Facebook has rolled out “missed call” ads, a new form of advertising in the Indian shores, based on the most common “missed call” behaviour in the country, in an effort to lure advertisers targeting customers in emerging markets.
With the high cost of voice calls in India, cost-conscious people often place a call and hang up before the recipient answers, to communicate a message or send a signal to the person, usually requesting to call back.
Facebook, in a blog post, revealed that it is currently testing an ad unit in India, addressing the “missed call” practise that will allow users to click on ads in Facebook and place a missed call. In response, the advertiser will send a recorded voice call or a text message back to the users with information like celebrity messages or cricket scores, along with their brand message.
The company has been testing the new missed call ads with L’Oreal-owned Garnier Men, promoting male grooming products. The ads received a strong response from 15 million people tested, leading to a reported 2.5 times increase (year-on-year) in online sales. Facebook also revealed plans to scale the “missed call” offering likely to a wider audience in the coming months.
The new ad unit was a part of the Facebook announcement on Wednesday that it is extending the “targeting options” for advertisers to reach potential customers in emerging markets. The Life-stage targeting option available in US and UK will soon be available for advertisers in high-growth countries as well. Facebook is also working on Geo-targeting enhancements to be available in Nigeria, India, Turkey, Indonesia, South Africa and across Latin America soon.
