MouthShut.com
MouthShut.com is a user-generated content and consumer review site on the Internet. At the core of MouthShut lies a global Web 2.0 social media platform. Any visitor can become a member (for free) and then can influence or be influenced by others. By writing reviews, sharing photos and diaries, members create buzz about brands and products.
The company is headquartered in Mumbai (Bombay), India and according to India's largest newspaper, The Times of India, Mouthshut.com continues to be the leader in the user-generated content space in India [1].
Background
MouthShut.com was founded in the year 2000 by Faisal Farooqui [2]. The Indian blog contentsutra.com reports that MouthShut.com pioneered the whole user-generated content space in India then [3]
Relevance of User Generated Reviews and MouthShut.com's impact
A Nielsen global survey revealed that 87 percent of Internet accessing Indians trust recommendations from others over any other kind of advertising, making word-of-mouth, the most powerful tool in the industry. [4] Asian Age newspaper recommends that most Indians online are referring to MouthShut for first hand product reviews and product information [5]
A CNBC- TV 18 interview reveals that MouthShut.com has more than 2 million (2005) registered users from India and the globe making it a profitable venture with value for Internet users [6]
More than 66% of Internet users in India believe that online movie reviews influence their choice of watching a movie in the theaters. This study was conducted by India's apex Internet Association- IAMAI. It suggests the growing popularity of independent movie review sites such as mouthshut.com [7] Several movie production houses in India have used MouthShut.com movie ratings as part of their advertising campaign.
Marketing Innovation
MouthShut has been cited in various newspapers and journals for its innovative marketing campaign behind the backs of auto rickshaws in India. Indian Express newspaper reports that MouthShut.com was the first to use autorickshaws as a medium for marketing campaigns since 2001. MouthShut.com painted the URL of its website behind the backs of thousands of rickshaws in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata etc [8] Portals have reported that Mouthshut.com's rickshaw advertising concept has been so successful that even large companies such as Oracle have copied the idea in India. Popular blogs such as pluggd.in have cited the Mouthshut rickshaw campaign as the most creative original innovation in startup advertising. [9]
Awards
MouthShut.com has won prestigious awards such as the Manthan Award for Best Youth website in India- 2006 [10] Red Herring Asia Top 100- 2008 [11]
MouthShut's User Interface
Recently MouthShut.com launched a revamp of its user interface and has local content organized around 20 cities in India. [12]. The revamp allows mouthshut's users to write reviews, upload and share photos, posts blogs and diaries.
MouthShut Reviews via SMS
In 2008, MouthShut.com announced the MouthShut Mobile Service. Users can send SMS-based reviews. Any cell phone user can post on MouthShut through short messaging by sending it to +919769696967. [13] [14]
MouthShut in Academic Research
Due to the depth and variety of original content published, MouthShut.com has been used by researchers in the corporate and academia to understand consumer behavior.
A number of articles and MouthShut's content has been used to cite consumer and culture pattern, such as Advertisement And Promotions: An Imc Perspective by Alan D'souza Kruti Shah (Paperback - 2008) [15][16]
A book published by Klett Verlag GmBH in Germany included reviews from MouthShut.com as additional reading material. This was used in Germany for school-level reading material. [17]
MouthShut was discussed extensively in Consumer Behavior (Wayne et. all, 2008) [18]
References
- ↑ http://www.agencyfaqs.com/perl/media/index.html?sid=3692[not in citation given]
- ↑ Press Room: The Times Of India - MouthShut.com
- ↑ “We Pioneered User-Generated Content Six Years Ago” | contentSutra.com
- ↑ http://in.nielsen.com/news/20071008.shtml
- ↑ Press Room: The Asian Age - MouthShut.com
- ↑ MouthShut CEO on CNBC Video
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=205538[dead link]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ http://www.manthanaward.org/section_synopsis.asp?id=118
- ↑ http://herringresearch.com/eventspace/blgtrx_event_home/asia08/redherring100.html
- ↑ http://www.alootechie.net/content/mouthshut-local-offers-information-whats-hot-20-cities
- ↑ http://digital.afaqs.com/perl/digital/news/index.html?sid=21886)
- ↑ http://www.mouthshut.com/diary/fagetslro/9769696967say-goodbye-to-Premium-Rates
- ↑ http://www.flipkart.com/advertisement-promotions-alan-souza-kruti/0070080313-wmw3f9b9zb
- ↑ http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0070080313/information_center_view0/
- ↑ http://www.klett-verlag.de
- ↑ http://books.google.co.in/books?id=WkHv7JEvxSMC&pg=PA206