ITV

Category: Digital

  • Data-Driven Digital Transformation: Leveraging big data and analytics for business growth

    Data-Driven Digital Transformation: Leveraging big data and analytics for business growth

    Mumbai: Data-driven Digital Transformations (DDDT) are fast becoming a mainstay owing to their exceptional capability to drive operational efficiency and functional effectiveness across product categories and service domains.

    With new-age technologies becoming the talk of the town, the relevance of data-driven digital transformation (DDDT) has assumed strategic importance.  Organizations are increasingly realizing the transformative potential of data-driven insights, and to that end, many exciting developments are emerging in the technology domain. Notably, the role of DDDT is multifaceted and stands in sharp contrast to the monolithic orientation of the conventional data approach. Instead of just collecting the data, DDDT takes an encompassing view and develops long-lasting solutions for optimizing productivity, elevating efficiency, and boosting profitability, among others. Here are a few critical approaches that can be used in DDDT to elevate its transformational potential across industrial sectors further:

    a) Facilitating hype-personalization: Taking the trend of personalization one step forward is AI capabilities which enable firms to sense the latent needs of consumers and offer groundbreaking solutions to meet them. This proactive anticipation, termed hype-personalization, is emerging as an important strategic tool and besides helping firms to remain profitable, it also enables the industry to adopt innovations and stay ahead of the innovation curve. Hyper-personalisation also helps make businesses more customer-centric with stakeholders firmly following the principles of creating, communicating, and delivering superior value for target markets. Leading firms across product categories and service domains, including the likes of Walmart, Google, and Amazon, are using hyper-personalization and setting an example for other businesses to follow for achieving higher levels of customer satisfaction and profitability.

    b) Enabling Hyper-Automation: AI-based algorithms have become so advanced today that the entire automation process can be completed without external support. Smart algorithms today come with holistic capabilities that not only equip them with completing the automation process on their own but also modify/alter outputs on a real-time basis. Take, for instance, the leading industrial engineering organization Siemens, which uses AI-powered bots to automate operations, diagnose discrepancies,  and run preventive maintenance to keep potential issues at bay. By fully utilizing these end-to-end integration capabilities, firms can easily achieve significant cost savings and reduce downtime while delivering better growth prospects throughout value chains.

    c) Data science democratization: Unlike the past scenarios where a few resource-rich organizations monopolized data science, today’s situation  has changed drastically thanks to the advent of low-code/no-code tools. The new-age development philosophy allows organizations from across the board to derive profound business insights from their data. Regardless of technical competence, anyone in the organization can use these tools to analyze data and offer personalized experiences to the target market.  These development packages come with simplified visual interfaces that allow the use of drag-drop menus to make full use of the data science and use its tools and technologies for generating crucial insights on parameters of the organization’s strategic and tactical interests.

    d) Smarter Edge: Edge technology is making a tectonic shift by emerging from the shadows of just being the faster processing system to offering complete end-to-end process automation. Self-driving cars are a perfect example of how edge technology makes  independent decisions using the data at the edge transmitted with the help of new-age sensors. The rising integration of AI and ML in edge computing is paving the way for smart cities, industry 4.0, and the development of efficient infrastructure, among others. Further, the evolution in edge computing is likely to offer multifaceted benefits for many other industries. It  is likely to contribute to  attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well.  

    e) Explainable AI: To address the transparency concerns related to the use of AI, the rise of explainable AI has caught the attention of stakeholders across the globe. Explainable AI offers information on the decision-making process by detailing the underlying variables and dimensions used by AI to reach specific conclusions. This transparency is not only helpful for the internal stakeholders of organizations but also brings synergy by bringing external stakeholders on the same platform. This exchange of information also proves instrumental in developing a sense of trust and ownership among stakeholders which, in turn, is essential for ensuring long-term growth and probability of business ecosystems.

    2024 will  be a transformative year for the adoption of DDDT in businesses across industrial sectors. Organizations are embracing digital transformations with open arms, and by leveraging digital technologies to derive real-time customer insights, implement workflow automation, and deliver personalized experiences, these firms can remain competitive in the fast-changing and evolving business landscape. In sum, DDDT is likely to keep the growth engines of global economies humming while generating new avenues of growth, profitability, and employment worldwide .

    The author of this article is MSys Technologies SVP- Digital Solutions Dhwanit Shah

  • IDS 2024: First-Party Data in a Cookieless World: The Future of Targeting and Measuring

    IDS 2024: First-Party Data in a Cookieless World: The Future of Targeting and Measuring

    Mumbai: The 18th India Digital Summit, hosted by IAMAI, delved into the intricate world of advertising and the martech industry, amidst the evolving landscape of data privacy regulations. Held at the Jio Convention Centre in BKC on 27 February 2024, the event brought together industry leaders to discuss the paradigm shift towards first-party data utilisation in a cookieless environment.

    Moderated by Vivek Malhotra from India Today Group, the panel comprised distinguished experts: Arnad Fraude from Nielsen, Shuvadip Banerjee representing ITC Ltd., Mohit Kumar of Havas Media Network India, and Shashank Srivastava from Maruti Suzuki India. Their insights shed light on navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the changing digital ecosystem.

