`100
`Volume 100/12 | Issue 5 | December 2017
Charting our
Digital Future
FASHION
AI is the new black!
Mobile Marketing
IN CONVERSATION
Shopclues | Big Basket
Game Changers 2017
COVER STORY 10
December 2017
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Annurag Batra Director Amit Agnihotri Director Nawal Ahuja EDITORIAL TEAM
Executive Editor Jyotsna Sharma Contributor Ruhail Amin DESIGN TEAM
Art Director
Shivaji Sengupta
Senior Graphic Designer
Joby Mathew
Photographers Vilas Kalgutkar (Mumbai) Suresh Gola (Noida) AD SALES Runa Sinha (National Business Head) runa.sinha@exchange4media.com - 9810497903
Sneha Walke (VP Special Projects & South Head) sneha@exchange4media.com - 9845541143 Ashish Kudalkar (Regional Manager West - Sales & Business Development) ashish.kudalkar@exchange4media.com - 9820541742
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4 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
FOCUS
FASHION
AI IS THE NEW
BLACK! A look at how AI (Artficial Intelligence) is changing the Fashion Industry
MOBILE MARKETING 24
THE DIGITAL WORLD & MOBILE MARKETING
38
OPINION
INDUSTRY SPEAK
GUEST COLUMN
THE ERA OF THE ‘DIGI-LLECTUAL’ PROPERTY Deepak Lamba,
54
Ajay Bathija | Puneet Anand | Radhika Agarwal | Abdul Khan | Anand Kripalu | Santosh Desai | Sanjay Sharma | Abhishek Ganguly | Pradeep Dwivedi | Adil Ahmad | CK Venkatarman |
44
CEO, Worldwide Media
GAME CHANGERS 2017
ARE MARKETERS LEVERAGING THE POWER OF DATA?
We bring you ten game changers of 2017, who as leaders in their respective fields have inspired change and innovation.
20
59
Puneet Anand,
Sr. GM & Group Head, Hyundai
MARKETING IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
22
INFLUENCER MARKETING
46
Shilpa Dureja Puri
Director - Digital & Experiential Marketing Microsoft India
BRANDING IN THE DIGITAL AGE : ARE YOU ADVERTISING AT THE WRONG PLACES? Vineet Sehgal, CMO, Quikr
ART
WHY MARKETERS SHOULD ‘TRULY LOVE’ SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS
28
BEAUTY
48
MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL...
30
AI AND
ART
AI (Artificial Intelligence) transforming the art market
FUJITSU FORUM HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS 32 FROM THE FUJITSU FORUM 2017
IN CONVERSATION
VIEW POINT BRAND BUILDING THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY Interview with Sahil Shah, 52
HARNESSING THE DIGITAL
Meera Iyer, Head of Marketing - bigbasket.com
36
Ambar Deep, VP – Product Management & Customer Experience, ShopClues
VP Operations & Media - West & South, WATConsult
STORY TELLING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND DOOH INTEGRATION Shriranga Sudhakara
Managing Director and Founder, Vyoma Media
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 5
34
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S NOTE Dear Brand builders, A change in marketing and brand building is underway as the consumer now spends most of his time on a mobile phone, tablet and/ or a laptop. Marketers are trying to understand this hyper connected consumer, and create effective campaigns to engage him, add value to his life and make him a loyalist.
abatra@exchange4media.com @anuragbatrayo www.facebook.com/anuragbatrayo
It is these real-time dialogues brands now have with their consumers that have changed the nature of marketing. In terms of this communication, Digital technology has transformed the reach, the speed and in turn, the effectiveness of the marketing campaign. Further, it is being used to provide a seamless customer experience, which enriches the customer engagement. The Amazon Go concept for example, uses digital technology such that a consumer can simply pick up an item and walk out of the store and have it billed to their account. If we look at the most effective marketing campaigns and solutions provided by marketers from across the globe, we find that they are a mix of digital technology and the marketers’ intuition. This issue examines how marketers across sectors, from FMCG to Art are imbibing the digital and the challenges and opportunities they face in doing so. They talk about the advancements in AI (Artificial Intelligence), ML (Machine Learning), and DL (Deep learning) and the solutions that have been provided. They lay out the best examples from the digital strategy employed by them. Mobile marketing has evolved tremendously over the last few years. This is not just because of the influx of smartphones and the availability of high speed internet, but also because it is where maximum technological advancement has taken place. A Gartner report suggests that by 2018, more than 50 % consumers will use the mobile first for all their online activities. This issue studies and examines the upcoming trends. The section titled, ‘Game Changers 2017’ looks back at all the brands and the leaders, that have inspired change and innovation in the year 2017. Putting together this section was a difficult task as we wanted to celebrate all those who have made an impact, but we limited ourselves to ten names and it was one of the hardest lists to draw up. I hope you find this issue interesting and find that it has useful takeaways whether you are a young marketer or a seasoned leader. Enjoy the read and remember to send in your feedback. Happy New Year to all. May the year 2018 be peaceful and prosperous for you.
Annurag Batra Chairman & Editor-in-Chief
6 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
i t a r e t t Twi
EDITOR’S DESK Dear Readers,
Jyotsna.sharma@exchange4media.com @jyotsna_off
Digital technology is transforming everything about the way we work and live. The World Economic Forum says we are on the brink of the Fourth Industrial Revolution- the digital revolution, which began in the last century. It has been growing at an exponential pace, enveloping every industry and transforming every sector. And all this has been made possible because of advances in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, robotics, 3-D printing, biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials science, energy storage, and quantum computing. We see examples all around, from Alexa, the virtual assistant ordering a pizza for us to Kaspar, the social robot used by the NHS in the United Kingdom to help autistic children. What does this mean for marketing professionals and businesses at large? Simply, that like it or not, large scale changes and disruptions are underway because of advancement in digital technology which are happening at an unprecedented pace. This in turn will provide new means to satisfy the needs of the consumer, and marketers/ companies will have to be agile and adaptive if they want to stay in the game. There is a school of thought that looks upon such advancements with cautious distrust. Elon Musk compared work on AI (Artificial Intelligence) to “summoning the demon”. He and countless others have warned that unless regulated, AI could become a danger to humanity. It could be true but for now, most people are choosing to focus on all this advancement being used for the good of humanity. I feel that in a country like ours, in addition to transforming various industries in the private sector, digital technology – AI (Artificial Intelligence), Machine learning etc. can aid in government initiatives such as ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ as well. SFU Mechatronic Systems Engineering graduates, Hassan Murad and Vivek Vyas created an AI powered waste sorting bin that can reduce close to 90% landfill waste within a controlled environment. The Indian company Omnipresent Robot Tech, developed an unmanned water surface vehicle called ‘Ro-Boat’, which can clean up the Ganga River. Such innovations can be leveraged to aid the initiative. In the coming months, we are sure to see many advances in AI (Artificial Intelligence), which will further transform businesses and directly impact the global economy. Industry leaders must prepare for the change. In this issue, we have looked at transformations caused by Digital technology across industries. Leading marketers have spoken about how they have adapted to the changes and forecasted upcoming trends. Happy reading and don’t forget to send in your feedback. Wish you all a very Happy New Year.
Jyotsna Sharma Executive Editor
8 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
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COVER STORY
10 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
A Gartner research suggests that by 2020 people will have more conversations with Chatbots than with their spouses! BY JYOTSNA SHARMA
C
onsider this, it’s a chilly morning in February 2018, you don’t want to take the train in to work, so Niki orders you a cab. While you have your breakfast, she pays your utility bills and also arranges for your clothes to be collected for laundry. Your cab arrives and you get to office on time. For lunch, Niki finds you the best Sushi take-away near you. You remember it’s your mother’s birthday, and for her gift Niki helps you order the lovely shoes for her, you saw at the shops the other day. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 11
COVER STORY
And of course, Niki books the cinema tickets and the table for dinner at your favourite restaurant for the date in the evening. Isn’t she lovely? Niki.ai, the Chatbot will soon be an indispensable part of many of our lives. Founded in 2015, by four IIT graduates, Sachin Jaiswal, Keshav Prawasi, Shishir Modi and Nitin Babel, the artificial intelligence driven Chatbot has proved to be an 12 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
We believe we are a true customer-first company, and to ensure a customer is served the best, we never fail to go the extra mile. We have a great support process set up with the help of tools which automate the process of categorising, prioritising and managing the tickets we receive so as to keep the turnaround time to the minimum. Our support team is always on its toes to ensure a query is resolved at the earliest, and is in complete sync with tech and other teams to provide the best-in- class assistance. Sachin Jaiswal, CEO, NIKI
Jef
Vice Bus Sale
ff Lennon,
e President for siness Development & es, Vision-Box
COVER STORY
Niki.ai recently raised $2 M funding from San Francisco based fund SAP.iO (first investment in India) and existing investor Ronnie Screwvala’s Unilazer Ventures. In addition, the funding also saw participation from Indian investors including Haresh Chawla (Partner at True North) and Arihant Patni, and also from US and German investors. The initial funding for Niki came in 2015 from Unilazer Ventures founded by Ronnie Screwvala followed by another round in 2016 from Ratan Tata.
efficient personal concierge. It uses Machine Learning and presents a Natural Language User Interface so users can chat with her. Niki has been programmed to understand how users chat in India, can decipher nuances in the language, and also offer up good suggestions for products and services. Niki.ai recently raised $2 M funding from San Francisco based fund SAP.iO (first investment in India) and existing investor Ronnie Screwvala’s Unilazer Ventures. In addition, the funding also saw participation from Indian investors including Haresh Chawla (Partner at True North) and Arihant Patni, and also from US and German investors. The initial funding for Niki came in 2015 from Unilazer Ventures founded by Ronnie Screwvala followed by another round in 2016 from Ratan Tata. “Niki is an Artificial Intelligence powered Chatbot that converses with you to help you shop for products and services, and makes the whole journey from discovery to transaction smart, fast, convenient and extremely simple. The Chatbot provides crucial services such as utility bill payments, mobile recharges, cab booking, bus ticketing and hotel bookings, events and movie ticketing, nearby searches and deals. For businesses, Niki.ai provides a plug and play technology in the form of Niki Chatbot Software Development Kit, that can be easily integrated everywhere including operating systems, on messaging platforms, and on the brand’s applications (app and web). Flights bookings and health services are in the pipeline. Niki will soon be your, stockbroker, insurance agent, and even your travel planner.”- Sachin Jaiswal, CEO, NIki.ai
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 13
COVER STORY A Gartner research suggested that by 2020 people will have more conversations with Chatbots than with their spouses. Businesses can use Chatbots to provide better customer service. These would help cut down the time a customer spends awaiting an answer from the brand, especially in cases of time differences and requests at odd hours. In addition, Chatbots would provide conversational marketing i.e. one –on –one conversation with the customers that would help engage them in a more meaningful fashion and also provide them with just the right information. The latest Capgemini report suggests that 81% consumers are willing to spend more for a better customer service across sectors, with India topping the list of countries where respondents said they would
voice ordering using Alexa through Amazon Echo (the smart speakers developed by Amazon, which are connected to an AI powered virtual assistant - Alexa). Alexa, the virtual assistant, helps provide a seamless experience to customers ordering and tracking their orders/ pizzas. Earlier this year, Citi India launched a voicebased biometric authentication system for its customers. This identifies customers based on their voice patterns, which are as unique as fingerprints and cuts down the time required for verification through IVR (Interactive Voice Response) – questions and in putting PINs. Effective implementation of AI (artificial Intelligence) solutions for customer service can be transformational for businesses small and large.
