DIGITAL MARKETING – 19BC06

Digital Marketing - Case Study

20B104 Anandha Kumar M Case 1
20B106 Chan Be A Case 1
20B107 Hari Hara Sudhan Case 1
20B110 Iswariya R Case 1
20B111 Jaya Krishnan R Case 2
20B113 Kavin S Case 2
20B123 Periyasamy M Case 2
20B126 Premkumar G Case 2
20B127 Raghul R Case 3
20B128 Raji N Case 3
20B129 Ranjithkumar R Case 3
20B131 Sam Immanual A Case 3
20B133 Saranya R Case 4
20B136 Surya S Case 4
20B137 Tharun Kumar G Case 4
20B139 Vijay S Case 4
20B140 Yasar Sharieff E S Case 5
20B201 Abdul Sukkoor Case 5
20B205 Bharathi Kannan .S Case 5
20B213 Kavinila K Case 5
20B214 Keerthana Ak Case 6
20B215 Krishnamoorthy R Case 6
20B216 Madan Venkat M Case 6
20B220 Nagaraj D Case 6
20B221 Patchaimurugeswaran G Case 7
20B222 Pavithran P Case 7
20B227 Rajarampandiyan K Case 7
20B228 Ramdeepankumar R Case 7
20B229 Ruban John J case 8
20B230 Sakthivel K case 8
20B231 Sanjeevi S case 8
20B232 Santhosh Kumar P case 8
20B235 Surendran C Case 9
20B236 Sushma K Case 9
20B237 Vaishnavi M Case 9
20B240 Yovan C Case 9

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

 Case Study - 1

AirAsia: Using Social Media to survive catastrophe

Increasing usage of the internet by people in Malaysia, catalysed by lifestyle changes on the
digital front prompted AirAsia to engage in the usage of Social Media to interact with the
airline’s customers.

Little did the company know that its efforts to engage its customers through the online media,
aimed at brand building and strengthening consumer relationships would serve as a practical
way to interact with the masses at the time of crisis.

Subsequent to the crash of its AirAsia plane, on December 28, 2014, AirAsia has used the
Internet as a medium for handling the morose situation in three ways:

(i) Update followers on recovery efforts

(ii) Express concern about victims’ families and
(iii) Raising the morale of the AirAsia staff.

In a previous instance, Malaysia Airlines had to face the wrath of unhappy customers when it
failed to provide ample information to them, after the disappearance of Flight MH370.
Learning from their experience, AirAsia constantly kept its customers updated about the
latest developments on search and recovery operations led by The National Search and
Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) Republic of Indonesia. It also shared with the world details of
the high waves and strong currents which hampered the SAR divers to access the fuselage
wreckage which was perceived to be available at a depth of 28 meters on the Java Sea floor.
The sea divers had attempted to descend in order to observe the wreckage but had to turn
back due to rough sea conditions.

The efforts made by AirAsia could in no way reduce the agony of the individuals who had
lost relatives in the crash, but, reiteration of the efforts going on to salvage the situation
created an environment of empathy in the minds of its customers.

The live social media updates across authorised AirAsia social media accounts: Facebook
(www.facebook.com/AirAsia ) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/AirAsia ) kept a stream of
information coming in regarding the aircraft getting traced, activities and efforts of the divers
in reaching the wreckage, transportation of the remains and the activities of the Disaster
Victim Identification cell set up by the Police Department, Republic of Indonesia. The
updates included details on recovery and identification of remains of the victims as also
expression of sympathy towards the bereaved families.

Needless to say AirAsia has built an image for itself through sharing constant updates about
airport logistics, check-in and check-out facilities, and cuisines available on the flights, travel
updates, and consumer engagement through contests for travel resolutions.

