What do you do in a market that is already crowded? Launch a super app? At least that’s what Tata has done. Tata has launched its much-delayed Tata Neu super app, a gateway to all of Tata’s services, from the Taj hotel group to Vistara, Big Basket and 1mg. But does India need a super app?
A region becomes super app-ready when a good portion of its population is smartphone first rather than desktop and the app is customized for local needs. Super apps have been popular in Asia for a long time. China has WeChat, an app that started out as a simple messaging platform but now offers every kind of service possible. Similarly, Singapore has Grab, Vietnam has Zalo, South Korea has Kakao, and so on.
Unlike these countries, the super app ecosystem in India is still in its blossoming phase and more importantly it is focused on financial services. There are already too many companies fighting in the arena. The likes of Paytm, Amazon, and Reliance Jio have already garnered large consumer bases that provide a host of services, from financial payments, streaming, to e-commerce. Meta is not far behind with its 487 million WhatsApp users in India. Then there is Flipkart compatible PhonePe.
Tata may be too late, especially since she is not catering to specific target groups. Tata has combined its luxury services with the basic necessities. A person with a pocket for basic necessities will never look back at something like the Taj group of hotels. How will Tata keep consumers within its own ecosystem?
If the company markets the app keeping Tata Pay in the spotlight, it will have to compete with Paytm and Gpay. If you focus on e-commerce, you will have to go up against Amazon and Flipkart. Let’s just say that the road ahead for Tata Neu is not easy. Although, knowing Tata, one can bet that it will do something with the app, be it the leader of the super apps or just a window into its wide range of products.
However, it wasn’t just Tata who made headlines this week. The saga of Elon Musk and Twitter took a huge leap of faith, as Musk offered to buy the entire company. In today’s solologues, we wonder if Musk is embracing problems with both hands.
This week’s BE Saal Baad looks back at the 1985 Bajaj light bulb advertisement, which covered all stages of a person’s life, from infancy to old age.
– Reda Fatma Mobin
We’d love to hear your feedback. Please contact us at contactus@etbrandequity.com or reda.mobin@timesinternet.in or prasad.s@timesinternet.in. Happy reading!
Trending on twitter? The richest men in the world as media owners: Saturday Solologues
Just days before the fashion TED talk, Elon Musk had told the same interviewer that buying Twitter would be a “recipe for misery” as he would be blamed for everything that goes wrong.
Later, it became known that Musk is considering buying Twitter. He Is he now accepting problems with both hands? Read more.
When the Bajaj bulbs shone the light
The camera takes a close-up photo of the light bulb. As the family patriarch looks at him, he suddenly shows his index finger while looking directly at the camera. He begins to recite a jingle that focuses on his journey from childhood to old age.
Main jab chota ladka tha, badi shararat karta tha, meri chori pakdi jaati, jab roshan hota Bajaj. Read more.
Brand Business
Tata’s super Neu app will also host non-group brands
Reckitt starts process ‘aimed at’ transferring Russian business
Twitter acquires OpenBack, the mobile interaction platform to improve push notifications
Media
Board of Cricket-Australia, players sign agreement to issue NFT
China’s NRTA to Ban Video Game Live Streaming Without Approval
Advertising
Mother Dairy shows Mishti Doi sweetening the father-daughter bond
Varun Dhawan flaunts his best features in Oppo’s latest campaign
in the hot seat
Ogilvy’s Kunal Jeswani moves to Singapore as Group CEO; VR Rajesh takes on the role of India
FIFA hires fourth different head of marketing in less than four years
Marketing
Level Up 11 welcomes leg spinner Rashid Khan as their new brand ambassador
Digital
Is TikTok Affecting Kids’ Focus?
Apple’s privacy features will cost Facebook $12.8 billion in 2022
WhatsApp gets approval to expand Indian payment service to 100 million users
Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen Criticizes Meta’s Metaverse Plans
Investigate
83% of Indians Prefer Anime to Other Animated Content – JetSynthesys