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In India's e-commerce boom, Maharashtra has taken the lead in both the "buyers" and "seller" categories. According to a report by Shiprocket, "How MSMEs of Bharat sell online", the majority of the sellers contributing to the e-commerce ecosystem were concentrated in Maharashtra at 15% in 2023. Karnataka accounted for 9% of the orders across e-commerce platforms, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 8%, Tamil Nadu at 7%, and Delhi and Telangana at 6%, respectively. 


In the geographical distribution of buyers in India, Maharashtra held the top position at 15%. Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka reported a gradual increase in buyers share at 9%.


Overall, north India witnessed a significant increase in the order growth trajectory with the share rising from 26% in 2021 to 29% in 2023.. The share of West India rose from 20% to 21% over the same period. However, South India reported a decline from 27% to 25% in the same span.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/quick-commerce-players-ad-revenue-stream-grows-a-key-investment-focus-for-advertisers-36501.htm">Quick-commerce players' ad revenue stream grows; a key investment focus for advertisers</a>


For most small businesses, the most popular product category among consumers was 'Personal Care', accounting for 27% of the orders in the first quarter of 2024, with an average order value of Rs 407. The apparel and footwear category represented 20% of the orders while Electronic only 9%.


The study noted that the vast majority of the buyers (around 84%) placed orders on weekends. Notably, promotions and discounts have a profound impact on e-commerce order volumes. Over the years, the share of discounted orders has increased from 57% in 2021 to 68% in 2023 as per the Shiprocket report.


<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/online-sales-of-babycare-products-in-tier-2-3-cities-rise-30-percent-in-fy24-unicommerce-34032.htm">Online sales of babycare products in tier 2 & 3 cities rise 30 percent in FY24: Unicommerce</a>


Furthermore, in the international e-commerce market, artificial jewelry remained the top-performing category in e-commerce exports, accounting for approximately 40% of the exports.

Beauty and grooming products contributed 15-20% of the export demand. Whereas, books accounted for a 10-15% share of the Indian e-commerce export market.

International buyers prefer products that blend traditional Indian elements with contemporary design such as home decor items featuring motifs with modern aesthetics or jewellery as per the analysis. Products like silk sarees with contemporary patterns and fusion jewelry were popular among global consumers, the report added.

Moreover, attractive and eco-friendly packaging also plays a key role in consumer purchasing decisions in the international market.

“At Shiprocket, we're witnessing firsthand how MSMEs, the powerhouses of India's eCommerce landscape, propel the market towards its inevitable $300 billion future. This growth isn't just confined to urban centres but resonates deeply across Bharat, highlighting the heart and resilience of our nation," Saahil Goel, MD & CEO, Shiprocket said.

E-commerce in India: Maharashtra takes the top spot in sales and purchases

Streaming giant Netflix Inc, in its 2nd Quarter result of 2023, revealed that India has emerged as its second-largest market in terms of "paid net subscribers additions". Additionally, India is its third-largest market in terms of "revenue percent growth".

The American streaming platform, on Thursday, posted its quarterly result, recording 17% revenue growth to $9.56 billion. The OTT platform's operating margin was up by 27% in Q2 2024 as against 22% last year in the same period.

The global streaming paid membership surged by 16.5% to 277.65 million in Q2 2024 from 269.60 million in Q1 2024.

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In the APAC region (Asia-Pacific region, including India), the paid membership of Netflix increased to 50.32 million (Q2 2024) from 47.50 million (Q1 of 2024). The paid net additions also increased to 2.83 million (Q2 2024) as against 2.16 million (in Q1 2024). The company's revenue grew to $1.05 billion in Q2 2024.

"In Q2 India was out No.2 and No.3 country in terms of paid net subscribers additions and revenue percent growth, respectively," Theodore A. Sarandos, Co-CEO, President & Director said in a media conference. "There's certainly plenty of room to grow in India as long as we keep thrilling our audiences there," Sarandos added.

Netflix President also lauded Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his show "Heeramandi" for the company's success in India in the Q2 of the current calendar year. "SLB is one of the most celebrated filmmakers in India, and he took on this incredibly ambitious series and brought it to screen on Netflix, directed every episode, and it's our biggest drama series to date in India," he said. 