boarding pass etc.? The advance of digital technology- AI (Artificial Intelligence), Machine Learning and IOT (Internet of Things) will soon make this possible the world over. And maybe even as early as next year in Bangalore, India. Vision-Box, a Portuguese border control system and electronic identity management
Alexa the virtual assistance part of Amazon Echo
increase their spending by more than half for a better customer service. Better customer service depends on a variety of factors, including personalised offers and communication on digital channels. For example, Domino’s Pizza, the pizza chain, offers 14 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
Chatbots like Niki.ai have sorted your life. Now, imagine you have a plane to catch and are running late. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could simply walk into an airport and board your plane without stopping at multiple security points to show ID and collecting your
solutions provider intends on changing the way we travel. Their aim is to provide a seamless experience to passengers travelling across the world. An IATA (International Air Transport
COVER STORY
Association) strategic partner, their Seamless Gateway uses facial recognition to verify and authenticate the passenger while on the move, thereby removing the waiting and stopping time at checkpoints at the airport. “We are passenger centric. Our aim is to make the world a safer and a better place. End to end passenger movement is facilitated without showing a boarding pass or a passport, your face becomes your passport” says Jeff Lennon, Vice President for Business Development & Sales, Vision-Box Present in Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and even in the United States, they have been in talks with the Bangalore Airport in India to create biometric screening using data from Aadhaar cards. Okay, so AI (artificial Intelligence) and machine learning have made your
We are passenger centric. Our aim is to make the world a safer and a better place. End to end passenger movement is facilitated without showing a boarding pass or a passport, your face becomes your passport” Jeff Lennon, Vice President for Business Development & Sales, Vision-Box
day-to-day life and even your air travel easy, life is great! Now let’s imagine that you get tired of your hectic schedule and need a break. You decide to visit a small sea side town to unwind. You are in this idyllic small sea side town enjoying your much-needed break and suddenly fall ill. Instead of waiting to get back to the city to find out why you are sick and praying you don’t have some dreadful disease, what if you could have your blood work done and your test results in your hands within four hours? Yes! you can. SigTuple will ensure you don’t have to wonder and/or wait for your test results anymore. They have built intelligent screening solutions that provide AI-powered analysis of medical data. So, you go to the small hospital in town, a technician or the doctor on duty takes your DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 15
COVER COVER STORYSTORY
blood sample, the slide is prepared and put into a AI powered analyser called Shonit. It automates routine tasks like differential counts and also screens for various parasitic infections like malaria and blood disorders like anaemia. It starts by capturing images of the blood smear slides. The images are then analysed on cloud using state of the art image processing and deep learning techniques. Finally, it generates reports containing differential blood counts, visualisations on various blood metrics and suggestions about any abnormalities. The report can then be reviewed by pathologists on any net connected device, from anywhere in the world. Manthana, their artificial intelligence (AI) platform analyses visual medical data efficiently. At the moment, it works on the analysis of peripheral blood smears, urine microscopy, semen, fundus & OCT scans and chest x-rays. The name SigTuple was coined by the founders: Sig comes from sigmoid function, which is a mathematical function used as an activation function 16 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
Founded in 2015 by Apurv Anand, Rohit Kumar Pandey, and Tathagato Rai Dastidar, It is funded by Accel Partners, Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal, IDG Ventures, Endiya Partners, pi Ventures, VH Capital, Axilor Ventures and a few other angel investors. SigTuple is on a mission to make quality healthcare delivery affordable and accessible for billions by improving the efficiency of medical experts, reducing the margin of human error in diagnostics and providing scalable and smart solutions.
COVER STORY
The Capgemini 2017 reports on Digital Customer Experience have some interesting insights:
81% of consumers
are willing to pay for a
better experience.
India tops
the list of countries followed by China where people are willing to spend more in deep learning and Tuple is a collection of data. Since they are applying AI (artificial intelligence) to medical data to create smart solutions, they came up with SigTuple. Founded in 2015 by Apurv Anand, Rohit Kumar Pandey, and Tathagato Rai Dastidar, It is funded by Accel Partners, Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal, IDG Ventures, Endiya Partners, pi Ventures, VH Capital, Axilor Ventures and a few other angel investors. SigTuple is on a mission to make quality healthcare delivery affordable and accessible for billions by improving the efficiency of medical experts, reducing the margin of human error in diagnostics and providing scalable and smart solutions. The solutions offered by SigTuple are in various stages of trials, Shonit, the peripheral blood smear analysis solution is already in pathology labs in Bangalore, India. “There is a growing need to improve the healthcare delivery DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 17
COVER STORY
Capgemini 2017 Digital Customer Experience report
40%
consumers find shopping in stores a chore
59%
are willing to buy from large internet platforms as opposed to physical stores
Key findings
Grocery shoppers would want self-driven shopping carts which could take them to items on their shopping list. Fashion buyers would want smart mirrors to virtually see the clothing as they hold them up without actually trying them on. Home improvement product buyers would want to be able to design rooms (for example kitchens) through online or augmented reality tools which could show what the kitchen would look like with the new upgrades based on actual house settings.
18 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
not only in India but other countries as well. The Healthcare industry has tremendous amount of data. At SigTuple, we are trying to use the untapped potential of data available in different forms to make quality healthcare delivery affordable and accessible for billions.�- Rohit Kumar Pandey As is evident, in the coming months and years a large part of our existence will be supported by AI (artificial Intelligence), Machine Learning and Deep Learning. This is a call to marketers to up their game and start embracing the digital world and more specifically to provide their customers the best digital customer experience.
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 19
OPINION
GUEST COLUMN
PUNEET ANAND Sr. GM & Group Head, Hyundai
ARE MARKETERS LEVERAGING THE POWER OF DATA?
P
ower of data is in the analysis; structured data is the source of information and knowledge. Data is powerful because, it allows us to be result-driven, helps us find what decision will work under various conditions and using that information to improve our programs and benefit organizational goals while making resource allocation more effective.
20 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
The challenge is to meet customer expectations with personalized and timely communications through the right channels
Every organization today has access to large amounts of data on partners, customers, clients and competitors, but the key differentiator of a successful firm from their counterparts is in their ability to analyze the “Big Data� into strategic decision making ability in a highly dynamic marketplace. Organizations are making advanced analytics which is the core element in their business strategy and are using it as a competitive differentiator. Companies are piloting and investing in new technologies and tools to organize the available data. The technologies offer a holistic approach to combine internal and external data to provide opportunities for upsell, cross sell, improving customer service and retention. It is important to understand the power of data and proactively work on refining and analyzing data to gain meaningful engagement with customers. The challenge is to meet customer expectations with personalized and timely communications through the right channels. So while business solutions adopted by organisations have managed to
make sense of structured data, there is a substantial amount of unstructured information that is still untapped. Whether we are booking a ticket, browsing social networking sites or shopping on e-commerce websites, we all leave a digital footprint. For a Marketer, this data is of no use unless it is analyzed and processed to discover meaningful information. Present IT infrastructure may not be enough to store and analyze this huge amount of data being generated. Hence, organizations have now started moving towards Cloud which offers an environment of faster real-time data analytics and processing with unlimited storage. Combining this with Artificial intelligence and machine learning, we can know when the customer is ready to purchase and what would be his expected budget. This is the most valuable information and can be used for creating mega
marketing campaigns & improve the Return on Investment (ROI). In today’s world with Predictive Modeling and Analysis the data is used to extrapolate and predict the future. We aim to improve communication and even anticipate the customer’s next purchase by collecting demographic data while creating customized communication for
While business solutions adopted by organisations have managed to make sense of structured data, there is a substantial amount of unstructured information that is still untapped
various consumer segments reducing the cost of acquisition and stay relevant to individuals. Connected car is another upcoming innovation which will generate millions of terabyte of data about the driving pattern, behavior & preferences of the user. This data can be used to monitor car’s maintenance schedule, fuel and oil levels. Through this innovation, the service turnaround time will drop leading to higher customer satisfaction. For a marketer, the data presents huge opportunities however it is crucial to use this data more intelligently to deliver the differentiated experiences for driving growth and customer satisfaction. This is only possible with tools that can make sense of all the available data– structured or unstructured – in real time. At a point where marketers struggle to maximise the value of their data, having the right tools is a real competitive advantage. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 21
OPINION
GUEST COLUMN
SHILPA DUREJA PURI Director - Digital & Experiential Marketing Microsoft India @shilpapuri
MARKETING IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
A
rtificial Intelligence is changing marketing as we know it, and it’s a good thing! Buyer behavior is already reshaped by the internet. A simple customer journey portrayed in the customer decision funnel has been replaced with a fragmented journey, with the customer weaving-in and out of channels; widening their consideration set with information gateways across social media, product destinations and review sites; using multiple hand-held devices and switching actively between products and service offerings, at an extraordinary pace! This has only made life more complex for marketers. They’re spending less time deploying their marketing campaigns and more time connecting with and understanding their audiences. Today’s marketers are constantly challenged to think strategically
22 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
about the market place and their product offering – asking both outside-in and inside-out questions. Modern marketers are turning to emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Marketing Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to stay relevant to their audiences. AI-powered tools are becoming marketers’ best associate, bringing together varied data, platforms and technologies to identify the best engagement points in the buying journey, personalizing communications and making it easier to track customer behavior and easing marketing operations and processes to drive increased sales. At Microsoft, this digital transformation of marketing is being fueled by content, scaled through automation and optimized with analytics. Keeping the customer at the core and evolving from stand alone tactics
towards more joint, intertwined marketing activities. Analyzing their needs and how they engage we then create optimized and personalized customer journeys across every touchpoint – offline and online. Utilizing marketing automation highly influenced by AI, we’ve been personalizing communications, driving operational efficiencies and growing revenue faster by streamlining lead generation and nurturing, customer lifecycle marketing, cross-sell and upsell, customer retention and marketing ROI measurements. Connected sales and marketing platforms, along with data is a key for enabling this modern marketing vision. AI-powered solutions touch marketing at several levels – they enable a Product Marketer to Integrate the voice of the customer in the product planning and launch process - Identify key
differentiators with competition, Identify & measure key messages which resonate with various target audience segments. Gartner predicts, 20% of all business content will be authored by machines by 2018. A Business Planner analyzes the impact of marketing budgets for various scenarios- optimally distributes budgets across the marketing mix, predicts the impact of price discounts & promotions. A Media Planner leverages audience behavior to tailor campaigns on Search, Social, Display, Programmatic, Content & TV marketing campaigns and
Optimally adjusts the media mix to reflect the dynamically changing consumer behavior. A Market Insights analyst gets to observe and monitor real time changes in consumer behavior build reports with actionable insights for the business to consume. All functions leading to enhanced customer experience and increased marketing ROI effectiveness. On the other hand, chatbots help marketers respond to their online leads/ prospects instantly, thereby contributing to the entire lead nurturing process of engaging a client earlier in the buying cycle. Bots and Conversational UI are being used in many exciting ways by businesses and brands – be it
ordering food, booking flights, managing bank tractions, offering a recommendation, hailing an Uber cab right from the Facebook messenger app or having a conversation with Ruuh chatbot that understands emotions and literally resembles a conversation between friends! Bringing it all together for me, is the ‘Seeing AI’ App which started as a Microsoft research project that helps people who are visually impaired or blind to understand who and what is around them. An intelligent camera app, it brings together the power of cloud and AI to help
