1. Rite KnowledgeLabs completes 10 years this month. What strategic choices enabled this milestone?

From the very beginning, we positioned ourselves as a niche and value-added partner. Our focus has been on delivering 360-degree thought leadership solutions grounded in research, reputation consulting and relationships. This clarity gave us direction. We invested in depth, discipline and differentiation. Building client relationships with a long-term trust approach, rather than focusing on short-term wins has sustained us for a decade.

Our ability to retain reputed multinational and domestic client relationships over the years, with some lasting 10 years, others 6 or 8 years, reflects our relevance and humility-based ethos. We work as an extension of client teams, understanding their needs, challenges and goals which allows us to deliver meaningful, long term impact. Today, we provide integrated ‘3C’ storytelling with content, creativity and coding under a single roof. 

2. You chose to bootstrap the company. How has that shaped your strategy in a changing digital landscape?

Remaining self-funded allowed us to do things at our pace and experiment ‘forward-thinking’ ideas in a digital-first content world. Every client and capability mattered. We did not chase trends. We doubled down on research-driven, thought leadership content and advisory services focused on strengthening stakeholder trust. This focus gave us stability and a strategic path. 

In the past decade, the digital content landscape has witnessed a sea change. Content initiatives began as experimentation with blogs, newsletters and basic social posts. The approach matured into the ‘content is king’ era. LinkedIn became the key B2B platform and Storytelling as a Service (SaaS) evolved from generic messaging to insightful narratives. Then COVID-19 accelerated digital transformation and digital channels became the primary touchpoints. This led to a surge in content consumption. From those days to now in 2025, AI has amplified both speed and scale. But also generated AI slop, causing increasing fatigue in audiences. Our strategy is to leverage tech for research and efficiency while preserving the core human craft of insight-driven storytelling.

In these 10 years, we’ve helped clients build reputation and trust through a self-publishing content-suite. Though well-accepted in the western world, ‘Storytelling as a Service’ is still maturing in Asia & India and is not  appreciated as a strategic tool. We have worked with few of the most admired clients across the world and in India, delivering digital solutions like content-driven corporate websites, thought-leadership social media programs, company blogs, white-papers and C-suite communication. Additionally, we have partnered customers for stakeholder programs leveraging statutory reporting solutions like annual reports, sustainability reports and digital programs for the financial community. 

3. In today’s crowded and AI-driven digital ecosystem, what is the strategic value of focus and authenticity?

Focus is our edge. We have focussed vertically and deep on ‘thought-leadership’ content. Owning the corporate reputation and stakeholder narrative space gave us authority and helped build trust with customers. It helped us navigate waves. From early organic content initiatives establishing a foothold to today’s AI-saturated landscape, today brands struggle to create a unique voice amidst the noise and clutter. We have built adjacency capabilities in Video as a Service (VaaS), influencer reach out programs and ‘byte-size’ content in a need-based manner.

Authenticity remains the differentiator. AI can aid research or efficiency, but real thought leadership comes from human insight, context and rigorous research. Generic, automated content won’t cut it. Our approach mirrors industry findings: Thought leadership opens doors with hidden

buyers (71%) that marketing and sales typically do not. Hidden buyers want content that is stylish, straightforward and human. High-quality thought leadership helps hidden decision-influencers (51%) persuade the rest of the buyer group according to the Edelman’s 2025 Thought Leadership Impact Report.

4. You highlight your research-oriented approach. How does this fit into your strategy?

Research is our backbone. Every project starts with research. We study the industry, competition, and stakeholder sentiment. This ensures our storytelling is credible and strategic. In a world of generic content, research-first storytelling elevates us from content creators to trusted advisors.

A few marquee projects stand out. We’ve positioned a national industry association as a sustainability thought leader through a myth-busting and awareness-creation advocacy campaign. We’ve helped a global aerospace company localise its digital storytelling across regional markets. For one of the world’s leading technology firms, we’ve driven customer storytelling campaigns that celebrate real human impact. Our social media programs for a multinational manufacturing group have elevated engagement and reach on professional networks.

In financial services, we’ve built digital investor education platforms and chronicled the journey of a major stock exchange through a commemorative coffee table book. We’ve also shaped the brand narratives of emerging agritech start-ups and legacy industrial houses through ESG-focused corporate websites. Across sectors, from consumer durables to wealth management to cybersafety, our projects stand out for strategic clarity and measurable business impact. Our breadth of work showcases a creative portfolio of solid work with marquee clients, reinforcing our credibility and authority as the go-to reputation advisory partner.

5. What’s next for Rite KnowledgeLabs as the digital and AI landscape continues to evolve?

We aim to maintain our niche in 360-degree thought leadership, research-driven storytelling and advisory focused on reputation and stakeholder trust. What we need to work harder on is building our talent pool of passionate people. Attracting good talent with the “rite” cultural fit remains a key priority. We face a challenge in finding content writers who truly understand our niche and many of the good ones take flight to larger global brands after spending a few years with us. 

We are actively leveraging AI and tech tools to empower our team, enhance efficiency and speed while preserving the core human craft of insight-driven storytelling. Access to talent remains the key to taking the company to the next level, especially in a services business like ours. If you see, the average age of our team is young. But, tenures have been long and stable, with core employees celebrating 6- and 8-year milestones.

As a team, we are proactive in adapting new ways of working and exploring new opportunities. Ten years have given us a strong foundation. But the journey is just beginning. We’re grateful to our incredible ecosystem of supporters - clients, colleagues past and present, partners, friends - who keep believing in us and cheering us forward.