Netflix, in the stock exchange filing, said that in terms of Indian shows and films, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar show amassed 15 million views globally, followed by Diljeet Dosanjh starrer Amar Singh Chamkila (8.3 million views), as well as, licensed films such as Laapataa Ladies and Shaitaan.


<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/mib-to-meet-netflix-disney-amazon-google-meta-to-discuss-broadcast-service-regulations-34203.htm">MIB to meet Netflix, Disney, Amazon, Google, Meta to discuss broadcast service regulations</a>


Other popular shows in Q2 on Netflix were The Great Indian Kapil Show, Bridgerton S3, Baby Reindeer, Queen of Tears, and films such as e Under Paris, Atlas Hit Man, and The Roast of Tom Brad. 

About the advertisement, Netflix's Chief Financial Officer Spencer Adam Neumann said that the revenue portion of ads is growing "nicely". "The rate of growth, it just happens to be growing off of a relatively small base because we're starting from only 18 months into the ad," Neumann said.


"We've been scaling our ads member base very quickly from 0-2 years ago to where we are today. And we're excited to say that we're on track to achieve our critical scale goals for all of our ads countries in 2025," Gregory K Peters, Co-CEO, president and Director said.

The streaming company also revealed that it is hiring people for sales and operations to meet advertisers. Besides, the company will be launching its own ads server in Canada this year and the rest of its ads market in 2025.


On gaming initiative, Peters said Netflix has launched over 100 games so far, and 80+ games are in development. In Q2, Netflix launched Virgin River and Perfect Match. Starting in July, the OTT platform said it will be launching one new title per month into Netflix Stories.

India emerges as 2nd-largest market for Netflix

Ahead of the release of Despicable Me 4, McDonald’s India – North & East in partnership with a film production company has launched a new marketing campaign. The multinational fast-food chain has partnered with Universal Pictures and will bring new food items and meal options in Minion-themed packaging for the customers. In addition, McDonald’s will transform select restaurants into Minion havens and will invite Minion’s mascot to boost engagement with customers.  Despicable Me 4 is releasing on July 3 in the US.

According to McDonald's India, the new 'Minionised' meal options will include- Choco Caramel McFlurry, Chicken McNuggets (4-pcs), Mega Minion Surprise Meal, and Happy Meal. Along with Happy Meals, customers will receive a special edition Despicable Me 4 book and Minion-themed headband. Happy Meal customers will get access to games and fun activities by scanning the QR code available on the HM box, McDonald's India added.

McDonald’s said it will undergo transformation with Minion-themed decor to celebrate the Minion invasion.

Rajeev Ranjan, Managing Director, McDonald’s India - North and East, said, “McDonald’s has always been a happy place for families, and we are always looking for new ways to create joyful and memorable experiences for our customers. We are incredibly excited to bring the world of the Minions to our customers. We eagerly wait to see broader smiles on the faces of our young guests and their families as they relish these limited-edition meals while engaging in the fun activities".

Customers can experience the Minions celebrations until August 1, 2024, across all McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India.

McDonald's India partners with Universal Pictures, to include 'Minionised' meal in menu

India's young business owners have acknowledged the growth and beneficial impact of adopting digital technology on both their businesses and personal lives. According to PayNearby, a branchless banking and digital network, 75% of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) owners aged 18-30 were most digitally adeptin the country. And over 87% of this age group were using smartphones for daily business operations and accessing digital content.

As per PayNearby, 65% of the MSME owners utilise some form of digital technology for their daily operations. As many as 68% of MSMEs acknowledged the growth and beneficial impact of adopting digital technology on both their businesses and personal lives.

"The MSME Digital Index 2024 showcases significant progress in technology adoption while highlighting persistent challenges.  We believe that MSMEs should be supported in their digital transformation journey and ensure that technology's benefits reach every corner. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and machine learning (ML), MSMEs in rural India can thrive in a digital-first economy. We must foster an inclusive ecosystem that enhances skills and removes barriers, enabling all businesses to embrace digitalization," Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder, MD & CEO, PayNearby said.

The use of digital devices was primarily for work purposes, with 36% spending 4-6 hours on their phones. However, when it came to leisure activities such as social media or online entertainment, the report noted that 66% spent less than 3 hours. Among apps, YouTube emerged as the most preferred for both social media (41%) and entertainment (72%). Interestingly, 58% of respondents stated that they did not have any gaming apps installed on their phones.

