One of things I love the most about the internet and social media is the ability to stay connected to people around the world. In school year 2021-2022, we hosted two foreign exchange students – one from Italy, one from France. Months before they arrived, we were able to Zoom with them and get to know them a little, and vice versa.
Once they were the States, they could easily keep up with friends and family overseas, and we were able to start a Vincent Family Instagram (it’s just as popular in Europe) group through its messaging function that we continue to use today, even though they’ve been back in their home countries for two years now. As social media platforms have grown, while each may have its own unique features, they are all dedicated to meeting the needs of their customers all across the globe. It only makes sense that online business, whose venue is literally the World Wide Web, would make this a priority and take the cultural backgrounds of their audiences into consideration while doing it. But not all brands, apps, and sites are able to accommodate and support global users.
The best laid plans…
Orkut, a social networking site developed by Google employee Orkut Buyukkokten, debuted in 2004. With the support of Google as well as a solid techological foundation and action plan, it started strong and within 10 years had “over 300 million registered users.” (Priyanka, 2023) Several factors contributed to its success, such as:
- providing users with a more participatory role
- communities based on interests
- sleek design
- invite-only membership
- a competitive rating system
Early on, tech students and workers made up the largest group of users. They were able to connect with people at all levels in the tech world, not only friends and colleagues, but also leaders in the industry. And with the platform membership’s exclusivity, “being part of the social networking site meant that you were well connected in the technology realm.”
As Orkut’s popularity grew, it’s largest customer base changed from this niche group to the population of Brazil, “where cell phones outnumber people.” One of the reasons for the change is that it offered the residents of the country a new way to market their businesses online, which was attractive since outdoor marketing was banned. It proved so popular that by 2014, “90% of page views in Orkut (were) accessed by by users in Brazil.”
…Sometimes go wonky
Despite it’s popularity, Orkut fizzled out after 10 years. One of the primary reasons is that they didn’t consider the need for cultural adaptations. The had a great technological base, but without the ability or willingness to make these changes to meet the needs of their customers, people looked to other emerging social networking sites that could. At the time, they were unable to meet or beat Facebook or even their “in-house competition” Google + when it came to such functions as an increased number of friends allowed, as well as the ability to upload and share images and video. (Gannes, 2014) In short, “in order for brands to be successful in Brazil, they must allow users to blog, engage through social gaming, and incorporate online video into marketing.”
When Orkut first started out, it was difficult to anticipate the extent to which culture would need to be considered as they had a very small global presence. With the more the more advanced technology of today however, it’s important for companies to consider how well they are able to accommodate the dynamic nature of customer bases and their accompanying needs if they want to remain relevant as well as solvent.
(Source of all images: Canva)
Sources Cited:
Gannes, L. (2014, June 30). Flashing Back to 2004 As Orkut Fades Away a Decade Later. Vox. https://www.vox.com/2014/6/30/11628448/flashing-back-to-2004-as-orkut-fades-away-a-decade-later
L Meghan Mahoney, & Tang Tang, (Writer On Social Media. (2017). Strategic social media : from marketing to social change. Wiley Blackwell.
Priyanka. (2023, November 5). Why did Orkut fail? A post-mortem on the rise and fall of the pioneering social network – Tactyqal. Tactyqal. https://www.tactyqal.com/blog/why-did-orkut-fail/
THE CRAFTY QUILLER 
Hi Lisa,
You hit the nail on the head when you said, “It’s important for companies to consider how well they are able to accommodate the dynamic nature of customer bases and their accompanying needs if they want to stay relevant as well as solvent.” Customers’ preferences and behaviors change over time and so do their needs. Trends change and technologies evolve over time and so must the social media marketing strategies of business change and evolve over time as well.
What may have worked ten years, five years, or even a year ago may not necessarily work today. That is why it is crucial for companies to be consistently monitoring and evaluating their social media marketing efforts as well as their customers’ needs in order to adjust their products and services accordingly. Failure to do so will result in their customers looking elsewhere for other brands and companies who will serve their needs instead.
I also enjoy the layout of your blog post. It’s very easy to read and well laid out in a user-friendly format including a great mix of images, headers, chunks of information, and a bullet-point list. This effective use of white space made it even more fun and enjoyable to read your blog post while also learning about the lessons learned from the rise and fall of Orkut.
Well done on your blog post and thank you for sharing your experience with the two foreign exchange students you hosted. One of the amazing qualities of social media is to be able to interact with and connect with others not only locally but also across the globe. To be able to open up beyond our local networks to virtually anywhere in the world creates an endless number of possibilities that may not have been present before the age of social media.
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Lisa,
I like that instead of just jumping right into the topic of Orkut, you prefaced your posting with a personal story of connection and social media. It gives your blog a humanizing characteristic that is important to readers and provides a good Segway into how Orkut was able to connect users across the globe, but ultimately led to their downfall by not being able to keep up with the competition.
You made important mentions throughout your blog of Orkut’s challenges in being able to expand globally, including not accommodating for cultural differences and not having the features that other social media platforms such as Facebook already had available. Orkut was successful in Brazil because the site was able to bridge a gap between rural and city communities, providing a needed platform for everyone to be able to connect. Unfortunately, as you mentioned, that wasn’t enough to keep the site afloat and it shut down.
Additionally, your blog is visually appealing, very clean with images and headers that separate your sections into digestible chunks for the reader. Your use of a bulleted list provides important information in an easy-to-read format and the pops of color throughout based on your blog site theme makes me want to continue exploring your site. Great job!
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