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Tag: Amazon

  • WARC ad forecast: Digital giants to gorge on global bonanza in 2025

    WARC ad forecast: Digital giants to gorge on global bonanza in 2025

    MUMBAI: Global advertising expenditure is set to surge by 7.4 per cent this year to $1.17trn, according to WARC’s latest forecast—the first upward revision in more than a year. The research firm has boosted its projection by 1.2 percentage points since June, driven by what it calls a “social media windfall” and frenetic pre-tariff spending.

    The bonanza is heavily skewed towards a handful of technology titans. Meta, Alphabet and Amazon are forecast to hoover up nearly two-thirds of all advertising growth in 2025, cementing their stranglehold on the global marketing purse strings. Outside China, the trio already commands 55.8 per cent of all advertising spend—a share set to exceed 60 per cent by 2030.

    Digital platforms are cannibalising traditional media with ruthless efficiency. Nine in every ten new advertising dollars are flowing to online-only platforms, leaving legacy media owners—even those with digital arms—to scrap over what WARC likens to “the equivalent of Facebook’s monthly revenue.”

    Social media has emerged as the single largest advertising medium globally, gobbling up 40.6 per cent of new marketing dollars. Spending on the channel is projected to rocket by 14.9 per cent to $306.4bn this year, representing more than a quarter of total global advertising expenditure. Meta remains the chief beneficiary, capturing 60 per cent of all social media advertising spend.

    The spending spree was particularly pronounced in the second quarter, when social media expenditure jumped 20.2 per cent year-on-year—well above WARC’s initial projection of 12.4 per cent growth. The surge was driven by retailers rushing to stockpile inventory and promote value ahead of expected price hikes, with retail now the largest category on both Instagram and TikTok.

    Search advertising is attracting around 22 per cent of new dollars, while retail media platforms are capturing another 21.5 per cent. Amazon is poised to claim over a third of the retail media pie, which is forecast to grow 13.7 per cent to $175bn in 2025.

    The momentum is expected to accelerate further, with global advertising spend projected to rise 8.1 per cent to $1.27trn in 2026 and 7.1 per cent to $1.36trn in 2027. The market is on track to nearly double in value since the pandemic, underscoring advertising’s remarkable resilience despite economic headwinds.

    “This includes disruption to global trade and reduced purchasing power among consumers, brands are doubling down on Meta, Alphabet and Amazon,” said WARC director of data, intelligence and forecasting James Mcdonald. “The global market is set to nearly double in value since the pandemic, underscoring the resilience of advertising in a tougher economic climate.”

    The rosy outlook contrasts sharply with some other industry forecasts. eMarketer recently slashed its projections for American digital advertising spending, citing the impact of trade wars on automotive and retail sectors. But WARC’s global perspective suggests the digital advertising juggernaut shows no signs of slowing.

  • Colors Queen unveils festive glow collection

    Colors Queen unveils festive glow collection

    MUMBAI: Colors Queen Cosmetics has rolled out its festive collection, promising beauty lovers a season of radiance. The homegrown brand, known for its cruelty-free and skin-friendly formulas, is serving up sparkle with a line-up that blends innovation, affordability and flair.

    The showstopper is the cushion foundation, designed for a natural, buildable glow that lasts all day. Adding drama are the liquid metallic eyeshadows, while the glass bomb stick and lip gloss bring shimmer and shine to cheeks, lips and eyes. Completing the look are illuminating primers and highlighters that make festival lights look dim in comparison.

    Speaking on the launch, co-founder Nitin Panjwani said the range was crafted to deliver luxury beauty at accessible prices, with products that not only look stunning but also feel good on the skin.

    Available on Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, Myntra, Purplle, Meesho, and the official website www.colorsqueen.com , along with offline counters across India, the collection invites beauty lovers to shine brighter and bolder this festive season.

    Colors Queen, founded in 2014, has built its name on blending quality, affordability and inclusivity, and with this launch, it hopes to crown itself the go-to brand for festive glamour.
     

