Technical Applications on Facebook enhances brand value as it adds value to the user’s experience at the same time it supports the paradigm of innovative marketing practiced by brands. I had always been curios to check and test applications made by several brands. I was researching on Indian brand pages on Facebook last week and out of various applications tested I truly admire the below mentioned applications out of the various observed.
1. HTSE Watches by Titan Application
- HTSE watch application is not a contest based application unlike others that I had observed, yet it is very innovative, interactive and contains element of thought leadership.
- HTSE watches by Titan runs on light and to see how the watch works one need to power it up by pointing a light source to the webcam (mobile display / flash torch / night lamp / bulb etc.) As soon as the app is powered the screen gets bright and the battery cell shown next becomes green.
- Once you have powered the app, you get to see all the latest models and descriptions of the HTSE watches. Select the one which you like and you are given two options ‘TRY NOW’ and ‘KNOW MORE’. ‘TRY NOW’ feature uses ‘Augmented Reality’ that brings your chosen HTSE watch in front of your webcam display and you can place your wrist and take a picture of it (refer the image below).
- Similarly there is a app that supports lightening up your profile image which is the same concept as mentioned above.
My Verdict on HTSE Applications:
- Though not a contest based, it is yet a very innovative concept that can go viral because of availing a unique experience to its customers.
- Allowing customers to try the watch on wrist on the basis of ‘augmented reality’ concept and clicking a pic with it is a highly interactive concept as customer tends to spend a lot of time with the digital elements of the brand.
- My experience with the application has made me believe that the HTSE watch is really unique and is powered in the presence of light.
- For me this is the ;application of the year’ that is interestingly interactive, clean as there is no contest business, and customers who are brand loyal would be happy to share the watch on their wrist pics.
2. Kurkure Guess the Ingredients Contest
- A neatly designed interactive application built in with Facebook API on the Kurkure page.
- Encourages people to engage with brand and identify the ingredients of Kurkure’s new flavors: South Indian Spicy | Mumbai Special | Bengal Special etc.
- With the choice of various ingredients, you can scoop in and drop the right set of spices, cereals. 3 wrong choices you make you are out of the contest.
- Once you identify ingredients of all the Kurkure flavors in different levels, you can share the results with your friends to make entry in to the contest, to increase the chances of winning you can encourage few friends to play the contest.
My Verdict on Kurkure App
- Educating about the new product in the market is a challenge and creating such contests can make the product familiar to the participant.
- Since the contest is knowledge based, it encourages participant to spend time with the brand (ex: chances of participant buying the product is high, to identify the right ingredient to enter the contest).
- I like the way it is thought processed and designed. I am in support for contests that educates participants about the brand or its products / services.
Good Job Kurkure!
3. Airtel – Road to Vegas
- Continuing the popularity of its advertisement “Kyunki har ek friend zaroori hota hai”, Airtel brings the innovation to facebook too.
- The app is integrated with Facebook API, connects with the song in the ad.
- Participants need to ‘select a friend’ according to the types: Kanjoos friend, joke friend, poke friend, SMS friend, MMS friend etc.
- Once you select your friends, you can tag them. As you tag them the post reaches on your wall and theirs and thus the concept goes viral – encouraging more people to participate in the contest.
- As per the contest if your friend type is more popular, you enter a chance to win the trip to Vegas along with your friends, if you tag the most of friends you may also win a Samsung Galaxy on daily basis.
My Verdict on Airtel Contest:
- Contest is smartly integrated with the overall ‘integrated marketing’ campaign of the brand.
- Since the Target Audience is youth, contest is a great way to encourage youth to spend time with brand + spread the word about their participation.
- Contest also delivers free access to Facebook via their Airtel Connection upon registration, which stuffs participants with “something for sure”
- A trip to Vegas is definitely greedy enough for youth to participate & spread the word.
4. Fastrack – How Small is Yours
- Well, if you look at this contest you might think it is definitely “Fishy”! After all it shows a half naked men, looking exactly down (at the place where genitals are ;)) with question that can make you curious “How small is yours?”
- The contest is apt for the urban target audience on Facebook, as this is ‘funky’ enough to encourage them to participate.
- On clicking the home page, you are not asked to mention the size (as per what I initially perceived), you are rather asked to choose who amongst the four might have the small one (Refer to the image below)
- Contest surely confuses you as it is not too evident what does the brand mean by the “small one”.
- There are 2 boys and 2 girls and you need to click on the person who has the small one. The brand is relating the small one to the miniator shades which is owned by one of the four there and you need to identify one to submit entry for the contest.
My Verdict on Fastrack App:
- The application is well designed and the choice of colors is brilliant.
- I like the way they have related this thing to human body and sex, as sex really sells especially when it is ‘youth’ targeted.
- Contest is simple and doesn’t require much time or intellect of participant.
- It definitely introduces ‘Miniator’ shades to the participant. Smart thought!
I am researching on other few applications and would be adding to the same list. If you have any suggestion please mention it in the comment section below. Thanks in advance 🙂
