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In the theatre of modern commerce, the twin forces of generative AI and Generation Z are not merely actors; they are the scriptwriters, redrawing the boundaries of consumer engagement and corporate strategy. As businesses acclimate to this new order, a geopolitical dimension unfurls, adding layers of complexity to the narrative. This is a tale of innovation, consumer consciousness, and the relentless march of nations vying for digital supremacy — a tale in which India is poised to play a pivotal role.


The ethos of GenZ — a demographic sculpted by the internet's omnipresence and the digital age's promises — is global in its essence yet nuanced in its local expressions. These young consumers, wielding substantial influence over market trends and brand trajectories, are now interwoven into the broader tapestry of international relations and corporate diplomacy. Their demands for authenticity, social responsibility, and digital fluency compel brands to navigate a world where cultural acumen is as crucial as technological expertise.


Generative AI, once the domain of science fiction, now sits at the fulcrum of a new world order. Its content creation and data analysis prowess has ushered in an era of personalised consumer experiences at a previously unimaginable scale. However, this technological leap forward is not without its geopolitical implications. The race for AI dominance has become a proxy for national power, with data sovereignty and technological innovation being central to nations' strategic interests.

<strong>India's Strategic Play</strong>

With its tech-savvy population and robust digital infrastructure, India stands at an intriguing crossroads. The nation's commitment to digital growth, exemplified by initiatives like 'Digital India', has catalysed its emergence as a crucible for AI development and application. Indian brands and businesses, therefore, find themselves at the heart of a confluence of global technological trends and a vibrant, diverse consumer base that is quintessentially GenZ.


The country's geopolitical stance is characterised by a push for self-reliance and a quest for technological autonomy. In the realm of AI, this translates into fostering indigenous innovation while navigating the complex web of international data governance and cross-border digital policies. Indian companies are increasingly conscious of the global narratives shaping consumer expectations, which now include the ethical use of AI, the protection of data privacy, and the fostering of digital ecosystems that can thrive amid international competition and cooperation.


The substance of this dialogue is critical. For instance, India's stance on data localisation — mandating that data be stored within national borders — is a stance that reflects a deeper assertion of sovereignty in the digital space. It's a move that resonates with a global trend towards data nationalism but also raises important questions about the balance between open digital markets and the protection of citizen data.


In this geopolitical shuffle, the role of brands extends beyond mere commercial interests; they become envoys of cultural exchange and technological prowess. The corporate strategies of Indian brands are not just about capturing market share but also about showcasing India's unique blend of technological ambition and cultural richness to a global audience. 


<strong>India Vs. Others</strong> 

The recent agreement on AI development reached by 28 countries at the Bletchley Park summit showcases how India is aligning itself with international efforts to manage AI risks responsibly. According to the agreement, countries including the US, Australia, China, and members of the EU have recognised the need for international cooperation to ensure AI is developed and used in safe and beneficial ways for the global community.


For India, this global dialogue is particularly timely. The country plans to propose a broad framework for the regulation of AI at the December summit, aiming to secure agreement from all signatories of the Bletchley Declaration and the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI).


In contrast, the EU has taken a more cautious approach with the proposed AI Act, focusing on risk assessment and user safety. At the same time, the US has solicited industry input to manage AI risks, and China has emphasised state control in alignment with national security objectives. 


As we look towards a future where digital frontiers are continuously redefined, the interplay between generative AI, the digitally-native GenZ, and the geopolitical ambitions of nations like India presents a rich mosaic of challenges and opportunities. For brands, this is an era of corporate statesmanship, where their actions must resonate within the marketplaces they serve and the global stage they inhabit.


Brands that will thrive in this complex interstice are those that recognise their role in a larger narrative — one that encompasses the aspirations of a young generation and the strategic imperatives of their home nations. It is a call to action for brands to become not just purveyors of products but ambassadors of innovation, ethics, and cultural empathy.


As we stand at the precipice of a new era, where the confluence of generative AI, an empowered GenZ, and a reshaping global stage beckon, the narrative is far from complete. This is not an end but a beginning — a prologue to a story where technology and humanity intertwine in unprecedented ways. 


With its vibrant tapestry of culture and technology, India is not just a participant but a potential protagonist in this unfolding saga. The question now is how brands will adapt and how they will lead in crafting a future where innovation, ethics, and global harmony coalesce. The stage is set, the actors are ready, and the world eagerly awaits the next act in this transformative play of digital evolution.