    In recent years, concerns over data privacy and the impending demise of third-party cookies have prompted a reevaluation of digital marketing strategies. The focus has shifted towards harnessing first-party data, which is collected directly from consumers through interactions with owned digital platforms. This transition heralds a more personalised and ethical approach to targeting and measuring campaign effectiveness.

    Fraude emphasised the importance of leveraging first-party data to gain deeper insights into consumer behavior while respecting their privacy. He highlighted the need for transparent data practices and emphasized the role of consent in data collection.

    Banerjee shared insights from ITC Ltd.’s journey towards building a robust first-party data infrastructure. He stressed the significance of data quality over quantity and advocated for investing in data analytics capabilities to derive actionable insights.

    Joshi said the role of creativity and innovation in crafting narratives that resonate with consumers in a cookieless world. He also said the need for collaboration between creative and data teams to deliver personalized experiences at scale.

    Srivastava provided perspectives from the automotive industry, highlighting the challenges of targeting niche audiences in a cookieless environment. He told that the importance of data partnerships and ecosystem integration in delivering seamless customer experiences across channels.

    Overall, the session underscored the pivotal role of first-party data in driving effective digital marketing strategies amidst evolving privacy regulations. As the industry adapts to a cookieless future, organizations must prioritize transparency, consent, and data stewardship to build trust and deliver value to consumers. 

  • Air India launches new inflight safety video

    Air India launches new inflight safety video

    Mumbai: Air India, India’s leading global airline, has unveiled ‘Safety Mudras’, the airline’s new inflight safety video that seamlessly blends safety instructions with the kaleidoscope of India’s vibrant culture. Developed in collaboration with the visionary trio of Prasoon Joshi of McCann Worldgroup, Shankar Mahadevan and Bharatbala, the video is meticulously crafted to engage passengers and showcase the diversity and depth of the Indian culture, while delivering essential safety information.

    For centuries, Indian classical dance and folk art forms have served as mediums of storytelling and instruction. Air India’s new inflight safety video integrates safety instructions with mudras or dance expressions in eight diverse dance forms – Bharatnatyam, Bihu, Kathak, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Odissi, Ghoomar, and Giddha – from around the country. Each featured dance form presents a specific safety instruction, providing vital information in an engaging and culturally immersive manner.

    Air India CEO & MD Campbell Wilson said: “As a flagbearer of the country and a longstanding patron of Indian art and culture, Air India is delighted to present a work of art that is designed to deliver essential safety instructions while showcasing India’s rich cultural diversity to travellers around the world. Our guests will find this inflight safety video to be more immersive and informative, and a warm welcome to India from the moment they step onboard.”

    Featuring music composed by Grammy Award-winning music composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan, the video invites passengers to experience a harmonious fusion of safety and culture. This project, spanning approximately six months, involved creators travelling and capturing the essence of India visually through mesmerizing locations across the length and breadth of the country.

    The safety video will be initially accessible on Air India’s recently introduced A350 aircraft, which is equipped with state-of-the-art inflight entertainment screens. It will be progressively deployed on other aircraft in Air India’s fleet.

    McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific chairman, McCann Worldgroup India CEO & CCO; and celebrated writer & lyricist Prasoon Joshi:

    “Tasked with the challenge to create a concept that keeps passengers engaged, embody Indian culture and elevate the Air India brand globally, we went to great lengths to poise the essential and the evocative. Indian classical dance forms have one unique dimension – storytelling. And that is what made me think of this idea of using these Indian dance forms to deliver the safety instructions for air travel.

    I am fortunate that this idea found resonance with the fantastic Air India team. And, with a longtime friend and ever brilliant Bharatbala who really made this thought possible. It’s indeed a matter of pride for McCann to work with Air India.”

    Celebrated Indian music composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan:

    “I am very happy I got to create the music for the safety instruction video for Air India. With the new chapter of Air India, their safety instruction video too is pathbreaking and very culturally rich. It is a combination of the various dance forms from India – with the dancers demonstrating the safety briefing actions by way of mudras. The music changes as per the dance form as well. Cheers to Air India for creating something that has never been done before, I am very proud to be a part of this.”

    Indian film director, producer and screenwriter Bharatbala:

    “Having previously worked on projects that showcase the cultural diversity of India, this nuanced opportunity from Air India, enabled me to present our timeless classical and folk-art forms with a contemporary vision. We are an ancient country but with a modern outlook. And for India’s leading global carrier, Air India, to communicate a safety mandate in this manner brought even more responsibility on me to create a spectacle. Filming across the beautiful landscapes and monuments, giving each dance form its place of pride, is truly an enriching experience. This journey enables the passengers to experience India visually, musically, and emotionally on a grand canvas. This film will be etched as one of my special creations and I hope will be an added feather in the rich legacy of Air India. Welcome on board!”