  • Oxpecker hits it out of the park with Washington Sundar as brand face

    Oxpecker hits it out of the park with Washington Sundar as brand face

    MUMBAI: When a cricketer known for his calm grit partners with a brand built on hustle, you know the pitch is perfect. Oxpecker, India’s next-gen activewear and athleisure label, has roped in Indian international cricketer Washington Sundar as its first-ever brand ambassador marking a bold new chapter in its journey to redefine how India sweats, stretches, and shows up.

    For Washington, the association goes beyond logos and photo shoots. “What excites me most is seeing a young entrepreneur identify a real gap in the market and build an activewear brand that’s stylish, functional, and uncompromising on performance,” he said. “Oxpecker has the potential to inspire people to show up every day with confidence, in comfort and style.”

    And that mantra “Show Up” is at the heart of Oxpecker’s new campaign and its first brand film starring Sundar. From dawn workouts to late-night travel, the film showcases the all-rounder’s consistency as more than just a cricketing skill: it’s a life skill. The message is simple being a champion isn’t about chasing perfection, but about showing up, day after day.

    The Oxpecker difference lies in its blend of sweat-wicking, breathable, odour-resistant fabrics, engineered for India’s weather, and its mid-premium positioning that offers international quality without international price tags. Every piece is designed to empower individuality while being proudly Made in India, for India and beyond.

    Founded in 2023 by 20-year-old entrepreneur and Oxpecker founder Dev Raval and Oxpecker co-founder Nitesh Raval, the brand was born out of frustration with the lack of good choices in the Indian market. “Consumers either compromise on quality with budget options or overspend on international brands. With Oxpecker, we bridge that gap,” said Dev Raval. “Washington Sundar, consistent both on and off the field, perfectly embodies our spirit of showing up.”

    In less than two years, Oxpecker has built serious momentum:

    ●    Launched in 2023 with a disruptive vision.

    ●    Partnered with 150 plus influencers, strengthening its digital-first presence.

    ●    Secured listings on Amazon, Myntra, and Ajio, building strong e-commerce traction.

    ●    Now unveiling its first brand film with Washington Sundar, cementing its identity.

    The campaign’s visuals are more sweat than sparkle: Sundar powering through intense drills, long practice hours, and the grind of everyday travel all while Oxpecker gear keeps him comfortable and game-ready. The film underscores a universal truth: performance isn’t about spotlight moments, it’s about consistency, and showing up is already half the battle won.

    With cricket’s rising all-rounder as its face, Oxpecker is betting big on India’s fitness-conscious millennials and Gen Z, who want gear that works hard without burning a hole in their pockets. If Washington Sundar embodies composure at the crease, Oxpecker is looking to embody resilience in the wardrobe proving that for champions, on the field or off it, the secret lies in one mantra: Show up.

  • Animeta rolls camera on AI Film Studio to redefine storytelling in digital age

    Animeta rolls camera on AI Film Studio to redefine storytelling in digital age

    MUMBAI: Lights, camera, algorithm. Animeta, the Singapore-based creator tech company, has launched its brand-new vertical, Animeta AI Film Studio, in Mumbai, promising to shake up the way stories are told on screen.

    Billed as a first-of-its-kind hybrid studio, the venture combines human creativity with cutting-edge AI tools to deliver everything from slick promotional clips to full-length films. The aim is to help filmmakers, brands and creators merge original scripts, music and voiceovers with AI-driven visuals that preserve artistic intent while speeding up production.

    The studio is powered by Animeta’s patent-pending AI model and bolstered by its participation in Google Cloud’s startup programme, giving it access to Vertex AI’s veo3 video generation model along with copyright indemnity on content created through the platform.

    “For two decades, I have reimagined storytelling through animation. Now our AI Film Studio is here to push those boundaries further,” said Animeta founder Anish Mehta. “By blending creativity with AI, we are empowering storytellers to scale their vision faster, smarter and with greater confidence.”

    The new division builds on Animeta’s strengths in computer vision, natural language processing, video encoding and large language models. It also draws from the company’s experience producing award-winning influencer-led content for global names like Amazon, Starbucks, L’oréal, Tata Group and Mcdonald’s, powered by its tech platform Animeta Brandstar and a creator network of more than 400,000.

