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<ul><li>The pandemic has made consumers painfully sensitive about the importance of health and immunity. </li><li>Kantar's report says that there's a more focused approach to individual health requirements, an increasing appreciation of the traditional diets and a growing interest in the functional benefits of our familiar kitchen ingredients are triggering conscious food choices.</li></ul>The last year has shown our immense capacity for adjustments and unhesitant flexibility in learning to coexist with the virus. From holding back spends to returning to shopping malls and airports with gusto, Indian consumers have adapted to the ebbs and tides of the pandemic. Preparing for exigencies went hand in hand with recalibrating needs and striving to build a fuller life. We are living in strange times and are yet to get completely accustomed to the new way of living. Nevertheless, there is a continuous effort to do more and be more with the spirit of ‘Carpe Diem’ whenever possible. Along with the conscious focus on care and safety, there is a constant lookout for pockets of enjoyment and social joy. Locked in their homes and under restrictions, Indian consumers have also had a year of epiphany. They have realised the value of self-care, mindful living and are now seeking a more sustainable lifestyle. Some old habits have been replaced entirely, others adjusted, and the changes are here to stay. Our 2022 Annual Trends are borne out of the insights we generate at Kantar, based on our conversations with consumers across the country, and help guide you through a period of recovery and innovation. Kantar brings you 10 themes that define how consumers are preparing themselves for 2022. <ol><li>Going small to live big</li></ol>In earlier times, the big city fuelled dreams and aspirations of the youth and beckoned with the promise to ‘make it big’. The same city now seems stifling with matchbox homes, chaotic traffic, hectic schedules and cluttered living. The urban trapped millennials have been looking for breathers in their busy corporate lifestyles, often finding respite in trips along unchartered tracks. The lockdown and the opportunity of working from home has allowed them to consider an alternate to the city humdrum. As companies chose remote working as ‘business as usual’, the service sector employees chose to move ‘back home’ to smaller towns. What might have started as a prudent decision to save high rent expenses eventually seems to have translated into a more longer-term lifestyle adjustment. There is a conscious effort to recalibrate needs and wants as *59% believe that the pandemic helped them be more appreciative of what they already have. Many are stepping away from the tiring race to success and charting their own path for professional fulfilment, often trading off a heavier pay cheque for a fuller life. Much of the infrastructural development in India has been metro centric. The current trend offers a unique opportunity to reimagine our cities, our infrastructure, and mobility. Brands, on the other hand need to reinforce supply chains to avoid losing customers due to last mile connectivity gaps. (*Source: NICS 2021) 2. Seeking assurance in ‘ghar jaisa’ khana The pandemic has made consumers painfully sensitive about the importance of health and immunity. A more focused approach to individual health requirements, an increasing appreciation of the traditional diets and a growing interest in the functional benefits of our familiar kitchen ingredients are triggering conscious food choices. Consumers are seeking comfort in familiarity, especially in the times of turbulence. They are more mindful of what they eat and are willing to make an effort to table fresher meals, *72% prefer fresh home cooked food than the packaged with the fear of preservatives. If the meals are not from their own kitchen, they would prefer it from someone else’s to be assured of the hygiene and quality of ingredients, thus making home chefs a rage. ‘Bahar ka khana’ is not yet worry-free as *44% do not feel safe ordering food online these days. At the same time there is a growing awareness about mindful eating rituals such as slow eating, appreciation of what’s on the plate and a deeper consciousness of the emotional connect with food. With increasing importance to freshly cooked meals, consumers would be open to kitchen solutions in terms of ingredients or appliances that make ‘home-made’ easier. Additionally, the affinity towards ‘home like food’ will also guide what the food industry will offer in terms of offerings on restaurant menus. (*Source: NICS 2021) 3. Proactive upskilling According to the World Economic Forum, while the rapid evolution of machines in the workplace will displace 75 million jobs by 2022, it will also create 133 million new roles. As companies have been on their accelerated journey of digital transformation, the moot question has been whether the Indian workforce is ready for this change. Constant learning has become an imperative for workers to adapt to changing times and stay relevant. Through this volatility, upskilling has become the new insurance cover in the job market, ensuring stability in an unpredictable workplace disrupted by technology. Proactive self-learning through online courses has become the new norm for working professionals trying to stay employable as well as students gearing up to join the work force. *65% of learners upskilled to strengthen career prospects and *33% of learners were senior-level professionals. As both freshers and experienced employees become more conscious of the skill gap and lean in to bridge it, enrolments into online courses continue to exponentially grow. Proactive and consistent training and development led by employers will be increasingly critical, not only to keep the workforce equipped for the changing workplace, but also to ensure that employees are engaged and invested in the evolving business imperatives of the organisation. (*Source: Simplilearn’s State of Upskilling in 2021) 4. Exercising autonomy through gig work The Indian freelance job market gained rapid acceleration with the pandemic induced job instability. However, what started as a necessity, is now a carefully considered choice for many. The comfort of flexible work schedules, coupled with an apathy for the corporate workstyle has been holding freelancers from going back to full-time employment. On the other hand, the Great Resignation of the west is showing signs in India too. ***62% of India’s workforce has the intention of switching jobs this year, compared to an average of ***41% globally. Most gig workers value the potential for higher earnings and flexible timings in their choice of work and are happy to trade off a steady income and job stability in the bargain. Women looking for employment after a sabbatical have found freelancing to be the much-needed bridge to join back the workforce. The nature of freelance work has also evolved and gig working is not limited to factory or support function jobs. **70% of the Indian freelancers on their platform were working in core management functions. With 15 million freelancers, India is already the second largest gig market in the world. In the long term, the Indian gig economy has the potential to service up to *90 million jobs in India’s non-farm economy. India Inc. should make the most of this opportunity to absorb diverse work force and let them contribute professionally while taking care of their personal comfort. (*Source: BSG Report; Unlocking the Potential of the Gig Economy in India 2021 **Source: Flexingit Survey, 2021 ***Source: Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index) 5. Shrinking personal space with remote work Working from home had started with the promise of more comfort with workdays without travel and meetings without formals. Very soon this advantage was turned on its head as lines between work and personal life started blurring. Work expected you to be always on call and home assumed you were never away. Though remote work was expected to improve employee productivity, there is mounting evidence of increased burnout. **1 in 3 professionals in India feel burnt out due to increased workload and unmanageable stress. Professionals are seeking their personal space that has been squeezed between the responsibilities of home and work and they are looking forward to coming back to their workplace. *57% feel that commuting to their place of work would be a welcome relief after months of working from home. Corporate India has already taken cognizance of this situation and there have been measures to ease life in these times for employees. While focus has been on making work from home more convenient through virtual workplaces, organisations will also need to start rethinking their entire work models, culture, and values to ensure better mental health amongst the workforce. Employees are also learning to draw a line between personal and professional while operating from the same physical space. *Source: NICS 2021 **Source: Future of Work Perception Study by LinkedIn, 2021) 6. Yearning to get away from home Tired of being cooped up in their homes with social distancing norms, travel restrictions, people have been aching to step out of their homes. With the easing of mobility restrictions, restaurants are witnessing rising footfalls as Indian consumers making frequent visits to their favourite restaurants. Not only are consumers keen to experience a refreshing restaurant ambience rather than ordering in, the average order values have increased by *20%. Work from home restrictive lifestyles have also allowed some more disposable income which consumers are glad to spend outdoors as evident in luxury dining increasing by as much as *120%. Lockdown fatigue had resulted in strong pent-up demand which is fuelling unique trends of ‘getting away from home’. Travellers have started to rekindle their travel plans through weekend getaways and similar convenient means to escape from the challenging life of work-from-home stifling schedules. Considering the renewed emphasis on personal control over cleanliness and hygiene, travelers are looking for nearby locations for road trips. Staycations are also an emerging trend where people are checking into at luxurious hotels to rejuvenate themselves with a pampered weekend. With varying rules of social distancing as we witness new waves of the pandemic, consumers will learn to switch on and switch off their social lives but would always yearn to step out. As consumers continue to seek respite from house arrest yet again, by planning for getaways, dropping into restaurants for a meal or even choosing to work from coffee shops, the reassurance of sanitation and hygiene-related measures such us fully vaccinated staff would ensure that they keep coming back. (*Source: Report by Dineout) 7. Instagram is the new store Fuelled by India’s fast growing smartphone penetration and inexpensive data, social media access and engagement has been steadily growing. As the pandemic further accelerated the growth of the e-commerce, social commerce has emerged as a favoured means of online shopping. Making a purchase on social media has brought back the element of the shopping experience that shoppers miss in the online store environment. Discussions, direct messaging and video sharing features make social commerce closer to shopping in person. Consequently, social chatter is fast becoming an active driver of brand choice; while advertising manages to influence *38% towards a brand, *41% tend to be swayed by comments or reviews posted on social media. Riding on social word-of-mouth, today there are social commerce shoppers, account for **53% of total online shoppers in India. Stepping ahead of dynamic customer engagement, social commerce has proved to be an effective and affordable channel for smaller businesses. This channel has also presented a cost-effective alternative for larger businesses and brands reeling under the pressure of mounting <a href="https://www.ey.com/en_in/consulting/customer-engagement">customer acquisition</a> costs and struggling to protect these precious customers from competitors wooing them endlessly with deep discounts. *Source: NICS 2021 **Source: Report by WATConsult, Isobar) 8. Beauty goes beyond skin deep The pandemic brought hand hygiene to the forefront where consumers reacted out of fear without having the time or opportunity to make well thought through choices. The scenario however is vastly different today with consumers making well researched choices in personal care and are realising its significance of self-care more than ever. With virtual workplaces and limited social engagement, there is no mad rush to show up looking one’s best and people are moving towards a more sustainable self-care practice grounded in nature, health and wellness. There is an increasing positive disposition towards slowing down through daily self-care rituals. A stark contrast to the fast-paced world of the beauty industry that sells us quick fixes, cover ups and immediate results. Consumers have become extremely conscious about taking care of their bodies, and not just for the purpose of looking good. Fewer people are insisting on stepping out of home with make up (*30% vs. *49% last year) and declining interest towards cosmetic surgeries (*17% vs. *48% last year). The millennials especially have become acutely conscious of the long-term benefits of personal care regimes. What started as an obsession for sanitisers and hand-washes, has now gradually moved towards conscious choices of personal care, personal hygiene and wellness products. Brands need to be cognizant of shift in consumer choices towards personal care and grooming and cater to this growing affinity towards sustained self-care through their product solutions as well as communication of benefits.’ (*Source: NICS 2021) 9. True inclusion finding a voice among the youth Consumers are being drawn towards brands that embrace diversity and advocate causes that support social equity. The generation Z, being at the forefront of this movement, are evaluating brands with a conscientious looking glass. These globally connected consumers are constantly absorbing information and influences to make brand choices. They deeply value freedom of expression and the openness to accept different kinds of people and bluntly call out brands for stereotyping or alluding to any kind of discrimination. This generation is also taking active steps to make a change around them *36% of Indian Gen Z educated themselves on diversity and inclusion matters and *37% tried to educate and change the views of those around them. *22% of Gen Zs have boycotted a company because they didn’t agree to its views or actions. There have been examples of inclusive marketing countering stereotypes to create a vision that consumers can resonate with and embrace. There has been a shift in advertising campaigns featuring stories of real people told with a sensitivity that has found favour with consumers. Brands looking to engage this generation will need to extend their efforts beyond mere lip service. Just dressing brand communication with diverse imagery will not be enough. To stay relevant, brands need to embed diversity in their organisational culture as well as in their product development endeavours. (*Source: Deloitte 2021 Millennial and Gen Z study) 10. Collective consciousness towards sustainability The pandemic has been a wake-up call; consumers are now acutely aware of the cumulative damage caused to the environment by human carelessness and are eager to ‘make good.’ *76% pay lot of attention to environmental and societal issue in the news. Increasing awareness and heightened consciousness have paved the way for more mindful living where consumers are seeking to coexist with nature and the environment. *77% are prepared to invest time and money to support companies that do good and while shopping *64% consumers factor in sustainability atleast once in a while. Sustainable actions that people are most willing to take today like reducing food waste, saving energy are those that have been part of the Indian ethos for generations. Yet, there are gaps between intentions and actions as most shoppers buying on autopilot are focused on saving money rather than the planet. Further, they don’t often have enough information about how sustainable products are different and the impact they make on our environment. Brands can fuel these actions by increasing awareness about the use of green energy in their production process, making it easier to recycle, incentivizing consumers and making it convenient for them to buy sustainable products. (*Source: Kantar Sustainability Foundational Report 21)