  • UPES partners with Safexpress to offer specialized logistics programs

    UPES partners with Safexpress to offer specialized logistics programs

    Mumbai: UPES ON, the digital education arm of UPES University, renowned for its innovative and industry-aligned programs, announces its strategic partnership with Safexpress via   Seekho, its edtech initiative. Together, they are set to redefine the educational landscape for students enrolled in the MBA and PGP programs in Logistics & Supply Chain Management.

    UPES University, with its consistent commitment to providing high-quality education, ranks 52nd by NIRF and holds the prestigious title of the 1st Indian Private University for Academic Reputation by QS World Rankings. The digital education wing, UPES ON, was established to empower working professionals for leadership roles in tomorrow’s digital transformations.

    The partnership with Safexpress underscores UPES ON’s dedication to delivering industry-relevant education and providing experiential learning opportunities. The benefited programs include MBA – Logistics & Supply Chain Management and PGP – Logistics & Supply Chain Management.

    Key highlights of the UPES ON Program in collaboration with Safexpress include modules covering Advanced Technology and Digital Supply Chain, as well as Global Supply Chain. The program leads to an additional Safexpress certificate for students. The curriculum includes experiential learning with Safexpress experts, industrial immersions in Safexpress facilities, and additional benefits such as live projects, and workshops.

    Commenting on the partnership, Piyush Arora, Professor of Practice, UPES ON stated, “We are excited about our partnership with Safexpress through Seekho, which enhances our commitment to providing industry-relevant education and experiential learning opportunities for our students.”

    “This collaboration is a testament to our dedication to nurturing talent in the logistics and supply chain domain. We look forward to contributing to the skill development of the future leaders in this industry,” said Safexpress VP, Business & Marketing Strategy, Vijay Vashisht.

    This collaboration not only ensures academic excellence but also provides students with a holistic understanding of the industry through optional industrial visits and immersive experiences.

  • “We also foster a culture of continuous learning within our organisation”: E42’s Sanjeev Menon

    “We also foster a culture of continuous learning within our organisation”: E42’s Sanjeev Menon

    Mumbai: E42, formerly known as NLP-Bots, is the world’s leading Natural Language Processing- based  AI platform developed by Light Information System Private Ltd, a pioneer with more than  150 man years of R&D.

    Sanjeev Menon is the co-founder and head of Technology and Product at Light Information Systems  Private Ltd. He brings 25 years of passion-driven R&D experience in – Natural Language Processing,  Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, Telecommunications & VoIP, Augmented Reality, eCommerce  Solutions, and Predictive Algorithms.

    Being passionate about a collaborative work environment, Sanjeev focuses on building and mentoring  teams that strive for innovation and excellence.

    The platform can  be used to create multifunctional cognitive agents that automates complex functions towards  time, energy, resource, and cost optimisation. It is helping organizations with the future ready  AI Workforce which can multitask, duplicate themselves and exhibit human intelligence in  various roles among various domains in the organisation.  

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with Menon, where he shared the company’s contribution in shaping AI technology and much more…

    Edited excerpts

    On E42.ai  contribution to the advancement of AI transformation in India

    E42 has been evangelizing AI since 2013, beginning with an initiative called ‘Poochh’. This service, similar to ChatGPT, provided specific answers to user queries via SMS in 2014. It was primarily aimed at the information-deprived or weaker sections of society in rural India. This initiative won us the Manthan Award for social transformation and empowerment.

    This was part of our evolution towards machine comprehension. E42’s contribution to AI transformation in India is significant and multifaceted. We have moved beyond traditional Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and are now employing Cognitive Process Automation (CPA) for enterprises. This progressive step underscores our commitment to AI transformation in India. The multifunctional co-workers built on E42, with human-level cognition (they can see, converse, hear, read, write, infer, reason, and sense) can automate various processes across enterprise functions and verticals including tasks that involve decision-making that otherwise require humans. These AI co-workers can coordinate with each other for better enterprise outcomes. The platform employs generative AI for innovative solutions and allows on-premises customization of Large Language Models (LLM) for optimal performance. With an emphasis on enhanced context understanding and reduced hallucination, E42 ensures a sophisticated conversational AI experience with multilingual support. E42 excels in advanced content generation for real-time analysis, Intelligent Document Processing (IDP), and multimodal network capabilities, facilitating structured and unstructured data processing. The platform offers flexible deployment options, allowing for on-premises, on-cloud, or hybrid configurations, along with comprehensive text and voice support. Notably, it features a no-code API integration for easy setup, captive AI learning, and use case scalability through drag-to-link functionalities. The platform ensures a unified chat window across all interfaces, streamlining operations and enabling easy iteration across channels. Continuous learning and improvement are ingrained in E42, with ongoing model refinement, adaptive hyperparameter tuning, and advanced feature engineering. Security is paramount, with dedicated approaches such as LLMOps for efficient Large Language Model management, MLOps for secure machine learning model maintenance, SSDLC for robust and timely software development, and GDPR compliance for data protection.  

