Social media and BRIC - new report
Jinfo Blog

By Nancy Davis Kho

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I was intrigued by a dispatch by BBC business editor Tim Weber out of the World Economic Forum in Davos late last month. As his piece relates, the attendees of the forum were invited to participate in a simulation of where in the world they would invest US$1bn right now.

BRIC countries as well as a United States tech fund were potential investment targets. Weber's description of how the participants – many of them multi-millionaire and billionaire investors themselves – prioritised their investment decisions in the 20 minutes allotted is fascinating.

But even more interesting was how the winner of the six-team competition, the Brazil fund, was described by one participant. "This is not the Brazilian Growth Fund," said one,"it's the 'Not China, Not Russia, Not India, Not LinkedIn, Not Middle East Fund'." And it turns out that according to the rules of the game, only the bare minimum investment allowable was made. Many of these global economic players saw good reason to keep their funds safe at home.

The clear consensus is that the risks accruing to all of the BRIC candidates – and that included Brazil – is still making investors nervous.

All of which should make a recent report from research firm BRICdata a bit comforting, with its in-depth analysis of social media marketing strategies in the four BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China. Social Media Marketing Strategies and Emerging Opportunities in BRIC Countries found that social media in Brazil are increasingly used by companies as a strategic marketing tool, and that Indian companies are also gaining ground fast using social media as a tool for companies to connect with customers. The report also delves into the popularity of games as a social media strategy.

With the rapid adoption of mobile technology in BRIC countries, not to mention 3G and 4G networks to underpin social communication, connections between brands and potential customers are being made ever easier. It's not a panacea, of course, but it will be interesting to see if that increased consumer engagement helps to ease the worries around global investment in those markets.

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