Facebook did not get its ‘Free Basics’ campaign right

Facebook didn`t get the tone of its extensive Free Basics campaign right, said brand consultants and advertising veterans.

The social media company failed to gain enough public support, win over the government or convince the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), which ruled against discriminatory pricing for data services on Monday, effectively shutting down the initiative.

"It`s fair to say it was a mishandled campaign for a company that`s trying to launch a new initiative," said Futurebrands India CEO Santosh Desai. "It was a naked show of muscle power.

Also, the campaign didn`t fit with their alleged intention at all." The campaign was accused of seeking to manipulate opinion, with Trai publicly expressing displeasure over a Facebook survey that purported to show widespread public support for Free Basics.

It may have been a better idea to show that Facebook was working in collaboration with the government`s objectives instead, the experts said.

The campaign was too "in-your face," said brand expert Harish Bijoor. "Bureaucrats` political masters are a voter-sensitive audience," he said.

The Narendra Modi government has been at pains to distance itself from allegations of crony capitalism, he pointed out. It was surprising that Facebook seemed to get this wrong.

Industry sources say Facebook had earmarked upwards of Rs 150 crore for the Free Basics campaign.

By November last year, the company had spent around Rs 25-30 crore on print, digital and outdoor campaigns, according to media agency sources, including ads in this paper. 

It may have spent about Rs 50 crore on the Free Basics advertising campaign until this week, they said. "I think the campaign missed a trick or two," said Sam Balsara, chairman of Madison World.