<strong>Shubhranshu Singh is the chief marketing officer, Tata Motors. He writes Simply Speaking, a weekly column on Storyboard18. Views expressed are personal.</strong>

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Jio, India’s leading digital services company, has appointed Wieden & Kennedy (W+K) India as the creative agency for its 5G business. The agency will be playing a key role in creating transformational experiences through 5G for individuals, homes and businesses as Jio True 5G ushers in a new era of technology.

In October last year, Akash M Ambani, chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm, announced the launch of Jio True 5G services, marking the beginning of what will be one of the largest 5G rollouts of this nature anywhere in the world. In the last 4 months, Jio True 5G has already reached 304 cities and is rolling out 5G rapidly, with a pan-India 5G coverage expected to be completed by December 2023.

Wieden & Kennedy came to India in 2007, with its first office in Delhi. The agency’s Mumbai office was set up in mid-2022, under Santosh Padhi and Ayesha Ghosh’s leadership who took over as the chief creative officer (CCO) and president respectively.

Commenting on the account win Ayesha Ghosh, president, Wieden & Kennedy India, said, “Jio True 5G is going to be a game-changer and W+K India couldn’t have asked for a more influential brand to begin our Mumbai chapter with. We are blown away by all that we’ve heard and experienced of True 5G and now it’s upto us to communicate the enormity of what it means to the country; its people and its economy.”

Santosh Paddy, CCO, Wieden & Kennedy India, added, "Jio True 5G has a massive vision to digitally transform India. W+K is the chosen one to take this exciting narrative to 1.4 billion Indians and we are so looking forward to giving it our best and partake in the
transformation journey for our country."

A Jio spokesperson said, “We are delighted to have W+K on this journey with Jio, where we once again create the most advanced network anywhere in the world, for Indians and by Indians. W+K has a history of powering transformation of brands and stories. Wedare certain that our partnership will bring to life Jio’s vision of transforming India into a digital society, with care.”


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Adobe roped in Anindita Veluri as head of marketing for its India market four months ago. In a career spanning over two decades, Veluri has held various leadership roles across sales and marketing in organizations like Deloitte, IBM, and TNT (FedEx). Veluri joined Adobe from Deloitte, where she was responsible for building the Adobe alliance and scaling the company’s business in India.

After having spent the past few months understanding the brand, business and marketing ecosystem, Veluri came away with an important learning. In a hyper-digital age, Veluri thinks, “The focus on empathy coupled with creativity is clearly a skill” that future-ready markers must have.

In an exclusive chat with Storyboard18, Veluri shares her views on India - a market of opportunities and challenges, metaverse, web 3.0, game-changing marketing campaigns and more.
 
Read on.

<strong>What is it like being a marketer in today’s hyper-connected age?</strong>

It is challenging and rewarding at the same time. I feel that marketing is no longer a siloed function in an organisation but one that plays a strategic role in contributing to business growth.  I see the marketing function as an orchestrator across all functions within an organisation which holds the power to create a common fabric of co-creation as we all strive to meet our goals. 
 
With the marketing department on the frontline of digital transformation today, what matters most to me as a marketer is to stay relevant and ahead of the curve. I strongly believe in changing with the times and keeping pace with the fast-evolving technology landscape. That’s not all; one needs to be agile, have a results-driven mentality and foster a strong community of like-minded leaders. The focus on empathy coupled with creativity is clearly a skill that we all need to develop if we wish to be a marketer of the future. 

<strong>As a marketer, how do you think the events of the past three years - from a pandemic to socio-economic disruptions, have affected the relationship between brands and customers? </strong>

The many disruptions of the past years have changed how we interact, work and play. With a profound shift to all things digital, relationships have become more value-based and purpose-driven, with consumers expecting personalization and sustainability in everything on offer from a brand. Given this, brands are not only trying to live up to the responsibilities of delivering experiences that are real-time, relevant and engaging, but also increasing efforts to honour customer preference and privacy.
 
Trust has become a fundamental expectation of customer experience. Findings from Adobe’s recent Trust Report prove how important a role trust plays in boosting a brand’s reputation, customer loyalty and the bottom line. Moreover, with the third-party cookie landscape soon to become obsolete, brands need to quickly shift their focus to first-party data strategies to earn customer trust, building more direct and personal relationships based on data customers willingly share.

