Wafers 2.0? Lays and Bingo fight it out online. Missing the bigger picture

By Ekalavya B • July 16, 2007

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BingeOnBingo and Lays’ WhatsTheProgram both were launched around April this year. The main aim of both – To target and engage the youth online.

So what is BingeOnBingo about?
The sites been designed by O&M Bangalore. They’ve looked at creating a virtual campus for the youth to chill.

The bright point in my walk down the campus was some arbit funny statements…

“The website will be unlike anything seen in the online industry. It will have elements of ‘Second Life’ but also a whole menu card of Web 2.0 features,” says Ravi Desai (Brand Manager, Bingo – ITC Foods)

Second Life? Web 2.0?
Well perhaps they have something more coming up soon. I don’t see anything exceptional right now. Currently you can choose a character that can walk around a campus, overhearing conversations. You can enter the canteen, library, gym etc. Interact with blatant Bingo advertisers, leave messages on a message board, play some flash games…

I hope to see some Basic Second Life features incorporated soon – let users build their own stuff, interact with other users in a better way. But does it really make sense for a brand like Bingo to build a Second Life? Ultimately they would be looking at an ROI – where they expect users to respond and buy a packet of Bingos!?

But if they are in it for the longer run – there’s a huge hidden opportunity here. Create a virtual world for the users, invest in building it and then revolve all your products around it. ITC have added a lot of new products to their portfolio apart from cigarettes and they could look at creating a large platform where all their brands can be digitally leveraged.

Currently it seems – O&M Bangalore had an idea and ITC were the bakraas.

Now let’s look at Lays’ WhatsTheProgram?

An interesting idea – A one stop destination where all the programs and events related to Music / Sport / Entertainment can be listed.

A local Rock band is performing at your favourite pub? Add it and share the info with everyone. Manchester United fans from Mumbai are meeting up to discuss the upcoming English Premier League? Share it with everyone from Mumbai!

With the marketing spend of Frito Lay’s, this ‘could’ be a killer product. But there’s a problem!

On your first visit the site is going to look like a microsite for Lay’s where their main aim seems to be showcasing their wafers. But if Lay’s becomes a silent backer with a few logos around the site and instead looks at engaging participation – it would be much better. Much better for the site and much better for the brand.

They can look at sponsoring small events. Or something like – sponsoring the wafers for a local party. Great marketing opportunities are lying completely untapped.

All I can see is on the main page is Lays Lays Lays. Zilch about events I might be interested in.