Where communities came together

Orkut.com, created by Google’s engineer, Orkut Büyükkökten, was a social networking site, where communities came together to network, meet new friends, to date and even a little friendly competition amongst the users on how sexy, cool or trustworthy one another is.  Orkut launched in 2004 and was very popular amongst the Brazilian market.  

Prior to Facebook, there was Orkut, with very similar functionalities ~ every now and then we all yearn to find that long lost classmate, an old boyfriend/girlfriend or to network with an old coworker.  Orkut was successful as it spoke to the need for community involvement and engagement with like minded people.  Unlike Facebook, Orkut was an invite-only membership, which made the users feel a sense of prestige ~ who doesn’t want to feel like they are a part of secret club? Invited to join Orkut, was sending a message that you were well connected! This invite-only membership, also spoke to the users need for privacy, which also contributed to its popularity.  

This community of social network and technology enthusiasts, along with the growing community of Brazilians, became digital consumers ~ Brazil was a community where there were more cell phones than people. With the growth of Brazil, also bought the growth of online shopping.  Brazilians were not accustomed to doing their shopping online ~ believe it or not, this just became a reality seven years ago.  One of the main reasons was the major concern regarding the protection of personal information used online ~ Orkut put a ease to that fear, with the introduction of the privacy levels with their technology and changing the role and mindset of the community~ Orkut was falling in line with the digital trends and creating digital consumers.  

Unfortunately, with the surge of online shopping and the need for brands to engage their audience through blogs and online video marketing campaigns, put the nail in Orkut coffin!  They struggled with this functionality and with the blockage and limited acceptance to their site, Orkut stop meeting the demands of the culture and Brazilians were flocking to other social media platforms for community involvement.

Brazilians are fun-loving and sociable, which speaks to the brand experience of organizations and communities of Orkut.  This community love social media and spend an average of 3 hrs and 40 minutes each day on social media. Brazil has emerged to be one of the strongest markets for online retailers, with most of their purchasing power via the internet, companies advertising via the digital platforms  

Brazil is a great opportunity for brand to gain more ground. If I had to give me two cents to businesses about their future social media strategy, it would be think beyond Facebook and Twitter and explore YouTube and WhatsApp to drive success in connecting with Brazilian consumers on social media.