    In the context of the Indian market, characterized by its diverse and often unorganized nature, our offerings play a pivotal role in fostering organization and structure. Take our end-to-end accounts payable process automation system, for instance. It streamlines the entire process, from vendor onboarding to storing invoices, utilizing an omnichannel interface with multilingual support. What sets us apart is our AI co-workers’ capability to extract information from non-formatted or even handwritten invoices. This transformative ability ensures that businesses in India can operate in an organized manner, mitigating discrepancies and embracing a more structured approach to their financial processes. E42.ai’s commitment to bringing order to the unorganized facets of the Indian market underscores our dedication to advancing AI transformation in the country.

    On the role of the company fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the AI ecosystem

    In fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the AI ecosystem, both in India and globally, E42.ai plays a pivotal role. Our collaborative approach encourages partnerships with startups, SMEs, and industry leaders, fostering a vibrant ecosystem. Through initiatives like knowledge-sharing forums, hackathons, and strategic collaborations, we aim to catalyze innovation.  At E42, we’ve adopted a ‘partner-first’ approach. Through our no-code CPA platform, we’re fostering a broad ecosystem of partners. These partners can leverage their subject matter expertise to deploy core AI solutions, even without specific AI expertise. We’ve made our platform accessible to startups with unique ideas, providing them with the tools they need for a swift ‘go-to-market’ strategy. Our dedication to supporting entrepreneurship extends to providing AI capabilities to SIs and OEMs, enabling them to compete effectively. By nurturing a culture of innovation and collaboration, E42.ai contributes to the dynamic growth of the AI ecosystem on a global scale.

    On supporting the development of AI talent and expertise within India and other regions it operates in

    We also foster a culture of continuous learning within our organisation. This involves encouraging our team members to participate in training programs, webinars, and online courses. In addition, we have a certification program designed to enhance the skills of developers. This allows them to work effectively on our platform and deliver value-added solutions to their clientele. By investing in the professional development of our workforce, we ensure that our collective knowledge base remains cutting-edge. We’ve invested significantly in research and development to ensure that our AI solutions remain relevant to the dynamic needs of our clients. We’ve closely monitored and adapted to evolving regulations, ensuring that our practices align with compliance standards. Firstly, we maintain active engagement with industry publications, research papers, and reputable news sources. By regularly reviewing and analyzing the latest articles and reports, we gain valuable insights into emerging technologies, market trends, and evolving customer needs. Networking is another key component of our strategy. Attending industry conferences, seminars, and workshops provides us with the opportunity to connect with thought leaders, experts, and professionals. These interactions not only broaden our perspective but also enable us to forge meaningful partnerships and collaborations.

    On the company tailoring its solutions to address the unique challenges present in the Indian market

    In addressing the distinctive challenges prevalent in the Indian market, E42 tailors its solutions with a nuanced understanding of the local landscape. Recognizing India’s linguistic diversity, our AI co-workers are equipped with robust multilingual support, ensuring effective communication and interaction in various languages. Additionally, we have strategically designed our solutions to operate seamlessly in areas with low and intermittent internet connectivity, addressing a common hurdle faced in several parts of the country.  In India’s diverse enterprise segment, our no-code platform provides a breeze of integration, effortlessly bridging varied systems and processes. The AI co-workers built on E42 harmoniously collaborate with human workers, enhancing productivity without necessitating process changes. This innovative approach led to us receiving the NASSCOM AI Game Changer of the Year award in 2018.

    For instance, our current focus is on facilitating end-to-end AI-led Accounts Payable automation to enterprises and the AI Accounts Payable Executive built on E42 extends our commitment to providing tailored solutions with features specifically crafted to align with Indian processes. This includes the extraction of QR codes, decryption and verification of Invoice Reference Number (IRN) in both digits and alphanumeric symbols, and the ability to configure API calls to government GST data for IRN validation. Our solutions also confirm the presence of valid digital signatures, while simultaneously incorporating mechanisms for auto-response and escalations in the event of exceptions. This localized approach distinguishes our offerings, reflecting our dedication to overcoming the unique challenges posed by the Indian market.

    On future trends you foresee for E42.ai’s involvement in AI transformation efforts, both domestically in India and on the global stage

    Workforce automation is redefining how enterprises work—bridging the gap that is created when processes are automated in silos. We are witnessing significantly higher levels of AI adoption in several verticals such as manufacturing, financial industry, retail, government, and IT. For us, automation is a path towards our relentless pursuit of excellence as we meticulously refine our models to elevate precision, efficiency, and user-friendliness. A paramount focus lies in enhancing the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs), aiming for robustness and adaptability across diverse use cases. Equally crucial is our commitment to mitigating biases within our AI models. Employing sophisticated techniques and frameworks, we ensure that our solutions not only stand out for their technical robustness but also adhere to the highest ethical standards. Intertwined with this ethical approach is the integration of user-centric features, strategically embedded to enhance the overall user experience.

    With a workforce of AI co-workers that can work across functions, automating the entire enterprise with utmost precision and accuracy at each level—the future of enterprise is smarter, faster, and, more intelligent. We’re enhancing enterprise intelligence one AI co-worker at a time. These AI co-workers, through social value alignment, coordinate seamlessly for improved enterprise operations.

