ccording to an IAMAI report, more than 12 million women in India logged on to the internet last year. They were not just checking mails or chatting ; they conducted research and financial transactions as well. And they blogged too. The numbers are still small. According to a recent survey, Blogging India: A Windows Live Report, which sampled 1,423 respondents in India, women make up only a fourth of the bloggers. Marketers are now paying serious attention to women online. It started with the much talked-about Sunsilk website, www.sunsilkgangofgirls.com, giving women a place to interact online. P&G;'s Whisper followed next with 'Being Girl' (www.beinggirl.co.in) - a website aimed at guiding teenage girls in the process of growing up. Now, Femina has joined the fray with its 'Believe Blogs', www.feminabelieveblogs.com. Not only is Femina the first media brand to create an online forum for women, it has also initiated the concept of a blog dedicated to women.

Marketing through blogs is at a nascent stage in India. So, what is Femina trying to do more than a year after launching its 'Believe' campaign, urging women to achieve anything they set their minds to. "Our plan was to look at a multimedia campaign depending upon how 'Believe' connected with the consumer. Once it started gaining ground with the younger generation, we decided to look at newer touch points where we could get this consumer," explains Asha Kharga, marketing manager, Femina.... more