Modern marketers are turning to emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Marketing Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to stay relevant to their audiences. users navigate through the day. The app uses computer vision, image & speech recognition, natural language processing and machine learning from Microsoft Cognitive Services. The app available across stores shows the
immense possibilities of AI. New possibilities of AI and its application in the marketing and business scenarios are immense. Truly, there has never been a -- more exciting and more tense time for marketers. Demandbase survey conducted in conjunction with Wakefield research shows that even though 80% of all marketing executives believe that AI will revolutionize marketing by 2020, only 26% are confident in their understanding of how AI is used in marketing and only 10% are using it today. The challenge and tension often emanates from not knowing exactly how to embrace and use AI. Then there are genuine concerns on how far it will go. Even though its early days for AI in businesses, the data privacy issues are on the rise and a pressing need for building trust and finding skilled resources for executing AI developments. Automation and AI are also beginning to free marketers from time-constraining data analysis. Marketers can spend time creatively on aligning business to rich customer experiences. It’s worthwhile to try new tactics and/or technologies and explore what works in enhancing customer experience, improving lead conversions and their understanding of customer’s needs. To keep up with rising customer expectations marketers must continue to adapt. For that very reason AI, Mixed Reality and other technologies will continue to gain impact because customers want their interactions personalized, transactions speedy and convenience at their fingertips! In the end, I’d say the era of Artificial Intelligence in Marketing is upon us. It’s here to stay and its influence growing as it gets better integrated in our lives. As modern marketers it’s our job to pick and engage with right technologies that allow us to center the customer at the heart of everything they do. Great marketing starts from just that singular place. Got any questions? Ask the Bot! DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 23
MOBILE MARKETING
THE DIGITAL WORLD & MOBILE MARKETING
A
t the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year, Samsung showcased the 5G ‘home router’ to be used in the 5G trials In the UK and the United States. Nokia, Ericsson, Qualcomm and BT are also researching and working towards developing 5G technology, and even though, progress is being made, it might only be available by 2019/2020. Bharti Airtel recently announced its partnership with Ericsson to develop 5G technology in India. With 5G, download speeds can be close to 10 gigabits per second, much faster than anything that
24 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
Mobile Ad Performances across Product Categories
CLICKED & PURCHASED Electronic Products Clothing & Footwear
SEEN & CLICKED
(but not purchased) Health & Fitness
Jewellery Pharmaceutical
Books Movies/Music/ Games
SEEN & CLICKED
Food & Beverages
Insurance Products
consumers will use the mobile first for all their online activities. Come to think of it, this is already the case, and has been made possible given the availability of high speed internet,
exists currently. This would mean, we would literally be living our entire lives through our mobile phones, if we don’t do so already. From downloading movies in seconds to using our devices for attending meetings in Virtual Reality. What this mean for marketers and businesses is that in a digitally connected world with all the rapid advancements in technology, mobile marketing will assume an even greater importance in the coming months. A Gartner report suggests that by 2018, more than 50 %
These days, marketers are increasingly moving towards brand apps as a method to keep consumers engaged and keep the brand relevant
affordable data tariff and the wide availability of high speed networks. Brands in India are aware of this growing mobile penetration and are developing sophisticated marketing strategies to reach consumers and promote their products via this medium. The strategies involve the use of push notifications, app-based marketing, Quick Response (QR) codes, and text messages etc. Through these, brands leverage valuable insights they get about how their consumers engage through their devices, their search habits, their online
CATEGORY-WISE USAGE FREQUENCY OF BRAND APPS 6%
25% 25% 50%
100%
25%
25%
14% 43%
7% 50%
60%
84% 50%
News Sports Games
Daily
50%
50%
Health& Fitness
Music & Audio
43%
43%
40%
44%
29%
33%
71%
43% 75%
22%
100%
57% 25%
OTT Business Education Utilities Lifestyle Shopping Food& Travel Finance Drink
1-6 times a week
Less than a week
Base: All, Source: Recogn, WATConsult
behaviour, purchase history and even social media engagement. It is a more personalised form of marketing, which allows marketers to study their consumers closely. These days, marketers are increasingly moving towards brand apps as a method to keep consumers engaged and keep the brand relevant. These days people usually have news, banking and entertainment apps on their phones, but the key to getting a consumer to grant your app space on his phone is to keep the app user friendly and relevant. The Recogn WAT consult Brand App study found that 81% consumers use brand apps and are more likely to DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 25
MOBILE MARKETING make a purchase if they have a satisfactory experience on the app rather than by watching brand adverts. Given the popularity of the medium, mobile ads are another way brands grab their consumers attention. The latest Recogn WAT consult report suggests that overall mobile ads have been found to be useful. 48% of the respondents prefer
social media ads, followed by video ads, e-mail ads and search ads when it comes to mobile ad formats. Further, ad categories such as clothing & footwear, electronic products, books, movies/music/games are highly ‘clicked and purchased’; whereas, jewellery, pharmaceutical products and insurance products ads do not get clicked much. With the growth of smart phone usage, a growing phenomenon in the country is m-commerce. In fact, the rise of the mobile platform
PREFERENCE MOBILE AD FORMATS ACROSS MOBILE & DESKTOP 43%
41% 41%
48%
Social
Video Mobile
26 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
34% 34%
Email PC
33%
37%
Search Source: Recogn Primary Survey, base: 1500
The latest Recogn WAT consult report suggests that overall mobile ads have been found to be useful. 48% of the respondents prefer social media ads, followed by video ads, e-mail ads and search ads when it comes to mobile ad formats.
for commerce has witnessed considerable growth over the last few years. It needs to be mentioned that India is the third largest market for smart phone players dominated by Chinese brands with 54% market share. According to the findings of the recent study by the payments company Worldpay, m-commerce in India will emerge as the fastest growing sector. The report predicts that the m-commerce market will make up 45 % of all online sales by 2021. Explaining the growing trend from e-commerce to m-commerce, Siddharth Dabhade, General Manager, Criteo India said, “It’s a very big trend and the best part is that India is leading it. Countries like India, Indonesia and Thailand are home to some highly encouraging numbers when it comes to the use of m-commerce. Our study also found that mobile is no longer used to purchase just low value purchases. In fact, ecommerce is getting transformed to m-commerce.” Given the advancements in technology and usage of the mobile phone, it is accurate to state that mobile marketing is here to stay and every business should go mobile.
ADVERTORIAL
Q &A
with Shaan Raza, Deputy Managing Director India, Optimise Media Group
P: Digital Technology has
transformed marketing and brand building in a significant way. What are your thoughts on mobile marketing and its effectiveness in contemporary times.
SR: According to a Forrester
research, global mobile device usage is expected to reach more than 5.5 billion users by 2022 while world’s current population is 7.6 billion. India’s mobile phone subscriber base has reached the one billion user mark, according to data released recently by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) while India’s current population is 1.32 billion. Mobile internet users in India are 300 Mn compared to total internet users of 420 Mn globally. With mobiles equaling the number of people on earth, marketers cannot ignore this tiny device which has become the most important screen to us. Connectivity on top of penetration has made it a strong medium to reach out to desired target audience. The mobile has become a major contributor to the growth of digital advertising as marketers embrace this channel to reach a new generation of young and digitally savvy consumers That’s why eMarketer forecasted that by 2021, the mobile will account for more than half (~62.0%) of the overall digital ad spending, which is expected to hit $2.8 billion. In terms ofeffectiveness, it allows you to target individuals, communicate two ways, has a robust reach and is cost effective as well.
P: How has mobile marketing
evolved over the last few years?
SR: The mobile has evolved a lot
from winning a small budget for experimental purposes to taking
a central place in all marketing strategies. It is projected that it will account for more than 50% of digital ad spends by 2020. Google mobile searches superseded web searches and more people now access social networking websites from the mobile than on the web. Major retail transactions are now happening on apps and advertisers do not think twice abouthavingan only app presence. According to Mary Meeker’s report 2017 Indians are spending 28 hours on their mobiles as compared to 4 hours on television, with 45% of time spent on entertainment and 34% time spent on search, social & messaging. App engagement, Social media and video are where maximum engagement takes place. But two major problems threaten to take the sheen off: fraud, and uninstalls. India has the highest rate of such fraud in the Asia-Pacific region, at 17 percent, well ahead of No. 2, South Korea, which is at 12 percent, according to marketing consultancy Tune
P: Which mobile ad formats are most effective? SR: Native or contextual ad
formats are more effective because they are non-intrusive and facilitate what a user is doing on the internet. The Adblocking rate in India is 28 % which means users in India are not liking disruptive ads.
P: Please tell our readers about the Affiliate Marketing SR: Affiliate marketing is highly performance driven form of digital advertising as it aims to achieve the ultimate call to action decided by a merchant rather than just burning money on burning impressions on the internet. There are specialized organizations available in India
which have got the right kind of technology, talent and publisher base to generate performance. Optimise India is pioneer in affiliate marketing and has its own proprietary technology to capture and optimize the user journey towards actions like purchase, registrations or app downloads.
P: What is the AppButton? SR: An AppButton is a
revolutionary technology launched by Optimise in India recently. It is contextual and non-intrusive. It picks up user preferences from what is he doing on an app and is highly performance driven. For example, imagine if there is a new Samsung launch and many news and content apps are reviewing the new handset. An AppButton will appear adjacent to the content in thepublishers’ app and on clicking the button a user can go through 15-20 variations of the new handset. And if interested he can purchase it from a marketplace like Flipkart or Samsung e-store. Optimise provides complete user journey reports to both the publisher and the advertiser. Some salient features are mentioned below: 1. It gives your user action and not ads 2. It not only outperforms mobile ads but also increases your user engagement. Publishers, marketers, and users, all win 3. On an average it increases time spent by 11% on your app, 2X click rate and 4x conversion rate 4. This will become your additional monetization stream without touching your existing ad spots 5. Purely contextual 6. It shortens user journey DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 27
OPINION
GUEST COLUMN
VINEET SEHGAL CMO, Quikr
BRANDING IN THE DIGITAL AGE : ARE YOU ADVERTISING AT THE WRONG PLACES?
L
ong gone are the days when consumers looked at only the TV commercial, a print ad, a billboard or spoke to a local dealer and handful of their friends to make their buying decisions. The internet has changed the way consumers engage with brands and at what touch points brands can influence these consumers. What has not changed though is consumers expectation from a brand. In fact digitization has brought them closer to choices before they narrow down on their own preference. Let me give you an example. Back in my early marketing days, a typical advertising strategy would be TV, radio, print and physically meeting dealers to spread awareness. Fast forward today, every single consumer is spending hours online and using the internet to enquire , compare and evaluate products and services they need. Besides, every online activity is measurable and allows you to quickly alter your targeting strategies. You know which
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Since advertising and marketing has always been about : location, location and location. Online platforms such as Quikr Audience Platform (QAP) today allow marketers and their agencies to sharply target their brand messages to relevant audiences. The game is all about laser sharp targeting and getting powerful, actionable results out of that
interaction at what touchpoint worked well and which ones need tweaking. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, since advertising and marketing has always been about : location, location and location. Online platforms such as Quikr Audience Platform (QAP) today allow marketers and their agencies to sharply target their brand messages to relevant audiences. The game is all about laser sharp targeting and getting powerful, actionable results out of that.
LET’S BREAK THIS DOWN: Marketers have to realize that leveraging the power of digital ads through online marketplaces is one of the most effective ways to have the desired effect and from here arise the next thoughts:
HOW CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE RIGHT CONSUMER? The challenge every marketer faces is in identifying who to
target and how to reach out to them. For example: Once a consumer has bought a car, he is not in the market to buy another car for, at least, 3-4 years. How does a marketer target only those who are in the market to buy a car? That’s what platforms like QAP deliver. If an automobile company is trying to sell a brand new car, QAP will identify specific profiles who are in the market to buy instead of reaching out to millions who may have either already bought a car recently or arent considering buying one in the near future. Such platform also facilitate targeting of other kinds such a s — geography based, category, cross category, attribute, priceband and premium audience.
