INTERNET usage is obviously growing at a fast pace right now. According to a survey conducted during the middle of last year by the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines, out of 100 million people, there are about 38 million who are Internet users. With mobile smartphones, laptops and other devices in widespread use right now, there’s no reason to deny this fact. Thus, there’s also no reason to deny that using the Internet is one of the smartest ways to market a product nowadays.
“E-commerce creates smarter marketing,” said Paul Srivorakul, group CEO of ACommerce, and cofounder and executive chairman of Ardent Capital.
Today, the effects of ads can be seen in real-time via statistics for views and clicks. Product promotion on web sites can be modified in reaction to how well the ad is doing and it takes less than a day to arrange.
“It’s not just about big data, it’s not just about smart data. It’s actionable data,” he added.
Take it from Carmudi (www.carmudi.com.ph), the leading one-stop car-shop web site in the country today. In other countries where Carmudi is also a market leader, the primary aspect that makes it a top choice for its users is its search functionality. It’s the one factor that differentiates this web-site giant from the traditional and other online general classifieds. As a dedicated vehicles platform, the company has realized that buyers now want to have the ability to search for their aspired cars—with certain parameters. First and foremost, Carmudi’s platform allows users to sift through about 20,000-plus listings and easily conduct the search by make, model, color and, most important, price range. This process eventually boils down to the specific cars that fit his or her criteria—something which traditional classifieds cannot do.
Additionally, as an online platform, Carmudi provides rich data on each vehicle with multiple pictures, long descriptions of the car, identification of all the features and map of the dealership, which, again, traditional media are not able to do. Here, car owners are in a better position to showcase their vehicles in order to sell them faster.
According to Subir Lohani, managing director of Carmudi Philippines, “We focus on three main points. First is quality. We provide quality platform, quality listings and quality service and support. Second is reliability. It means zero fraud, more updated listings and verified credible information; and third, variety—all our vehicles here give users diversity and a more national geographic spread.”
He added, “In terms of listings, we are the largest dedicated vehicle platform in the Philippines, offering diversity across cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. We are also No. 1 in other markets, such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and Mexico, among others.”
Carmudi, which popularly means “car world” in other countries, was, in fact, just recently founded in Berlin, Germany, in 2013—under the Rocket Internet Group. Similar successful business models were noticed in Europe and the US, but the emerging markets were underserved in terms of a dedicated vehicle platform. Carmudi, then, first expanded to three markets, namely, Myanmar, Nigeria and Mexico. After seeing the success of the platform in these markets, the company decided to expand globally and is now in over 18 markets across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
“Here, I envision Carmudi Philippines to become a complete one-stop shop for anything vehicle-related, such as loans, finding an auto repair shop, as well as tips and tricks for cars,” Lohani said, when asked about the direction of this fast-growing vehicle-purchasing medium.
Many international companies have realized the impact that the large-scale global computer network has on business. Thus, they are now aggressive in penetrating various markets, including ours. However, many realize that it’s easier for consumers to order online and purchase the product locally offline. And since the Philippines is an archipelago, any company that wants to come in needs to rely heavily on localizing their operations, which is what Carmudi Philippines has successfully done—thus far.
Image credits: Carmudi Philippines