What is Orkut?
Orkut is a now defunct social networking site that was the brainchild of Google. Launched in 2004, the site lasted just ten years. Orkut’s popularity was extremely high in Brazilians, who were responsible for 90% of Orkut’s page views. While it didn’t have the longevity of other social networking sites, Orkut did many things right as far as marketing is concerned.
Building Community
The Brazilian culture had certain expectations of the type of online experiences they would have, and this rang true for consumers and brands. Brands relied on multiple avenues of engagement like social gaming, blogging, and marketing campaigns with a video component. This means that brands and consumers were accustomed to engaging with each other in this particular way. These were established behaviors.
Arguably one of the best features Orkut offered was the ability for users to find communities they wanted to be a part of. These communities of shared interests and proximity were the perfect places for users to share product and service recommendations, which was especially important since Brazil has an outdoor advertising ban.
Success and Failures
Orkut’s strengths were in its name recognition (being associated with Google), familiarity (in structure and purpose to other social networking sites), and its ease of navigation. Additionally, being invite-only made its users feel special, like they were a part of an elite community. No matter the culture, people like feeling special. It’s an angle that marketers can always count on.
Still, Orkut lacked what Brazilian users valued. Online video was ineffective on Orkut. There were other services and Orkut users desired, but the functionality of the site could not effectively meet the needs of its users. With the pull being finding community, users became frustrated at difficulties with sharing media and friend caps.
It seems like a simple thinktank could’ve avoided this. Instead of being the service users wanted and brands could utilize, it appears that Orkut was the service it wanted to be and then considered the users as an afterthought. As a marketer, we know that this is never a good idea.
If Orkut closed after a decade, but other social media networking sites have lasted much longer, one must question their use of metrics. If Brazilian users craved certain features and expected functionality in areas Orkut didn’t have, what stopped Orkut from making the necessary changes? After all, it was owned and operated by Google. There’s a level of competency expected with that brand association. Did Orkut survey its users or make changes to their site based on collected data? There are a lot of unknown variables, but there remains one truth. Listening to consumers and being adaptable is the key to longevity.
Key Takeaways
- Listening to consumers and engaging authentically increases the chances of them becoming brand ambassadors.
- Pre-established behaviors must be considered for any marketing strategy.
- In order for a technology to remain relevant, it must be as fluid as its users.
- Cultural competency can make or break a service or product.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this homework blog post as much as I enjoyed writing it (maybe even more).
Want to read the Orkut case study for yourself? You can find it the e-textbook here: https://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Social-Media-Marketing-Change-ebook/dp/B01M0HK3QL
However, if you’re not a fan of Amazon, here are the book’s details:
Strategic Social Media: From Marketing to Social Change
Authors: L. Meghan Mahoney and Tang Tang
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Publication Date: 2017
ISBN: 978-1-118-55690-0
Leave a Reply