GETTING IT RIGHT In many instances, consumers land on platforms like ours to find what they want to buy. So, these platforms have high demand and consumer eyeballs. Many cases indicate
that, because these are buying environments, they are performing better than other channels because of data driven strategies and deep insights. Today hundreds of brands such as Renault, Royal Enfield, Mahindra, Hero, HDFC, LIC, Honda, Samsung, Motorola, and Airtel are benefitting from our promise. The advantage on QAP is that the audiences are strictly ‘in-market’ and more sharply defined as opposed to much wider and diverse audiences on other media platforms, who might not be on it looking to make a transaction. Digital advertising on an online marketplace platform is a holistic solution and brands will be missing out on a huge opportunity if there is still skepticism on this trend, consumers with intent to buy and benefits of sharp targeting will be lost if not acted upon. Advertising is no more just about a beautiful creative. It is now digital, about being at the right places — and a whole new world of right consumer targeting with measurable results. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 29
ART
AI AND
ART
I
n June this year, a study published by a team at the Art and Artificial Intelligence Lab at Rutgers University found that artworks made using AI look as real as that made by humans. In fact, it was difficult for people to differentiate between the two and in some instances, they found the AI generated artworks to be more appealing. With rapid progress in AI (Artificial Intelligence), ML (Machine Learning) and Deep Learning we can soon have a market for AI generated artworks that people would like to display in their homes. Well, this could be the reality in the future but for now digital technology – AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) etc. can be used to an advantage by art marketers, galleries, museums and auction houses. For online art galleries, AI powered systems can generate data on viewer browsing, search habits, artwork style and colour preferences, and purchase history. Based on this, suggestions on future purchases can be made to consumers including adaptations of how the art would look in their homes and offices. Similarly, auction houses can leverage AI and ML to better serve their high net worth buyers who are usually hard pressed for time and do not welcome incessant communication from the sales team. Museums the world over are already using digital technologyAI, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality to improve and add value to the art viewing experience. We connected with Jijo Jose, the marketing manager at KNMA (Kiran Nadar Museum of Art,
30 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
Saurashtra S H Raza _ Acrylic on Canvas , 78x 78 in. 1983. Image Credit - Kiran Nadar Museum of Art Delhi) to understand how the museum is leveraging digital technology.
of an art museum and its galleries while sitting in a different country. It has enabled the reach of art to increased many fold.
How has digital technology transformed the art experience for the contemporary art viewer? JJ: Digital platforms have enabled people to experience and share art from different parts of the world. Now, one can take a video walkthrough
How has KNMA embraced digital technology? JJ: At KNMA, we are using digital media to showcase our exhibitions, events, workshops, discussions and cultural activities to a wide set of audiences such as students, families, artists, and art enthusiasts. This helps
in increasing their engagement with art. Do you think one can leverage digital technology to build brands in the art sector? JJ: Certainly; like other brand categories, digital plays a great role in brand building in the art sector too. We are creating brand discovery, information sharing and museum visit planning through our online marketing assets.
Bhairava Raga Lord Krishna Enthroned And Adored - Anonymous_ Bhairava Raga. Antiquity_ Circa 1650. Image Credit -Kiran nadar Musem of Art
William Dalrymple _ print on photo rag bright white. 26.5. Image Credit - Kiran Nadar Museumof Art
print on phot rag bright white signed and numbered 4_8 from an edition of 8 2 AP 26.5. Image Credit - Kiran Nadar Museum of Art
Given how AI (Artificial Intelligence) is transforming the world, do you believe AI (Artificial Intelligence) used in the field of art will soon be a common phenomenon? JJ: Since we are working to create a culture for art appreciation and learning in our country, AI applications can be utilized for a number of educational purposes, including identifying and answering queries from people who are inquisitive about art. Also, creating smart curatorial walkthroughs in museums without a human guide. However, it is an evolving technology and its application in the Indian art sector is currently limited. In the foreseeable future, we might be attending auctions of artworks created by AI (Artificial Intelligence), but for now art institutions in India should leverage digital technology to enhance the art buying and art viewing experience. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 31
FUJITSU FORUM HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FUJITSU FORUM 2017
T
he recently held Fujitsu Forum in Munich Germany witnessed participation of more than 12,000 delegates. The theme this year was digital co-creation – bringing together the latest digital technology and expertise to create new possibilities for business and society. They covered topics from the world of IT and business including artificial intelligence, the internet of things, cyber security and quantum computing. At the inaugural day of the Fujitsu Forum 2017 in Munich, Tatsuya Tanaka, President Fujistu spoke about the theme, which was digital co-creation. Talking about the need for co-creation, Tanaka said that even though technology companies have broad capabilities and access to supercomputers, and they network communications to AI, it is not enough to solve existing challenges. “Fujitsu is a technology company, and will continue to create and deliver technologies that are world-leading. We want to work with you to generate value together. Create an ecosystem, not just for technology but also want you to be a member of the co-creation team”, stated Tanaka.
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Tatsuya Tanaka, President Fujistu
“The doomsday scenario that people paint about AI will never happen” - Ramanan Ramakrishna
R
amanan Ramakrishna, Head of Service Innovation and Portfolio at Fujitsu EMEIA spoke about the fast-paced digital disruption and how Fujitsu has embraced the change. Ramakrishna also said that some of the rules which were applied in the past when any new trend was spotted are no more valid in contemporary times. “At Fujitsu, how we look at these trends is that we have a set of researchers who are looking at what is happening today and what is up and coming and its applicability to mainstream. For example, everybody talks about blockchain today and it is truly a disruptive technology, so we look at its applicability into enterprise solution, our enterprise and our customers. I think there is no point in just flaunting technology and implementing it just for the sake of it. We are big on standard offerings and we want to build something standard and use it across industry”. As the Head of Service Innovation and Portfolio at Fujitsu EMEIA, one of the biggest challenges according to Ramakrishna has been the security issue. Sharing how security has become one of the biggest focus areas for Fujitsu, he said, “Security has always been there and people have dealt with it as just another operational activity. In fact, for everything that we are trying to secure there is a big industry out there to hack into. Organisations that used to look at security as an operational activity are now bringing security to the forefront. Traditionally, Fujitsu has been into highly secure industries and when you try to protect them you are in turn protecting their customers and everyone else in the value chain. We have decided to bring out this focus on security explicitly and it is a big focus area for us.” Commenting on the use of Big Data and AI and how Fujitsu was using them to provide effective enterprise solutions, Ramakrishna said, “AI is what you see, behind AI is the ability to crunch petabytes and gigabytes of data at a speed with which you can actually make some decisions which are meaningful. However, will AI get as good as humans? It will ultimately. I think AI will ultimately assist humans with things which they cannot do. For example, humans cannot look at petabytes of data and make sense of it. AI will help in industries which are mundane so to say. AI is a huge value add and we have to adopt it and embrace it. The doomsday scenario that people paint about AI will never happen.”
Microsoft, IBM and Fujitsu get aggressive to make Quantum computing a reality Quantum computers are considered revolutionary given the fact that they can manipulate bits of information according to the quantum rules that govern the behaviour of matter on the smallest scales. Dario Gil, Vice President AI and IBM Q at IBM Research recently said that IBM scientists have successfully built and measured a processor prototype with 50 quantum bits, known as qubits. According to Gil it’s the first time any company has built a quantum computer of this scale. He also announced building a computer that uses 20 qubits. This announcement puts IBM in direct competition with Google, which had earlier stated that it plans to show a similarly sized machine capable of achieving this milestone by the end of the year. IBM’s big announcement comes shortly after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella disclosed the plans to explore the field of quantum computing. He said that the newer form of computing will help lead to big shifts in the future. Quantum computing will help build superior mixed reality and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Quantum computing would be a viable alternative, says Dr Joseph Reger, Chief Technology Officer, Fujitsu Fellow, Fujitsu. Why? Because quantum computing lets you compute various possibilities at the same time, not sequentially. Speaking about the disruptive nature of Quantum Computing, Reger adds “We can now do molecular design, materials design, drug design, disaster management, radiation therapy, traffic optimization, financial portfolios, IoT applications, optimisation problems, and artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning. There is also the quantum communication part too and we will be able to build completely safe communication channels that cannot be copied and it will usher in an era of safer networks and a quantum-secure Internet.”
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 33
VIEW POINT MR. SHRIRANGA SUDHAKARA Managing Director and Founder, Vyoma Media
STORY TELLING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND DOOH INTEGRATION
B
rands are constantly competing to get consumer attention and in an ideal scenario create brand custodians. The once humble billboard, now a connected powerhouse, is set to play a key role in building brand loyalty. For advertisers, never has there been so much opportunity to target the on-thego tech-savvy consumer with the rise of full motion DOOH screens, combined with smartphone penetration, WIFI connectivity, and wider reach. Similarly, social media can connect and build on to user generated content. Both social and DOOH at the end of the day are like the two halves of a digital medium. It is quite early to comprehend the possibilities the integration of DOOH and social media will bring about, amplify each other and deliver effective communication. Both channels are still evolving, but are already showcasing the potential of building a cohesive bond. With the ability to reach huge scale over a short period of time, both the mediums are ready to take it to the next level. So how are they going to work together?
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New Age integration Social media’s strongest point is the two-way communication it creates with the end user allowing connect with multiple touch points. The natural integration of the two mediums will ensure deeper engagement and derive increased results. Hence, leading to a much more impactful creative campaign which goes
beyond traditional norms. For example, match scores are being broadcasted on digital screens near the entrance of a metro station, in the interim a contest is running- Tweet us or leave your answers in the comment section, ‘will Virat Kohli score a century in next over?’ #predictandwin. Right before you exit the station, the
winners will be announced with discounts at nearby stores. This is just one example of integrating social media, location data and DOOH technology works.
Bringing interactivity under the spotlight DOOH medium can deliver realtime and location-specific content to create interactivity with the customers. For example, the personalized content is created and updated on a real-time basis with the help of data available from the brand and the screens. Demographics and consumer buying patterns distinguish and arrange the advertisement placement. For instance, a general search in any urban area regarding best deals on electronic devices. Digital screens in and around that area and mass transport are now equipped by the same message highlighting amazing deals on certain electronic devices thereby, creating a much larger impact. DOOH is now ready to grasp and take charge of the digital space, with the help of technological innovation and availability of data. DOOH has the ability to enhance minimalistic content by adding interactivity through HD displays and connectivity. A simple ad of a phone which uses user content gathered through their campaign page on social media handles. Few images or videos taken by the participants through that phone equips DOOH with the messages. Quick gratification for the participants, photo and video credits are given on those advertisements. This level of interactivity through social media and apt use of DOOH medium is a clear testimonial to the potential of this partnership.
Elevate your brand experience Recently, there are two distinct trends. One, where the DOOH activity has been planned to amplify a primarily existing social media campaign, another trend is where social media is used to draw attention to the digital out of the home activity.
With the former, the primary focus is on content from social media channels which will be delivered seamlessly to the connected digital displays. On the other hand, user generated content will play an important role as it’s produced through engagement with digital signage and then delivered to social media channels. For example, a simple use of a hashtag to trace the twitter feed of the consumer or showcase content pulled from the campaign’s Facebook page. The purpose of the integration is to complement social media campaigns and highlight what they are trying to communicate. DOOH became a medium which gave consumers a glimpse into the social space. For example, the user generated content is at the center stage for any social media campaign. Imagine use of images, videos and text uploaded by the audience at a high scale event. These posts are showcased on DOOH screens in and around the vicinity on a ‘Real-time’ basis. Thus, leading to much larger reach and quirky brand reputation. In the latter, there is the usage of digital screens with creative content to grab eyeballs. DOOH here, becomes the primary channel for consumer interaction and social media channels will be used to focus attention on the outdoor creative. A unique messaging placed on digital screen, targeting young children to create awareness about child abuse. The screens are prepared
with dual messaging which is altered according to the eye level of the viewer. The actual message with contact details are shown to the child while adults are under the impression that the ad is a normal one-way communication. These campaigns effectively showcase the potential of the DOOH screens and social media becomes the extension of digital screens.