10 themes that define how consumers are preparing themselves for 2022 as per Kantar

<ul><li>Data from YouGov’s “Global <keyword id="6354777" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="media" source="Orion">Media</keyword> Outlook Report 2022” shows urban Indian consumers expect to spend more time with digital media in the future than any type of traditional media.</li><li>62% consumers between 25-34 years intend to increase consumption of streaming video and 58% expect to up music streaming consumption in the next 12 months.</li></ul>YouGov’s new report explores how consumption of media has changed globally in the past 12 months and identifies which media behaviours consumers are planning to stick with in the future. Data from the whitepaper shows that digital mediums have been the dominant media choices of urban Indians in the past 12 months, and they are likely to dominate their choices in the future as well. Among projected increases in digital media sources are websites &amp; apps (63% are likely to increase their consumption), social media (55%), streaming video (53%) and streaming music (49%). Consumption of streaming video is likely to increase across age groups in India in the next 12 months, with <keyword id="2258626" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="young-consumers" source="Orion">young consumers</keyword> between 25- 34 years expecting a higher increase in consumption (62%) as compared to those aged 35-44 (52%) or 55+ (41%). In comparison to this, intent to increase consumption of both live and non-live TV is lower among this group- at 50% and 45%, respectively, yet higher than the other age groups. This shows that along with driving the demand for <keyword id="778108" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="streaming-services" source="Orion">streaming services</keyword>, younger audiences in India will also dominate the demand for TV content in the future. Similarly, within the audio industry, younger generations are set to boost the consumption of streaming music, as well as podcasts. About six in ten (58%) adults between 25-34 years plan to stream more music in the next 12 months, which is higher than the expectations of other age groups. Even though future consumption of podcasts is projected lower than other mediums, its consumption is likely to soar among young consumers (25-34 years) in the country. <div type="image" title="image002" msid="89585756" hostid="261"></div> When it comes to subscriptions, once again we see the young population taking the lead. Across all age groups, demand for VOD is the highest among consumers between 25-34 years, with almost half (49%) currently paying for, and likely to continue with their subscriptions next year. In addition to this, one in ten (10%) respondents who do not currently pay, said they might consider paying next year, representing a clear opportunity for growth within this cohort. Having said that, a considerable proportion are either ‘Cancelers’ (24%)- who currently pay but are likely to cancel next year, or ‘Rejectors’ (17%) - who do not currently pay and are unlikely to subscribe next year. Making investment in better content, more regional content options and as well as subscription price adaptations might help the streaming platforms retain and grow audiences. Similarly, in case of music subscriptions, compared to all other age groups, a higher proportion of young adults (between 25-34) currently pay for music subscriptions and are likely to continue paying next year as well. There is further room for growth as 14% who currently do not have a paid subscription may consider signing up next year. Jules Newby, Sector Head of Media at YouGov said, “Our report takes deep dives into the Watch, Listen, Read and Social channels of media consumption. As consumer media consumption patterns continue to evolve and adapt to the pandemic-caused disruption across different regions, our data sheds light on growth opportunities for media planners and brand marketers alike, whilst also revealing which digital trends are likely to stick around in the future, and which global markets and demographics are encouraging this stickiness. “When it comes to the ‘stickiness’ of consumers’ media consumption behavior, our data suggests that a high proportion of consumers are unlikely to change their media behavior dramatically in the next 12 months. Looking at the growth drivers of media consumption in the next 12 months, all are digital. Video streaming services have further tightened their grip on viewers in the wake of the pandemic and are likely to register the biggest growth in consumption in the coming year.”

Young consumers are likely to drive streaming growth in India, with a majority planning to increase consumption in the future: YouGov report

<ul><li>The X Index 2022 report, from Havas CX, Havas Group’s global customer experience network reports that trust, inclusivity, always being of service, and going above and beyond are now major factors in creating the most meaningful customer experience.</li><li>According to the X Index India report parameters, the number 1 brand is Apple followed by Taj Hotels, KIA, MG, Hyundai, OnePlus, Boat, Cult.fit, Michelin, and JBL.</li></ul> The X Index 2022 report, from Havas CX, Havas Group’s global customer experience network reports that trust, inclusivity, always being of service, and going above and beyond are now major factors in creating the most meaningful customer experience. The <keyword id="7001513" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="havas-group-india" source="Orion">Havas Group India</keyword> launched the Havas CX function in October 2020, which spans across 18 of its major Villages around the world, with key hubs in London, Paris, New York, and Mumbai. It's a powerhouse of experts playing an important role in digital transformation, design, customer experience and engagement, e-Commerce, and much more. The recent report surveyed 50,000 consumers across nine markets including the U.S, UK, France, China, Brazil, Turkey, India, Portugal, and Spain to evaluate the customer experience performance of 500 brands. It found that while seamlessness, simplicity, and efficiency are still imperative to customer experience, brands must also fulfil citizen expectations. According to the X Index India report parameters, the number 1 brand is Apple followed by Taj Hotels, KIA, MG, Hyundai, OnePlus, Boat, Cult.fit, Michelin, and JBL. 50 leading brands across 13 categories including retail, fashion, financial services, automotive, entertainment, hospitality, beauty, health, and more were studied from India for the recent study. What’s interesting is that among the six countries also surveyed a year earlier, only India registered a lower overall score in 2021 compared with 2020. The higher scores in the other five markets (China, France, Portugal, UK, and the US) point to rising satisfaction with the customer experience. What this means is that while most geographies were able to leverage the new normal to cement their CX and deliver on consumers’ rising expectations, Indian brands were not as agile to keep up with the rising expectations. This makes it even more critical for Indian brands to now recognise that customer experience is synonymous with brand experience. For the second consecutive year, brand image has emerged as the strongest competitor to the X Index, representing 46% of India’s score. This hints at the fact that while ecosystems and the touchpoints were expanded during this new normal, brands also need to maintain continuous engagement to reinforce their image while also making it part of their CX. Despite heavy customer experience investments by brands, there’s still room for improvement with only a global average of 40% of consumers thinking the brands they interact with are “cantered on their needs as a customer.” This year’s research reveals that increased consumer expectations around trust, sustainability, and inclusivity are now impacting the evaluation of customer experience, with brands being assessed on the concrete actions they deliver to create a welcoming experience for all – shifting the traditional idea of customer experience to citizen experience. <keyword id="4002911" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prashant-Tekwani" source="Orion">Prashant Tekwani</keyword>, EVP &amp; Business Head, Havas CX India &amp; Havas Worldwide, West, says, “The pandemic has brought about a sea-change in consumer shopping behaviour. Brands now need to evolve their thinking from customer experience to citizen experience by making seamlessness and inclusivity their priority. According to the latest X Index report, India is the only country to register a lower overall score in 2021 in comparison to 2020. There is a gap that needs addressing for brands in India to score high in the CX journey. This shows how the understanding of the evolving expectation of the consumers is critical to maintaining the health of CX, growth and brand imagery. While meeting functional criteria around seamlessness, simplicity, and efficient customer service, brands must also go the extra mile to make a lasting impression in their customers’ minds.” <keyword id="5298124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sumeer-Mathur" source="Orion">Sumeer Mathur</keyword>, National Strategy Head &amp; Managing Partner, <keyword id="1911890" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="havas-worldwide-india" source="Orion">Havas Worldwide India</keyword>, says, “Interestingly, out of all the parameters that we measure to arrive at a final score, the Brand image has emerged as the strongest contributor to the X Index, representing 46% of India’s score. This hints at the fact that while ecosystems and the touchpoints were expanded during this new normal, brands also need to maintain continuous engagement to reinforce their image while also making it part of their CX. Conversely, it could also mean that Indian brands are under leveraging other parameters and relying too heavily on the brand image alone to determine the customer experience.” The X Index identified four key principles to create a best-in-class citizen experience: Trust comes first: Brand trust is the most powerful denominator around the globe in the customer journey. Brands build trust by keeping their commitments to customers and being there in times of crisis. For example, brands that optimized their shopping experience during the COVID-19 pandemic saw better results; these optimizations included moving many traditionally in-person services online (consultations, etc.), and taking advantage of new platforms to integrate community building and social components. Brands also build trust with transparent business practices and by making commitments to social causes. Build an all-inclusive experience: For customer experience to become a citizen experience, brands must be inclusive. According to the X Index, consumers evaluate brands at every step of the journey, including the way they treat their frontline employees, foster inclusivity and break taboos in representation and marketing. Inclusivity also means enabling customers to participate in a community, with some brands introducing forums, clubs, and apps for customers to connect and interact with each other. Always be of service: Customer service is now defined by the speed of reaction to customer demands. It is one of the key discriminating factors. In addition, when it comes to staff and salespeople, consumers not only expect them to be efficient but also knowledgeable. Provide for the age of extra: When it comes to satisfying customers, going the extra mile is of paramount importance for brands. A key part of going above and beyond in making sure the experience feels extra personal.

