Planning & Execution

DiGi needed bloggers for two very specific reasons. Firstly, they need to influence brand choice in internet-related products. Because of the sheer variety of internet-enabled products sold today, prospective shoppers are swamped with hundreds of phones, call plans and internet plans options. As such, 63% of Malaysians refer to the internet to research on the products before making the purchase, relying heavily on reviews, comparisons and recommendations they find online. Secondly, there is a need to reduce reliance on (Paid) SEM ads. Generating enough product-relevant blog articles actually helps DiGi save crucial A&P dollars by increasing the number of organic (unpaid) search results from a search query, thus reducing the need to spend as much on (paid) SEM ads.

As a result, DiGi entered the blogging space with these objectives:-
• Increase DiGi’s share of influence online by identifying and recruiting potential brand advocates in the blogging space (top SuperBloggers had already been sponsored by DiGi’s competitors)
• Generate increased editorial coverage in the form of product reviews, plan comparisons, DiGi-favorable recommendations in year 2010, and do this without starting the dangerous precedent of paid/sponsored blog advertorials
• Increase DiGi’s visibility on Google by increasing organic (unpaid) search results for Top 10 most-searched terms in the internet products category that would in turn help DiGi to reduce over-reliance on paid Google AdWords buys

DiGi had to do one thing: Ignore Pay-to-Pitch SuperBloggers, Build a Community of Nobody Bloggers instead.

By 2010, experts estimated that they were between 150,000 to 250,000 active bloggers in Malaysia – this translated to: for every single Top 100 so called “SuperBlogger”, they were at least 1000 other small and medium-sized bloggers (SMBs) (averaging between 12,000-24,000 visitors per year) who were being ignored by the Pay-to-Pitch brands. Furthermore, if successfully aggregated, just a small fraction of this underserved and overlooked majority could potentially become the “Biggest Media Nobody Had Ever Heard Of”!

The SMBs were seen as not “popular enough nor deserve” to be invited to big launches, or celebrity-filled red carpet events. SMBs were the ‘Nobody’ bloggers who were deemed NOT influential enough to deserve gadgets for review or VIP treatment from brands. DiGi saw an opportunity: these Nobody Bloggers were the real Malaysian grassroots bloggers; thus the DiGi Evangelist programme was set out to build a living, thriving blogger-for-blogger community with these SMBs at the heart of it.

The first ever of its kind, the DiGi Evangelist was a blogger community programme designed completely around the grassroots of blogging – the SMBs. Activities included:
• A year-long calendar of blogosphere community activities designed to grow, reward, expand, inspire and recognize the SMB community
• SMBs were invited to cover DiGi media launches alongside top journalists from the biggest newspapers and TV stations
• Cutting-edge devices were loaned out for SMBs to test and review before anyone else in Malaysia
• Blogger socials were created to allow SMBs to interact directly with management at DiGi and invited them to visit us at D’House campus on certain weekends at DiGi Headquarters
• “New Blogger of the Week” was created to encourage and welcome new bloggers
• “How to Become a SuperBlogger” motivational bootcamps were organized for the evangelists
• Secret Events with celebrity performances and appearances were organized only DiGi Evangelist community
• Tellingly, upon the launched iPhone 4 in Malaysia, DiGi awarded the launch bragging rights to a young blogger (ZiziMobi, an SMB) who had posted the most creative series of articles and reviews of DiGiPhone4 plans; instead of getting a VIP corporate customer to review it

Most of all, DiGi created lots of interesting opportunities for this large and under-served community to just meet, chat, and learn from one another so they could help each other grow. The outcome: DiGi became an authentic peer and trusted member of that grassroots community. All this without paying a single cent to any Pay-to-Pitch SuperBloggers.

Effectiveness / Results

Not only results were outstanding, more importantly DiGi created a community of followers!

DiGi’s share of influence online increased throughout 2010. The DiGi Evangelist programme recruited UNPAID DiGi brand advocates at an average rate of 12.3 new evangelists per day for a whole year! By 2011, there are 5336 volunteer evangelists, with a combined annual audience of 43.2million readers.

These 5336 volunteer evangelists posted at least 3,145 tracked reviews, comparisons, recommendations, all without being paid a single cent to do so. Combined editorial media value were RM8.5 million; the highest of not just any telco brand but the highest of ANY brand involved in blogging in Malaysia.

There was a huge increase in DiGi’s visibility on Google in organic (unpaid) search results for Top 10 most-searched terms in the internet products category; thus reducing reliance on paid Google AdWords buys. All of DiGi’s organic blogs made it to the first page of Google search within each campaign period.

DiGi also benefited from increased online interest after the launch of iPhone 4, just like their key competitor. However, DiGi saw a continued increase in online engagement and online support from bloggers that grew from strength to strength, long after the hype around iPhone 4 hard worn out.