<strong>What do Adobe India’s customers want these days and what efforts are being made to meet these new requirements?</strong>

People yearn for deeper connections and authentic relations. Likewise, our customers are constantly looking for long-term partnerships with in-depth interventions and consistent engagement throughout their digital journey. They are expected to deliver digital-first customer experiences that are both contextual as well as personalised, and therefore are looking for partners who can help simplify the entire process with the least amount of friction. At Adobe, we are concentrating our efforts on establishing personal engagement with our customers, providing them with solutions to enhance the digital experience for their customers across every phase of the lifecycle, with additional ability to integrate better with existing technology and scale effectively. So be it about suggestions on the appropriate tools, the ability to future-proof and scale their IT requirements or enhance the experiences they deliver to customers using intelligent data points - we are working with our customers to empower them with the wherewithal to deliver experiences that stand out.

<strong>How would you define India as a market for Adobe? What are the major highlights and some of the challenges here?</strong>

This year is special, as we celebrate 25 years of our operations in India. As a key contributor to both intellectual property creation and business growth, India is undoubtedly a strategic market for Adobe. With around 7,000 employees, it is also the second-largest establishment for us after North America and home to over 1/3rd of Adobe’s innovation. It has seen a solid track record of growth across the enterprise and the consumer business backed by our strong team. Our customers range from financial institutions (including HDFC Bank, ICICI Home Finance Company, Tata Capital, Bajaj Allianz, AU Small Finance Bank) and retail innovators (Nykaa, Tata CLiQ, Titan) to leading travel and automotive players (Vistara, MG Motor, CEAT) and more.
 
India is a unique market, leapfrogging between several generations of technology and adopting digital technology at record pace. The young talent population is another strongpoint for this market. However, with opportunities, comes challenges. Despite an increasing internet penetration and connectivity, digital maturity and literacy continue to be key issues for India. This renders our population wanting for more when it comes to adequate skilling, upskilling, and reskilling, required to be future-ready. Additionally, the mindset of the citizens is very conventional and far from establishing trust in all things data and technology, such that they want to evaluate the product or solutions post sampling only. I prefer calling India a sachet-style economy for this very reason.

<strong>In your view, what are the major trends changing the way marketing is done and will be done in the future?</strong>

With web 3.0 and metaverse creating chatter worldwide and organizations monetizing these ecosystems, digital experiences will only become more immersive in the times to come. A cookie-less future will help build customer trust with brands implementing consent processes and being transparent about how they use customer data. At the same time, data democratization will become fundamental for other departments in the organization besides marketing. I also feel that the future will demand an amalgamation of CXO roles, and one will need to become a generalist rather than a subject or domain expert, to lead holistic development of the organization and optimized operations of the business units within.

<strong>In the last couple of years, customer experiences have been at the core of brands' marketing strategies. How is technology going to disrupt CX further?</strong>

With the pandemic accelerating the shift to digital, there’s no question that being digital-first will continue to drive business success in the near future until digital-everything becomes the norm. While customer experiences have always been a key differentiator in conventional times, the outburst of technology has only helped enhance it with real-time insights for customer satisfaction. Deep tech has made this possible with data at the core. Big data has also helped transform and up the customer experience game in the last few years. As technology evolves and innovation comes to life, it is vital to understand that today, customer experience is not about and dependent on technology but on what we do and how we leverage technological advancements to derive insights and value.

<strong>Realistically, what's the next big thing coming down the line in terms of technology?</strong>

With immersive experiences growing in prominence, metaverse and web 3.0 are definitely the big bets for the future. Another would be a unified technology platform which will support in providing a single suitable source of truth not only in times of customer profile evaluation but also for end to end experiences. For businesses to succeed in leveraging these, the focus would largely need to be upon integrating technology advancements within a set framework because the two most critical factors driving business success will continue to be data-rich personalisation and delightful customer experiences across the board.

<strong>What is a benchmark piece of work, initiative or innovation by others that was a game-changer for the industry, in your view?</strong>

As a marketer, I feel like a piece magnet that is attracted to game-changing innovation irrespective of the verticals. For example, Nike's deployment of technologies like outdoor 3D billboards to attract eyeballs stood out for me - the experience it created was unmatchable.
 
The CRED IPL campaign series is one of my favourites in recent times as it uses the power of nostalgia to build a higher brand recall. High on entertainment value and full of our favourite cultural icons in their most uncharacteristic selves, the fintech player’s series of ads over the last two seasons have definitely got conversations going on how brands can unlock innovation and differentiated means of storytelling to engage more effectively with their consumers.
 