Further, the report mentioned that over 51% of these businesses spend less than Rs 500 per month on internet usage. The report stated that among all tech-savvy MSMEs, a majority of 29% used accounting software, followed by POS software and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software at 17% and 14%, respectively, to manage their business operations. Meanwhile, 6% indicated they do not use any software and instead rely on manual methods. 

41% of the MSMEs are using digital devices to streamline financial transactions and efficiently track business expenses, while 18% stated that technology was used to accelerate processes. 

In the financial services category, UPI at 43% and Aadhaar banking at 38% were the two most popular banking services used by MSMEs at the last mile. Additionally, WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business were collectively the most widely used messaging apps, with a usage rate of 97%.

Jayatri Dasgupta, CMO of PayNearby, said, “This comprehensive report underscores the importance of digital literacy and infrastructure in empowering MSMEs. Our findings show a promising trend of increasing tech adoption, but also point out the areas that require more focus and investment".

Over 85% of small business owners using smartphones for biz ops: Report

Marketing presents a distinct combination of opportunities and difficulties for the financial services sector in today's digitally driven environment. The digital trends range from digital brand building and performance-based campaigns to social media handles that are being channelized by different segments of the BFSI sector. Data analytics, big data and hyper-personalization are catching trends, based on today’s consumer behaviour. 

Banks are following digital consumers, during the initial year of the pandemic, there was a significant surge in new mobile banking registrations, peaking by mid-April at a staggering 207 percent above the daily average. This spike reflects the profound shift towards digital banking amongst consumers in response to the pandemic's impact. With increased integration of tech and digital into today’s BFSI marketing, there is an increased need for an organized industry regulated approach, so that data is safe and there is no cyber break in the industry at any given point. Important regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and ASCI are significant in today’s marketing initiatives. 

Below are some industrial guidelines which the marketers in BFSI industry need to abide by:
 
GDPR Compliance: The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the most important data privacy laws in the world. With harsh penalties for non-compliance, GDPR establishes tight guidelines for gathering, using, and storing of personal data. GDPR compliance is a must for BFSI companies that serve or operate in the EU.

GDPR mandates that BFSI marketers get consumers' express consent before collecting their personal data for marketing purposes in the context of digital marketing. This covers permission for targeted advertising, email subscriptions, and cookies. BFSI companies also have to guarantee the privacy and security of client data and give people the ability to access, update, or remove their data at any time. Adhering to this compliance is crucial in today’s competitive BFSI industry. 

Cyber Crime Compliance: Legal Issues: In India, the legal framework for combating cybercrimes and financial malfeasance is protected by important legislations such as the IT Act of 2000 and the IPC Act of 1860. Complementing these cornerstones are several other laws aimed at preventing financial crimes. These include the RBI Act of 1934, the Forex Management Act of 1999, the Banking Regulation Act of 1949, the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, the Contract Act of 1872, the Negotiable Instruments Act of 1881, and the SARFAESI Act of 2002. Together, these statutes form a robust legal security to safeguard against various forms of financial misconduct and cyber threats.

CCPA and ASCI mandates: The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) and Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) have joined hands to protect the consumer rights, in terms of issuing advertisements. The collaboration will help consumers in the advertising landscape, specially with respect to digital advertising and it will promote transparency and fairness to consumers. Digital advertising is facing new challenges, due to the fast paced growth and developments within the BFSI industry and this collaborative approach will help digital marketers implement transparent practices. 

Fair Practices Code: Marketers operating within the financial sector are obligated to adhere to the Fair Practices Code, which delineates fundamental principles governing their interactions with customers. It serves as a guiding framework, ensuring ethical conduct and fair treatment towards all clientele.

Most importantly, it is important to be transparent in marketing communications by outlining data gathering procedures, privacy guidelines, and customer rights in detail. 
 
Regulatory bodies like AMFI, SEBI, IRDAI are making sure that in the race of digital growth, the interests of consumers are protected. Non-compliance with financial marketing regulations can lead to various risks like Legal and regulatory risks, reputational risks, financial risks, operational risks and it can also impact the strategic direction of financial institutions. While marketing in BFSI is gaining ground, consistent growth in the industry can only happen when companies and marketers adhere to the compliance rules and regulations.

The significance of compliance and regulatory considerations in digital marketing for BFSI

Last week, a leading supply side platform, threw its version of the “end to end” stack into the digital advertising ring. Whether it is from the demand side or the supply side, all end-to-end solutions say that they: 

- Put advertisers in control of their media buying strategy, while simultaneously driving more revenue to publishers.