Customer satisfaction dips for Indian brands in the CX journey: Havas CX report

<ul><li>Hindi on voice assistants is second biggest globally; 72% Indians prefer non-English language.</li><li>Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra were the top 3 online shopping destinations.</li><li>Groceries, fashion and health, beauty and personal care were the most searched product categories.</li></ul>MMA India, along with the AMMP Council and GroupM India, today launched an industry playbook titled ‘Modern Marketers Guide to Connected Consumer Journeys’. The guide is a compilation of learnings and insights by multiple industry experts and an analysis of the e-commerce landscape in India. In the context of the accelerated adoption of online channels, the playbook powered and supported by GroupM provides marketers with insights into the changing e-commerce landscape and the factors driving this shift. It also delves into the evolving customer buying journey and purchase patterns, sales-driving technologies such as Voice, AR/VR driving sales and effective channel strategy for improved business ROI. Speaking on the launch, <keyword id="6812225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="moneka-khurana" source="Orion">Moneka Khurana</keyword>, MMA India Board Member; Country Head – India, MMA said, “This one-of-a-kind playbook led by MMA’s E-commerce council members outlines how organizations and digital business leaders can improve their understanding of the shift in consumer behavior and solutions that will drive the next phase of growth. Consistent digital exposure, combined with the presence of available omnichannel touchpoints, has resulted in the development of a new consumer purchasing process. MMA through its e-Commerce Council aims to build an overall understanding of the ecosystem and address cluster-specific issues improving capability in the omnichannel marketing. We hope this playbook will assist marketers and brands to effectively re-strategize their market approach – from the customers they target to the channels they sell through.” Shedding further light on the playbook, Tushar Vyas, President – Growth and Transformation, GroupM South Asia said, “Consumers now have multiple sources for discovery and information research and today, it consists of highly connected non-linear moments. The growth in internet users, reduction in data prices and changing consumer behavior are the key growth drivers for the evolution of eCommerce in India. We understand the changing online retail market and how it is set to grow 3x in the next 4-5 years mainly driven by underpenetrated categories like grocery, education, health. Considering the emergence and growth of eCommerce platforms, this handbook provides A-Z solutions on how marketers can use eCommerce as a platform to enhance a brand’s reach in these rapidly evolving times.” Commenting on this initiative, KRS Jamwal, Executive Director, Tata Industries Ltd. Says, “It is indeed my pleasure to pen a foreword for this very timely and thoughtful playbook. After rapid growth in India's e-commerce market, while the focus on cost and delivery efficiency will remain, it will become hygiene. Going forward, platforms and brands will need to differentiate by providing customers with a better, preferably personalized, yet holistic buying experience that enhances the browse and purchase journeys, and even attempt to bring aspects of the in-store experience online, leveraging tech. The MMA report provides an overarching view on consumer behavior shifts as well as identifies challenges that organizations may face as a result of those shifts, with best practices and possible solutions." Key highlights: Landscape: India today has 622 million internet users (8% growth over 2019) and is expected to touch 900 million users by 2025. With affordable data prices, consumers are increasingly becoming more “digital”. The online retail market is set to become 3 folds in the next 4-5 years, majorly driven by under-penetrated categories like grocery, education, and health. Voice, Video, and Vernacular: Though voice is at a nascent stage Indians are leapfrogging on Voice adoption; the market is expected to grow by 40% by 2022. Not just on Google Assistant, voice is rapidly growing as a preferred medium of input across Search and YouTube. Online video spends have seen the highest growth rate of 46% in 2020, as compared to other media channels. Online content consumption grew 35% post COVID, with a total growth of 13% in time spent on OTT from January 2020 to January 2021. Vernacular internet users prefer voice find voice a more natural way of interacting with technology which helps reduces friction. Hindi on voice assistants is the 2nd biggest language globally after English, while Hindi <keyword id="504074" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voice-search" source="Orion">voice search</keyword> queries have seen 400% growth y-o-y. Pre-purchase: Urban internet users are relying on online platforms for product research. 62% of urban users are researching products online before making any purchase either online or offline. 50% of offline shopping across categories involves online product research. Channel Choice: The biggest retail trend is the increasing popularity of the direct-to-consumer or DTC model. D2C brands are witnessing a high number of subsequent funding rounds and strategic sale to incumbents. Working through a middleman can block access to end consumers. Brands with a DTC model can leverage direct relationships through loyalty programs, special discounting and promotions and unique and category-specific shopping experiences. Purchase: Online retail is shifting from electronics to grocery. 73% of customers have purchased through online shopping platforms in the past 12 months. The deciding factors are - 63% on product quality, 55% on price and 55% on product information, return and cancellation policy, and product warranty. There has been an interesting purchase pattern in the consumer journey in the last 3 months where Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra were the top 3 online shopping destinations and <a name="m_-845459193505835215__Hlk80787303">groceries, fashion and health, beauty and personal care were the most searched product categories</a>. Conversational Commerce, Voice Search, Video Streaming and Augmented Reality will also help brands drive their ecommerce strategies.

Online shoppers in India expected to reach 500 million by 2030: MMA and GroupM report

The upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection <keyword id="19032" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bill" source="Orion">Bill</keyword> will drive "deep behavioural changes" among those platforms in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> that have for long exploited or misused personal data, <keyword id="6357801" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="union" source="Orion">Union</keyword> minister <keyword id="205969" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rajeev-chandrasekhar" source="Orion">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword> has asserted. In an interview to PTI, the minister of state for IT and electronics also sought to allay concerns around the issue of government-appointed fact check body, saying the move is not about censorship at all, rather it gives the Centre an opportunity to clarify and respond to any <keyword id="535763" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="misinformation" source="Orion">misinformation</keyword> related to it, something that is critical in a democracy. Misinformation, he said, is not to be confused with right to free speech. The minister noted that misinformation tends to travel 10-15 times faster, and reaches an audience 20-50 times more, than truth. He emphasised that it is absolutely critical that in a democracy if someone says something false about the government, to create hatred, to incite violence, or to just create mistrust, "the government must have an opportunity to say no, this is not true". "So there is no censorship, there no restriction on free speech. This is simply about saying what is patently false, is patently false. And that is certainly not to be confused or deliberately distorted to imply that this is a crackdown on free speech," Chandrasekhar said. The minister's comment assumes significance as the decision to notify an entity that will flag false information posted online pertaining to the government has raised concerns in some quarters on whether it gives government absolute powers. "I think there is some misunderstanding about what it is we are trying to do," the minister said when asked about the issue. "Misinformation is expressly an area that has already been prescribed in the rules as an area that platforms have to do significant work in moderating misinformation if they are to enjoy Section 79 protection. It is already mandated in the rules of October 2022," he said. Rather, the fact check unit aims to help platforms in identifying false content posted about the government. "It is not an opinion. It is not about saying that we will create another narrative about the government," Chandrasekhar added. On the digital personal data protection (DPDP) bill, which will be introduced in the coming session of <keyword id="6354721" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="parliament" source="Orion">Parliament</keyword>, the minister said the draft legislation has undergone a lot of consultation and is designed as "a truly world class piece of legislation". "I have absolutely no doubt that the DPDP Bill will create deep behavioural changes among platforms in India who have for long exploited and misused personal data," the minister said. At the same time, those who have played fair will not get affected, and will continue to do the right thing, he observed. "Those who have done it (misused data), tracked consumers, used cookies they certainly will have to go though deep behavioural change... Those who are already doing it right, have nothing to fear. But those who have, in a sense, lived off this model of exploitation will certainly have to reconsider," minister said. He expressed hope that the bill will come up in the Monsoon session of Parliament. The draft bill - which has seen an overhaul after its withdrawal in August last year - details the citizen's rights on personal data, with provisions that makes entities handling personal data accountable for managing it with safety and security in a responsible manner. "The purpose of this bill is to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises the right of individuals to protect their personal data, the need to process personal data for lawful purposes and for other incidental purposes," an explanatory note of the draft bill said. The proposed data protection legislation allows the transfer and storage of personal data in some countries while raising the penalty for violations. The proposed legislation stipulates consent before collecting personal data and provides for stiff penalties of as much as Rs 500 crore on persons and companies that fail to prevent data breaches including accidental disclosures, sharing, altering or destroying personal data. On being asked about Meta being fined a record-breaking USD 1.3 billion recently by European Union regulators for violating EU privacy laws, and whether India too can look at large financial deterrants for Big Tech for non-compliance of laws, the Minister said idea is not about competing with the EU on size of penalties. "I don't think we are in the business of competing with the EU in terms of the size of the penalty, but the formulation of penalties in this Bill is sufficient to incentivise every data fiduciary or any platform to behave correctly, to follow the law, and do the right thing," he said. The days when platform could exploit the data of consumers is fast coming to an end, he said, adding there are many powers under the bill that have been given to the Indian consumer to interrogate, search, check what data the platforms have. "...and I think certainly it's a balance of protecting the consumer rights, as well as continuing to allow innovation and investments," the minister said. On WhatsApp spam call issue, Chandrasekhar said that the government has called out to WhatsApp and other messenger companies about the problem and emphasised that it is unacceptable. "They have responded with alacrity and responded very quickly. They are searching out many solutions. We have also asked them to give to us what are the overseas telecom carriers from where these originate, so that we can talk to BSNL, and to our own <keyword id="150664" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="telecom-department" source="Orion">Telecom Department</keyword> to make sure that these carriers are also warned that there is unlawful activities originating from their networks, and that if that continues, we may have to look at some kind of a discussion of whether those networks will be allowed to terminate in India as well," he said. The government and players are not adversaries, rather they work in partnership, he said, adding that a safe and trusted internet for 1.2 billion consumers "is good for business, government, and for citizens". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-dominates-smartwatch-market-accounts-for-over-a-quarter-of-global-sales-in-q1-2023/articleshow/100522354.cms">India dominates smartwatch market, accounts for over a quarter of global sales in Q1 2023</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/2000-note-withdrawal-how-to-exchange-notes-is-it-a-legal-tender-and-other-questions-answered/articleshow/100412941.cms">₹2,000 note withdrawal – How to exchange them, is it a legal tender and other questions answered</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-scooters-and-bikes-may-get-costlier-as-government-looks-to-revamp-the-fame-ii-scheme/articleshow/100321089.cms">Electric two wheelers may get costlier as government looks to revamp the FAME-II scheme</a>

Data protection bill to drive deep behavioural changes for platforms exploiting data: Chandrasekhar

<ul><li>82% of parents surveyed anticipate that screen time for kids will reduce once the pandemic subsides in 2022.</li><li>65% of parents surveyed are conscious of their kids’ changing behaviour, and try to have one-on-one interactions to check on their mental well being.</li><li>Prolonged internet usage and screen time is impacting kids’ behaviour, leading to increased physical &amp; mental stress: 80% of parents say that the pandemic has impacted their kids’ social skills.</li></ul><keyword id="817469" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OLX-India">OLX India</keyword> conducted a study to understand digital behaviour among kids during the pandemic, and its impact on their stress levels due to prolonged internet usage. In the backdrop of National Parents Day celebrated on 25th July, the study asked parents of kids in the age bracket of 5 to 18 years to share their perspectives on the concept of cyber responsibility. The third annual edition of this survey was conducted in May-June 2021. Digitally savvy kids will grow to be more aware of safe and secure online behaviour, and <keyword id="6360657" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="olx">OLX</keyword> believes that the accelerated online usage ushered in by the pandemic should go hand-in-hand with safe and secure online experiences. The company runs a survey every year on parenting day, to gauge children’s internet usage trends and parental response, in order to identify changing behaviours, and to highlight the need to use the Internet in a safe and responsible manner. The 2020-21 OLX National Parenting Day survey revealed that prolonged screen time and unhindered access to the internet due to online schooling, with little to no alternatives to engage kids during the pandemic, has exacerbated mental stress, anxiety and compromised online safety mechanisms for them. It has led to potentially unsafe, dangerous or risky online situations and behaviours that kids are indulging in. Parents believe that their child’s privacy and security are at risk and there are high chances of impersonation of digital identities, hacking, being coerced into sharing private information or making online purchases without parental permission. 75% of parents have noted their kids making impulsive in-app purchases, and are worried that they may be careless in divulging personal information. But the positive news is that parents are taking action towards monitoring the online activities of their children. 80% of parents surveyed feel it necessary to actively monitor content being consumed by their little ones and 75% of parents now make it a point to supervise their kids’ online activity. This is in stark contrast to a study conducted by OLX in January 2021, where 60% of parents surveyed admitted to not monitoring their kids’ online content consumption. Clearly, extended lockdowns have made Indian parents more vigilant and aware. There is an increasing concern about the mental health of kids, 60% of parents surveyed observed a decline in their child’s physical and mental wellbeing. Furthermore, 80% of parents shared that the development of their kids’ social skills has been severely impacted. Inputs from respondents also highlight the concrete actions taken towards managing this situation, and are generally positive. As coping mechanisms, parents indicate that they have started to take more interest in enhancing their own digital skills (80%) to keep up with their kids, and spending dedicated time with their kids to check on their health and wellbeing more regularly (65%). On the bright side, over 4 in 5 parents (82%) were hopeful that their kids’ newly developed internet obsession will recede, once the pandemic subsides in 2022 and normalcy is restored to some extent. Talking about how smart devices are governing every child’s life, Sapna Aroa, CMO, OLX India said, “With another year of being confined to homes, the new normal has definitely taken a toll on everybody’s mental health. The demand for smart devices and the internet has seen a steep rise due to online classes, not just school but extra-curricular and co-curricular as well. This is a novel experience for both children and parents, who need to quickly become comfortable with this new world of learning.” She further added, “Our intent through this study was to get a first-hand account of how parents are dealing with their child’s accelerated and increased exposure to online classes. These inputs are valuable in keeping online experiences safe and secure for everyone.” Sapna said. Over 60% of the participants in this study were from Tier II and <keyword id="381312" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tier-III">Tier III</keyword> cities, where internet penetration and technology usage has been heavily accelerated due to the pandemic, and their perspectives were aligned with those from Metros and Tier I cities.

Majority of parents surveyed have noted their kids making impulsive in-app purchases, reveals OLX study

<keyword id="6357073" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="itc" source="Orion">ITC</keyword> on Wednesday posted an 11.7 per cent rise in consolidated net profit during Q4FY22, at Rs 4,196 crore, as against Rs 3,755 crore recorded in the year ago period. On quarter on quarter basis, the profit rose 3.4 per cent. The company's earnings beats estimates of several market analysts. Besides, consolidated revenue rose 15.3 per cent on year to Rs 17,754 crore as compared to Rs 15,404 crore a year-ago. On a <keyword id="903746" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="qoq" source="Orion">QoQ</keyword> basis, however, the revenue declined 3.3 per cent. The better performance was pushed by healthy growth across its business of cigarettes, FMCG, hotels, and paperboards. Robust broad-based recovery in cigarettes business was witnessed despite disruptions due to the third wave and volumes too surpassed pre-pandemic levels. For entire fiscal FY22, the consolidated profit after tax grew 15.8 per cent to Rs 15,243 crore year on year, and consolidated revenues jumped 22.7 per cent to Rs 65,205 crore. After a challenging FY2020-21, and despite repeated disruptions this year, the business progressively recovered on the back of improved mobility and easing of restrictions, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in the latter half of the year. ITC effectively leveraged institutional strengths, digital technologies and learnings from previous waves to respond with agility across all nodes of operations. The company recommended a final dividend of Rs 6.25 per share for FY22, which will be paid between July 22-26, 2022. This is in addition to the interim dividend of Rs 5.25 per share declared earlier this year. The company said it remains focused on building purpose-led brands powered by agile innovation and anchored on larger consumer needs. The businesses continue to increasingly leverage 'Sixth Sense', the <keyword id="13972477" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="marketing-command-centre" source="Orion">Marketing Command Centre</keyword> and <keyword id="1397742" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="consumer-data" source="Orion">Consumer Data</keyword> Hub - an AI powered hyper-personalised platform backed by a robust partner ecosystem for content and data - to gain insights on market trends and consumer behaviour, and synthesise the same to craft contextual and hyper-personalised brand communication and product development, it added. In order to effectively leverage new routes-to-markets and meet the assortment needs of emerging channels, the company executed over 110 new product launches across target markets. The robust innovation platforms of the Company's Life Sciences and Technology Centre (LSTC) were instrumental in accelerating speed to market. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/ways-to-save-more-money-after-your-monthly-expenses/articleshow/91650065.cms">Ways to save more money after your monthly expenses</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/top-9-types-of-nfts-heres-the-complete-list/slidelist/91643024.cms">Crypto 101 – Understanding the different types of NFTs</a>

