and Recognition: Sponsor a “Blog of the Month” on Blogging is a way of earning
youth channels recognition
Blogger of the Month
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 29

30. Measures Message-increasing Affective- changing
awareness the attitude
Tie-ups with Professional
Networking and job sites like
LinkedIn
A blog is a tool for the Professional
Professionals to become an opinion leader
TV programs for awareness on
News channels
Use networking to gain initial Blogs are a direct and informal
Corporates clientele of Small and Medium
enterprises who do not have
method of communication with the
End Customer
enough IT expertise
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 30

31. Encourage Encouraging progressive
Better Consistent User Assistance
experimentation Adoption
• Clearly differentiate • Demonstrate that • Have an easy-to-use • Encourage users to • Users of technology
the feature set as Directi‟s service interface in which start from an easy products often stop
superior to that of is easy and consistent further feature sets interface and then learning and adopting
existing competitors with what the user can be integrated as progress to more features long before
already knows or per the user‟s choice advanced features by they‟ve mastered
already uses. rather than upgrading slowly. those products‟ full
Therefore, the basic bombarding him with Additional features capabilities.
features set must be a lot of features at must be in line with • Provision of an
easily adapted by say one go. the core value of the interactive feature of
a Wordpress or Blog service user assistance will
BlogSpot user. boost adoption
A progressive
adoption
technique also
needs to make
Converted
Early Adopter Early majority room for the
Blogger FAST
FOLLOWER kind
of users
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 31

32. Integration into
Ease of Monetization Building a community Credibility
Corporate UI
• Professionals are • Professional bloggers • Corporate blogs need • Corporate Blogs need
people who have a lot use community logs to to be easily integrable to be projected as a
of expertise in a field post opinions 69% of with the rest of the credible source of
and often wish to their blogging usage. A Corporate user information for
Monetize their superior collaboration experience. A set of customers.
expertise through system and customizable features
blogging. Increasing community building would work well for
the ease of tools would increase this.
monetization is an adoption to a high
important factor for extent.
them.
Converted
Professionals Corporates
Blogger
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 32

33. Increasing Awareness Increasing Adoption
High Attrition Rate & Low Frequency of Posts
Aiming at the Non-blogging population • Many New bloggers stop within a month of first post
• Large Minority of Indian Internet users do not blog • Majority of Bloggers Post Once a Week or Less
• Reasons – Low/Incorrect Perception about blogs • Reasons -Unrealistic Expectations, Blogging solutions Cumbersome,
• Potentially highest growth segment – 19 to 35 demographic Disinterest among Readers
• Other Potential Segments – MIG/HIG Housewives, Senior Citizens • Few blogs in India generate any revenue, many bloggers not familiar with
• Very Poor Awareness about blogs among Corporates, Perception that advertising solutions for their blogs
Blogging has no benefits on Profitability/Brand Image • Corporate Blogging - Companies not familiar with intricacies of Blogging
as a mode of Customer Engagement
Educate about Blogging
Ensure Sufficient Traffic to Blogs
• Highlight/Promote blogging as a Serious Mode of Expression &
Communication • Promote blogging as an Entertaining Experience rather than as an Ordeal
• Emphasise the Social Aspects of Blogging – Peer Recognition, Ability to • Project Directi Blogger as a favoured web-destination for even non-
Reach a Worldwide Audience bloggers – access to many blogs through the Aggregator
• Corporate Blogging as a way to reach Individual Consumers Directly, • Provide Advisory Services to bloggers to help them increase traffic &
Different from Usual Marketing Channels improve page rank
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 33

34. Recognition Adoption Converted users
This stage should highlight the USP s This stage high lights the user friendly To ensure attrition rates are low, this
of Directi blog i.e., blog aggregator features and customizable features stage encompasses user interactive
and a direct “what‟s-in-it-for-you” targeted at various segments in the campaigns, contests etc
kind of campaign audience • SMS marketing
• Media advertisements • Social Networking sites • Contests and competitions
• Promotional event • Targeted advertising • Socially relevant campaigns
• Affiliate marketing
• News coverage
Internet User Blog Reader Blogger
• Woo the Indian netizen to start • The blog reader would want to • Incentivize existing Bloggers to
reading on Directi‟s Blog become part of the community keep participating
aggregator and start his own blog
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 34

35. Print Ads Television Events
• Targeted towards Tech savvy • Targeted towards young • Tie-up a “Blogger of the
users, some of whom may people who may be internet month” contest with a
already be bloggers. users but do not blog promotional release of a
• Message: Directi offers • Message: Directi‟s service new book , movie or series
superior plug-in features are easy to use, ideal for meant for the age group 15-
• Means: Ads in select experimentation 20
magazines like Digit, CHIP. • Means: Sponsored • Contest through tech
Sponsored Articles in “Blogger of the Month” on magazines on creating easy
newspapers and media youth channels. Sponsored to use themes for Directi‟s
about setting up your blog episodes with celebrity service, thus educating the
or migrating to Directi‟s bloggers on setting up their more tech-savvy users on
services blogs customizability features
However the primary target for promotion are internet users and so Electronic Promotion is the
prime focus of the campaign
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 35

36. Affiliate marketing Viral marketing Social media marketing
Phase I Phase II Phase II
Tie-up with a widely used affiliate
Viral promotions may take the form
marketer to set up text and display ads in
of video clips, interactive games, Creating buzz or news worthy events
relevant sites: Social networking sites and
eBooks, images or even text messages
professional networking sites
Features to Integrate Blog posts with social
media profile, post links are updated by
Follow the Home base- Output model as
Payment preferably on a cost per lead basis default on all social media profiles of the
illustrated later
Blogger with a prominent Directi
reference
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 36

37. Spread videos,
Use Directi‟s Blog interactive games, Gain mindshare
Aggregator as the Badges, Profile through Word of
Home base markers, Blog links Mouth
through the outposts
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 37

38. The Message The Means The Carriers
• Directi is an easy to use • Interactive videos on • Fan pages in Twitter,
Blogging service how to build your first MySpace, Facebook,
• It has the most Blog using Directi‟s community on Orkut
extensive set of service, Driving traffic • Directi‟s blogger„s own
pluggable features to your blog, twitter account to act as
• It encourages monetizing your blog, an quick dispenser of
community building being creative with information as well as
and helps to drive theme etc. to interact with users
traffic to my blogs • Flash games on • Directi Blogger badges
• Directi‟s services are community building, for usage on any blog
user-oriented and they increasing your network listed on the Blog
provide interactive help etc. Aggregator
We propose to
Multiple Online Conversational,
follow a three- Create Buzz
fold strategy
avenues user-oriented
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 38

39. Media- initiative Frequency Reach Cost Conversion
Print media:
3-4 tech magazines A full page print ad per month for 4 months x 4
Television: Blogger of the month promos aired 4 times an hour from
Sponsored “Blogger of 5pm to 9pm.
the Month” promos 2 sponsored episodes, with promos airing 4 times an
aired on youth channels hour from 5-9
Sponsored episodes with
celebrity bloggers
Promotional events Event promos in Print media (tech magazines) and on
television at similar frequencies as above
Affiliate marketing Tie-up with an extensive network and have context based
text and banner ads
Viral and Social Media Bring out catchy and humorous promotional videos every
Marketing 2 weeks for 4 months on to “how to set up”, “exploring
features and theme”, “tips and tricks” themed videos and
e-zine articles
Low High
Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 39

40. Team Invicta, IIM Calcutta 40