Brands

Vinod Kunj decodes why vernacular is the real vox populi (voice of the people).

The global tech fest illustrated that the next wave of brand growth will come from those willing to invest in creative tech not as a layer, but as a capability.

If you’re still debating about whether AI marketing belongs at the centre of your strategy, you’re already behind the curve.

Mass appeal is not where most brands are focused anymore. Here are five trends that will shape marketing this year.

Creator-led circles and fandom-driven spaces are subtly but surely overtaking mass feeds as the arena where brands compete for credibility.

This piece is not a farewell to PR, but a farewell to an older mental model of it.

Between comparison charts and keywords searches, the humble product page has begun to lose its shine.

What we call 'media fragmentation' is simply reality catching up with an industry that prefers linear planning templates.

Brands are turning online jokes into campaigns that celebrate authenticity, confidence and agility.

The historic ICC win was the result of decades of persistence away from television cameras and marketing budgets.

While India has massive download volume, only a small percentage are high-value payers.

In an era where outrage escalates in minutes, the airline’s December meltdown is a masterclass in what not to do.

A recent Kantar analysis found that very few festive ads succeed in delivering both cultural warmth and clear brand impact.

The recently notified Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules could result in a more robust, transparent, trust-led ecosystem.

Hype on its own is fleeting, but hype built on community and authenticity can shape a brand’s future.

Young consumers expect brands, even iconic legacy ones, to be fresh and inclusive. But before you update for a new generation, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.

Young consumers expect brands, even iconic legacy ones, to be fresh and inclusive. But before you update for a new generation, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.

Regional food creators are India’s new culinary tastemakers, shaping what people crave and choose to eat.

For the creative industry, this is no longer a conversation about technology adoption. It’s a conversation about craft.

Agencies that see marketing as one coherent journey rather than a sequence of disconnected tasks will win the game.

The codes do not limit creativity. Rather, it helps unlock it–consistently, ethically, and at scale.

Under-16 digital behaviour in Australia is about to change, and ripple effects for brands will be everywhere.

LLMs today need to speak a variety of languages, not just English with an accent.

Why brands must stop performing for algorithms and start speaking to humans again

The future of discovery won’t be a search result. It will be a conversation, one where AI decides whose voice to amplify.

How short-term sales spikes, such as Black Friday, are rewiring consumer behaviour.

As Movember rounds out to a close, let's decode the evolution of modern masculinity through advertising.

With advertising holdcos restructuring, HR heads and even CEOs need to hesitate before outsourcing these conversations to tech.

With advertising holdcos restructuring, HR heads and even CEOs need to hesitate before outsourcing these conversations to tech.

Why does Sex and the City still feel so iconic? The answer lies not just in the clothes or the cocktails, but in how the series reoriented the gaze.

Soaring cart abandonment rates, undecided consumers and a tendency to mass-serve irrelevant ads are challenges that can spike during this season.

This outage, alongside similar incidents at major cloud providers, signals a rising pattern of vulnerabilities and structural degradation.

Agencies need to rethink their role. Beyond crafting messages, they should act as conscience keepers to ensure that ‘purpose’ isn’t reduced to a positioning strategy.

The future of storytelling, branding, and consumer trust depends not on machines that think faster, but on those that act responsibly.

The more openly he engaged with complex issues, the more audiences perceived coherence between his words and actions, strengthening trust even among sceptics.

Naming a brand needs science, not serendipity; blending a methodical approach, linguistics, semiotics, consumer psychology and strategic foresight.

From HUL’s virtual try-ons to Zepto’s AI personas, brands and agencies face new roles as machines reshape leadership and trust.

With algorithms dictating feeds, brands must reclaim personalisation through owned data, AI, and storytelling—beyond the illusion of social ‘community’.

Brands and agencies are shifting from reactive to proactive strategies, leveraging AI to anticipate customer needs while navigating ethical and technical challenges.

As cookies crumble, Nimida Digital’s head maintains that data trust and clean tech—not just budgets—will determine performance marketing success.

In a cluttered digital landscape, BigCity Promotions’ co-founder points out that brands are swapping coupons for contextual rewards to build loyalty, data, and deeper connections.

As brands chase relevance, Idiotic Media’s CEO and co-founder explains why memes deliver punchy, platform-native content that’s cheap, viral, and built for Gen Z’s scroll-happy thumbs.

India’s ad game is shifting—celebs grab attention, but it’s creators who spark conversations, conversions and cultural relevance, notes Dot Media’s head of business strategy.

Speed, soul, and strategy now define creative partnerships—because in today’s feed-fuelled world, relevance fades faster than your next scroll, says Vamos Digital founder.

The era of lazy personalisation is over. Epsilon senior vice president for analytics believes that marketers must now trade third-party tracking for first-party trust, clean data, and cultural transparency—or risk fading into irrelevance.

Global brands borrowed India’s craft. Sam & Andy’s founding partner claims that Indian creators must now reclaim the narrative—with better systems, sharper storytelling, and unapologetic ownership.

True personalisation isn't just reflecting a user's preferences; it is understanding the human desire for growth, challenge, and surprise, says Quantum Consumer Solutions associate.

To truly connect with Gen Z, brands must move beyond virtue signaling and display genuine commitment to their stated values through actions, says Quantum Consumer Solutions associate.

As the marketing landscape evolves, brands that prioritise emotional connections will find themselves at the forefront of consumer preference, says The Marcom Avenue founder and director.

A real transformation occurs when collaboration replaces control and leaders show up not to manage but to participate, says HSBC chief digital officer.