- Significantly increase spend going towards working media, make it easier for brands and agencies to securely share data, and helps publishers generate more revenue.

- Give a simplified, direct connection to the publishers across the open internet; by supporting an objective, transparent supply path; maximising value for everyone.

- Help trade through the most direct and efficient path to premium omnichannel supply with their demand side to supply side (DSP-to-SSP) architecture. 

- Fully integrate commerce media platform that offers end to end stack bringing consumers to brands, audiences to publishers and brands to retailers.

No prize for guessing who these companies are. With this, the commoditization of Open Web advertising is all but near complete.

When the IAB TechLab launched Project Rearc in 2020 in response to the deprecation (or limitation) of third-party cookies and other identifiers; a set of five initiatives was proposed to address the need. First and foremost was the Global Privacy Platform (GPP) protocol designed to streamline the transmission of privacy, consent, and consumer choice signals from sites and apps to brand, platforms and ad tech providers. IAB TechLab also proposed fresh accountability standards, seller defined audiences, tokenization frameworks for user enabled identifiers and privacy enhancing technologies. For nearly three years, since 2020, the AdTech industry has tried to build various solutions, including the Privacy Sandbox from Google. While there are different solutions that are being developed there is one area where there is absolutely no solution in sight and that related to the “transmission of consent and consumer choice signals”. 

The emergence of the end-to-end stack from all the leading AdTech providers must be seen in this perspective. Transmission of consent and consumer choice signals across the fragmented digital supply chain is not possible in the current form. It requires an alarming level of trust, transparency and compliance sync up from all the participants in the supply chain. The industry has chosen to “centralize and pack up” than to “rebuild and collaborate”. This has resulted in the commoditization of the AdTech supply chain, with no real differentiation. Value exchange and the related value creation has now totally shifted to advertisers and publishers, as they own the consumer choice signals and their consent.

Read more: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/madtech-point-decoding-the-role-of-account-aggregators-15121.htm">MAdtech Point: Decoding the role of account aggregators</a>

Assume for a moment that advertisers and publishers have fixed their consent management obligations and let us play out what next. From an advertisers perspective their ad monies will now be distributed across 10-15 walled gardens and/or end to end stacks, with no common or consistent metrics to compare each one of them. Optimizing media monies between these 10-15 initiatives is not possible, as all of them have centralized their respective tech stacks. Even as advertisers offer their first party data for collaboration to all these 10-15 initiatives, they will struggle to find out which one of them have done better than the other. Cross media/platform measurement will become the most important requirement in the future. 

The industry has only postponed the collaboration agenda. By packing the digital advertising supply chain into an end-to-end stack, they have only temporarily fixed the problem that came with the deprecation of third-party trackers but left the measurement agenda wide open to solve. So far, the advertisers have largely remained silent or at best reacted to the technological changes brought in front of them by platforms and publishers. Now is the time for them to push the measurement agenda. This is the only missing piece in the digital advertising supply chain today. World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) have clearly enumerated the global and local architecture that is required for measurement. Big Tech platforms have all agreed and aligned to participate. It is now left to the local market to adapt and build it. 

Will the AdTech ecosystem and the industry body in India take the mantle and deliver it? 

Gowthaman Ragothaman is a 30-year media, advertising and marketing professional and CEO of Aqilliz, a blockchain solutions company for the marketing industry.

MAdtech Point: Why digital advertising supply chain needs to focus on measurement

As we approach the second half of 2023, recent shopping sentiment surveys reaffirm the desire and appetite of consumers to spend during the upcoming festive season. Predicting double-digit growth in spends over the previous year and an increase in basket sizes, marketers are gearing up for the opportunity to influence consumer spending and increase sales.

Advertising momentum in H2

After a modest performance in H1, India Inc. is expected to see momentum in brand and advertising growth, led by the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and other big-ticket properties on TV, coinciding with the peak festive season and providing an additional boost to the industry.

The overall advertising expenditure increase will be driven by FMCG leading the pack as volumes come back and the rural markets recover, along with sporting properties adding intensity and providing an opportunity for brands to engage in impactful advertising.