A 'healthy' growth in cigarettes vertical helped ITC beat earnings estimates

<ul><li>Participants were given a food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessments to evaluate dietary behaviours. </li><li>Eating <keyword id="1641092" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="refined-grains" source="Orion">refined grains</keyword> was associated with increased risk of premature <keyword id="22908" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heart-disease" source="Orion">heart disease</keyword>. </li><li>Whole grain intake was inversely related to reduced risk of <keyword id="15149869" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="pcad" source="Orion">PCAD</keyword>.</li></ul>Higher intake of refined grain may increase the risk of premature coronary artery disease (PCAD), finds a new study. The findings indicate that eating refined grains was associated with increased risk of premature heart disease and <keyword id="32029" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="whole-grains" source="Orion">whole grains</keyword> consumption with reduced risk. "A diet that includes consuming a high amount of unhealthy and refined grains can be considered similar to consuming a diet containing a lot of unhealthy sugars and oils," said author Mohammad Amin Khajavi Gaskarei from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. For the study, to be presented at the <keyword id="131991" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="american-college-of-cardiology" source="Orion">American College of Cardiology</keyword> (<keyword id="6374289" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="acc" source="Orion">ACC</keyword>) Middle East 2022 Together with the 13th Emirates Cardiac Society Congress, taking place in Dubai, UAE, October 7-9, 2022, the team involved 2,099 people with PCAD from hospitals with catheterization labs in different cities and ethnicities throughout Iran who underwent coronary angiography. In total, 1,168 patients with normal coronary arteries were included in the control group, while 1,369 patients with <keyword id="52599" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="cad" source="Orion">CAD</keyword> with obstruction equal or above 75 per cent in at least a single coronary artery. Participants were given a food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessments to evaluate dietary behaviours and evaluate the association between whole grain and refined grain intake and the risk of PCAD in individuals without a prior diagnoses of heart disease. After adjusting for confounders, a higher intake of refined grains was associated with an increased risk of PCAD, while whole grain intake was inversely related to reduced risk of PCAD. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/made-in-india-lightweight-combat-helicopter/articleshow/94613836.cms">Here’s everything you need to know about the made-in-India lightweight combat helicopter</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mumbai-tops-real-estate-sales-and-new-launches-in-september-quarter/articleshow/94613731.cms">Mumbai tops real estate sales and new launches in September quarter</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/indian-corporate-credit-quality-remains-strong-in-h1-of-fy23-crisil/articleshow/94613479.cms">Indian corporate credit quality remains strong in H1 of FY23: CRISIL</a>

Consuming refined grains is as bad as a diet with unhealthy sugars, oils says new study

<ul><li>As we come to the end of another challenging year, we look forward to next with with a lot of hope. </li><li>In our attempt to crystal-gaze into what 2022 has in store for the <keyword id="35666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="advertising" source="Orion">advertising</keyword> and media business, we spoke to a few experts from the industry.</li><li>In today's feature, <keyword id="1193084" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rana-barua" source="Orion">Rana Barua</keyword>, Group CEO, Havas Group India, <keyword id="1627828" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kartik-sharma" source="Orion">Kartik Sharma</keyword>, Group CEO, Omnicom Media Group - India, <keyword id="6269377" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="premjeet-sodhi" source="Orion">Premjeet Sodhi</keyword>, Chief Strategy Officer, <keyword id="5968693" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wavemaker-india" source="Orion">Wavemaker India</keyword>, <keyword id="3364704" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sujata-dwibedy" source="Orion">Sujata Dwibedy</keyword>, Group Trading Director, Amplifi India, dentsu weigh in on trends and themes they feel will dominate the <keyword id="1743395" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="media-buying" source="Orion">media buying</keyword> and selling landscape in 2022.</li></ul>When the pandemic hit us in 2020, most organizations around the world were unprepared for the unprecedented event. While it took everybody by surprise, it brought about a lot of changes to the entire ecosystem. It also brought with it some important lessons. Leaders told us about the importance of agility, collaboration, flexibility and empathy. While the second wave this year hit the country harder than the first, businesses took the lessons they learnt from last year seriously, ensuring they were better equipped to deal with the impact of the pandemic on business. While the months of April and May this year were especially difficult for us and for businesses across India, the bounce-back has been a little quicker this time around, with most organizations already on a road to recovery. In the advertising world, the year was driven by digital media, specifically by social, search as well as video. GroupM’s recently released global end-of-year forecast revealed that there was a much faster expansion in the advertising industry than previously anticipated, driven primarily by growth in the US, UK, and China. The report also predicted that India, the UK, Brazil, Canada, Japan and China could grow between 6-8% annually, on average. Meanwhile, Magna in its report said Indian ad spends witnessed a 14% growth in 2021 and that it will grow by 14.5% in 2022. So, as this year comes to an end and we enter another year with hope, we spoke to leaders from advertising to understand what the year 2022 has in store for us and here is what they had to say: Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India <div type="image" title="Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India" msid="88302606" hostid="261"></div> Be Relevant, Be Meaningful 2021 was all about a steady recovery. And at Havas Group India, 3 things helped us to sustain the comeback – integration &amp; collaboration of our companies and over 1000 people, a sharply defined and relevant MX &amp; CX product strategy, and our many industry-first meaningful initiatives. We realised among all innovations, we needed to become even more flexible and relevant at the core. Marketers expect agencies to be genuine partners and dynamic about consumer understanding so that they can plan smarter. Our global Meaningful Brand study reveals if 75% of global brands disappear, no one would care. This is a reality that every marketer will face. The number of brands people used in the pre and the post covid world are not the same. So, driving relevance, being honest and creating meaningful brands will become even more critical. Understanding the Consumer Experience journey and dovetailing into a sharp meaningful Media Experience will be at the core of any integrated brand planning. And with the use of smart data and analytics the same will only become richer and sharper. And finally, meaningful storytelling (short, byte or long) that connects with the consumer, will make the brands relevant and an integral part of the journey. Kartik Sharma, Group CEO, Omnicom Media Group - India <div type="image" title="Kartik Sharma, Group CEO, Omnicom Media Group - India" msid="88302611" hostid="261"></div> 2022: Back to good old creativity, emotive storytelling Data Privacy has been a highlight of the industry for a while now. The pandemic has brought to the fore new challenges of living in the digital age. And with that, having a foundational understanding of consumer privacy concerns and data protection is paramount. Data and technology are the new-age gold for the private sector across the globe. This bestows greater responsibility on leaders using it. Accountability for every concerned stakeholder and their personally identifiable information needs to be benchmarked. On the heels of data privacy bills being tabled in countries across the world, the time is nigh for companies to step up their guardrails on data and consumer privacy. Even with Google extending their deprecation timeline for third-party cookies to late 2023, the industry needs to start testing ways to reach and engage consumers across the open internet in a non-invasive manner. The big idea of 2022 is the one that'll be ideated on the back of good old creativity, emotive storytelling that humanizes brands - enabled by technology, and of course, one that respects the privacy of its audiences. Premjeet Sodhi, Chief Strategy Officer, Wavemaker India <div type="image" title="Premjeet Sodhi" msid="88302723" hostid="261"></div> Measurement of ROI as the True-North for 2022 We can’t talk enough of the changes that brands have experienced during the past Covid-affected years. Many of these changes are now at a tipping point and we will see change only accelerate in 2022. Metaverse is the flavour of the season and probably will have the highest share of conversations. However, the real work will be in the transformative shifts towards Ecom, D2C, <keyword id="623994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-commerce" source="Orion">Social Commerce</keyword> and in managing media fragmentation. In this sea of ‘new’ in 2022, agencies will be at the helm working hand-in-hand with clients to work through the clutter of partners, formats, data providers, enrichment agencies and various other intermediaries for delivering on these initiatives. Novelty, excitement, and innovations will be aplenty but, objective measurement is what will be amiss. In such a scenario - measurement will be the most important theme for 2022. Each platform comes with its own activity metrics but, we need to bring in benchmarking for best practices, comparability across platforms &amp; impact on business. Marketers, figuratively speaking are at the cross-roads and they need a Compass to guide their media investment decisions. The marketers do not need to go after every new-shining media option but need to evaluate everything with ROI as the True-North. 2022 should be the year to define a clear measurement framework that will define expectations from each media intervention. It will lay-down the activity or output measures, the intermediate measures of behaviour/mindset and the business measures of footfalls/downloads/ sales/ subscriptions, etc. This needs both immediate campaign level measurements as well as broader attribution studies to derive the business impact of media investments. Outcome based Media Measurement Spends in the Industry are barely a decimal percentage of the media spends – does measurement not deserve more? What cannot be measured, will not be managed. Sujata Dwibedy, Group Trading Director, Amplifi India, dentsu <div type="image" title="Sujata Dwibedy" msid="88302719" hostid="261"></div> The year of ecommerce growth 2022 will be a sunrise year and we will see many new trends. However, we will definitely see further growth in double digits in the e-commerce space. We have already seen unprecedented growth in not only the retail e-commerce space but also many other aspects of e-commerce. The strength of smartphones and tablets is on a rise, which is also leading to the surge in e-commerce adoption, in addition to the softer aspects such as convenience and social distancing preferences post covid. If we were to contemplate on what could be working within the e-commerce ecosystem, here are a few pointers on what we may see. Firstly, customer’s satisfaction lies in the little things. So, we may see the ease of search leading to an increase in Voice Search. Diversity of payment methods, other than payment by credit card, bank transfer, mobile wallets, and others. There is a rising trend to make purchases in instalments too. We may see a surge in multichannel customer support. This will enable customers to reach the service center at any time and anywhere if they were to communicate. AI-assisted cross-selling and up-selling within seamless online purchases will be more preferred for personalised marketing and products. We have seen growth from Tier II towns and even the smaller markets. Growth in the metros comes from multiple platforms including D2Cs. With new e-commerce preferences and tools, this is likely to accelerate in the coming years.