I also think the way FSI players accelerated their digital journeys during the pandemic to service their existing users and onboard newer customers was exceptional. For instance, during the pandemic, Nippon India Mutual Funds ensured end-to-end digital onboarding and touchless paperless experiences for its consumers. They executed this by tapping into digital consumer culture, scaling personalisation, enhanced targeted messaging and continued customer engagement by connecting people with relevant investment opportunities. They could scale it country-wide within no time by creating cross-channel experiences that wow Indian youth and get them excited about saving, investing, and building new wealth.
 
Another remarkable work that I can recall is from Max Bupa, which established its digital presence in 2020.However, despite the convenience of an online platform, consumers continued to rely on intermediaries such as agents or tele-callers for assistance and almost 100% digital sales were driven through the tele-agent model because the company’s digital platform was not focused on customer experience.

 



Adobe India’s Anindita Veluri thinks India is a sachet-style economy

IKEA India announced its new brand positioning – Ghar Aa Jao, Come home to IKEA, with an integrated campaign across markets. The new positioning is aimed at creating a deeper sense of emotional and rational connect with the customers.

In an exclusive conversation with Storyboard18’s Shibani Gharat, Anna Ohlin, country marketing manager, IKEA India, spoke more on the campaign. Listen in.

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In conversation with IKEA India’s Anna Ohlin

Amit Ojha, head of marketing partners at Meta India, has stepped down. He announced his departure on LinkedIn. In his post, he said, “It's time for me to say goodbye to Meta/Facebook after 4 plus lovely years with them. I am grateful to all the people who contributed in this journey and helped me become a better version of myself. I will be taking a short break and then resume my journey.”

With an experience of over than 15 years, he joined the tech giant in 2018 as the head of agency business. As Facebook rebranded itself as Meta, he went on to head the company as the head of marketing partners.  

Ojha started his career with Bharti Airtel as the DGM of Brand and Media. From there, he went on to work at ibibo Group, Yatra Online Pvt Ltd, Publicis Groupe and Nestle.

Earlier this week, Meta, that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, launched a no-cost EMI scheme in India. Advertisers will now be able to pay the platform over a period of three months through participating banks. Meta will bear the applicable interest payable to the bank, and give it as an upfront discount to the business on its ad spends. As per recent media reports, the company has also plans to introduce new features for its various platforms to enhance user experiences.

Amit Ojha logs off from Meta India

<strong>“We are not thinking machines. We are feeling machines that think.” - Antonio Damasio</strong>

The marketing world has been hooked on emotions for decades. We want to elicit, uncover, understand and tap into emotions. Goosebumps, sadvertising, euphoric and funny are all parts of our standard evaluation kit. The reliance on emotional response as a primary mover has steadily grown.

This was not always the case. Marketers used to focus on persuading consumers by emphasising their product's rational and functional benefits. Look at advertising from the early to mid-twentieth century and you will see product features being highlighted. The argument of ‘emotional vs rational’ is as valid as marketing being ‘art or science’. It remains inconclusive.

Advances in science and innovation have made differentiation based solely on innate product superiority more and more difficult. Between any two brands of refrigerators, air-conditioners, hairdryers, photocopiers or soup there are seldom huge and irrecoverable gaps. <strong>You cannot become five times superior to your nearest competitor on product proposition. Therefore, the only place that a 5X value jump is possible to create is in the head.</strong> That is the power and beauty of emotion in the value equation that it does not follow any laws of physics or economics. The more illogical the emotion the more it moves.

<strong>The problem with emotion as a marketing lever is that you can’t wish it to happen!</strong> The emotional magic has always some serendipity in how it arrives and gets associated with a brand.

The word emotion and motivation are of the same origin. The Latin word <strong>‘movere’</strong> which means <strong>‘to move’</strong>. Hence an emotion, in the marketing sense, is a viable emotion only when it moves you. The proof of the emotional pudding lies in the ensuing action.

Truly, emotions have interrupt conveyor powers that can jump over our logical faculties. When there is lack of information or excess information; when we have conflicting, equally viable logical courses of action, when we cannot tell between the real and the false: and all such times emotion trumps everything else.