Questions

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

 1. Assume that AirAsia needs to develop an App. Create a list of purposes the app can
serve.(6 marks)
2. How can AirAsia use the app for marketing? (7 marks) 
3. Explain importance of social media during a crisis time in the digital world? ( 6
marks)

Case Study - 2

 Daraz. pk - Techno-culture and Pakistan

Pay on Delivery
Free delivery on orders above Rs. 1500
Special Valentine’s Day offers
Deals of the week
Get ready for the ICC world cup 2015
Download the Daraz Android App and shop on the move
Hassle free7 day return policy

These are some of the ways Daraz.pk, Pakistan’s first FMCG E-Commerce solution is
wooing customers.
Renowned brands like Nike, Deepak Perwani, Mantra, Logo, Sana Safinaz, Stella, and
Nadiya Kassam are using Daraz to reach out to customers, offering a trendy, convenient, one-
stop shop, available 24*7, with geographical boundaries and locations, no longer being a
hindrance. Further, FMCG giant Unilever has partnered with daraz.pk to become the first
organization in Pakistan’s FMCG sector to offer an online retail solution for customers.
Pakistan demonstrates a high mobile penetration, increasing internet usage and a willingness
to adapt to innovation. This has helped Daraz get over 5 lakh unique visitors on a monthly
basis. The portal now hosts 360 brands on its site, and 14,000 clothing and accessory items
for both men and women, are now being sold there.
With a push to its social media presence across Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest,
WordPress and YouTube, Daraz is catching on to the imagination of the Pakistani consumer.
Daraz has clearly benefitted by its positioning. Keeping it simple, the company offers:
 An unparalleled shopping experience
 A stylish and trendy, reliable shopping platform
 Affordable prices
 High convenience
 A personalised and secure shopping experience
 Variety of product and brand choices
The question is – how are portals like these sustaining in a country which is supposed to
exhibit a conservative culture and has not demonstrated very high statistics with regard to
internet penetration and usage.
The answer clearly lies in the demographic dividend of the company. While the total volume
of the Facebook users in Pakistan may be minimal as compared to the entire population of
Pakistan, the figures are reasonably comparable to the complete population of a small
European nation.
Additionally, research is proving that the youth is fast adopting the new media channels and
the invariable convergence offered by technology is facilitating a seamless usage across all
gadgets, with the mobile phone gaining a lot of popularity is a medium for communication,
expression and self-gratification.

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

The above reasons are gradually allowing the growth of a techno-culture which facilitates
adoption of new ideas and ventures, thereby making endeavours like the above, successful.
As Pakistan forays ahead, to enhance its literacy rate, improving infrastructure, providing
equitable resources, new media tools and expedient practices for ways of life are gaining
popularity. Ventures like Daraz are clearly a way forward.
Questions-
1. How has Daraz.pk brought online shopping to the masses? (7 marks)
2. Trace the growth potential of competitors for a portal like Daraz in a country like
Pakistan. (6 marks)
3. Trace the growth potential of similar portal like Daraz in India? (7 marks)

Case Study - 3

Dilmah Tea-Positioning Tea Globally

One of the most popular Facebook Pages in Sri Lanka belongs to Dilmah Tea. Dilmah’s
Facebook page reiterates the brand’s philosophy of making business a matter of human
service. The company claims to have a passion for tea and ethics and asks people to join them
on Facebook if they share a similar zeal. With over 12 lakh likes, Dilmah has used its online
presence to display its global reach, showcasing its international partnerships, organizing
global events with world chefs and exhibiting them in the online realm, bringing in
mixologists to create tea inspired treats at specific occasions and parading them on Facebook.
Dilmah has further used its online presence to position tea as a beverage which can be
savoured by individuals at any time of the day. The company has successfully circulated the
health benefits of tea, which make it a preferred beverage globally. Dilmah regularly
organises Competitions to celebrate the art of tea and capturing the timeless tradition of tea
within the contemporary urban landscape. By using social media, Dilmah has hence been
successfully able to build engagement with potential customers.
Dilmah conservation is Dilmah’s venture, focussed on environmental conservation, which
aims at mainstreaming sustainability and conserving the ecosystem.
Dilmah has used its social media presence to build support for its conservation initiatives and
the engagement generated by the online presence of Dilmah tea has supported this endeavour.
As part of its endeavours to build learning towards saving the environment, Dilmah’s
business model centres around a commitment to humanitarian service the environment.
Dilmah recently launched a book called the ‘Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka’, a book about
246 butterfly species. Dilmah used its online presence to publicize the event and was
successful in reinforcing its stand as a socially responsible brand committed to the wellbeing
of the flora and fauna.
Dilmah started the Dilmah School of Tea which was popularised using YouTube. The Dilmah
School of Tea aimed at inspiring passion for tea amongst hospitality professionals, tea
aficionados and consumers. Dilmah has successfully leveraged social media to propagate the
versatility of tea and promote the concept of tea mixology by engaging tea enthusiasts and
fans.
Using the online domain, Dilmah has successfully promoted the state-of-the-art training
facility, complete with a model T-Bar and the comprehensive tea training programme,
meticulously developed, intelligently executed and smartly promoted.