    With this launch, Animeta hopes to give creators a futuristic canvas where imagination meets innovation, ensuring that storytelling not only keeps pace with the digital era but stays one step ahead.

    Because in today’s content-hungry world, the future of film might just be part human, part machine, and all story.

  • Animeta launches AI film studio

    Animeta launches AI film studio

    MUMBAI: Singapore-based Animeta has fired up an AI film studio in Mumbai, betting that artificial intelligence can turbo-charge content creation for brands and filmmakers hungry for rapid-fire storytelling.

    The creator-tech company’s new vertical marries human creativity with machine-generated visuals, promising to churn out everything from promotional clips to feature-length films at breakneck speed. The venture taps into Google Cloud’s start-up programme, which provides access to the tech giant’s Vertex AI Veo3 video generation model alongside copyright protection.

    “We’ve built a hybrid model where human creativity and AI technology work together seamlessly, empowering creators to tell their stories faster, smarter, and infinitely scalable,” said Animeta founder Anish Mehta who has spent two decades reimagining animation storytelling.

    The Mumbai studio aims to capitalise on India’s booming digital content market whilst addressing creators’ perpetual challenge: producing high-quality material at scale without breaking budgets or timelines. The platform allows writers and filmmakers to blend original scripts, music and voice work with AI-generated visuals.

    Animeta already boasts heavyweight clients including Amazon, Starbucks, Warner Music, L’Oréal Group, Tata Group, McDonald’s and Uber through its Brandstar platform, which corrals over 400,000 creators. The company’s tech arsenal spans computer vision, video encoding, natural language processing and large language models.

    The move signals how AI is reshaping content production as streaming platforms and brands scramble for fresh material. Traditional filmmaking’s lengthy production cycles increasingly clash with digital-first audiences’ appetite for constant content consumption.

    Google Cloud’s backing provides crucial copyright indemnity—a key concern as AI-generated content faces legal scrutiny over intellectual property rights. The partnership positions Animeta to exploit AI’s creative potential whilst shielding clients from potential litigation.

    The venture underscores Mumbai’s emergence as a hub for AI-powered media innovation, challenging Hollywood’s traditional dominance in cutting-edge production technology.

  • Mille shakes up kitchens with protein-packed dal to coffee innovation

    Mille shakes up kitchens with protein-packed dal to coffee innovation

    MUMBAI: If dal could lift weights, it would probably taste like Mille. The supergrain brand from Wholsum Foods (of Slurrp Farm fame) has just dropped a kitchen-friendly fix to India’s biggest dietary gap, protein.

    According to Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) data, a staggering 73 per cent of Indian diets are protein-deficient, thanks to plates piled high with rice, roti and dal but little else. And while gym rats sip their heavy shakes and chew dense bars, the everyday eater has been left scrambling for easier answers.

    Enter Mille Protein Powder designed not for bodybuilders but for the rest of us. Available in two versatile formats, it sneaks protein into familiar meals without turning the kitchen upside down. The coffee-flavoured shake offers a comforting hit of caffeine with a whopping 31 grams of protein per serving, while the neutral, heat-stable booster can disappear into dosas, rotis, khichdi, pasta, dal, or even soup without changing taste or texture.

    “Our goal was simple: to bring protein back into the Indian kitchen,” said Wholsum Foods co-founders Meghana Narayan and Shauravi Malik. “Most people aren’t counting macros, they just want food that’s tasty and good for them. Mille makes it easy to add protein to what you’re already eating from your morning coffee to your evening roti without fuss.”

    Retailing at Rs 1,999 for 500 grams, Mille Protein hits shelves this month, with availability on millesupergrain.com, Amazon, and Swiggy Instamart.

    For a nation that loves its dal and dosa, Mille’s pitch is simple: no crash diets, no complicated routines, just protein made familiar, delicious, and everyday. After all, why should fitness buffs have all the shakes?

  • HDFC Ergo twins up with Consumr.ai to insure AI-driven customer journeys

    HDFC Ergo twins up with Consumr.ai to insure AI-driven customer journeys

    MUMBAI: Insurance just found its digital double. HDFC Ergo has roped in Consumr.ai, India’s next-gen customer intelligence platform, to pilot a proof-of-concept (POC) that could transform how policyholders experience insurance from the first ad to the final claim. The partnership was sealed after Consumr.ai emerged as one of four winners of Techpreneur Season 2, an innovation programme that drew over 140 AI and tech companies worldwide. Winners were picked through a rigorous evaluation by leaders from BCG, Google, HDFC Ergo and Ergo International.

