Time was when years back, good friends Venky (Venky Iyer, owner of Goli Vada Pav) and Sanjay Mehta (Jt CEO of Social Wavelength, a Social Media Agency) used to sit on the “katta” along with friends, chai and vada pav, and make casual chatter! From golis about Chetan Chauhan’s inability to face bouncers, or Rekha’s dances in Muqaddar ka Sikander, to the gyaan about what career might be best to pursue, such “profound” discussions were the norm!

Cut to 2010. Not much had changed for Venky and Sanjay. Still the same kind of golis and some similar gyaan about all kinds of subjects under the sun. Except it was not the footpath ‘katta’ where these discussions were happening. In fact, Facebook had become the new ‘katta’. And the golis and the goli gyaan are a part of the “Vada Pav + Cutting Chai + Aamchi Mumbai = Awesomeness” Facebook page, a hugely successful Social Media activation run by Social Wavelength, for Goli Vada Pav.

When Venky and Sanjay got talking originally, to create a Social Media presence for Goli Vada Pav, many different strategies were considered. Finally, the Social Wavelength team in consultation with Venky, came up with the idea to go a surrogate way. Instead of pushing Goli Vada Pav as the brand, at the top of the Facebook page (as is the norm for most corporate Facebook pages), an alternate strategy was planned out.

The Facebook page that got created was called “Vada Pav + Cutting Chai + Aamchi Mumbai = Awesomeness”. This resonated absolutely perfectly with the Facebook fans. After seeding the page and sharing it with a handful of people, the fan growth was rapid and totally viral. The name itself had the element of magic:

• Vada Pav – the staple food of the masses and especially the youth, a product of Mumbai, extremely popular all over,
• Cutting Chai – that half-full glass of tea that is an ‘anytime’ drink for people in Mumbai, and makes for a perfect blend with Vada Pav,
• Aamchi Mumbai – how the citizens refer to their beloved city, Mumbai,
• Awesomeness – not just good, not just great, but simply awesome. That is what the combination of Vada Pav, Cutting Chai and Mumbai, meant to Mumbaikars!

The fan growth of this page was immediate, very viral. The Mumbaikars who discovered the page, simply clicked the fan button and joined the community. Many from outside Mumbai also came to the party, as this was the food combination that they looked to grab, on their visits to Mumbai. The spirit of Mumbai was evident in the combination and even people from outside Mumbai, and outside India, in fact, connected to the idea!

This Facebook page of Goli Vada Pav, created by Social Wavelength, worked for different reasons, for different people. And they said so in the comments that they left on the page.

Many remembered and missed the Vada Pava they had left behind in Mumbai. Others remembered that perfect diet that worked for them every day – at work, at college, anywhere! And there were the few, who were curious to figure out, what this page was all about.

And the discovery happened as the days rolled out. Beyond the intrigue of the name of the Facebook page, there was a lot of fun, on the page.

Interesting trivia, fun around Bollywood and music, little known vada pav facts, and occasional ‘serious’ stuff like career advise kept getting posted, to fascinate the largely young set of fans that the page had acquired by then. These were interestingly named as Daily Goli, Garam Goli, Goli Gyaan, and similar ones. The play on the word ‘Goli’ was deliberate, considering the brand behind the page, Goli Vada Pav. We leveraged this place to the maximum to know more about our fans by starting a friendly conversations, which would provoke them to response. For Eg: A simple question like ‘What is the best place to have dinner on a rainy day? 1. Dhabba 2. Fine Dine Restaurant, Bhajji/vada pav with cutting chai at a thela?

The content was mixed up with photos and music, to satiate the demands of such fun elements, for the youth following. Sharing few yesteryears photos along with simple trivia, helped us to engage our fans who felt nostalgic about their past and to youth alike, as they are more curious to know about the past.

Fans were instantly able to connect with our Goli Gyaan.

Our Facebook fans were eager to share their views and comments when we interacted with them on a friendly level and asked them what they feel about any particular issue For Eg:

We were able to generate tremendous response from our client when we asked them to recognize the childhood picture of famous Bollywood star. For Eg,

The Facebook page was supplemented with a blog, written in his own inimitable style, by Venky himself. The can-do, go-getter attitude of the brilliant entrepreneur, Venky, was exemplified in his blog. And Social Wavelength proved to be the perfect foil for Goli Vada Pav, to make this strategy happen, and successfully too.

Goli Vada Pav as a business, and as a Social Media entity, continues to grow very well. Large number of stores all across the country, and a growing base of fans on Facebook, are parameters of fast paced growth, of Goli Vada Pav.

Social Wavelength also continues to thrive and grow as a Social Media Agency. A large team of 50+ dedicated Social Media professionals, an excellent roster of clients, and an increasing experience base in the ever evolving Social Media space, provides the perfect leadership position for Social Wavelength, in the field of Social Media.

For more information contact,

Social Wavelength

Sanjay Mehta, Jt CEO

smehta@socialwavelength.com