Seamless integration Digital out-of-home advertising is unique because it intercepts active consumers with highly targeted messages as they move through their day. Successful digital out-of-home advertising campaigns start with deep knowledge of consumer mindset and their location relevance. While, DOOH medium in the Indian market is yet to successfully showcase its compatibility to several digital mediums. It is quite noteworthy that with the use of mobile beacons, hypertargeting and dynamic data feeds, digital screens are able to amplify campaign relevance and transform it into a significant consumer touch point In the near future, it would get impossible to carry out a campaign without involving both social media and DOOH. The possibilities are endless with wide range of technologies getting developed. Even prediction and analysis of the consumers’ mood and instant measurement of ROI will be possible. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 35
VIEW POINT
Interview with Sahil Shah, VP Operations & Media - West & South, WATConsult
By Jyotsna Sharma
36 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
JS: How can digital technology be leveraged to build brands? SS: In my view, there are two
types of digital technologies that help marketers build brands. The first lot are consumer facing like AR/VR (Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality), Apps, IoT (Internet of Things), etc. and the others are those which sit on the backend like Programmatic, ML (Machine Learning), Analytics, etc. Brands are now trying to flirt with many such new technologies but in my view scaled results will only be achieved once the consumer adoption of these platforms is at its peak. To answer your question, a brand can leverage any technology till the time it stays true to its offering and leverages the technology in its native format. For e.g. Amazon in the US just launched its first register-less store where customers can swipe their phone upon entering the store and simply take what they want and leave. This has been made possible using multiple technologies like ML (Machine Learning)and beaconing. And all through they have stayed true to their objective of enhancing customer experience. Simple & Brilliant! right? More and more brands need to do the same.
JS: The latest Capgemini report suggests that consumers are willing to pay more for better digital customer service. What do you think brands can do to achieve this? SS: I am in 100% agreement
with this. As marketers, all of us are in the race of trying to build brand recall with the consumer. Digital unlike TV/Print should
not be viewed just as a medium for better reach but a lot more than that. Internet companies like PayTM, Cleartrip, etc. have understood this and are closer to giving consumers a far richer and a more meaningful digital experience than just creating adverts for them. Unfortunately, a large number of brands are still trying to figure out how to be present on the ‘Digital’, rather than providing the consumer a complete digital experience. We are still at the tip of the iceberg as far digital experiences are concerned, and brands need to work very hard to win this race in the long run. Few things, in my view, that can help a brand be ahead of the curve:
• Have a data strategy in place • Look at Digital as a business platform rather than just as a communication platform • Stay true to your core value instead of trying to do everything JS: Your thoughts on Mobile Marketing and its future in India SS: Mobile is the future, atleast
for the next five years. And India will be at the forefront of it because of the sheer volume of users and the timespent. This obviously is accounted for with the advent of low cost data and affordable smartphones. We are currently 480 MN users on the internet and in my view, this will increase to over a billion internet users by 2022 (most of them on the mobile). The real question is which brand will leverage this opportunity and that too in the best possible manner.
JS: What are the upcoming trends in digital marketing SS: There are many new
developments taking place
everyday in digital marketing but trends that will truly shape the future of digital marketing are likely to be AI - which will disrupt the way customer service is done today, and AR/VR (Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality) that will shape customer experience offline in the most immersive way possible. Machine Learning will also be a part of the marketing backend that will help brands do better and sharper targeting, etc. and a lot of IoT (Internet of Things) based products will be launched in the near future. All of this will be facilitated by better data, sharper tools, insights driven marketing and infrastructure based on consumer needs.
JS: Tell us about two digital campaigns your company built for brands. SS: Recently we executed one of
our most interesting campaigns, this talked about a waterless facewash launched by HE Deodorant (Emami Ltd.). The core idea was around a hack video that used drone technology to fly around a wash basin. The video had Arvin Fischer, CEO, Out of Touch Silicon Ventures telling the viewers about the Indian climate and the reason why Indians find it difficult to look fresh all the time. Thus, introducing the “Flying Basin” stating“we can’t end pollution, but we can make your face shine.” This was followed by the launch of the real product that replaced the fake “Flying Basin” and spoke about the USP of ‘On The Go & Waterless Face Wash’. Another recent campaign that we are proud of was done for DBS Bank using Programmatic technology with a simple insight of how consumers dislike and skip video ads on Youtube. We launched contextual videos that were in line with whatever a user intended to watch and thereby decreased “skips” and increased video watch time, resulting in higher affinity for the content. This resulted in consumers getting the brand message and downloading the app to open a savings account. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 37
FOCUS
FASHION
is the new JYOTSNA SHARMA
BLACK! I
wish I had an app that would double as my personal Fashion designer. I would want the app to tell me what clothes and accessories to wear on a daily basis, make recommendations based on my body type, the weather, and the place I would be wearing the clothes to. Of course, I would want it to also arrange to buy the outfits and the accessories for me. It would be fantastic to wake up in the morning and have my look decided for me. It seems that my wish might come true sooner than I had imagined. Echo Look by Amazon was launched in April this year, it is an Alexa-powered camera that helps people take pictures and videos of their daily outfits. Powered by an artificial intelligence algorithm it makes clothes recommendations based on the saved pictures and videos. It was recently reported that Amazon has developed an AI (Artificial Intelligence) powered Fashion designer. This tool studies the latest styles and can generate new items in styles that are similar just like a Fashion designer would do. Earlier this year at the Vogue Women of the Year Awards, Archie Punjabi the Emmy Awardwinning actress wore an IBM Watson and Gaurav Gupta fashion creation – an AI (artificial intelligence) inspired sari-gown. Watson was tasked with looking for colours and dominant patterns from the regions that all the awardees came from. This resulted in over five million images being studies. The next step was to understand from the photographs, context around shapes, patterns and colours that were most popular. Indian designer Gaurav Gupta used the information collected to then create his design. The result of the collaboration was stunning and was appreciated the world over.
Saree Gown- IBM Watson and Gaurav Gupta fashion creation 38 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
FOCUS
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 39
Fashion brands, designers and retailers are now increasingly integrating digital technology into their work environment. I decided to dive into the Fashion world in India to get an idea of how they are leveraging Digital technology. The Fashion search platform, SeenIt, uses AI (artificial intelligence) to help consumers find the item they would like to buy. Users post images of
the items they want to buy and members of the SeenIt community help them with answers. Founded in April 2015 by Wharton School alumni Vedanta Kumar, Saksham Karwal and Ankita Sancheti, it has recently raised an undisclosed amount in pre-Series A funding from Calcutta Angels Network (CAN) and Augment Ventures. Here is an excerpt from my chat with Saksham Karwal
JS: Tell me how SeenIt came up SK: Vedanta and I were watching a James Bond movie when suddenly Vedanta asked me, “Hey, where can I get the sunglasses Daniel Craig is wearing?” I gave him the most obvious response anyone could, “Google it!” When he further googled, he got a million results in an instant but he soon realised none of the results actually led him to the product he wanted to buy — he ended up browsing random blogs in the UK and retailer sites in the US who didn’t have the product in stock for a number of years. What a glorious waste of time! This set us thinking. Searching for fashion and lifestyle products is a pain and no one seemed to have a solution for it, which is surprising especially given that the size of the online lifestyle market in India is expected to grow to US$60 billion by 2020. What next? We spoke to our potential target users (females in the 18–34 age group) and realised that every girl today sits with a ton of screenshots from Pinterest and Instagram of items she wants to buy. She ends up doing nothing with these screenshots because there is nothing that can be done apart from asking a few friends on Whatsapp or Facebook about where to purchase the items from. So, we took the initiative and decided to create a fashion Q&A platform. A community that helps each other solve their fashion dilemmas! JS: At SeenIt, how do you stay in sync with your consumers? SK: Staying in sync with our customers is a never-ending process and we love it. There is nothing better than getting your users
40 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
to share honest feedback. In India, getting honest feedback is really hard because everyone wants to be sweet to you! Apart from keeping a detailed eye on usage and activity data, we have multiple processes in place at SeenIt. Even though we have grown to a million monthly users, we make sure that between us three founders, we take time out to personally meet with or speak to our most active users regularly. JS: How does Seenit provide the best digital customer experience? SK: There is only one way to keep providing a better experience and that is by listening to customers all the time. We are on top of the ball when it comes to collecting, analysing and then acting on usage data from our community. Apart from this, we regularly make it a point to meet with our most active users personally to see how they feel about changes to our product. It is important to note that on a digital platform like ours, once decisions are made about specific changes, they must be acted upon quickly, else users start dropping out. JS: Please tell me your thoughts on the use of influencers / bloggers by brands in the Fashion world SK: I feel you CANNOT build a marketing plan today without influencers. It’s essential to keep aside a budget for activities through bloggers. And mind you, these costs may not be less and hence it would be best if brands set aside a budget for this beforehand. Bloggers have mastered the art of creating relatable content their followers enjoy consuming, irrespective of whether the content is sponsored or not. By making posts appear non-advertisement
like, bloggers have unlocked a whole new way of plugging and promoting brands. It is up to the brands to work hand-in-hand with influencers and come up with innovative campaigns that leave a solid impact. JS: Please tell me your thoughts AI (artificial Intelligence) being used in Fashion. SK: AI in Fashion is going to be big especially for user personalisation. Today, getting trusted styling advice from a professional is something only the ultra-rich have access to when they shop from stores such as Bergdorf or Selfridges. As fast fashion is taking over the world, brands like a Zara and Tommy Hilfigher too will have to provide personal styling advice before, during or after the purchase. This is where AI will take over and be the personal stylist for every customer. JS: What are the new categories and services you are planning to launch at SeenIt? SK: We are working with deep data and AI to launch image recognition soon. This helps users get immediate and personal answers to their fashion dilemmas. We recently launched Pinterest like boards that allow users to neatly keep track of items they’ve liked and would want to shop for. JS: What are the upcoming trends in Fashion marketing SK: Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) will be big for fashion marketing. Brands will need to get out of their comfort zones and come up with fun and fancy campaigns. The scope is endless and with devices getting smarter, the ability to pass on more information to the user across many channels will only increase. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 41
RAUL R RAI, CEO & Co-founder, Nicobar On Consumer Engagement • We believe offline experiences (our retail stores, events and our pop ups) help build the brand and trust while digital complements offline and is the vision to scale. •
Consumers are changing and brands need to change with them. We believe that retail is (both online and offline) becoming less about being a place for a transaction and more about providing the consumer an experience. Creating that
connection is key and I feel that Nicobar, in such a short period of time, has been able to achieve that with convenient, and satisfying customer experience by striving to be personal without being a nuisance. Feedback is everything to us - we hear it and improvise where we feel it’s necessary. I write to customers directly for feedback from our very first day and there have been a lot of learnings from such a simple practice. •
We have a whatsapp group which includes all our retail teams, the focus is not just to share the revenue and
42 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
driven series of content such as ‘Traveller’s Trunk’ and ‘At Home With’, which offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of interesting people and places.
footfall but also, customer delight and disappointment stories...creating customer delight in daily lives is our raison d’etre. •
We have the ‘Nico journal’, which is our blog and handle on Instagram and is much loved by our consumers. The editorial route on the blog and social media pages has benefitted the brand, the lightness in messaging has ensured we don’t alienate our consumers with ad speak. At the moment, we have a video
•
We engage with prospective customers through temporary pop up retail spaces across India to give them an immersive brand experience. Such as, at Jaipur (Kyoorius Design Yatra), Gurgaon (Cyberhub), Mumbai(Vintage Garden), Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Goa and Kochi (Kochi Biennale).
