The 3rd edition of the afaqs! Brand Storyz Awards 2025 celebrated the most innovative and impactful work in content marketing, recognising brands and agencies that are redefining storytelling in a cluttered digital landscape. Powered by SocioClout, the awards ceremony, held on November 13, 2025, at Aloft, Aerocity, New Delhi, brought together some of India’s most prominent marketers, creative professionals, and brand strategists.

Conceptualised in 2023, the awards were designed to honour brands, agencies, and creators that excel in crafting compelling brand narratives. As content marketing continues to command a larger share of marketing budgets, the awards recognise how brands are using storytelling to engage audiences and drive measurable growth. This year’s theme, Strategies for Engaging Audiences and Driving Growth, reflected the changing face of content marketing, where creativity meets strategy and storytelling is at the heart of brand communication. 

The event witnessed participation from leading brands, including Aditya Birla Health Insurance, Cadbury Perk India, Center fresh, Cipla, Disney, Fab India, HDFC Life, Himalaya BabyCare, ITC, MakeMyTrip, Maruti Suzuki, McVitie’s, Netflix, Oppo, Philips OneBlade, The Body Shop, and Vi (Vodafone Idea). 

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Gold winners steal the show

Shemaroo Entertainment emerged as the standout performer of the evening, taking home five metals, including three Gold and two Silver, for its engaging storytelling and innovative use of branded content. The brand’s campaigns were recognised for their creativity, cultural relevance, and ability to spark meaningful audience engagement.

Close behind, Bajaj Chetak impressed the jury with four wins, including three Gold and one Silver, reaffirming its place as a brand that combines technology, heritage, and modern communication seamlessly. ENO also had a strong showing, bagging three Gold awards for its inventive and humorous approach to consumer engagement.

Other standout performances

Jagran New Media showcased its strength in digital storytelling, earning five awards, two Gold, one Silver, and two Bronze, across multiple categories. The publisher’s work highlighted how digital-first strategies continue to shape audience connection and content innovation.

The event also saw noteworthy participation across industries, with entries from FMCG, healthcare, technology, automotive, and lifestyle brands competing for recognition.

For the full list of winners, click here.

The Jury

The awards were adjudicated by a distinguished Jury comprising senior marketing and business leaders from across industries. Their collective expertise ensured a rigorous evaluation process focused on creativity, strategic thinking, and impact.

Ahead of the ceremony, a virtual Jury Meet on October 31 brought these experts together to meticulously review all entries for Brand Storyz Awards. In a landscape where content marketing budgets are expanding and brand storytelling is increasingly sophisticated, the jury carefully assessed campaigns, ensuring that only the most innovative work was recognised.

The jury included Alok Agarwal, chief marketing officer, Orient Bell; Barun Prabhakar, chief marketing officer, GRM Overseas; Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO & co-founder, TheSmallBigIdea; Karan Kumar, chief marketing officer, Hero Realty; Kunal Malhotra, chief marketing officer, Taco Bell India; Namit Agrawal, senior marketing lead - AI, Agentforce & Data Cloud, Salesforce; Pinaki Bhattacharya, chief strategy officer, VML; Pooja Baid, chief marketing officer, Versuni India Home Solutions; Praval Singh, vice president, marketing & customer experience, Zoho Corporation; Priyanka Sethi, head of marketing, Haier Appliances India; Rahul Singh, vice president & head of marketing, SAP; Sachin Chhabra, seasoned marketer; Samriddh Dasgupta, chief business officer, Arata; Shameek Nag, media account controller, Prachar Communications; Shubho Sengupta, advisor digital marketing, Open Network for Digital Commerce; Sumit Saxena, vice president, marketing & PR, Clove Dental; and Tara Kapur, India market lead, Duolingo English Test, Duolingo.