  • Karnataka Bank’s 100-Year journey unraveled through the phygital experience center powered by DaveAI

    Karnataka Bank’s 100-Year journey unraveled through the phygital experience center powered by DaveAI

    Mumbai: In celebration of Karnataka Bank’s remarkable century-long journey, a visionary Phygital Experience Center emerges as a beacon of innovation, inviting audiences to embark on an immersive exploration of the bank’s past, present, and future. Developed in collaboration with DaveAI, the leading AI-powered experience creators platform sets a new standard in customer engagement and showcases Karnataka Bank’s unwavering commitment to pioneering technologies.

    The Phygital Experience Center, inaugurated by the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka – D. K. Shivakumar, promises a transformative encounter that seamlessly merges the physical and digital realms. By transcending conventional celebratory formats, Karnataka Bank aims to offer patrons a dynamic space where they can delve into the institution’s rich heritage while envisioning its trajectory in the digital age.

    At the core of this innovative venture lies DaveAI’s proprietary visual synthesis pipeline, meticulously integrated into captivating narratives, gesture-controlled experiences, and immersive simulations. Visitors were greeted by virtual avatars, could take part in virtual reality tours, and engage with augmented reality experiences, all curated to provide an unparalleled glimpse into Karnataka Bank’s evolution over the past century and its vision for the future of banking.

    “When Karnataka Bank celebrated their centenary year, one of their most important questions was, what do they need to do so that their legacy continues for another 100 years. They turned to us to ideate on what is possible in the future of banking. Together we came up with a very futuristic experience center with great ideas to showcase what they are already doing as well as what they would plan to do.

    Concepts such as, Metaverse, Virtual Branches, Autonomous banking with the help of AI etc. were experienced by 100s of people from their staff and family as well as other dignitaries. Everyone was wowed by Karnataka Bank’s vision as well as their management’s commitment towards making it reality in the near future,” said Dr. Ananth, CTO & Co-Founder at DaveAI.

    The highlights of this Digital Bank of the Future included:

    1. Gesture-Controlled Experiences: A journey through the bank’s 100-year legacy, featuring a virtual avatar narrating key milestones and achievements, setting the stage for an enlightening exploration.

    2. Virtual Reality Tour: Visitors could step into a VR pod for a 360-degree tour of the futuristic digital banking unit, experiencing firsthand the fusion of tradition and technology that defines Karnataka Bank’s future.

    3. Innovation Showcase: A dynamic zone showcasing the bank’s innovative initiatives, featuring interactive kiosks and augmented reality-powered card discovery, designed to engage and educate visitors on Karnataka Bank’s diverse range of products and services.

    Commenting on the launch, Karnataka Bank CDMO Pankaj Gupta expressed excitement saying, “It is a proud moment for Karnataka Bank as we seamlessly blend tradition with the boundless possibilities of the future. Our Digital Experience Center stands as a testament to this fusion, exuding beauty and innovation in every corner. Now, our mission extends beyond mere admiration within our experience center; it’s about bringing these immersive experiences to the doorsteps of all our customers, enriching their lives both within the confines of their homes and beyond.”

  • Classic Stripes rebranded as Naxnova

    Classic Stripes rebranded as Naxnova

    Mumbai: Classic Stripes, the flagship company of the Astarc Group, is a design & technology company providing new generation solutions to global OEMs in the Automotive, Consumer Durables & Appliances industries in India and globally has announced its new brand identity. The company will now move forward as ‘Naxnova’. On track to quadruple revenues in the next 4 years, the company aims to grow the homegrown brand globally under the leadership of its managing director – Salil Musale.

    Naxnova (previously Classic Stripes) is an ambitious and fast-paced global India-based organisation with a unique product portfolio and global presence. For over three decades, they have been the preferred partners and suppliers to some of the leading OEM customers all over the world. The company’s design approach sets it apart in the industry as it focuses on bringing futuristic solutions ingrained in practical research that works for its clients. Standing strong with over 1000 employees, the company leverages design & technology as an enabler to make this ambition possible and nurtures strong partnerships to bring superior & positive experiences for millions of users around the world. They have built a global R&D team to deliver solutions for its customers. They already serve global OEMs like Yamaha, Ford, Honda, Suzuki, Tata Motors, Toyota, Kia, Nissan Renault, MG, Samsung, Hero, Bajaj, Harley Davidson, KTM, TVS, Royal Enfield, Panasonic, Continental, and more. Their next generation products are thin, flexible, lightweight and sustainable, in line with their vision to provide positive & exciting experiences to their customers in the areas of illumination, smart surfaces, safety sensors, thermal management, branding with aesthetics and great functionality embedded in all their solutions. Besides automotive, consumer goods and appliances, Naxnova will very soon be entering the medical devices & wearables industry.

    “The name ‘Naxnova’ symbolizes our innovative spirit.’Nax’ hints at the nexus of technology and advancement, while ‘nova’ suggests a burst of newness and brilliance. Together, ‘Naxnova’ represents our journey into unexplored realms of technology especially in PRINTED ELECTRONICS. The new brand identity will leverage our deep-rooted experience across almost 40 years in the industry and will give strength to our global plans as we expand across countries and verticals to serve our existing and new customers. We are a homegrown design & technology company that will work with brands in India and globally, becoming a leader in its space in the next 5-7 years,” said Musale.