    At the centre of the POC lies Consumr.ai’s proprietary AI Twins technology virtual doppelgängers of consumer cohorts built on real behavioural data. These AI-powered twins simulate how different audiences respond to creative campaigns, products, and messages, enabling “always-on” customer-informed decision-making. In other words, it helps HDFC Ergo keep the customer firmly in the driver’s seat of every marketing, product, and creative choice.

    The POC will tap into deterministic behavioural data from hundreds of millions of global users via integrations with Meta, Google, DV360, Linkedin, Snap, and Amazon. HDFC Ergo’s own first-party data can also be securely onboarded, anonymised at cohort level, and modelled into AI Twins, all while maintaining full GDPR and CCPA compliance and without ingesting personally identifiable information.

    Consumr.ai co-founder Vivek Bhargava said: “Our AI Twins technology transforms real behavioural data into actionable intelligence that enables real-time personalisation at scale. This aligns perfectly with HDFC Ergo’s vision of a digitally agile, customer-first future.”

    On successful completion, the POC could be scaled across HDFC Ergo’s business lines, distribution channels, and even new frontiers such as influencer marketing, regional positioning, and voice-of-customer programmes. The model could also be replicated for Ergo International’s global markets, turning the Indian POC into a global insurance playbook.

    Consumr.ai already has a strong BFSI track record, having deployed AI Twins for Rustomjee, Aditya Birla Insurance, and even a Fortune 100 US insurer. With HDFC ERGO in the mix, the three-year-old platform has doubled down on its mission to be the innovation engine powering the insurance industry’s leap into the future.

  • Sportz Interactive plays a power shot with GenAI-first leadership revamp

    Sportz Interactive plays a power shot with GenAI-first leadership revamp

    MUMBAI: Sportz Interactive (SI) is changing its game plan and it’s going big on both people and pixels. In a strategic shake-up aimed at fuelling its global expansion and pivoting to a GenAI-first future, the sports tech specialist has unveiled a bolstered leadership line-up spanning product, technology, delivery, HR, and business functions.

    At the core of this formation is a three-pronged attack:

    . Sanket Sawkar, SI’s chief product & innovation officer and a 23-year company veteran, will steer the product vision and innovation strategy, designing fan engagement tools to meet the ever-shifting demands of sports organisations.

    . Monojit Banerjee, the new chief technology officer, arrives with stints at JP Morgan, Amazon, and Razorpay, tasked with building secure, scalable engineering platforms to underpin SI’s ambitious product roadmap.

    . Ravi Ranjan, chief delivery officer and Agile delivery specialist from Capgemini and Thoughtworks, will ensure SI’s projects cross the finish line on time and at peak performance.

    Adding people power to the playbook, Himanshu Kapadia joins as SI’s first chief human resources officer, bringing experience from Disney, HDFC, and DBS to foster a high-performance, people-first culture.

    CEO Siddharth Raman called the move a “pivotal moment”, highlighting SI’s strengthening foothold in the UK and Europe, backed by its track record with marquee sports organisations in India. The reshaped leadership, he said, “will help us lead with digital foresight, build for a GenAI-first world, and deliver transformative impact for our partners.”

    With its enhanced bench strength, SI looks set to turn its strategic vision into a winning season, one where innovation, agility, and AI are all playing for the same team.
     

  • Global broadband subs hit 1.52 billion as fibre dominates

    Global broadband subs hit 1.52 billion as fibre dominates

    MUMBAI: Global broadband subscribers surged past 1.52 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 1.21 per cent quarterly rise as South and East Asia drove expansion, according to Point Topic data. Yet the picture remains patchy, with 22 countries—up from 14 in the previous quarter—seeing subscriber numbers fall as consumers shift to mobile broadband or grapple with economic headwinds and market saturation.