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

Questions

1). Create an online marketing plan for Dilmah Tea. Objectives of the plan should include
consumer engagement and acquisition of new customers. The plan should also be oriented
towards building mass customer support for Dilmah’s philosophy. (10 Marks)

2) Explain the effect of digital marketing for new entrant. (5 marks)

3) Explain how Dilmah Tea has used its CSR projects for marketing purposes (5 marks)  

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

Doctors go Social in China
Case Study - 4

Doctors Go Social in China

Healthcare is one of the basic needs of any society. Interestingly, healthcare is becoming
Internet savvy. What has caught the fancy of several patients nowadays is the proliferation of
online communities of patients where several doctors interact freely. China is one of the
countries in the world which is increasingly witnessing this change.

A study into usage trends indicates frequent usage of these online cliques by doctors, patients,
and individuals associated with pharmaceutical companies. While doctors and patients
venture online to catch onto new developments regarding contemporary treatments and
practices, patients log onto these communities to identify practitioners and hospitals where
they can turn to for treatment.

While most of the communities/blogs/networks are hosted by public networks, quite a few
are hosted by medical associations and individual practitioners. The highest following is that
of oncologists and physicians treating chronic disorders. Some popular online communities
include Doc2Doc and Medscape.

Subjects of discussion include popular and successful treatments, facilities, post-operative

care and medical equipment available at respective locations. Doctors use these forums to
disseminate medical, scientific, technological, and drug related information. Patients use
these forums to discuss symptoms, problems and get remedial ideas from peers and
practitioners. Also posted on these forums is information pertaining to medical journals, and
medical students use these forums as learning grounds. Practitioners and researchers use
these groups to post questions to specialists, conduct surveys and host panel discussions on
specific topics.

Needless to say, this trend is of great interest to hospitals as most Chinese patients use the
Internet as a source of information to select hospitals. Lately, patients who are happy or
dissatisfied with their experiences have also discovered the Internet as a medium to voice
their experiences and hospitals will benefit from:

(i) Monitoring their online reputations

(ii) Channelizing these online interactions to benefit from them.
Through effective use of participation, doctors have used these forums to popularize medical
science, and reveal the human face of their profession, by connecting with members in a
lighter environment. Some young doctors feel that online consultations can spark a trend
which can remarkably help in cutting down patients’ medical costs.

Questions

1. Assume that you represent a medical services organisation, promoting medical

tourism in India. Create a list of activities that you will engage in to enhance your
presence and reach using the virtual space. 10 marks

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

 2. Create a Digital Marketing Plan with respect to STP for a hospital Based out of
Coimbatore 10 marks

Case Study - 5

Social Life in our Everyday Lives-Grameenphone, Bangladesh

Grameenphone, Bangladesh created a campaign titled Social Life in Our Everyday Lives.
The simple campaign plucked some pieces out of the life of a young girl and picturized the
way an average girl’s routine life is, in today’s digital era, and how the undiscriminating
phone has become a gadget she cannot live without.