Trends 2022: Advertising experts tell us what to expect from 2022

<ul><li>Whether it was surviving the second wave or breaking viewership records during Diwali, 2021 was a rollercoaster year for the television industry.</li><li>Broadcasters spent the first half of 2021 recovering from the impact of multiple lockdowns but the festive season helped the industry get back on its feet.</li><li>As we move forward this year, a few industry experts tell us about new opportunities that 2022 will bring forth for the broadcast industry.</li></ul>With cancellations of live events and sports and no scope to produce fresh General Entertainment Content, the broadcast industry faced a huge creative challenge and financial burden in 2020. However, the television industry was quick to find its ace card -- they started re-airing their classic shows and movies to woo their audience. The return of old mythological shows like Ramayan and Mahabharat from the 90s not only led to an exponential rise in viewership but also increased advertisers’ count. These shows soon became the main source of entertainment among Hindi GECs, and both adults and kids watched the epic stories together. With the audiences stuck at home, television was quick to break its viewership records. Doordarshan had announced that Ramayan became the world's most-watched show on April 16, 2020 with 7.7 crore viewers. Doordarshan’s average daily viewers also grew by 62 million. The need for escapism, news updates and knowledge also increased in times of trouble, creating a need for content. As the lockdown restrictions eased in the country, GECs resumed their production in phases and the great advertising carnival of IPL brought the much-needed cheer for the broadcast industry and consumers in September. The year 2020, undoubtedly, had a far-reaching impact on consumer behaviour and their viewing patterns changed in 2021. Despite economic challenges that were accelerated with the second wave of COVID-19, legacy advertisers continued to increase spends on TV and starts-up were the biggest advertisers on IPL 2021. The second wave did take the industry a step back but television recovered gracefully as the festive season began in August. As per BARC, Ad Volumes on TV for September 2021 was the highest since 2019, which was 15%. The highest spurt was observed for Bhojpuri language channels, where ad volumes were more than double that of 2019, and 38% higher than in 2020. While Hindi language channels account for the largest share of TV advertising, Tamil and Telugu language channels witnessed robust growth over 2020. At the same time, with new changes in viewing patterns after the pandemic, over-the-Top platforms also posed a big threat to television viewership. However, broadcast players started realigning their goals, understanding these changing patterns and adopting agile approaches for content development. As a result, broadcasters have been working towards tailor-making their content that is adept to multiple platforms’ front-end user interfaces. This approach accelerated digital transformation in the broadcast industry by a few years and helped us believe that television and digital are indeed capable of growing hand-in-hand in India. This trend will continue to take shape further in 2022 as well. So as we move forward this year, the broadcast industry is optimistic about rising to its full strength together. We spoke to a few industry experts to discuss what lies ahead. Here’s what they said: Abhishek Dutta, South Asia Network Head, POGO and Cartoon Network: Homegrown kids’ content is definitely the one trend to watch out for. In 2021, WarnerMedia India’s kids’ entertainment channels, Cartoon Network and POGO launched several successful shows that celebrate Indian flavors as relevant localized content continues to hold sway among Indian viewers. According to FICCI-EY media and entertainment industry report (March 2021), regional languages will make up 60% of television consumption by 2025. This has dictated our strong hold on the pulse of the Indian audience and is reflected in our continued investment in homegrown content. This trend also means there is a massive opportunity for the wider animation industry sector in India – from creation and production to developing talent. Our fans-first strategy has shaped the “glocal” approach to our kids’ business in India. One that is focused on world-class animation and relatable stories. 100% homegrown shows and international content localized to suit Indian viewing preferences will continue to rule the roost. Anu Sikka, Head of Content Creation, Channel Strategy &amp; Research at Kids Cluster, <keyword id="187712" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="viacom18" source="Orion">Viacom18</keyword>: Engaging viewers in a language they best understand is essential in order to deliver great experiences. As content creators, it is important to narrate stories in a way that young dynamic minds can understand, relate and build a strong affinity. In India, with an exponential growth in the consumption of regional language content, viewers are keen on engaging with the characters in a language of their choice, thereby leading to larger brand visibility and deeper engagement levels. An increase in multi-lingual content will be the key driver for growth in the television industry. Curating multi-lingual content will lead to audiences developing an unbreakable bond with the storyline and its characters and further strengthen the relationship with the brand. Ruchir Tiwari, Cluster Head - Hindi Movie Channels, ZEEL: In 2021, there was a lot of acceleration because of the pandemic in terms of content consumption. It is evident in the way many billions of Indians have consumed long form content, multi-language content. Predominantly for the Indian market, expectations of the audience are very, very clear. What this is going to do is force all content makers to make good content. I think, right now, whatever the ratio of good content is -- the success rate was never very high because good content is a complex game plan. Now, 2022, it will be an opportunity as well as a challenge to the content creators to make compelling content and then the creators will start from this point of personal development. For me, compelling good content is a must have. Without that, there is no way out and that's the biggest opportunity we all have as an industry. Simran Hoon, CEO, The Q: With the hyper-dynamic market confusion and change in viewers’ preference, the manner and method of storytelling has gained prominence. Innovation in storytelling is hence the need of the hour and this will be one of the strongest trends that will emerge in the coming year. GEC’s will have to re-strategize to showcase content that is not just original and relevant but also interactive and engagement-driven. Another trend for 2022 is how content on Television is viewed. TV will be seen as a medium of entertainment and not ‘the destination.’ The Q has been an early adopter of this trend and has built itself in a unique style with our multi-platform availability. Anshul Ailawadi, Business Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18: While 2021 was about optimism and perseverance, 2022 will be about taking bold bets and experimenting with content. The last 2 years have accelerated several shifts in consumer preferences and habits. Creators are now focussing on different feedback loops as markers of success instead of conventional viewership metrics. Content is being consumed in so many ways, it’s hard to assess (accurately) the potential of a story at the time of greenlighting it. We will see new concepts, new storylines and new faces across genres as age-old rules are tested, and at times, even broken.

