AnyMind wants to leverage gaming to create brand opportunities in India: Rubeena Singh

Direct-to-consumer, or D2C, is a rapidly expanding business segment in India. The country’s D2C market was estimated to be worth $55 billion in 2022. As per reports, it will grow at a CAGR of 34% till 2026. 

D2C offered a significant opportunity to Singapore-based technology company, AnyMind Group. The group, which provides end-to-end commerce enablement solutions to businesses, entered the India market in 2020. It roped in Rubeena Singh, former country manager of Josh, as its country manager for India and MENA. Singh’s goal is to double AnyMind’s workforce and triple the profits.

Singh shares with afaqs! that the group's expansion in India will rely on its digital marketing, publisher engagement and commerce enablement offerings. Further, the group has modified its business strategy for India to a certain extent.

“The Indian market has experienced a significant surge in e-commerce. This presents a favorable opportunity for AnyMind to introduce D2C solutions in the country. This move aims to empower businesses by establishing a direct connection between them and the consumers through AnyMind’s strong technology and product capabilities across the value chain of commerce enablement.”

AnyMind is looking to leverage the rapidly expanding gaming industry in India for its advertising solutions. Singh acknowledges that India has over 400 million people who are more engaged and active during gaming, as compared to passive content consumption platforms like OTT and video. 

“There is a higher engagement rate and better brand/product recall with gaming. Our focus is to leverage this to draw user attention using advanced technology in ads for a richer ad experience, such as custom gamified ads, influencer-driven campaigns, in-game native ad spots and audio ads. This will create exciting opportunities for brands.”

From AnyMind's clientele, FMCG brands have shown the most interested in gaming advertising, followed by telecom, consumer durables and entertainment brands. Singh shares that most brands are looking to integrate their ad placements within games in a native way or through interactive content. 

“For instance, for Maybelline’s recent lash day sale campaign that targeted women aged 18-44, POKKT (a startup acquired by AnyMind) created a mini-game that involved matching mascara variants. This mini-game campaign was a huge success as the click-through rates exceeded our expectations.”

The group offers influencer marketing services through ‘AnyTag’, digital marketing services through ‘AnyDigital’, and brand collaboration services for influencers through ‘AnyCreator’.

“We are dedicated to building a diverse range of products that encompass various areas, such as digital marketing, influencer marketing, marketplace management, conversational commerce, logistics and more. This comprehensive approach allows us to address the multifaceted needs of our global clientele,” shares Singh.

On the trends in the influencer marketing space, Singh opines that there is greater emphasis on following preferred creators across multiple platforms. There’s also greater emphasis on diversity and representation in influencer marketing. 

She states that the group has seen good results in campaigns that it has executed in collaboration with micro and nano-influencers active on short video platforms. “Influencers will become key to many affiliate programs. They will become more specialised. I believe authenticity will be the watchword.”

Singh mentions that the group is looking to integrate local marketplaces, publishers and content creators onto AnyMind’s platforms. This will allow the group to develop products with a local context, while adhering to global standards, she adds.

“We emphasise on the importance of connecting with our local clients to gain deep insights into their specific requirements. By engaging closely with our clients, we ensure that our products are tailored to their unique needs and challenges. This localised approach enables us to deliver solutions that are not only globally relevant, but also responsive to the specific demands of different geographies.”