The campaign started with visuals of a young woman who gets up in the morning, and starts
her day by scrolling down on the messages posted by her friends, on a social network. She
comes across the picture of a donut, which triggers her hunger and while brushing her teeth,
she posts, “Feel like having a donut...feeling hungry”. The screen displays a fact - The Like
button is clicked more than 3 million times every minute.

Subsequently, the girl ventures out into the market, and comes across some donuts in a
bakery. She clicks a picture of the donuts and posts it on the social network. As sharing one’s
thoughts becomes a societal trend, the screen displays a fact -16 billion Instagram pictures
printed on A4 paper would cover the earth 333 times. The girl enjoys a donut, goes home and
starts watching TV, while surfing the Internet. The screen displays a fact, “If Twitter was a
country, it would be the fourth largest country in the world”!

The girl decides to make donuts and browses for recipes on the internet. The screen displays
a fact, “More than 50% of topics on Pinterest revolve around Food.” The girl locates the
recipes and views a video online to help her, as she starts making donuts. The screen displays
a fact, “3 million videos are viewed on YouTube every 60 seconds”. The girl finishes baking
the donuts, gets them out of the oven, decorates them and clicks their picture. She uploads the
picture on a social network, as the screen displays the fact, “42 Billion messages are
exchanged on WhatsApp every day.” She becomes happy as her friends start liking the
picture. The screen displays a fact, “LinkedIn has more users than the entire population of
Bangladesh”.

Grameenphone is the leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh. With more

than 50 million subscribers, Grameenphone is the largest mobile phone operator in the
country. The company has been successful in demonstrating how the lives of youngsters have
changed today. The Internet and the era of social networks and the ability of the ubiquitous
phone to give a consumer access to the online world have greatly impacted the lives of many.
The company has been able to position itself, not merely as a facilitator of communication,
but as a catalyst for allowing consumers to share and exchange emotions.

Questions

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

1. Examine Grameen phone’ s online presence in the context of the Behavioural Internet
theory. 10 Marks

2. The Internet has greatly influenced the everyday life of humans. Comment. 10marks

Case Study - 6

IKEA Malaysia – Building Consumer Resonance through Social Media

Malaysia boasts of a significant volume of mobile and Internet users, who are active users of
Facebook, and stream or download substantial volumes of videos each month. Around 55
percent of the Malaysians have an active YouTube profile and spend nearly 20 hours per
week online. Interestingly, research statistics indicate that Social Media accounts for one-
third of all time spent online in Malaysia.
IKEA is a global player which provides a range of home furnishing products that are
affordable to the masses. IKEA is propagating its ideas of combining function, quality,
design, and value for consumers across Malaysia, using a set of stores, catalogues, via the
web and apps.

IKEA is becoming popular in the social media space, using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
in Malaysia actively, thereby reaching out to more and more consumers in its aim to help
more people live a better life at home. Using visually descriptive posts across various social
media spaces, IKEA is creating an aesthetic appeal for itself by resonating with the
consumers.

The Consumer Equity Brand Pyramid states that a brand moves up the continuum of building
Brand Salience (a deep, broad brand awareness) to a state of Brand Resonance (Intense Brand
Loyalty) by depicting positive brand performance and imagery and influencing consumer
judgements and feelings. This is exactly what IKEA, Malaysia has achieved for itself, using
the digital medium.

On one of its social media channels, IKEA displays a toy house made from a bookshelf
which comes to life at night. The video traverses to explain to consumers what happens at
midnight when the toys inside a bookshelf castle come alive. A magical, visually appealing
video, bound to appeal to the children it is meant for, touches an emotional chord by
positively influencing both the buying decision makers (parents) and the buying influencers
(children).
On Facebook, IKEA has been successfully able to engage the consumers through a host of
contests and activities like the IKEA Photo Finish contest, Create Your Holiday Adventure
contest, the event on a Lion Dance performance to usher in the lunar year, The IKEA Goat of
Infinite Wisdom contest, The IKEA LED Bulbs exchange offer and origami sessions.
Be it posts on sewing projects, bedroom furnishings, vintage inspired room decorations, food
storage cabinets, lucky charms, oriental embellishments, Christmas gift ideas or tips on
maximising kitchen space, IKEA has made sure it touches the life of the simplistic consumer
with its thoughts. What makes the whole effort worth appreciation is the commendable job of
responding to @mentions, a vast majority of which are questions relating to some of IKEA’s
new offerings, product queries and complaints, as well as engaging consumers who have