    Commenting on the same, founder, narrative Rohit Varma, said “The rebranding project of Classic Stripes was surely intriguing. The organization is advancing in a new direction and expanding globally, necessitating the rebranding. The new brand needs to appeal to a global audience which means we needed to look at what’s happening around the world in this space and create a unique positioning for the new brand. While Classic Stripes is known for their precision manufacturing capabilities, this new brand will be known for its design, technology and engineering prowess.”

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/naxnova1/

  • “We ensure that every campaign carries a clear, compelling message”: Adbuffs’s Ananya Roy

    “We ensure that every campaign carries a clear, compelling message”: Adbuffs’s Ananya Roy

    Mumbai: Adbuffs is a Kolkata-based digital-first performance marketing agency which automates digital advertisements for businesses to deliver tangible results. The brand is endeavouring to carve a niche in the D2C marketing industry with its laser focus on launching and scaling eCommerce brands worldwide, accelerating growth for their eCommerce companies’ partners.

    The agency offers a plethora of services related to Facebook & Instagram Ads, Google Ads, Amazon Ads, Email Marketing, WhatsApp Marketing, Creatives and a secondary line of services including Quora, Building Shopify and WooCommerce sites, and Influencer Consultation.

    Being in a robust client-oriented sector and with high thriving competition, the agency’s diligent work by their team of 80 professionals has sailed their boat through the waters. In this era of the talent war, the top marketing agency has thrived hard to maintain a positive culture with high retention rates.

    Within the short span of four years, the company’s strength has grown from 6 to 100 and has successfully served 200+ D2C brands and clients.

    Looking ahead, Adbuffs is poised for even greater accomplishments, with an anticipated growth rate of 80% in the fiscal year 2023-24. Bolstered by its solid foundation and unwavering vision, the company is well-equipped to navigate the challenges of the digital landscape and emerge victorious.

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with Adbuffs media buying manager Ananya Roy, where she shared numerous insights of their agency…

    Edited excerpts

    On Adbuffs setting apart from traditional marketing agencies and its approach towards digital-first strategies

    What truly differentiates Adbuffs from traditional marketing agencies is our creative-first philosophy woven into a digital-first approach. In a landscape where every brand’s fight for attention is unique, Adbuffs understands that a bespoke plan of attack is crucial. We don’t just apply standard strategies; we create narratives that encapsulate a brand’s essence and speak directly to its audience.

    Our methodology begins with a deep dive into the brand’s existing ecosystem, dissecting data to uncover what works and pinpointing untapped opportunities. This rigorous analysis ensures that the strategies we deploy are not only creative but grounded in hard evidence of what resonates with the target market.

    The digital-first lens through which we view the marketing world isn’t just about being online; it’s about thinking in terms of connectivity, real-time engagement, and leveraging data insights to craft campaigns that are as effective as they are inventive. This approach isn’t limited to digital execution; it permeates every aspect of our planning, from ensuring technical integrations are seamless to interpreting analytics for a continuous cycle of improvement.

    Adbuffs’ culture celebrates experimentation, encouraging a test-and-learn environment that’s agile and responsive. This mindset allows us to stay ahead of trends and adapt to the ever-evolving digital space, ensuring that clients’ brands don’t just compete but set the pace in their respective industries.

    In summary, Adbuffs isn’t just a marketing agency; it’s a digital powerhouse that uses creativity and a digital-first approach to build powerhouse brands ready to dominate the digital arena.

    On the agency tailoring its strategies to target specific audiences and demographics effectively

    At our agency, we craft our strategies by focusing on three key elements: creative personas, thematic creatives, and message-driven approaches.

    Firstly, we build detailed creative personas—these are like sketches of the specific groups of people we want to reach. By understanding their interests, behaviors, and preferences, we can tailor our content to resonate with them on a personal level.

    Next, we develop creatives that are not just visually appealing but also follow a theme that speaks to our target demographic. This thematic approach ensures that our campaigns are cohesive and tell a story that aligns with the audience’s values and interests.

    Lastly, we ensure that every campaign carries a clear, compelling message. This message-driven approach guarantees that our ads do more than just grab attention—they also communicate the brand’s message in a way that’s relevant and engaging to the specific audience we’re targeting.

    By combining these elements, we create campaigns that effectively connect with different audiences and demographics, turning viewers into loyal customers.

    On specific tools you use to optimize campaign performance

    We use internal reporting tools & google sheets to get daily reports.

    On any innovative approach that Adbuffs employs to stay ahead in the competitive digital marketing landscape

    Adbuffs integrates a deeper level of financial analysis into our marketing strategies by focusing on key financial metrics such as COGS (Cost of Goods Sold), CM1 (Contribution Margin 1), and CM2 (Contribution Margin 2). This enhanced Finance & Marketing approach ensures we’re not just driving revenue, but also improving the bottom line for our clients.

    Here’s the expanded approach with this integration:

    Financially-Driven Decision-Making: Beyond ROI, we examine how marketing efforts impact overall financial health, scrutinizing metrics like COGS to ensure marketing spend translates into profitable growth.