In fact, there are many confident observers who claim that most decisions we make are emotional decisions which we rationalise post-facto. In other words we apply logic to justify what was essentially an emotional reaction. Our memory actively conspires in making this happen. Logic does not have a connection with our bodily being. But emotion has a direct and intertwined existence with our physical and sensory being. The great psychologist<strong> William James</strong>, in 1884, wrote an article <strong>“what is an emotion?”</strong> in which he theorised that emotions start as physical bodily experiences which are interpreted in the brain and then perceived as emotions. Incidentally, this is exactly the profound realisation that the Buddha had and substantively makes up the present practice of <strong>Vipasanna</strong> meditation.
<blockquote>You may vividly recall the bottle of Scotch you opened to celebrate your first promotion but may forget what breakfast you ate yesterday. Deeply felt emotions cement memory spaces.</blockquote>
<strong>Antonio Damasio</strong>,in his book, <strong>‘Self Comes to Mind’</strong>, posits the idea that consciousness and even our sense of selves is nothing but an interaction of the brain and body. He believes emotions that come from the body form the very foundation upon which our consciousness is built. Therefore, you cannot have consciousness without feelings. <strong>To think, we must feel</strong>.

<strong>Damasio also distinguishes between "emotions" and "feelings,"</strong> stating that emotions are the unconscious, physiological responses in your body, and feelings are the mental perceptions of those physiological changes.

<strong>Dr. Robert Heath</strong> writes in his book <strong>‘Seducing the Subconscious’</strong> how "subconscious associative conditioning" is the method by which these associations get connected to brands.

Every small encounter with a brand and things associated with it influences how we feel about it. The aggregate of these influences subtly but powerfully influence - in conjunction with our conscious minds - our purchasing decisions. Emotions also play tricks with memory. You may vividly recall the bottle of Scotch you opened to celebrate your first promotion but may forget what breakfast you ate yesterday. Deeply felt emotions cement memory spaces.

An experience is a takeaway impression formed as a result of an encounter with a brand. Experiences thus defined are memorable events that affect customers in an extremely personal way.

<strong>Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman </strong>in <strong>‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’</strong> has a slightly different vision. According to Kahneman, humans have an experiencing self and a remembering self. The experiencing self is fast, intuitive, unconscious and operational in the present moment. The remembering self is conscious, rational and slow, responsible for remembering and reflecting on experiences. The experiencing self lives the experience and fades quickly whereas the remembering self creates and maintains the story of that experience. The key insight of Kahneman's proposals is that when we make decisions we do so on the basis of the remembering self, not the experiencing self. And the memories of the remembering self are linked fundamentally to the beginning and the end of the experience, and also to its peak intensity, which can be either positive or negative. Therefore, <strong>if brands want to engage their customers and generate positive recommendations, they should pay special attention to the beginning and end moments of an experience, and to that memorable peak.</strong>

<blockquote>Brand desire is also an emotional, powerful, motivating force that pulls harder than mere needs and wants. Brand momentum that results in brand equity, pricing power and future cash flows always is about preserving the emotional aura.</blockquote>

Positive experience builds memory. Gratification leads to repeat desire. Imagine living your dream day – being where you want to be, living the life you dreamed of, having whatever you wish for - but with no memory of it after the end of the day. Would such an experience count as experience? Are we living experiences or creating memories? In that way, <strong>brand desire is also an emotional, powerful , motivating force that pulls harder than mere needs and wants.</strong> Brand momentum that results in brand equity, pricing power and future cash flows always is about preserving the emotional aura. It is in the rarest of cases that brands get destroyed from the outside when consumers reject them. It is almost always the case that consumers move on because the brand stops being relevant. And emotional appeal has a large part to do with it. Of course, business managers logically rationalise such developments and name technical gaps, cost disadvantages, macroeconomic factors etc as reasons. However, the reality is that emotional relevance ceases before functional relevance.

<strong>Emotional apathy or intensity exists for any brand.</strong> But up the scale: whether the Barcelona football club, Elvis Presley or Laphroaig single malt scotch, brands can provoke emotions up to the levels of frenzy, devotion or ecstasy.

<strong>Emotional immersion can be rarely defined but occasionally felt.</strong> If you want to see a physical representation, think of Bernini’s sculpture of the ecstasy of Saint Theresa. It’s that kind of ‘beyond mind’ flow and connection that is the most powerful thing in our relation with a brand. But such brand relationships are rare. Therefore, <strong>it is fundamentally important that we aim at emotional responses geared to build habit rather than love.</strong>

<strong>Descartes</strong> said ‘Cogito, ergo sum ‘ - I think therefore I am.

Good that he was a philosopher, not a marketer.

<strong>Shubhranshu Singh is vice president, marketing - domestic &amp; IB, CVBU, Tata Motors. He writes Simply Speaking, a weekly column on Storyboard18. Views expressed are personal. </strong>

Simply Speaking: Emotion as a marketing lever - you can’t wish it to happen!

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