Case Study: How Meesho used influencer reach to tackle low voter turnout, garnering 120 Cr+ impressions

As the election season was at its peak in India, Meesho wanted to mobilize and empower India's youth to exercise their fundamental right to vote through its #WaitNahiVoteKaro campaign. By collaborating with influencers, changing its brand logo and more, the brand garnered 120+ crore impressions. Here's a case study on how they did it.  

Category Introduction

India's e-commerce sector is experiencing robust growth within the global market, driven by its vast digital ecosystem boasting 881 million users. With the country positioned as the world's second-largest internet user base, projections from a recent report by Invest India suggest it will become the third-largest online retail market by 2030. 

Forecasts indicate substantial growth, with the industry expected to reach $325 billion by 2030, paralleled by India's digital economy reaching $800 billion. Presently valued at $70 billion, online shopping constitutes approximately 7% of India's total retail market, presenting considerable room for expansion. Several factors contribute to this growth trajectory, including widespread internet access and affordable services, alongside increased smartphone adoption in rural areas. In essence, the confluence of these factors underscores a compelling narrative of growth and opportunity within India's e-commerce landscape, setting the stage for significant developments in the years ahead.

Brand Introduction

Meesho is a true e-commerce marketplace. With a vision to enable 100 million small businesses, including individual entrepreneurs, to succeed online, Meesho is democratising internet commerce and bringing a range of products and new customers online. The marketplace provides small businesses, which includes SMBs, MSMEs and individual entrepreneurs, access to millions of customers, selection from over 30 categories, pan-India logistics, payment services and customer support capabilities to efficiently run their businesses on the Meesho ecosystem. 

Campaign Summary

Meesho, in an effort to do its bit for the nation, embarked on a mission to enhance the engagement of young adults in the voting process by leveraging its network across various platforms, including its own app. Through the launch of the distinctive social media campaign #WaitNahiVoteKaro, the company aimed to ignite a sense of urgency and civic responsibility among the youth.

Throughout the campaign, Meesho employed a range of strategies, including altering its brand logo to a finger with the voting mark which doubled as the ‘M’ in Meesho, collaborating with influencers via ‘Get Ready With Me to Vote’ format reels, and integrating on-app election reminders. These efforts were designed not only to raise awareness about the campaign but also to actively inspire and empower India's youth to exercise their fundamental right to vote. The promotional material employed by the company was crafted to resonate with the voting populace, urging them to fulfill their duty towards the nation with a sense of relatability and purpose.

By harnessing its platform and influence, Meesho underscored its commitment to facilitating the meaningful participation of every eligible citizen in the Indian General Election 2024. 

Objective

Low voter turnout is one of the biggest challenges during elections. With #WaitNahiVoteKaro campaign, the objective was to mobilize and empower India's youth to exercise their fundamental right to vote. 

Brief

The brief was to leverage the company’s wide reach across its social media platforms as well as its app to spread awareness about elections and make voting more appealing, something worth celebrating, encouraging people to participate in voting and fostering a culture of civic responsibility. 

Creative Idea

The concept driving the #WaitNahiVoteKaro campaign was to launch diverse initiatives across owned platforms, including its app, to initiate and stimulate discussions surrounding elections and foster a positive perception of voting among customers. Leveraging its extensive nationwide reach, the objective was to empower individuals across India to actively participate in the electoral process.

Challenges

The primary challenge lay in determining how an e-commerce platform would encourage users to vote. It was observed that many young users perceive election day as a holiday and often believe their vote doesn't make a difference. Leveraging this insight, the team devised content that challenged this assumption. They adopted popular formats like "Get Ready With Me," typically associated with preparing for a date, movie, or party on a holiday, to reframe voting day as a significant occasion.

Another obstacle was scaling this message to reach a wide audience on specific days. To address this, the team utilized the platform's on-app reach and partner ecosystem to disseminate these messages on the day before and on the day of voting. This strategic approach ensured that the nudges reached users precisely when they were most relevant and impactful.

Execution

Brand logo change: To kickstart the campaign, the first move was to update its brand logo across major social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and Snapchat. The refreshed logo seamlessly blended the recognizable Meesho "m" with a finger marked with ink, serving as a powerful symbol of the platform's commitment to boosting voter engagement.

On-app election reminder push notifications: To underscore the significance of voting, Meesho tactfully utilized its app's reach to prompt users to prepare for election day via prominent app banners. 

These banners are dynamically refreshed to reflect the countdown to the upcoming voting day. Furthermore, the brand employed push notifications featuring catchy messages such as "Bhulo nahi, kal vote karo!" (Don't forget, vote tomorrow!) and "Aaj delay nahi, vote karo!" (No delay today, vote now!). These timely reminders acted as proactive calls to action, encouraging consumers to actively engage in the democratic process.

Collaboration with influencers curate ‘Get Ready with Me to Vote’ reels: To further amplify the campaign, the brand also leveraged the trending #GRWM or 'Get Ready with Me' reels on Instagram and YouTube Shorts. For this, the company collaborated with influencers, showcasing the process of preparing for voting day. 

This trend reflected an evolving perception of Election Day as a notable event deserving of dressing up, motivating the audience to participate and exercise their rights. By capitalizing on the "Get Ready With Me" content trend, wherein influencers share their pre-election preparations, such as outfit selection, packing essentials like water bottles, and choosing comfortable footwear, the company effectively normalized and advocated for voting as a vital component of civic duty.

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A post shared by SHIVANI | Fashion•Beauty•Lifestyle Creator (@_thefashion__hub)

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A post shared by Vishakha & Divesh 🧿 (@coupleofbeetches)

Brand reels and Meeshoites voting nudge: As a pivotal component of the campaign, the brand disseminated specially curated reels on Instagram. Additionally, Meesho employees, or "Meesho-ites," shared selfies following their voting experiences, amplifying these images across LinkedIn and X handles. This concerted effort aimed to reaffirm that while the brand's employees had fulfilled their duty by voting, it was now imperative for users to also engage in this significant democratic process.

Results

The campaign had more than 120 crore impressions and reached more than 22 crore Indians across all mediums.

Soumitra Choubey, Associate Director, Brand Marketing at Meesho, added, “We are excited to contribute to the General Election 2024 via Meesho's on-app, social media and creator ecosystem to have a meaningful impact. Since its launch on May 10, our campaign, #WaitNahiVoteKaro garnered over 120 crore impressions. By actively engaging our community through initiatives like #GRWMtoVote reels and targeted messages, we are aiming to foster a sense of empowerment among our users. We believe that by celebrating Election Day as a significant event, we can inspire an optimistic change in societal perceptions towards voting, thereby, not only increasing voter turnout but also reinforcing Meesho’s commitment to social and national responsibility.”