Event Coverage
Facebook an effective tool for brand promotion: Carolyn Everson
MUMBAI: Facebook has changed the way the present generation all over the globe communicates, and the world has become smaller with various social media platforms providing opportunities to draw people closer.
In this environment, Facebook can be quite an effective tool for brand promotion, especially if it is consumer interaction that one is targeting.
Facebook had a reported 845 million users all over the world as on December 2011. Having been on the scene for the past eight years, the social media website has seen a lot of changes, the latest being the Facebook Timeline. Earlier a Facebook profile only consisted of the individual’s personal information, photographs and interests etc.
Speaking at the 13th FICCI Frames in Mumbai, Facebook VP Global Marketing Solutions Carolyn Everson said, “The Facebook Timeline can be considered a digital container where one can capture a person’s or a brand’s entire life span in photos, notes and videos.” With the introduction of the timeline, Facebook now enables people and brands to have a more expressive and visual online identity.
Along with the timeline, Facebook has also adopted the opengraph technology which enables seamless sharing on multiple media. As a result the site tied up with the Washington Post in the US and introduced the Washington Post reader application. In a matter of eight weeks the application’s readership exceeded the readership of the regular print copy. In India a similar tie up has been done with CNN.
News is just one aspect of media and entertainment that Facebook has partnered. The other fields include music (Spotify and Saavn), gaming (Zynga) and films. Everson explained, “In the US a new film does not release without significant campaign or presence on Facebook. Now Facebook allows integration on large scale across media like TV, print and phones which helps accessibility.”
Decoding the success of Facebook, Everson explained that the site’s psyche is based on an anthropological study. Throughout history, people have existed in communities. These communities have varied from 130 to 140 individuals over time. Interestingly, this corresponds to the average number of friends a Facebook user has. It draws from the basic instinct of humans to co-exist in communities, have networks and seek recommendations by friends and peers.
When it comes to marketing and branding, Facebook provides an opportunity for consumer interaction and allows brands to open up a two way channel for communication and actually listen to it. As Everson explained, “Social discovery is the most powerful driver of human behaviour in the world today.” With the scope and scale that Facebook offers, it can help in driving human behaviour which is the main goal of any advertising or marketing initiative.
The world is now moving from ads to stories. Hammering is a thing of the past as the trend now is to share stories. With Facebook’s timeline feature, stories can now appear as news feeds on different platforms like smartphones which helps in targeting a specific audience. According to Everson, 800 million brands have shifted to the new timeline.
Also, the Like button which was introduced a couple of years earlier Timeline can also be used to create a buzz about brand and measure the effectiveness of campaigns online.
Concluding the session, Everson said Facebook is conscious about the content it uploads and strives to operate according to the feedback of the various communities it functions in. She said, “We would say we are one per cent along in our journey and are always open to partnerships.”
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