Entertainment and digital domination

The entertainment lineup in the form of big-ticket properties such as Bigg Boss and KBC will continue to drive viewership owing to profound audience affinity and as advertisers leverage the medium from a brand-building and a long-term resonance perspective. Digital will continue to be leveraged for performance and driving calls to action.

Caution in ad spending

While ad spends are likely to go up, the rate of growth will be tempered as startups focusing on profitability stay away from the action amid the funding winter. Following the new taxation policy, e-gaming brands, too, will exercise caution.

However, FMCG, real estate, durables, electronics, auto, and ecommerce, among others, are more than likely to cover the gap as brands across categories launch new products and premium segments stay resilient to inflation.

Political and news impact

Besides cricket drawing audiences to the medium, the five state elections slated in the upcoming months of 2023, followed by the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 will also benefit news channels as they expect a double-digit increase in revenue along with growth in the number of advertisers. Viewership growth and high engagement levels will lead to improved returns for advertisers, portending greater demand and thus growth in adex.

Print, radio, OOH, and cinema resurgence

Print is likely to see recovery with an uptick in government spending, while radio will continue to gain strength as a retail medium for last-mile connections, with short but intense bursts of activity. The return of mobility will impact OOH positively as brands experiment and innovate with the medium.

Cinema is bouncing back already as movie-goers return and theatres regain popularity. Marketers can leverage this platform for immersive, large-screen experiences for long-term equity building as well as new launches. Crafting memorable ads and experiences can help create a strong emotional connection for advertisers with audiences.

Sports media powerhouse

Sports media continues to be a powerhouse, attracting a vast and engaged audience with a once-in-a-decade opportunity as the Cricket World Cup comes home after a hiatus of 12 years.

With Disney Star broadcasting the ongoing Asia Cup and the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup free to view for all mobile phone users, democratising the game for 500 million-plus smartphone users across the country, marketers will have an opportunity to target sports enthusiasts with precision, given the vast options and special custom packages.

Digital transformation continues

The digital ecosystem will continue to witness increased investments in programmatic advertising, along with emphasis on contextual and hyper-localisation by tailoring content for specific regions and markets. Advertisers will continue to leverage customisation to ensure that the message speaks directly to every audience cohort, capitalising this in full force owing to the coming together of cricket and the festive season.

Ecommerce integration within social media platforms will continue to be on the rise, facilitating seamless shopping experiences.

Overall, the second half of 2023 promises to be action-packed with significant events lined up alongside a jubilant festive season. As marketers, embracing this opportunity to amplify brand equity and simultaneously driving sales growth will be crucial. Adapting audience-centric festive marketing strategies can help marketers monetise this period successfully.

The writer is associate VP - strategy, Lodestar UM. Views expressed are personal.

From cricket fever to digital transformation: Media trends set to dominate H2 2023

Alphabet Inc. owned Google spends around more than $10 billion a year to maintain its position as the default search engine on web browsers and mobile devices, the Department of Justice said Tuesday at the opening of the biggest US antitrust trial in 25 years. 

The DoJ said the search giant has exploited its dominance of the internet search market to stifle and lock out competitors. "This case is about the future of the internet and whether Google's search engine will ever face meaningful competition," said Kenneth Dintzer, the justice department's lead litigator. He added, “The evidence will show they demanded default exclusivity to block rivals."

Over the next ten weeks, federal lawyers and state attorneys general will try to prove Google rigged the market in its favor by locking in its search engine as the default choice, as per an AP report. Meanwhile a Google lawyer said, companies choose Google as the default search engine for their browsers and smartphones because it is the best one, and not because of a lack of competition. 

US District Judge Amit Mehta likely won't issue a ruling until early next year.

The justice department filed its antitrust lawsuit against Google nearly three years ago during the Donald Trump administration. Government lawyers say Google protects its franchise through a form of payola, shelling out billions of dollars annually to be the default search engine on the iPhone and on web browsers. "Google pays more than $10 billion per year for these privileged positions,'' Dintzer said. 

Top executives at Google and its corporate parent Alphabet Inc., as well as those from other powerful technology companies are expected to testify. Among them is likely to be Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who succeeded Google co-founder Larry Page four years ago. Court documents also suggest that Eddy Cue, a high ranking Apple executive, might be called to the stand. 

Google is in  the midst of celebrating its 25th year. 25 years ago it received its first investment - a $100,000 check written by Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim that helped Page and Sergey Brin to start Google in a Silicon Valley garage.