Trends that will shape the broadcast industry in 2022

<ul><li>2021, a year full of controversies saw brands turning to <keyword id="255227" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-relations" source="Orion">Public Relations</keyword> and Communications experts to save their reputation and regain consumer trust.</li><li>We look back at how PR evolved in 2021 and catch up with a few experts to discuss the trends that lie ahead.</li></ul>This year, we witnessed many brands become a victim of the boycott culture on social media and each of them adopted a different Public Relations and Communications strategy; while some decided to give in to the pressure, pulled off campaigns and maintained a low profile to cushion the blow, a few others stood their ground and fought back. Gone are the days where a brand could hope for social media controversies to die a natural death and wait for consumers to move on. Now, a small tweet can snowball into a boycott trend and a little bad PR move can cause a company’s stocks to plummet drastically or lead to a huge amount of audience permanently boycotting a brand. At the same time, some experts also advise that brands should not feed the trolls. So, in a year that saw numerous controversies, Public Relations and Communications experts proved their prominence yet again. They acted as the brand's anchor when needed and also helped them reach the shore successfully through tumultuous seas. During the initial stage of the lockdown, <keyword id="562730" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pr-agencies" source="Orion">PR agencies</keyword> had to think on their feet, engage with editorial media to help brands share their side of the story with interesting nuggets, offer positive stories, work on personalised pitches, ensure internal and external stakeholders were updated frequently with utmost honesty and transparency. PR experts also pushed brands to connect with their communities on a personal level through truthful, authentic human acts. The crisis also caused paradigm shifts in the industry and digital PR took the center stage. Experts were required to monitor trends in real-time, find various consumer touchpoints through social listening and offer predictive analysis. As we move forward, PR agencies are working towards expanding their offerings with allied competencies like creative, experiential and social media capabilities. They have also been helping brands to find the right balance between profit, people and the environment. So, the future of PR is in strong storytelling in the digital world. The future is also unpredictable and PR professionals can’t rely on annual calendars anymore. With the news cycle changing every day, PR experts are required to be more flexible and agile. We reached out to experts to look back at 2021, discuss a few trends that lie ahead in 2022 and understand what kind of role will PR play next year. Here’s what they had to say: Archana Jain, Managing Director, <keyword id="12776689" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pr-pundit" source="Orion">PR Pundit</keyword> The sway of top celebrities has diminished as was the case back in the days. With the advent of digital and social media, people have begun to trust recommendations from peers far more. Audiences find authentic content or recommendations by actual consumers to be more honest and believable than other forms of promotions and advertising by brands. This is reason enough for brands to actively nurture a community of advocates. PR will be required to work with brands to shape and foster a community of brand advocates. A set of loyal and vocal customers who can help humanise the brand in addition to boosting brand appeal &amp; trust, promoting its products &amp; services to new cohorts, providing invaluable user-generated content (UGC), word-of-mouth recommendations, and social media chatter. Community-led storytelling is more acceptable and authentic rather than a direct brand-led communication. Community advocacy will need to be consciously harnessed and not left to chance. 2022 will see many more brands structure a meaningful brand advocacy strategy. Ameer Ismail, President, <keyword id="10059988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lintas-live" source="Orion">Lintas Live</keyword> My biggest takeaway from 2021 is that agency brands and professionals have learned to be resilient and this is based on the multitude of challenges everyone has faced. Smart PR agencies have managed to reinvent themselves with offerings that are built for new realities and collectively have made sure that the relevance of PR is as strong as ever. While a move to everything digital will continue and a lot has been spoken and written about that, I feel that ‘collaboration and consolidation’ will be one the most important trends in that will emerge in 2022. This will be fueled by a few factors, first, resources will be deployed judiciously and talent will continue to be in short supply, the churn agencies have been experiencing at mid and junior levels will continue in 2022. This will lead to a need for agencies to find collaborative ways to deliver on client briefs and they will tap the vast pool of independent talent and specialized agencies and we will see newer collaborative models emerge. Second, clients will be in a hurry to get solutions from agency partners that can get their brands back in the mindspace of consumers and other target audiences. They will want to deal with fewer, better established partners which will lead to a need for consolidation. Deepshikha Dharmaraj, Chief Executive Officer, <keyword id="8878758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="genesis-bcw" source="Orion">Genesis BCW</keyword> If there is one word that will be at the centre of everything in 2022, it is ‘people’. With the world—India included—teetering between recovery and anxiety around ever-evolving COVID variants, people will need to be communicated with, engaged, assuaged, motivated, retained, developed, and more. These people include every stakeholder a company has—customers/consumers, employees, partners, the government, the community at large. And public relations is the only marketing discipline that touches all of them. Digital will continue to be the medium of choice, and within that, metaverse will be flavour of the year. While the Indian industry still has some distance to cover in that, there is curiosity about this next big thing. No matter what the medium though, the message will have to be aligned to the company’s purpose. And delivered creatively, with authenticity. Akshaara Lalwani, Founder &amp; CEO, <keyword id="3573568" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="communicate-india" source="Orion">Communicate India</keyword> Over the past decade, PR has been moving away from traditional business models towards a more holistic and integrated approach. Whether it is the shift from pure media relations to content or the migration from print to digital, there is a marked change in the way the PR landscape functions. In 2022, this trend will further solidify its presence. There will also be a blurring of demarcation lines between PR, marketing and advertising, digital and offline, eventually leading to PR &amp; Communication professionals to further value the importance of integrated communications. Agility and the ability to pivot will thus be key attributes that will enable the industry to thrive. Also, since the protracted fight against the pandemic still continues, companies and organisations need to prioritise responsible communication over all else. We live in a world where the spread of disinformation and misinformation is not uncommon, hence, agencies need to be able to work in tandem with their clients to help them steer a middle course between capitalistic desires and ethical communication. Mayank Sen, Co-founder, Moe's Art For the longest time, ‘content’ has been the flavour of the season. At first, it began as an accessory, gradually ruling as a king on a kingdom. In 2020, content and its marketing became an undeniable powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. The evergreen axiom of marketing – ‘delivering the right content, to the right people, at the right time’ – took a redefined meaning. And for the times to come, the fundamental aspect of the content ecosystem will be founded on a framework of a performance driven-model, driven by contextual marketing. Within the emerging framework, data and technology will take a strong precedence. The industry will focus on delivering optimal consumer experience while capitalising on the opportunities in hand. Attention will be paid to provide more personalised and relevant content. Measuring the performance will make sure that the experience is scalable. It will present a continuous assessment of how the content is performing, and from that perspective, make decisions on what to do with the content in the future. Measuring success, building a cohesive brand story, and fostering a transparent, interactive consumer loyalty will be the ‘WIN-WIN’ strategy for the year to come! Asif Upadhye, Director and The Dark Knight at <a href="http://www.sprd.co.in/">SPRD</a> If 2020 and 2021 have taught us anything, it’s that moving forward at a snail’s pace is undoubtedly the quickest way to get left behind. While pre-pandemic, the public relations and communications industry was already making significant strides in technology by analyzing data to craft a better customer experience, the pace of digital adoption and the advent of a digital-first PR approach have been accelerated. From my own experience, a key ingredient across PR strategies, content marketing, corporate communications, and media coverage that will rule the PR roost in 2022 is the crucial need to customize bespoke services and products, every step of the way. From unified communications (UC) that are employee-centric to personalizing media pitches, customization sits at the heart of nearly every PR and communications trend. Customers are growing tired of the ‘media universe’ and now look for frameworks based on behavioral and business insights that truly put their needs front and center. Eventually, this is what will separate the mediocre brands from the greats. Case in point, the State of PR 2021 report points to the fact that flexibility, agility and attention to detail when it comes to personalizing something as simple as a pitch email is 96% more likely to grab a journalist’s eyeballs, rather than sending out a generic email blast. While consumer habits and employee working patterns that have been developed over the past year and a half are likely to continue well into 2022, hyper-personalization will bear fruit and result in more contextualized communication and inevitably greater conversions.” <keyword id="10618036" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tarunjeet-rattan" source="Orion">Tarunjeet Rattan</keyword>, Managing Partner, <keyword id="12776690" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nucleus-pr" source="Orion">Nucleus PR</keyword> There are three very distinct trends that we will see in the coming year: <ul><li>While the models of working and mediums will undergo a change, what will remain strong is the need for strong storytelling. What will change however is the degree of authenticity in storytelling. It will take a hard turn towards stark reality …almost raw. Consumers want to know why the brand matters, why they should care about it and what is the brand impact? How are you adding value to the life of the consumer? Authentic storytelling will win over aesthetics.</li><li>The role of the founding or leadership team will become even more crucial. One cannot hide behind a faceless brand persona or logo anymore. You will have to put yourself out there to create a strong, credible and believable story about your brand that brings out its authenticity. This also brings in a lot more accountability that brands will have to guard their reputation on. Consumers want to pick up brands that walk the talk. You cannot be a CEO that promotes mental health and fire your agency on twitter. You cannot be talking about environmental sustainability and create a toxic work culture for humans. It just won’t fly anymore.</li><li>Community Building will take Center Stage. We saw a strong glimpse of this across 2020 and 2021. This will gain more ground in the coming year where communities around a brand vision will be created and drive conversation around a challenge.</li></ul>Sonam Shah, Founder and CEO, Treize Communications 2021 saw high demand in PR, especially in the area of influencer marketing. Brands, big and small, capitalised on this rising trend in the first half of the year. But, once the ASCI guidelines came into place from June 2021, there was a downward slip observed in the engagement. Instagram algorithms underwent a great uphaul as influencers had to win against AI algorithms. This phase again got brands and companies to focus on creating news and building brand recall. While demand has been high for PR, there have been some apprehensions also noticed when it comes to being out in the open/media. The second half of this year, saw print media come back, as newspaper circulation started, and people started reading it like before. This behavioural change instigated a need to be present in Print media, via editorial articles, and this will be the biggest trend in 2022. The need to present in Print media. Print media has always been a factor in bringing in trust and authenticity and clients do require to build that kind of strong trust within their stakeholders to continue businesses in a post-pandemic phase.