On Digital Customer Experience
“There will come a time when AI will shift from improving the customer journey to controlling it, where a new era of virtual assistants will become the gatekeepers to the customer.” - Lorna Hall, Head of WGSN Insight
•
•
Nicobar always aspires to be a human centric digital brand. The idea is to give our customers a seamless brand experience irrespective of the point of purchase - online or offline. The overall brand feel and the consumer experience is the same across all channels. Retail offers the convenience of trying on clothes, consultation, one can touch the product. Whereas, online offers the convenience of shopping from anywhere at anytime. We want to ensure that
we can provide the best experience across both channels. While offline helps to build trust and digital opens the doors for scalability. •
•
•
OMNI at an early stage of the business has been a big step for us, but we can already see the benefit both for the customer and ourselves. We are able to ensure that a customer gets the product they love from us by linking back end stock across points of sale. This also ensures that we optimize our stock management. Almost 20% of our current customers are buying both online and offline from us and for those who have been with us for more than 18 months, this number is 30%. Further, 40% of our online orders are fulfilled in whole or in part from stores. We focus on creating a sensorial retail environment (space) across physical stores, going beyond conventional retail formats in India - thematic VM, experiential spaces like curated book corners, photo booths, mini theatres, entrepreneur hubs etc. as we want the space to be more than a place of transaction. All these elements are a conscious choice, designed to meet the needs and desires of the modern Indian customer. Further, we have tied up with brands and communities to emphasize on local sub-culture through collaborative events, activities & brand content . We are now working on VM for online. We don’t try and just tick the box for standard online user experience dimensions, but
“Brands today are becoming more consumer conscious and know that a blogger is a representative of the real person / consumer. As a blogger, I try out every product and have to genuinely like it before I recommend it.” AanamC , Fashion blogger intervene to provide as close an experience as possible to enhance the customer’s retail journey. Our recent conceptual lookbook for the season saw a conversion rate on the website of 2.5% which is usually 1%. And as opposed to spending 4-5 minutes on the website, we have seen that most people are spending close to 11 minutes with the lookbook. •
We are making these efforts to enhance the consumer experience in stores by facilitating the retail teams with easy solutions like the app. We have launched an in-store app for our brand ambassadors at the store facilitating them with product information and care lookup, Inventory check at the store and a wishlist integration.
STATE OF THE MARKET Economists have reported that AI might disrupt the economy on a scale not seen since the industrial Revolution Over 80% of retail jobs are at risk from automation, according to a study by the Oxford University and Citi
WGSN TOP TIPS
Create man- machine co-working teams to optimise productivity Use empathy to listen to what your customers want, and AI to help deliver solutions. Tap into AI to streamline business processes and free up human resources to solve human problems
WGSN white paper data (UK & US markets) 2017
On influencers in the Fashion While influencers, bloggers, stylists and magazines can all spread the word and build credibility for a brand, I do believe that it hinges on the sincerity of the relationship. If there is true love for the brand and the product, then that is something that will work. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 43
OPINION
GUEST COLUMN
THE ERA OF THE ‘DIGI-LLECTUAL’ PROPERTY
DEEPAK LAMBA,
CEO, Worldwide Media
T
India has approximately 460 million internet users as per a recent report by IAMAI, while smart-phone consumption is at an all-time high if we go by the suggestive figure of 370 million users. In such a scenario, brands are leveraging the digital wave to better the value proposition of their Intellectual Properties not just in terms of reach, but also in terms of customizing them to suit different tastes and preferences.
oday, in an era with incredible technological advancement coupled with digital media taking over significant aspects of our lives, every industry has become breathtakingly competitive. Mediocre and ordinary ideas don’t really bear fruit; while quality and innovation go a long way. It’s not just about your product or service any longer, but it’s also about how you present, package and market it successfully that determines the relevance of your business to the end customer. The growth of digital media is making the entire communication landscape for brands truly integrated and interactive.
to audiences present in a specific location with certain physical boundaries. As experiential as the medium is, its reach was not considered to be path-breaking, in spite of the co-existence of other media like television and print. India has approximately 460 million internet users as per a recent report by IAMAI, while smart-phone consumption is at an all-time high if we go by the suggestive figure of 370 million users. In such a scenario, brands are leveraging the digital wave to better the value proposition of their Intellectual Properties not just in terms of reach, but also in terms of customizing them to suit different tastes and preferences.
Exploring unchartered territories in digital vehicles
Video Content – Driving Intellectual Properties like never before
Until not too long ago, Intellectual Properties and Events were seen as a potent tool by brands to engage their target groups, but restricting 44 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
IPs and events as a communication tool in today’s digitized world are not only retaining their interactive
potential, but is also maximizing its reach. Established events and marquee properties owned by brands are now becoming accessible on the fingertips of communities sitting on the other part of the globe. It also gives scope for advertisers to attain a more global appeal. To add to this, global video consumption is at an all-time high. VOD and OTT platforms are enabling live streaming of events on a global level. When IPs and digital platforms merge, it expands the audience base to include a more versatile range of consumers from all age groups, socio-economic backgrounds and regions. IPs also have the potential to reach out to a heterogeneous audience on a nationwide level, by extending them to different genres in relevant markets which will enable brands and advertisers to reach out to a unique audience base with a customized IP – a more localized offering tailored to suit the respective market.
Conveying brand messages through stories If one observes the trends of the industry, you would see that IPs and digital media account for most of the campaigns and viral content of the past decade. The increasing trend observed with regards to the number of web series’ being produced by brands today is a good case in point to drive the larger issue. Several brands across industries have been investing in web series and chat shows, especially in the last one year. As audiences become more mature with every passing day, brands are now willing to come out and talk about concepts that were previously considered taboo. In an attempt to creatively promote the brand through IPs and events, several brands have come forward to sponsor young talent as well. More or less every prominent web series that was produced last year had heavy product presence, with brands varying from cab services to E-Commerce startups to clothing giants. By smartly weaving the key messaging of the brand in the narrative of these shows, they are able to penetrate into the minds of their target audiences. It is only one of the many forms of creating an Intellectual Property on the digital medium, but it is one of the most preferred routes as per current trends.
How Digital is bringing in a transition: From ‘Intellectual’ Property to a ‘Digi-llectual’ Property IPs in all its myriad forms events, properties on TV, digital, radio and even retail can generate new revenue streams and also become a meaningful extension of a brand, thereby reducing the dependence on traditional means of communication. In fact, well established and big-ticket IP’s are telecast on television as well, resulting in the multiplicity of the reach by leveraging the power of digital media. By going beyond onground events and foraying into a 360-degree communication landscape, a brand can achieve a great deal of flexibility in terms of how it wants to present its IP, enabling advertisers to reach even the toughest and most isolated of audiences in the process. To sum up, digital media has today made brands look at their respective Intellectual Properties and Events through a new lens – to determine how they build it, how their consumers can access it, and how they finance it. The advent of digital media is creating more value than ever for every stakeholder in the media and communication pie – the most important in the aforementioned context being brands, advertisers and the end consumer. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 45
HARNESSING THE DIGITAL / INFLUENCER MARKETING
WHY MARKETERS SHOULD ‘TRULY LOVE’ SOCIAL MEDIA -Nishant Saxena INFLUENCERS A
round 70% teenage subscribers in US trust influencers more than traditional celebrities. It will not be surprising if the trend stands similar in India’s case as well. Even Facebook recently launched Facebook Creator, a new application dedicated to influencers and considered as Facebook’s attempt to poach vloggers from YouTube.
Change in relationship
As millions of audiences are engaging with content,it has become more important for brands, now than ever, to acknowledge the potential ‘influencer marketing’ has. The word-of-mouth publicity or recommendation from trustworthy people, in the times of digital relationships, has become more effective for buyers than watching celebrities selling a product without making any connection and engagement with the audience. With 90% of consumers saying that they trust peer recommendations more than ads, the most effective marketing strategy for brands is to reach out to influencers who foster strong relationships with their subscribers unlike celebrities.
All brands love social media influencers DJ Khaled, dubbed as “The King of Snapchat” has more than 6 million followers on the platform and gets more than 3 million views on each of his snaps. The DJ has millions of followers on Twitter as well as on Instagram. Khaled once said in an
46 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
interview that “being authentic” was his key to success on social media. Interestingly, brands are using social media influencers for the same reason, authenticity. According to a research by Twitter, around 49% of buyers take purchase related guidance from influencers. On social media also people take recommendations from the person they trust and respect. The huge following of influencers cannot be simply termed as ‘fan following’; followers and influencers engage with each other very closely.. The argument can be established by result of a Twitter
research which reveals that around 40% of Twitter users said they have purchased products as a direct result of an influencer’s tweet. When an influencer gives a demo with the product to his followers, it is more powerful than any number of eyeballs a traditional ad can grab.
50 shades of influencers-choose the right one It is incredibly important for the brands to decide if the influencer will fit right for
Influencers are individuals and I think they often have a more personal and honest approach towards the world and their audience than professional marketers. Influencers become influencers because they think that connect with the audience, and it’s in their personal interest that they benefit their audience. Their popularity is directly proportional to the trust people have in them. I think the rise of influencers and social media will have a positive impact on the overall life quality of the people. It’s better to make a decision about what to consume when you get a real and honest recommendation from an expert, then making it based on watching an ad featuring a paid celebrity. The rise of influencers is going to help keep marketers more honest too because they know that there are watchers now who will not hesitate to report their bad moves. It’s an overall positive development and I hope it grows stronger and stronger in the coming days. -Nisha Maduhlika YouTube Influencer them. Brands work with influencers because they are very effective in marketing products to a targeted audience. Therefore, the key to a successful campaign for a brand is to find an influencer who can understand them and viceversa. 86% of the 200 mostviewed beauty videos on YouTube are made by influencers but if these influencers are asked to endorse a sports brand or automobile brand it is very likely that the campaign would be a failure.
Happy Ending
Influencers have changed the rules of marketing. They have not just pushed the celebrity culture back but also introduced the powerful concept of “influence” which not many understand. For brands to have a happy ending, it is essential to identify right influencers, and respect the relationship they share with their followers.
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 47
BEAUTY
MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL...
O
lay introduced the Skin Advisor at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year. The Skin Advisor uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Deep Learning to analyse the user’s skin type and recommends products and the appropriate skin care regime accordingly. The process is simple, it asks you- the user, to take a selfie without make-up, then asks questions about your skin care regime; analyses the results and problem areas based on the data after which recommendations follow.
Olay skin advisor
48 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
The advice on products and the regime to follow is based on the research done by Olay experts. Earlier this year, L’Oréal launched an AI (Artificial Intelligence) powered Facebook messenger bot. Conversational marketing through the messenger bot will allow the brand to have personalised conversations with its customers to provide them with the best service. Among other services, the Messenger bot, will help find the right gift based on the conversation with the shopper.
Further, with their brand Kérastase, they launched a smart brush, which will allow them to analyses the user’s hair and recommend the right care routine. L’Oréal also has an augmented reality (AR) beauty app, which allows consumers to try on various make-up looks and shop for the make-up that suits them best. All these innovations and developments point to the fact that AI and digital technology is transforming the beauty industry to give consumers the best products. Recently, Innisfree, a Korean natural beauty brand from South Korea launched its flagship store in Gurugram, India. The store interior features a vertical garden to give consumers a fresh feeling of nature and allows them to experience and breathe clean air. In addition, the store encompasses an exclusive Jeju experience with virtual reality technology. The VR project attempts to deliver the real-experience of clean and pure energy in Jeju, the
origin of natural benefit. The program features a 360-degree viewing angle, 3D technology and consists of a user-interactive system. It has three series under VR: Jeju Flying Bike, Someday in Jeju (with Lee Minho) &Innisfree Wonderland. We caught up with Mr. Doyoul Lee, Country Head Innisfree India to learn more about the brand and how it is leveraging digital technology:
our new store launch at the Ambience Mall, Gurugram we have launched the Innisfree VR (Virtual Experience) for the first time. Through these videos, customers can experience the pristine Jeju islands virtually and can get a feel of the story behind Innisfree’s ingredients. Also, globally Innisfree is keen to invest more on digital platforms and this will be our focus for the coming year as well.