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

mentioned the brand simply because they are planning a visit to the store or have just bought
something.

What makes the brand appear even more adventurous is the ability to create a humorous
controversy and then leverage the same to its advantage. IKEA launched an advertisement
poking fun at Apple’s overly hyped product launch videos and publicity generated before a
product launch.

The advertisement promoted IKEA's 2015 catalog, which was released in Malaysia, and
focused on the power of book technology. The company positioned the same as not a digital
book, nor an e-book, but a bookbook, which promised wireless capability, eternal battery life,
and tactile touch technology. The advertisement further went on to enumerate the interface
dimensions of the catalogue, the high definition attributes and so on. Needless to say, the
humour in the advertisement reverberated with the masses that laughingly shared and
watched the video.

IKEA’s products are meant to make consumer lives superior. What better way than to touch a
chord with the consumer and subsequently embark on a relationship journey with them?

Questions-

1. Trace Ikea’s social media journey on social media channels other than Facebook and
Twitter, as discussed in the above case. 10 marks
2. Companies can make use of their online brand presence to establish brand identity,
enhance brand meaning, and subsequently reinforce the right brand responses.
Comment 10 Marks

Case Study - 7

Lancome-Using the Internet to Tap the Chinese Consumers

China clearly possesses what the world terms as a demographic dividend-a large population
and subsequently a rapidly growing consumer market. Needless to say, China is very
attractive to global players who are experimenting with innovative ways to create marketing
campaigns which are relevant to the Chinese consumers. The Chinese cosmetics market has
grown tremendously in the last few years, with the rapid development of the Chinese
economy. The typical Chinese consumer wants to fight aging, stay youthful, pursue body
fitness, and is quiet fond of international cosmetics brands. The Chinese cosmetics consumers
are known to look for value in their products, study the ingredients, and their effectiveness in
lightening their skin and providing it luminosity.
Lancome deals in products in the categories of skincare, fragrance, and makeup. The initial
positioning of Lancome was a brand for the higher end, affluent consumers. However, in a
bid to be more attractive to larger volumes of consumers, Lancome has tried to change the
positioning by launching a varied range of products for all segments.

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

The brand has further been able to smartly use the Internet by using online social networks
and e-commerce to its advantage to communicate a new positioning with the masses, and to
reach out through ease of purchase. Lancome has created a widespread presence on the
Chinese social networks- Kaixin, Renren, and Sina Weibo and has successfully created online
communities of cosmetics, comprising homogeneous groups of Chinese consumers interested
in the product. By getting adequate retweets and shares, the communities have thrived as
cliques of people, who share common interests and engage with each other in a climate
demonstrating reciprocity and participation.

Lancome frequently invites influential people to engage in discussions on these networks and
has now been a forward thinker and has elegantly launched its own social network called
Rose Beauty, the first brand social network dedicated to beauty in China. Makeup
professionals dole out advice on makeup and beauty tips to prospective consumers. By
creating a thriving community where people feel proud to interact with others, Rose Beauty is
now transforming into a forum where people post pictures of the latest and pioneering
product offerings in the domain of cosmetics.

The forum also provides consumers access to a series of apps-apps where consumers can
create virtual avatars of their images, apps where consumers can receive advice and test new
products.

Lancome’s success story can clearly be attributed to its ability to understand the typical
Chinese cosmetic consumer, as well as tap into the increasing use of the internet to reach out
to this special consumer category.

