"Unlike the old linear world, the digital world is flat"

It’s difficult to choose one; we had stellar work across offices, clients and categories. If you take awards/external recognition as a barometer, we clocked the second highest number of Golds and were ranked third at the Media Abby Awards as well as the Emvies; our work on Amazon, Reckitt Benckiser, and Guilt Free Industries was awarded by juries of both. One of the biggest content launches last year was Mirzapur on Amazon Prime Video and we are proud of the work we created for that. Also satisfying was the work we did on Mission Pani for Harpic.

The two big pillars that any media agency needs to focus on: First, consumer journeys, across the vast spectrum of social, programmatic, personalised messaging and content marketing. Second, deeper integration with the client’s business. With technology, big data and the blurring of lines between creative and media, especially in content, there is a big opportunity to integrate deeply with the client’s business.

Why play catch up when one can define the rules? Unlike the old linear world, the digital world is flat. Today, India is not playing catch up, but is defining the rules of engagement in areas like community marketing, mass personalisation at scale, sports marketing and content marketing. This is the first market where many clients, social media apps and e-commerce giants test new ideas.

Many categories are already affected - telecom, automotive, banking. However, there is enough marketing research done over many recessions in the past to show us that the marketers who stay engaged with their customers, and do not drastically cut down on their spends, usually emerge stronger after the recession. Any challenging period separates the wheat from the chaff. Sectors like education are recession-proof in a country like India.

Given the large size of India's rural population, the value of goods and services consumed has always been greater in rural India. But urban India had narrowed the differential during most of the last decade by growing at a faster pace. Internet usage in the country has exceeded half a billion people for the first time, pegged at 566 million, driven by rural internet growth and usage. Categories like used cars and pre-owned durables, including mobile phones, will see much more traction. But, the most difficult thing about the future is to predict it.

…regulation, brand safety measures, consumer education, working with industry approved partners, and asking a lot of tough questions to tech providers. Why can’t all the players come together and set aside a budget for consumer education? Why should it just be the government’s responsibility?

Good agencies will always hire diversified talent, of which there is no dearth in India. We are hiring specialists from varied backgrounds like behavioural economics, data science, as well as consumer behaviour experts and storytellers.

…not award business basis pricing claims only, and not push agencies to drop commission. Agencies are investing in up-scaling talent and clients should acknowledge this, as it’s going to fuel their business.