    Budget Optimization with COGS in Mind: Understanding the cost of goods sold helps us better allocate marketing budgets, ensuring that we’re promoting products with a favorable cost structure and high potential for profit.

    Data-Driven Insights Into Profitability: By analyzing CM1 and CM2, we gain insights into the direct contribution of marketing efforts towards covering fixed costs and generating profit. This allows us to prioritize campaigns that significantly lift these margins.

    KPI-Focused Campaigns Aligned with Financial Health: Our marketing KPIs are directly aligned with financial metrics like CM1 and CM2, ensuring that we’re not just driving sales, but are also enhancing the profitability of each sale.

    Risk Management Through Financial Metrics: By keeping a close eye on COGS, CM1, and CM2, we manage the risk associated with marketing investments more effectively, adjusting strategies to maintain or improve these key financial indicators.

    Strategic Investment Based on CM1 and CM2: We strategically invest in marketing channels and campaigns that have proven to improve CM1 and CM2, ensuring that marketing efforts are directly contributing to the economic value of the business.

    Incorporating these financial metrics into our strategy not only sets Adbuffs apart in the digital marketing field but also aligns marketing initiatives closely with our clients’ overall business performance, ensuring that every campaign we run is a step towards greater profitability.

    On the future of generative AI as it is still in its infancy stage

    The future of generative AI, particularly in its application to digital marketing, is poised to revolutionize how businesses understand and interact with their customers, especially through advanced metrics like Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) and Customer Cohorts analysis. Here’s a more detailed look into its potential impact:

    Deepening Customer LTV Understanding: Generative AI can process vast amounts of data to predict Customer Lifetime Value with greater accuracy. By analyzing customer behavior, purchase history, and engagement patterns, AI can identify key factors that influence LTV. Marketers can use these insights to tailor strategies that enhance customer retention, optimize acquisition costs, and increase overall profitability.

    Segmentation and Personalization through Customer Cohorts: With generative AI, marketers can create more nuanced customer cohorts based on a variety of behaviors and preferences. This segmentation enables highly personalized marketing campaigns, product recommendations, and content delivery that resonates with each group. AI’s ability to continuously learn and adjust these cohorts in real-time means marketing efforts can become more targeted and effective over time.

    Automating and Optimizing Customer Journeys: By leveraging insights from Customer LTV and Cohort analysis, generative AI can automate personalized customer journeys at scale. From the initial point of contact through various touchpoints to post-purchase follow-ups, AI can ensure that every interaction is optimized for individual customer needs and preferences, significantly enhancing the customer experience.

    Predictive Analytics for Strategic Decision Making: The predictive capabilities of generative AI extend beyond marketing tactics to strategic decision-making. Understanding Customer LTV and Cohort behaviors helps businesses allocate resources more efficiently, develop products that better meet customer needs, and identify potential market opportunities before they become obvious.

    Ethical Data Use and Customer Trust: As businesses rely more on AI for Customer LTV and Cohort analysis, maintaining ethical standards in data use becomes crucial. Generative AI must be deployed in ways that respect customer privacy and build trust, ensuring that personalization efforts are perceived as valuable rather than intrusive.

    Enhanced ROI through Efficient Marketing Spend: By focusing on high-LTV customers and understanding the unique characteristics of different cohorts, businesses can optimize their marketing spend. Generative AI enables more efficient use of resources by targeting efforts where they are most likely to yield long-term returns.

    In conclusion, the integration of generative AI into digital marketing strategies, particularly through the lens of Customer LTV and Cohort analysis, promises a future where marketing is more personalized, efficient, and aligned with customer needs than ever before. As generative AI technologies evolve, they will undoubtedly become a cornerstone of successful digital marketing strategies, driving innovation and competitive advantage in a crowded marketplace.

  • VBS 2024: Perspectives on the advertising economy & the role of video

    VBS 2024: Perspectives on the advertising economy & the role of video

    Mumbai: India is in the grips of seisnic changes regarding video and broadband consumption. Pay TV cord-cutting is rampant even as free TV subscriptions are on the rise and OTT buy-ins are churning with the signs up for certain platforms stagnating even as others are seeing rapid increases and some are seeing cataclysmic drops. Aggregators of OTTs are popping up on the horizon promising cheap bundles along with value-added services for cable TV and DTH. There’s a rush to set up free advertising-supported TV channels by TV set manufacturers and smart TV device makers. There’s the Jio factor where it seeks to convert most pay TV customers to free streaming of video content by offering free access to consumers at no cost. The consumer continues to demand bandwidth higher than ever imagined even as prices drop. Margins are under pressure as every player goes one-up on each other to acquire and retain customers.

    The video and broadband distribution landscape has not been as vibrant as it is now.. How long will this pot-boiling continue? What will the magic potion of video and broadband look and taste like? And what’s the end game? Indiantelevision.com has held the 20th edition of Video and Broadband Summit better known as VBS at Sahara Star Hotel, Mumbai.

    The session chair for this panel was EssenceMediacom India managing partner Deepak Sonpar along with the panelists: Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd director – integrated brand experience lead Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi, ICICI Lombard head- marketing, corporate communications & CSR Sheena Kapoor, and Carat India VP- West Amita Srivastava.