Digital technology has changed the landscape of brand building. How is Innisfree leveraging the Digital? DL: The future of retail and the role of digitisation in India is promising. There is an increase in participation from foreign and private players to boost retail infrastructure in India. In terms of digitisation, India ranks 43rd in the Global Index study. As far as Innisfree is concerned we have tried to give our consumers an experience that they have never experienced before in a beauty store. At
In this Digital age, how can a brand be most effective in the area of consumer service/ consumer experience? DL: Customer expectations have been changing drastically. Customers are no longer satisfied with just receiving good quality goods and services, they are mindful of their experience during every stage of purchasing. Gone are the days of ‘one-sizefits-all marketing’. Companies have realised that the increase in personalisation & innovation in their services will bring in more business. DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 49
“At Modi-Revlon we are constantly trying to advance our strategies to provide convenience of communication to our customers. The rapid growth of digital content and tools is already changing how we create, consume and distribute knowledge. Even though globally participation in the Digital Age remains uneven, more and more people are accessing and contributing digital content every day. We have a set of team dedicated to the digital progress of the brand. We closely monitor the reaction of our audience on various social media platforms and try to mould accordingly.” Innisfree VR experience
Keeping this in mind, Innisfree has launched its VR experience. With the growing global exposure consumers in India are becoming more conscious about the products they apply on their skin. They are aware of products & ingredients and prefer using natural and organic products. Therefore, the new Innisfree VR will help consumers understand the ingredients more in detail - “Innisfree VR project embarks to deliver the real-experience of clean and pure energy in Jeju, the origin of natural benefit.” Your thoughts on brands using influencers/ bloggers in the cosmetics industry. DL: Influencers and bloggers have reshaped the beauty industry through their extensive social media presence. Their constant views, tips and suggestions on brands and products have positively inclined consumers in understanding our products better. We have been extremely happy with our collaboration with bloggers and influencers through our 50 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
Rajiv Kumar Bobal, Director – Sales & Marketing MODI Revlon India
L’Oréal Smart brush
journey so far. As a result of these collaborations, we have received an extremely positive feedback from our consumers and we aim to continue collaborating with bloggers & influencers across the country to reach a larger target audience. Best use of AI (artificial Intelligence) at Innisfree.
DL: Artificial Intelligence has entered into almost every aspect of our daily life. At Innisfree, we have a hand machine in our stores which checks the moisture levels of the skin for each customer. And based on the results, products are recommended.
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FEBRUARY 10, 2018 Radisson Blu, Noida 05:00pm Onwards
RECOGNISING THE BEST IN NEWS BROADCAST
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Principal Provocateur Advisory
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DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 51
IN CONVERSATION
HARNESSING THE
DIGITAL MEERA IYER
scale organisations, so preparing for it and getting comfortable with it seems sensible. I see big challenges in integrating AI into regular company ecosystems, barring a few. Technology driven processes in most companies are fragmented, numerous & it takes a long time for any new technology introduction to see light of the day. The long time is not only because there are too many subsystems to integrate with but also because there are few people today that understand it well. The benefit is obviously efficiency. This is particularly true in data related fields. So, predictive analytics, diagnostics & commendation will definitely improve with AI. Automation on top of AI will cut costs but may also cut jobs.
Head of Marketing bigbasket.com
I see big challenges in integrating AI into regular company ecosystems, barring a few. Technology driven processes in most companies are fragmented, numerous & it takes a long time for any new technology introduction to see light of the day.
JS: At Bigbasket, how do you stay in sync with your consumers? MI: We stay in touch with customers in multiple ways. We of course use emails & notifications to communicate with them effectively. These are important media to engage & retain customers. That apart, to feel the pulse of our customers, we measure NPS regularly & diligently every month. Analyzing this data gives us a good feel on where we are doing well & where we are falling short. We use analytics too in many ways to really better customer experience. For example, a look at failed searches (searches where products searched for are not available on our site) gives us a good sense on our assortment gaps & we plug them. Our customer service team call logs are again an important source of learning more about customer issues & queries, that inputs into action, pieces for us. JS: Please tell me your thoughts AI (artificial Intelligence) challenges& benefits? MI: AI is the next big trend that is sooner or later going to find a permanent place in most of the large & medium
52 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
JS: What is your view on Messenger bots? MI: Messenger bots exist to reduce cost while improving response time- It’s as simple as that. The quality of response keeps getting better with every new release that’s coming up & the pace of machine learning is quite amazing. Having said that, I am not comfortable yet with bots replacing humans in all areas. I am happy to restrict their application to simpler, non-ambiguous queries like answering FAQs or updating on a system status. JS: What are the upcoming trends in Digital Marketing? MI: VR (Virtual Reality), AI (Artificial Intelligence), Automations are all buzzwords in the market today. We are in for interesting times! Bigbasket the Indian online grocery store recently raised $839 K from Trifecta Venture Debt Fund, an existing investor. The online grocery market in India is expected to reach INR 270 Cr by FY19. Founded in 2011, their stores are present in more than 26 cities across India, including in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Delhi, etc.
IN CONVERSATION
HARNESSING THE
DIGITAL AMBAR DEEP
VP – Product Management & Customer Experience, ShopClues
JS: What is Band of Trust? AD: ShopClues buyer protection program and seller protection program safeguard the interest of all stakeholders in the marketplace. The band of trust is the combination of both programs ensuring trust and liquidity in the marketplace. On the customer side, the buyer protection policy has details of return policy, replacement policy and other miscellaneous policies that safeguard the interest of the buyers.
Artificial Intelligence/ Machine learning and other related advancements are crucial for building the right experience for customers. We utilise these technologies in creating the right algorithms for discovery of products, reduction of frauds, monitoring of supply chain etc.
JS: At ShopClues, how do you stay in sync with your consumers? AD: We have various ways to remain connected with our consumers. We derive regular insights from what they like, shop, recommend, search and talk about on our platform and on social media from the data generated by these actions. We also regularly validate our findings and hypothesis via instant website surveys or focus group discussions or customer interviews. JS: How does ShopClues provide the best digital customer experience? AD: A great customer experience at ShopClues is achieved by having a worldclass self-service platform for consumers which not only has an intuitive and userfriendly display and availability of tracking data but also supported by a customercentric call centre team which is reactive and flexible to customer concerns. We also invest in building the right supply chain capability with our unprecedented 3PL reach of 50+ courier partners across 31,000+ pincodes pan India. We have invested in building a common platform that utilises best practise across different partners and gives them a platform to connect with customers and service them better.
JS: Please tell me your thoughts AI (Artificial Intelligence) challenges & benefits? AD: Artificial Intelligence/Machine learning and other related advancements are crucial for building the right experience for customers. We utilise these technologies in creating the right algorithms for discovery of products, reduction of frauds, monitoring of supply chain etc. In general, these advancements are giving us access to unprecedented skills and capabilities. e.g. it is possible to build a world-class translation engine using AI to translate English into Indian regional languages, which will bring in a lot more consumers. Advancements in voice and chat will help us reach and communicate better with them. JS: What is your view on Messenger bots? AD: Messenger bots, though still in infancy, have a huge potential to help us reach a set of new consumers and communicate with them in the way they currently talk to a local shopkeeper. ShopClues, founded in 2011 is an online shopping site in India that sells a range of mobiles, electronics, laptops, home appliances, fashion, shoes, home & kitchen products at low prices. It is funded by Tiger global, GIC of Singapore, Helion Venture Partners and Nexus Venture Partners among others.
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 53
INDUSTRY SPEAK Digital technology is set to change marketing & brand building in a significant way. We spoke to industry leaders to get their take on digital technology that assists their business decisions and their day to day lives.
AJAY BATHIJA,
Director Marketing Colas - Coca-Cola India Private Limited
At Coca-Cola, we try to understand where our customers spend time. Secondly, we create content purely for digital platforms-digital first content. We understand that on a Digital channel it is always an interaction rather than a one-way conversation therefore, we have a listening center at Coke, which understands what our consumers are saying so we can serve them better.
PUNEET ANAND,
Sr. GM & Group Head, Hyundai
Social media is a vital tool, which helps brands stay connected with consumers. It also helps in sharing the positive campaigns the corporate does. We use Facebook and twitter heavily at Hyundai.� “Personally, I am very connected, I like my banking apps and use the fitness app on my Samsung phone. 54 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
PRADEEP DWIVEDI, CEO, Sakal Media Group
As publishers, Digital is very important to us, and we use it to get news and content to the consumer in an effective manner. On the personal front, I am an Apple geek, I live inside the Apple ecosystem. I also use twitter quite a lot.
ADIL AHMAD,
Global Chief Marketing Officer, Tata Global Beverages Limited.
Personally, I use food apps like Gorb. Also, Uber and Ola. At Tata Global Beverages, we have used a lot of digital in the ‘jago re’ campaign for an outreach on social media platforms.
CK VENKATARMAN, CEO, Jewellery, TITAN
I use an app called MereGana , the voice memo and also WhatsApp. At the organization, we have an application called the Tanishq Gellaria, which is an online catalogue of the entire Tanishq collection so the customer can view the entire collection, pick what he wants, and have it delivered to a store near him.”
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 55
ABDUL KHAN,
RADHIKA AGARWAL,
Internet Transformation Evangelist, Alef Mobitech
Co-founder &CBO, ShopClues
“Personally, I use Evernote a lot. I use it on my I-pad, on my I-phone, and basically across a lot of platforms. I also use the health app on the I-phone and of course also my banking apps.”
I believeLinkedIn is a great platform for businesses, and I feel it’s under exploited, business and individuals should use it more. On the personal front, I use Facebook,and WhatsApp.
ANAND KRIPALU
MD & CEO, Diageo India
“I like Netflix and Hotstar etc. Zoom is something I use personally and we are also exploring it’s use across the organization now.
56 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
SANTOSH DESAI MD & CEO Futurebrands India
SANJAY SHARMA CEO, MTR FOODS
WhatsApp is a great tool for group communication, which organizations today are leveraging. I feel social media platforms like Facebook and twitter are very effective for businesses. Personally, I use a kindle, listen to podcasts, also use the fitness app on my apple phone. So yes, am very connected
ABHISHEK GANGULY MD, PUMA
“Personally, I use twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn quite a lot. I like to write, and do that on LinkedIn. I also use social media tool for work. Then of course, there are the fitness apps, and the music apps.” “LinkedIn is something we use at the organization a lot. We use a lot of Digital tools at work whether it is for a launch or for community building.”
“While I am very connected, I make a conscious effort to disconnect. I believe there should be a balance. In fact, a lot of time people have no time for sports or fitness because they are glued to their screens. As a leading sports wear brand, we are trying to drive this point home througha campaign with Virat Kohli called ‘come out and play’, which talks about finding a balance and not be glued to the screen always. Personally, all my content consumption is digital, my shopping is online, I use virtual assistants and fitness apps as well.”
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 57
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58 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
We bring you ten game changers, who as leaders in their respective fields have inspired change and innovation.
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 59
GAME CHANGERS 2017 We bring you ten game changers, who as leaders in their respective fields have inspired change and innovation. From telecom to space technology, there have been many brands that gained popularity owing to their immense contribution. While Reliance Jio might have made India one of the biggest consumers of data worldwide; Elon Musk, The CEO of SpaceX on the other hand is on a mission to revolutionize the way we travel. In these pages, we have put together brands that made big news in 2017 for all the right reasons.
60 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
RELIANCE JIO
E
ver since its commercial launch more than a year ago, this wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries continues to be one of the biggest disruptors in the telecom space. The Mukesh Ambani-owned operator’s free voice and data services compelled incumbents like Airtel, Vodafone and Idea to drop tariffs drastically in order to retain consumers from flocking to the fully free Jio network. An already debtridden telecom sector recorded further hits as bigger players took a pounding, while the smaller ones like Aircel, Tata Teleservices, Telenor, and Reliance Communications struggled to wanted merge with them.
