Mindshare targets growth in emerging markets

WPP media agency Mindshare has partnered with tech innovation company Next Billion to launch marketing services for emerging markets.After the launch of the GEMS (Growth and Emerging Market Solutions) hub out of Singapore, Mindshare has now announced the establishment of a new technology-enabled platform aimed at rural consumers in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. In partnership, Next Billion and Mindshare will promote and adapt new technology-enabled platforms to deliver marketing and data collection services suitable for these consumers.The first such platform is ‘Mobile Movies’, which to date has been successfully piloted in Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam with the support of clients such as Unilever, Friesland Campina and Microsoft. Microsoft is also the mobile and management system technology partner. With the support of Mindshare and WPP companies, Next Billion is now rolling out Mobile Movies to several parts of Southeast Asia and South Asia and preparing to launch in Africa.Gowthaman Ragothaman (pictured), chief operating officer, Mindshare APAC said: "As the name Next Billion suggests, the opportunity is huge. In fact it’s not just a billion - it’s the next three billion. Many of our large multinational companies still build their marketing designs around the top cities and towns of emerging markets but few actually address the challenges of non-urban consumers e.g. in Red River Delta of Vietnam. That requires a different design and a different infrastructure. It also places huge challenges on tracking, accountability and measurement of effectiveness.”Daryl Arnold, founder & CEO, Newton Circus which is the parent company of Next Billion added, “Our Next Billion partnership with Mindshare will scale our positive impacts in rural communities.”He added that for example, Mobile Movies establishes networks of local agents who screen entertaining films to bring together rural communities, and then leverage these unique group opportunities to market MNC products that drive positive behavioural change.“It’s a triple win: good for the consumers who gain access to new goods and services, good for the thousands of local agents we employ, and good for our MNC brand partners that engage emerging market consumers and crowd source fast reliable data,” Arnold added.