Google's corporate parent, Alphabet, is worth $1.7 trillion and employs 182,000 people, with most of the money coming from $224 billion in annual ad sales flowing through a network of digital services anchored by a search engine that fields billions of queries a day.


Google antitrust trial: US claims Google pays over $10 billion a year for search dominance

YAAP, a specialized content and influencer marketing company, has added Raj Nayak to its advisory board. Nayak, the former chief operating officer of Viacom18, will play a pivotal role in guiding YAAP's strategic initiatives for growth and expansion across regions.

Nayak's career spans over three decades, during which he has founded and held leadership positions at some of the world's largest media and entertainment companies, including Star TV and NDTV. Following his tenure at Viacom18, Nayak ventured into a new domain with House of Cheer, a full-service happiness and technology hub specializing in creation, curation, and consultancy, where he serves as the managing director.

Commenting on the development, Atul Hegde, founder of YAAP, said, "It's an absolute pleasure to have Raj Nayak join YAAP's advisory board. Raj's rich legacy and extensive experience in the media and entertainment industry will be instrumental in driving YAAP's strategic growth and expansion plans in the coming months. His addition to the board aligns perfectly with our ongoing expansion across regions, key leadership appointments, and our relentless pursuit of product and service excellence."

Nayak said, "Embodying its philosophy of 'Built For Now,' YAAP has successfully harnessed content, data, and technology to deliver immense value to its clients, establishing itself as a dominant player in the industry. YAAP's promising roadmap for growth and expansion in the coming years, driven by innovation and strategic expansion into new markets, resonates with my business philosophy. It presents us with an exciting opportunity to break new ground together."

YAAP has been on a trajectory of strategic growth, with recent additions such as Dr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman AlBanna, the former UAE Ambassador to India, to their advisory board, as well as key leadership appointments across India and GCC. The company has also formed a strategic partnership with Tagger Media, a leading US-based influencer marketing platform. These developments follow YAAP's acquisition of Crayons Communications, a renowned advertising agency in the Middle East, and an impressive financial performance, including a remarkable 97 percent increase in top-line growth and a fivefold rise in profitability for FY21-22. YAAP's prestigious client portfolio includes industry leaders such as NPCI, Visit Dubai, IndusInd, Lufthansa, SBI Cards, Disney, Apparel Group, MPL, Amazon, and Square Enix.




Media veteran Raj Nayak joins YAAP's advisory board

Opportune, Wondrlab Network’s influencer marketing platform has inked a strategic partnership with Reach Vista, a leading virtual influencer marketing company based in India. 

Opportune becomes the first influencer marketing platform to onboard some of the most viral  influencers including mrpagalboi, not_enafh, _charlie_flix_, stickman, dudububu, bubududu, lanaturevibes, flake_sayz and rexxi. Through this partnership, Wondrlab’s clients will now have access to these celebrated virtual influencers which will help them amplify their reach and drive tangible results.

By harnessing the power of virtual influencers, Reach Vista brings a new dimension to influencer marketing, enabling brands to establish deeper and more resonant connections with their consumer base. These virtual influencers cater to diverse niches, beginning with the entertainment sector, where Reach Vista has already successfully launched an array of captivating virtual personalities.

Commenting on this partnership, Sanchit Trevadia, founder of Reach Vista, stated, "In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, particularly within dynamic markets like India, we are witnessing a remarkable projected growth of 22-26% in the creator economy over the next five years. This trend emphasizes the growing need for brands to adopt imaginative strategies that not only grab the audience's attention but also foster genuine engagement. Through our partnership with Opportune, we're thrilled to provide brands at scale, with the opportunity to leverage virtual influencers enabling them to establish more authentic connections and resonate more profoundly with their customers. With this collaboration, I am confident that we will steer brands toward elevated engagement and impactful storytelling."

Jateen Kore, lead, Opportune, a Wondrlab company, said, "As the digital landscape continues to evolve, brands are compelled to explore novel avenues to enhance their digital footprint. The partnership between Opportune and Reach Vista aligns seamlessly with our commitment to pioneering strategies that resonate with modern consumers not just on a national or state level, but on a regional level as well. By leveraging virtual influencers, we are poised to unlock a realm of creative possibilities that maximize brand impact by producing everyday fast content, in an increasingly competitive market."



DIGITAL MARKETING