    Sonpar kicked off the session by asking Srivastava of what is the latest ongoing trend which she is witnessing currently in the landscape.

    She said, “ I will be talking about the advertising landscape right now by saying the first thing over here is that there is so much fragmentation right now that it’s an era of choices for the consumers. TV continues to be a very important medium for everybody. But digital is something which has been jumping and leaping its way to the top largely because of the exponential growth of the internet. Mobile smartphones, have given us this option of targeting our audiences. Mobile content is something which is growing very strongly, in fact, a lot of websites now need to be mobile compliant.”

    She also briefly touched upon programmatic advertising because from an advertisers perspective, it is content which is speaking well from the agency perspective, programmatic becomes really important because that helps us deliver efficiencies the best find which is possible to reach out to the kind of audiences which they are looking at.

    She also talked about native advertising, “While we have a lot of content, which is going on, which is a little brash in terms of you’re exposing our brand and talking very specifically about random use pointers, there are some brands which prefer the approach of slightly more seamless integration. And I think they are the ones who are going into this middle of advertising space and utilizing it very well to speak to their audiences.”

    Sonpar then turned towards Kapoor on the question of notable changes in the new age programmatic and artificial intelligence to which she replied, “ In terms of trends overall and how it is changing, when we are talking about proliferation and disintegration of devices because earlier we used to sit around with the family in front of the idiot box when there was certain program where everybody in the household were consuming and therefore was forced to consume the advertising that was being played.”

    She continues, “Today in the same household there are multiple devices not only TV but mobile, laptops etc. The other change is everybody is heading towards content. I will consume what I want to consume, any genre that I like, which makes the task for brands a lot tougher because a) You’re talking about buying the same kind of attention span to the consumers and 2) Social media and the influencers space. “

    She also talked on her recent campain which was completely Gen AI driven and also talked on how personalization is also the new ongoing trend.

    Sonpar then asked Gandhi on how brands have impacted the video content and marketing strategy to which she said, “Let me break it into three parts. One is the narrative of video storytelling, what you want to tell the consumers and when we talked to urban audiences with benefits which are premium, all the way down to rural audiences and then we look at states. Second part is the multiplicity of format and video. The bigger challenge is how you tell a story and what story you tell in a 30-60 second format. The third part of video creation is also you looking at the consumer journey and as a brand what’s the funnel that you really target.

    At the end, Sonpar summed up briefly the key talk points of the session to the audience, “Three words to take away are that the world is getting more and more impatient. We need to plan for smaller, shorter content. Second is brands need to tie up a bit of trust which is the influencers which the people like us look up to. The essence of all innovation and new content is between the attention and engagement which would be the third point. Anything that drives attention and engagement will work and that we need to chase.”
     

  • “Generative AI is having a positive impact on the digital marketing industry”: Blufig’s Amit Thakkar

    “Generative AI is having a positive impact on the digital marketing industry”: Blufig’s Amit Thakkar

    Mumbai: Blufig is a B2B digital marketing agency that is exploding with opportunities. Their team consists of passionate marketers, designers, storytellers, and developers, who want to go beyond the ordinary. They bring immense passion and zeal to helping the brands go from aspiration to growth.

    Since its inception in 2017, Blufig has successfully served over 130 tech companies. The agency’s CEO Amit Thakkar’s mission is rooted in disrupting the B2B digital marketing agency through a domain-focused approach, emphasizing the importance of specialization and excelling in a specific niche.

    With a global footprint, Blufig has a clientele spanning India, North America, Singapore, Australia, and Europe, positioning itself to make a significant impact on the B2B tech ecosystem.

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with Thakkar who has been instrumental in scaling several successful businesses for the agency.

    Edited excerpts

    On Blufig differentiating itself from other similar agencies

    Blufig caters to a very specific niche in a B2B digital marketing agency. It exclusively serves B2B tech companies. As a result, it gained invaluable experience and expertise in marketing software IT brands.

    Blufig’s credentials are what differentiate it from other agencies – Provided marketing services to 130+ brands in a span of 5 years. Fortune 500 companies as its customers. Track record of being a marketing partner that focuses on providing practical solutions and not just increasing billing.

    On retain passionate professionals to join the agency and contributing to its mission of going beyond the ordinary

    Given we are in a creative field, passionate professionals need new challenges and goals. They need a sense of fulfilment that helps them grow in their career. We try as much to get new challenging projects to keep them engaged.

    We also make sure their financial and emotional needs are fulfilled as much as possible.

    On specific strategies do you employ to help brands transition from aspiration to growth

    We understand the brand in detail – their category, target audience, competition and marketing goals. We implement strategies aligned to meet these goals.

    On the future of generative AI as it is still in its infancy stage

    Generative AI is having a positive impact on the digital marketing industry. Rather than being a threat it is proving to be an enabler that can expedite and improve the quality of marketing campaigns. From research to content to design and marketing analytics – Generative AI is playing a pivotal role as we embrace the next wave of transformation in the marketing industry.