Questions-

1. Compare Lancome’s growth in the Chinese markets to its competing brands. 10

Marks
2. How can Lancome use the Internet in other ways to increase brand reach? 10 marks

Case Study - 8 20B217 to 20B224

Maybanking-Marketing using Mobile Banking Apps

With the growth of a distinct trend of Internet savvy, mobile savvy, tech-savvy customers,
companies have to be very competitive to remain attractive to customers to feature in their
consideration set.
Maybank, Singapore is a leading bank in Singapore which offers a wide spectrum of personal
and corporate banking services, credit cards, loans, insurance, investments, deposits etc. The
bank is committed to delivering seamless and innovative banking solutions for its customers.
Singapore houses a young population, with a busy life, urban, metropolitan tastes and trendy
lifestyles. These customers value convenience hugely, because of their busy schedules.
Further, most smartphone users demonstrate significant usage of social networks and video
and Singapore ranks very high on Mobile App usage. This has been recently proven in
studies pertaining to changing consumer behaviour in the era of tablet and smartphone
penetration amongst the population in Singapore.
This is where Maybank has played smart. It has made use of the domain of social media and
mobile banking apps to remain ahead of competition.

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

Social Media:
Maybank is indulging in substantial social media activity involving promotional,
organizational and relational content on a host of online platforms to entice the younger,
affluent and upwardly mobile, aspirational segment of customers. With a robust presence on
YouTube, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn, Maybank is trying to engage all population
typologies – the professional as well as the elite. With posts ranging from golf to paths to
prosperity to scholarship awards, to contests to Maybank cards, the company is trying to tap
into all facets of life.

Maybank launched a Mobile Banking App which provides services such as:
(i) Quick transfers
(ii) Direct access to Frequently Asked Questions via the personalisation feature and
(iii) Access to the latest Facebook feeds
(iv) Facilitate peer to peer payments via text message

The App provides the following benefits - more touch points for the customers, enhances the
reach of the bank, allows funds to be transferred quickly and easily using a single password
by providing more banking options and convenience. The app is equipped with enterprise
grade security, enabling secure transactions.

The apps offered by Maybank are compatible with iPhones, iPads, Android, and Windows
Phone options.

Clearly, Maybank has geared up to offer a customer friendly experience which is fast
becoming its differential positioning.

Questions
1. Contrast the app offered by Maybank with competing apps in the marketplace. 10 marks
2. In the context of the Behavioural Internet Theory, apps use a combination of Friendly
Technology and Flow to engage consumers. Comment. 10 marks

Case Study - 9

OLX Philippines-Filipinos Embrace Digitisation

Philippines is an independent island nation, in Southeast Asia, situated in the western Pacific
Ocean. The island nation represents a set of 7,107 islands. Contemporary times have
witnessed the emergence of Philippines as one of the fastest growing economies in the world,
impressively rivalling the dizzying growth rates of fellow Asian countries such as China. The
island nation has used a phase of macro-economic buoyancy and political stability, which
has, in turn, revived domestic and international business confidence in the Southeast Asian
country. With a young population, characterised by increasing levels of disposable incomes
and high volumes of digital engagement, Philippines provides a prolific ground for digital
enterprises of all sizes and shapes. The profile of the average Filipino, using the internet,
clearly shows the following-

 A vast number of Filipinos use Facebook, Viber, Skype, WhatsApp and WeChat for
communication.

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

  A vast number of Filipinos use Pinterest and Instagram for sharing visual content and
infographics.
 Filipinos are the most prolific users of apps.

OLX, which is short for Online Exchange, represents an organization which functions as an
online marketplace for used goods such as furniture, musical instruments, sporting goods,
cars, kids and baby items, motorcycles, cameras, mobile phones, property, and much more.
With a widespread presence globally, OLX has expanded and is performing well in
Philippines.

