Google app Neighbourly is challenging WhatsApp and Facebook in India, with a platform that allows people to ask each other for local recommendations. With the increasing rate of urbanisation in Indian cities, most people struggle to find trustworthy answers to the most basic of questions. We explore the insights behind how the company is helping people in India share trustworthy recommendations within their local areas.
Neighbourly, by Google, is a social networking app in India that lets people share advice and recommendations in their local area. Tapping into the country's 340 million smartphone users, and 730 million mobile users, Neighbourly is available in five Indian cities where people can source out local information. Using voice recognition, people can speak their query into the app (in English, or eight Indian languages) and await suggestions from other locals in the surrounding areas. While Facebook and WhatsApp face criticism for propagating fake news, Google hopes to take a more transparent approach to linking the country's increasing number of netizens together.
Google researchers found that most Indians do everything within their same area – they shop, work and socialise within one or two kilometres of where their homes are. However, with Indian’s rapid rate of urbanisation, people are increasingly feeling lost in their own neighbourhoods. According to UN projections, there will be 416 million people in cities across India by 2050, compared with 255 million in China. "People were saying it was really hard to get trustworthy, safe answers to local questions," says Josh Woodward, a product manager at Google. The new platform will help locals communicate with others in an easy and efficient way.
Lucia Seoane-Pampin is a behavioral analyst at Canvas8, which specializes in behavioral insights and consumer research. Born and raised in Spain, she loves experiencing different cultures and emotional expressions. She studied psychology and communications in Boston and has a master’s in digital & visual media.