    India topped the largest 20 fixed broadband markets with a blistering 4.7 per cent quarterly growth rate, whilst Britain stood out as an outlier, suffering a 0.3 per cent decline as fibre rollout failed to offset broader connection losses.

    Fibre-to-the-home and building connections now command 72.34 per cent of global fixed broadband subscriptions, cementing the technology’s dominance. Other fixed technologies saw their market shares shrink, bar satellite and fixed wireless access, which bucked the trend with spectacular annual growth of 47.4 per cent and 29.9 per cent respectively.

    The satellite boom was largely driven by Starlink breaching the 5 million customer mark, though growth has slowed due to capacity constraints and pricing pressures. Competition is set to intensify as Amazon’s Project Kuiper prepares for launch by year-end, with Britain expected among the first markets to go live following Ofcom approvals. Residential plans currently start at around £75 monthly.

    Fixed wireless access is reshaping rural connectivity, particularly in America and India, with aggressive investments from Reliance, Bharti, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T driving adoption.

    Industry consolidation is accelerating, with potential mega-deals including Charter’s merger with Cox in America and a possible carve-up of France’s SFR among Orange, Bouygues and Iliad. Meanwhile, sub-Saharan Africa represents untapped potential, attracting significant infrastructure investment targeting broadband expansion.

  • Flipkart’s influencer army hits it out of the e-park in sale season

    Flipkart’s influencer army hits it out of the e-park in sale season

    MUMBAI: This Independence Day, the real fireworks aren’t just in the skies, they’re lighting up Instagram, Youtube, and your Reels tab. In a head-turning report released by influencer marketing SaaS platform Klugklug, Flipkart and Amazon’s contrasting influencer strategies for their big sales reveal two vastly different playbooks and one clear early leader.

    On Day One of the festive e-commerce face-off, Flipkart appears to be “batting bigger”, deploying influencers at three times the scale of Amazon. Flipkart commanded 75.89 per cent of the influencers and 71.01 per cent of total posts, while Amazon trailed with 24.11 per cent of influencers and 28.99 per cent of posts.

    But while Flipkart is flooding the field with content, Amazon is playing the precision game.

    “The Independence Day sales are a battleground for e-commerce and brands,” said Klugklug co-founder & CEO Kalyan Kumar. “Flipkart’s aggressive, high-volume influencer deployment strategy is clearly leading in terms of reach and overall engagement at this stage.”

    Indeed, Flipkart’s influencer army is delivering big on reach and engagement. The platform’s creators garnered a whopping 136.91 million views, 1.56 million likes, 423.19K comments, and 31.4K shares adding up to a massive 2.02 million in total engagement.

    Amazon’s numbers, while more modest, point to a different kind of victory. The platform clocked 11.73 million total views, with 806.07K likes, 226.5K comments, and 16.89K shares, totalling 1.05 million engagements. However, its overall engagement rate was a notable 3.02 per cent, more than double Flipkart’s 1.32 per cent.

    “Amazon is demonstrating a more surgical approach,” explained Klugklug co-founder & CPO Vaibhav Gupta. “While their influencer deployment is smaller, their engagement rates are higher driven by mega-influencers. Flipkart, meanwhile, is casting a wider net, creating a splashy buzz with a mass rollout.”

    Flipkart’s biggest win seems to lie with its nano to macro influencers, who are showing solid engagement. The platform’s nano creators saw an impressive 4.70 per cent engagement rate, while Amazon’s mega influencers delivered a strong 3.50 per cent.

    However, when it comes to mega influencers, Flipkart is steamrolling the competition. These top-tier content creators alone generated 121.64 million views for Flipkart, dwarfing Amazon’s combined 10.77 million views from mega influencers and 11.98 million views from macro influencers.

    The numbers reflect the sheer difference in scale: Flipkart has gone all in, while Amazon is strategically picking its bets.

    “Both strategies have merit,” said Gupta. “It will be fascinating to see which proves more effective as the sale progresses big splash or deep connect?”

    As the sale rolls on, the scoreboard is far from final. But if the first day is anything to go by, Flipkart is swinging for the fences while Amazon is quietly building innings. Either way, the real winner is your feed, which is now a cricket field of commerce.