OLX is one of the topmost performing brands in Philippines on social media. While it
demonstrates a stupendous volume of engagement on Facebook, its presence on YouTube is
worth a mention. OLX used YouTube to post a video about-How to Post An Ad Using The
OLX App. OLX is to be used as an online domain for individuals who want to sell their
products online. In a bid to promote individual participation and usage of the site for buying
and selling online, OLX launched an online video, which encouraged consumers to click a
picture of the article they wanted to sell, and further traversed through the entire procedure of
uploading the advertisement and getting possible buyer engagements. The company’s Boy
Meets Girl-Falls in Love-Needs Help to Choose a Gift for Her advertisement on YouTube
was also very likeable.

OLX Philippines also launched a Buy and Sell app which provides users a fast, easy buying
and selling experience in the palms of their hands.

The app encouraged people to sell their second hand items and make money out of them.
Other features offered by the app included searching for best priced deals, communicating
through private messaging, SMS etc. and logging in or registering through a verified mobile
number.

Questions

1. Who are the competitors for OLX in India? 6 marks

2. How is OLX using the digital media to perform better than its competitors? 7marks
3. Make a list of popular apps being used in India with their uses. 8 marks

Case Study - 10
Singtel – The Power of Business Online Communities

Singapore is clearly one of the busiest ports globally and a significant financial centre. One
among the major commercial hubs in the world, Singapore has the third highest per capita
income worldwide. Singapore has been very sensitive to what makes it economically
competitive globally-the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) segment whose previous trysts
and endeavours have made Singapore a country to reckon with.

SMEs flourish in environments where they find support. Singtel (Singapore

Telecommunications Limited) is a Singaporean telecommunications company, with a

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

combined mobile subscriber base of over 500 million customers from its own operations and
regional associates in 25 countries and is one of the largest mobile network operators in
Singapore. Singtel is an active investor in the innovation and the SME arena and has helped
in the formulation of myBusiness – a one stop portal for SMEs in Singapore. The portal
focuses on supporting the SME segment, by providing transformative online capabilities,
which is very important to the economic fabric of Singapore by:

(i) Simplifying the ICT adoption journey

(ii) facilitating online alliances and helps to convey commercial benefits

(iii) Providing commerce and technology insights

(iv) Serving as a hub for opportunities by generating and aggregating RFPs

(v) Serving as a SaaS marketplace

(vi) Providing superior quality digital content

(vii) Giving participants access to easy to use business productivity apps for office
communication, finance and accounting, Human Resources, Sales and Marketing,
IT Support and Supply Chain Management.

(viii) Sharing innovation and technology news with the community

(ix) Enabling participants to learn from the experience of other practitioners

(x) Enabling participants to liase with consultants who can aid in applying for grants
and generating resources.

(xi) Consolidating RFQs from various large enterprises and enabling participants to
close deals.

Two of the most relevant features of Singtel myBusiness include

(a) Opportunities – This feature enables the usage of the online portal as a one-stop e-
procurement gateway. The portal has partnered with SESAMi, (Asia’s leader in
providing trusted solutions for transaction commerce on the internet); the portal offers
products and services from the largest enterprises in Singapore. The portal offers
members access to a Trading Board which is the single source for daily postings of
tenders and request for quotations (RFQs).The portal also gives members access to a
section on Group Deals and Group Sources.

(b) Grants – This section provides information on government grants and business
funding and also directs participants to an SME centre for advice. This section also
gives candidates access to more opportunities, tie-ups, endorsements and accreditation
prospects.

Virtual cliques like these grow and proliferate as individuals profit through participation.
Participation breeds reciprocity and a harmonious climate of benefitting from each other

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE

ensues. As like-minded people converge together, it is the trustworthiness of individuals that
helps drive business. Using the virtual paradigm, these SMEs can strengthen their reach, and
derive value from professional connections.

Questions
1. What characteristics of an online community that help an organisation to thrive and benefit
in the long run? 10 marks
2. “Participation and Reciprocity are important for the success of an online community”.
Comment. 10marks

Abhishek Narayan J AP MBA KCE