J
eff Bezos, the world’s richest man has committed $5 billion investment to Amazon India, which he believes is a key market. The company witnessed 105% growth in revenues in FY17. For Amazon, India is arguably its most important international market and conquering the Indian e-commerce market has become a top priority for Bezos, especially after Amazon lost out to Alibaba in China.
JEFF BEZOS
Chief Executive Officer of Amazon
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 61
P
aytm has become synonymous with digital payments in India and a metaphor for the transformation of India’s new digital makeover. Backed by Japan’s Soft Bank and China’s Alibaba Group, Paytm has plans to diversify into ecommerce in the coming time. The company continues to be in news, it is planning to invest up to $2.5 billion to grow its nascent online shopping portal business within 3-5 years as it eyes the top spot by beating Flipkart and Amazon.
VIJAY SHANKER SHARMA founder Paytm
62 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
T
hough it was founded over a decade ago but in the lastfew years this homegrown brand has emerged as a major competitor for major FMCG companies. According to CLSA and HSBC, Patanjali is the fastest growing FMCG company in India. It is valued at ₹30 billion, and some predict revenues of ₹5,000 crore for the fiscal 2015–16. Patanjali declared its annual turnover for the year 2016-17 to be ₹10,216 crore.
BABA RAMDEV DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 63
O
la, India’s largest ride-hailing start-up has been in news for all the right reasons. It has stood its ground despite tough competition from rivals like Uber. The company is projected to turn profitable by 2018-19 and rake in $1 billion as profit by 2021. Ola is also looking to rope in new investors to fund its growth. It’s investor Softbank is in talks with Tiger Global to purchase an additional 10-12 per cent stake in Ola.
BHAVISH AGGARWAL & ANKIT BHATI Co-Founders
64 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
F
acebook continued its success run in 2017 and has become one of the most influential tech platforms ever built. The company also crossed the two billion user base mark in 2017. As far as Facebook’s profitability is concerned, it climbed 79% year-over-year to $4.7 billion. Facebook recently declared its 2017 Q3 earnings and once again, beat estimates of $9.84 billion in revenue and $1.28 EPS by raking in $10.3 billion in revenue and $1.59 GAAP actual earnings per share (EPS).
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 65
SATYA NADELLA
U
nder the dynamic leadership of Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft, the company’s focus on fastgrowing cloud applications and platforms is helping it beat slowing demand for personal computers that has hurt sales of Windows, the software that powered the company to the top during the dot-com boom. Under Nadella, Microsoft’s cloud business, which includes products such as Office 365, Dynamic 365 and the flagship Azure computing platform has emerged as a major growth driver. Revenue from Microsoft’s intelligent cloud business rose nearly 14% to $6.92 billion in 2016-17.
66 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
ELON MUSK
E
lon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, CEO of Tesla, and cofounder of OpenAI manages companies and projects that specialize in electric and self-driving cars, private space exploration and Mars colonization, solar energy and artificial intelligence. Alongside pushing for solar power, electric vehicles, and the colonization of Mars, Musk has also designed what he calls the Hyperloop, a transport system that would reduce the distance between continents to minutes.
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 67
VIRAT KOHLI
T
he much-admired captain of the Indian cricket team recently scored his sixth double century - the highest as a captain. This puts him ahead of the West Indies great, Brian Lara, who has held the record till recently with five double tons in Tests. Kohli was ranked eighth in ESPN’s list of world’s most famous athletes in 2016. He plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and has been the team’s captain since 2013. In 2013, Virat decided to use his influence and his celebrity towards starting a foundation, ‘the Virat Kohli Foundation’ for supporting underprivileged children. The foundation regularly partners NGOs to organize charitable events. In September 2017, Virat Kohli partnered with Industrialist Sanjeev Goenka to launch the ‘RPSG Indian Sports honours’, an award instituted to honour sports personalities for their achievements. All the winners are given an award as well as financial support. For Kohli, the motivation was the belief that players from sports other than cricket be given motivation and proper support to help enhance their game.
68 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
NANDAN NILEKANI
T
he Indian entrepreneur and bureaucrat co-founded Infosys and is the NonExecutive Chairman of Infosys replacing R Seshasayee and Ravi Venkatesan, who were the co-chairs of the board.
He is responsible for implementing and envisioning Unique Identity card (UID Card) project or Aadhaar in India. This initiative aims to provide a unique identification number for all residents of India and is used primarily as the basis for efficient delivery of welfare services. The World Bank praised India’s Aadhaar project and suggested that other countries replicate the model for economic transformation. Nilekani was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2006. In 2009, the Time magazine ranked him in the list of the ‘World’s Most Influential People’. Yale University presented him the ‘Legend in Leadership Award’ in 2009.
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 69
THE IMPACT PERSON OF YEAR AWARD MUMBAI-11TH DECEMBER 2017
E
very Year, THE IMPACT PERSON OF YEAR award is presented to one person or group of people chosen by their peers in the industry for having made maximum impact and having influenced the industry by contributing significantly in the domain of media, and marketing. The person who you nominate should have made a substantial contribution to his/her own business as well as industry bodies and the practice adopted by him/her should have had far reaching effects in the foreseeable future.
The honourable Governor of Maharashtra, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, presents Baba Ramdev of Patanjali Ayurved with the IMPACT Person of the Year 2017 Award in Mumbai on December 11, 2017. On the left are Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of exchange4media Group and Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, MP and National Vice-president of the BJP, and on the right are Raj Nayak, COO of Viacom18 and Nawal Ahuja, Co-founder of exchange4media Group
The honourable Governor of Maharashtra, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, presents Baba Ramdev of Patanjali Ayurved with the citation for the IMPACT Person of the Year 2017 Award in Mumbai on December 11, 2017. On the left are Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of exchange4media Group and Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, MP and National Vice-president of the BJP, and on the right are Raj Nayak, COO of Viacom18 and Nawal Ahuja, Co-founder of exchange4media Group
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev of Patanjali Ayurved, winner of IMPACT Person of the Year 2017, engages in a scintillating conversation with Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, exchange4media Group at the award function in Mumbai on December 11 70 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
The honourable Governor of Maharashtra, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, speaks at the IMPACT Person of the Year 2017 Award function in Mumbai on December 11
Ashish Sehgal, COO, Zee Unimedia, Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, exchange4media Group, Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, MP and National Vice-president of the BJP, Baba Ramdev, Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Raj Nayak, COO of Viacom18, Srabana Lahiri, editor of IMPACT, Pradeep Dwivedi, CEO of Sakal Media Group and Nawal Ahuja, Co-founder of exchange4media Group release a special issue of IMPACT at the IMPACT Person of the Year 2017 award
Raj Nayak, COO of Viacom18, speaks at the IMPACT Person of the Year 2017 Award function in Mumbai on December 11
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev of Patanjali Ayurved, winner of IMPACT Person of the Year 2017, speaks at the award function in Mumbai on December 11
Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, MP and National Vice-president of the BJP, speaks at the IMPACT Person of the Year 2017 Award function in Mumbai on December 11
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 71
EXCHANGE4MEDIA CONCLAVE- SOUTH BANGALORE - 1ST DECEMBER 2017
T
he Exchange4media Group organises more than 25 large-format events annually. These are clearly focused on adding to the effectiveness of brands, marketers and various media platforms by way of debate & discussion at our conferences; or, felicitating the best from these fields at our gala award evenings. Of these, the ‘Exchange4media Conclave’ is the group’s flagship and the oldest on the calendar. Organised in Delhi / Mumbai , the event enjoys the reputation of being a forward–looking exercise that strongly influences the direction taken by marketers in the coming year. This year, the very first Exchange4media Conclave- South was held in the beautiful city of Bangalore on the first day of December 2017.
Keynote address: Hemant Malik Divisional Chief Executive Food Division, ITC
Inauguration Exchange4media Conclave- South by Annurag Batra Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, Exchange4media and Businessworld, Amit Gupta, CEO, Asianet News, Mohit Joshi MD, Havas Media Group
Panel -1 Topic: Speaking the Purpose Language (L&R) Mohit Joshi, MD-Havas Media Groiup India; (Session Chair); Amit Gupta, CEO - Asianet News, Meera Iyer, Marketing Head, Big Basket; Narayan Raja, Director & Sr. VP-Sales and Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar; Suparna Mitra - CMO- Watches & Accessories Titan; Vineet Sehgal, CMO, Quikr; Pallavi Chopra, Marketing head redBus
Panel -2 Topic: The Experience Economy: The Battle Ground Changes: Session Chair Ramesh Jude Thomas, President & Chief Knowledge Office Equitor Value Advisory; Samar Sigh Sheikhawat, CMO, UB Group; Santhosh NS, Marketing Head, Fujitsu India, Sujith Sudhakaran, Senior Director- Brand Mktg, Myntra, Sushant Sreeram,
72 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
Leader Address: CVL Srinivas, Country Manager, WPP & CEO GroupM South Asia
Fireside Chat: Rahul Agarwal, CEO & MD, Lenovo India with Vasuta Agarwal, VP&GM, InMobi India
Leader Address: Mathew Chandy, MD, Duroflex
Vote of Thanks: Nawal Ahuja, Co-founder of Exchange4media Group
Fireside Chat: Hemant Malik, Divisional Chief Executive Food Division, ITC Ltd with Pradeep Dwivedi, CEO, Sakal Media Group
Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, Exchange4media and Businessworld with Santhosh NS, Head of Marketing, Fujitsu India and Guests.
Leader Address: Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands India.
DECEMBER 2017 | PITCH | 73
TIPS for a STRESS-FREE work day T here has been an increase in cases of depression in India lately. Where does depression come from? Some of the key factors are:
expected to respond to them. This ‘always on’ 24/7 work culture proves to be counterproductive as employees get stressed and burnout very fast.
For instance, these days, it is common for people to be working all the time. There is never a time that you are allowed to disconnect from work. It is considered normal for work emails to be coming in through the night.
1. Chemical imbalances in the brain
Employers and employees should consciously take steps to keep the work environment healthy and the people stress free. Here are some stress busting tips that employers and employees can try for a stress-free work day:
With the advance in Digital technology, most offices now have WhatsApp work groups, which keep buzzing till late into the night and employees are
2. Environmental causes (Nature vs Nurture) 3. Choices we make in our life A large number of these choices are materialistic in nature. Yes, we all have desires and to fulfil these, we are increasingly ignoring the need to have a balanced life.
start your day early with some exercise
Starting your day early is always a good idea, it gives you time to ease into the day as opposed to rushing. It is beneficial to have some ‘me’ time before you head out and encounter the world. Waking up early will give you time to meditate, exercise and also have breakfast. A 30-minute walk or a run every morning will do wonders for you
sleep early Sleep is the best meditation- Dalai Lama
Yes, try to get 8-9 hours of sleep every night and you will see the difference it makes to your mood and your work day
7
digital detox A digital detox after 9pm is a must. All devices must be turned off after 9 pm. Meditate, spend time with your family, go for a walk or read a book
take at least two 15 minute breaks during your work day
1 2
6
5
disconnect Work emails, calls and WhatsApp communication should be avoided after 8pm
3 4 always get into to office on time and leave on time
If you have an 8-hour work day make sure you are in office for 8 hours but don’t stay longer. Staying in office longer than 8 hours doesn’t mean you are working hard, it just stresses the mind and body. By Sonia Bhandari Art Therapist VIMHANS Hospital 74 | PITCH | DECEMBER 2017
If you have too much work, organise better or ask your team to help out
If you are lucky enough to have a park near your office you could go for a walk with a colleague. Organisations should have a recreational room for their employees, where they could paint, make pottery, or do yoga. Art has therapeutic value and so does working with clay to make pottery. Similarly, stretching and yoga is beneficial to the mind and body
have healthy food for lunch Always try to work in something healthy into your lunch whether you get it from home or eat at work. Adding a piece of fruit and /or a juice will eliminate the need to have that extra cup of tea / coffee
RNI NO: DELENG/2009/27694