Trends that will dominate the PR industry in 2022

<ul><li>In our latest series, we look at different industries to understand what 2021 was like for them and crystal gaze into the upcoming year, identifying some of the trends that will set the tone for 2022.</li><li>We speak to Design Gurus to find out trends that 2022 has in store for us.</li></ul>Each year brings along shifts in trends and the year 2021, in particular, brought a faster pace of changes in marketing strategies, product design and execution -- opening up a huge window for innovation and experimentation. It pushed all brands and agencies to think on their feet. Everyone had to go back to the drawing board to think of new ways to communicate with consumers as they started demanding products that are designed in comforting and sustainable ways with smart features that offer convenience and personalisation. Consumers’ outlook towards their health and wellness also evolved as the pandemic pushed them to re-evaluate their lifestyle. They have become increasingly aware of climate change and are willing to take an active approach to do something about it. They are also expecting brands to act as agents of change, be more transparent about the raw material they use and act sustainably. So, in 2021, brands like Colgate, Diageo, WOW launched paper-based packaging and started keeping sustainability at the center of their products. With this trend, it is no doubt that all purchase decisions in the future will be completely driven by a product’s packaging material. Apart from a product’s ingredients, brands will be required to explain their recycling process too to attract consumers. As per a recent study conducted across Asia, <a href="https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2821-consumers-relationships-brands.html">consumers</a> are paying attention to a product's environmental impact, and affordability and quality were still the main driving factors behind a vast majority of purchases. As a result, product designs have changed in the last two years. Brands have increased their focus on the ‘safety’ aspect of product packaging and design. And as consumers looked for ways to escape from reality, elements of optimism and local community flavours took center stage in the product design industry. Brands played more with bright, positive designs across communication, packaging, and other large facets of brand architecture. With the arrival of Meta, the growth of artificial intelligence will also accelerate across the globe and brands will integrate AI into their product design. As the year draws to a close, we speak to design gurus to find out what challenges lie ahead and a few trends that would monopolize the marketing world in 2022. Here is what experts had to say: Lulu Raghavan, Managing Director, Landor &amp; Fitch India: The design trend that has accelerated sharply in the past few years and that will explode and firmly take hold in 2022 is sustainable design. This is because of the perfect storm of environmental consciousness coupled with a desire for meaning that most of us as designers and creatives are experiencing. The pandemic sharply exposed the horrors of climate change to us. It made us sit up and think hard about humanity’s collective actions that have contributed to the unprecedented global warming that has been creeping up slowly but surely in the past several decades. Whether it was the forest fires in Australia, the Winter storms in Texas, the devastating flooding in Maharashtra or the many other extreme weather events that popped up around the world with alarming regularity, we were choked beyond words and stirred up to think about how we got here in the first place. The pandemic also created existential angst as we were stuck at home, attending to our daily routines, wondering about the purpose of our lives. This search for meaning has made us question everything from mindless consumption to what success means. As a result, as designers, we will be consciously re-examining every problem we are given to solve. We will more fervently be looking through the lens of sustainability for better answers towards the greater good. Whether we will be designing new products, new spaces, new packs or creating new brands, we will be thinking hard about sustainable design solutions that can do their small but important bit for our planet. A Appadurai, Country Manager for the HP Indigo: The labels and packaging industry in India is on an upward growth trajectory bolstered by the rapid expansion of organized retail, the growth of exports, and India’s rising e-commerce sector and start-ups. Furthermore, consumer behaviour has massively transformed post the pandemic. Consumers are demanding brands to be more secure, culturally and environmentally responsible and provide consumer experiences that are in sync with the brand purpose. In the future, offerings will be tailored not just to stated preferences, but also behaviour. This has made packaging a critical touchpoint to base purchase decisions on, and the industry must adapt how they can optimize their packaging to meet the upcoming trends to meet customer expectations. In the years to come starting 2022, personalized and innovative packaging will help keep customers highly engaged with the brand thereby establishing greater brand affinity. Therefore, ‘packvertising’ is an effective tool that marketers can use to strike a chord with their end consumers. Moreover, with increase in online shopping, the threat of counterfeit products is growing. By 2022, counterfeiting is projected to cost the global economy US$4.2 trillion^ This will require vigilance and continued investment in new solutions - like serialization, invisible inks, track &amp; trance, and origination software to protect them from counterfeit packaging vulnerabilities. Brands are discovering massive cost benefits of On Demand Packaging / Printing against the traditional Scale of Economy Print &amp; store model because of the rapid changes that happens in the market. Agility and time to market have become super important for brands today and On demand printing / packaging exactly helps in the cause. Most importantly, consumers today are more aware of the kind of products that they use and the brands they are associated with. They are environmentally more conscious which has driven up the demand for holistically sustainable goods. Marketers must therefore increase their focus on sustainable printing &amp; green packaging. To claim sustainability proof points, brands must examine the entire lifecycle of the packaging, including its use in supply chain, basic function, marketing, usefulness to the consumer and recyclability. This should also involve examining the packaging’s credentials under the three common pillars of sustainability: people, planet, and profit. One approach which can help incorporate all these elements into an integrated strategy for sustainable packaging is carbon-footprint labelling. A carbon-footprint label shows the product’s carbon footprint from manufacturing, through use right up to eventual disposal. Ashwini Deshpande, Co-Founder &amp; Director, Elephant Design: Connected for better: That would be my key prediction for the coming year. Mobility, retail, gadgets, personal/ home care, and foods - everything will see a surge in use of technology to understand users/ consumers better. Every product, service and brand will try to understand usage patterns by embedding codes or chips to gather data more than ever. Products will also be built to communicate with each other to gather data indirectly. Such products will also help consumers understand supply source, fair practices, carbon footprint etc. Increased awareness towards sustainability, well-being of self and the environment would largely be the drivers. There are many parallel developments happening across material sciences, manufacturing technology and embedded electronics happening across the world. All these come together to create better products for the connected world. Kiran Khadke, Co-founder and Creative Head, Hyper Connect: While most of 2020 &amp; 2021 went blah! It continued to keep the creative &amp; digital studios on their toes to keep UX at the core and keep products minimal, clean, user-focussed and simple. While AR/VR was still finding their footing and voice led product experiences was still nascent and un-integrated with the overall product. In 2022, there will be a quantum leap, creative &amp; digital studios will have to integrate deeper with tech developers and analysts to create experiences for the new digital paradigm like Metaverse, Serl.io, Uhive and likes… The new paradigm of product design would need to consider 3D, multi-dimension, Voice, AR, VR integrated together seamlessly to create a real-like experience in the growing virtual world. The next wave for advertising agencies is to bring all these aspects together in cohesion and we at Hyper Connect are working on similar projects set to launch in 2022. Shashwat Das, Founder, Almond Branding: After a chaotic year, 2021 was the year for brands to understand their consumers all over again as a lot had changed in her life amid this pandemic. A lot of it is still evolving while brands are trying to align themselves and Design is bound to reflect such changes in our society and environment. Motion Design We are going to witness more and more motion in brand design as an engaging approach to storytelling. Just having static graphics as part of your visual assets is not good enough anymore. As consumer touchpoints get more digitised, brand design language will be incorporating more of motion graphics, gifs and animations. Going forward most logos will have an animated version. And motion is not limited to websites or apps, we are seeing the advent of AR fused with design. Coming year, we are going to see more Packaging where you scan a QR code and you have elements from the static design springing to action to narrate the brand story in a more engaging manner. Humanisation of Brand Design The years gone by have redefined our priorities. With several months of social distancing, we all have been missing the personal touch. Brands are going to humanise more in their attempt to build stronger relationships and engage better. At Almond Branding, we are happy to notice that our clients are preferring the proposed conversational style of messaging more, be it Packaging or Communication Design. Going forward consumers will be expecting a more personalised experience while connecting with brands. And Brand Design will make them feel that they are buying from a human and not a company. Environment-Friendly Design The pandemic has made consumers more conscious about their environment. While several brands have taken on the mission of being planet-friendly, it’s now time to walk the talk. Consumers are clever and can now easily spot greenwashing. What it means for us in the business of design, is that we have to do much more than just use the colour green to signify that we are planet-friendly. Going forward, brand designers will have to actually choose substrates and packaging formats that are truly sustainable, recyclable and low on carbon impact. 2022 is going to be year of Design for Sustainability. The last 2 years have taught us that the future is uncertain so be prepared to change drastically. The same old ways of thinking and approach are no longer going to work. The way the past 2 years have been, it can only go bigger and better from here. We all have immense hope from the Big year that is upcoming. Embracing the newer trends will be the best way for brands to dominate the market and outshine their competition. Adil Singh, Co-founder, Lights Out Studio: <div type="image" title="Adil" msid="88320263" hostid="261"></div> Two trends that will gain momentum in the coming months: Web3: Everything about block chain and its benefits has been spoken enough. Right from brands dropping NFT’s to allowing customers to buy products in crypto, would start peaking highlight of the more progressive brands. Owning a piece of the brand through the block chain network not only allows you to build a deeper connect with the brand, but also a loyal network of customers who are tech-savy and can contribute back to the brand in multiple ways. Community Building: Harped enough in the past few months, a solid community can help you with product feedback, primary research, uder generated content and also word of mouth evangelism. Communities will go beyond the ‘social media influencers’ to HXC’s (high expectation customers) that the brand targets. These are people who not only can become ideal users / adopters of the product, but also solid leaders / community builders within their personal &amp; professional networks.

Design: The trends to watch out for in 2022

<ul><li>Investors should short the US <keyword id="11895235" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stock-market" source="Orion">stock market</keyword> as recessionary fears become self-fulfilling, according to TS Lombard.</li><li>The research firm sees the Fed's current tightening cycle sparking a soft US recession as its base case.</li><li>"If there is a recession earnings are likely to decline rather than just grow more slowly," TS Lombard said.</li></ul>Investors should short the US stock market as ongoing fears of <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/economy-outlook-stock-market-implies-recession-gloomy-self-fulling-jpmorgan-2022-6">a recession become self-fulfilling</a>, according to a research note from TS Lombard.The investment research firm now has the US entering a mild recession as its base case, arguing that the Fed's current tightening cycle will determine how long the recession lasts. If the Fed overtightens, the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/us-economy-recession-deeper-gdp-fed-rates-inflation-deutsche-bank-2022-6">recession could become more pronounced.</a>"In the current environment there is still a path (if small) to a soft landing, but the problem is that central banks are getting panicky and recessions can become self-fulfilling. The rumour mill has started churning that the Fed is angling for a 'softish' recession to bring inflation down. Headlines and forecasts negatively impact investor, consumer and corporate behaviour and we are already starting to see cracks appear," TS Lombard said.But in the short-term, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-bad-news-is-good-news-inflation-fundstrat-2022-5">bad news is good news for the market</a> and there could be a rally seen in stock prices even in the face of deteriorating economic data. That's because slower growth helps tame inflation, which means the Fed doesn't need to raise interest rates as much as previously thought. "Rising recession fears have thus led to declining yields and, in a roundabout way, to a rally in equities," TS Lombard said. But those rallies should be viewed as an opportunity to short stocks, according to the note, because in the long-term a recession is ultimately a big negative for stock prices."This seems pretty obvious but it is worth repeating given recent price action: growth matters for equities. Equities see significant gains when growth is above trend, struggle when it is below trend and fall when it is negative," TS Lombard said.The likely recession TS Lombard expects is sure to hurt corporate earnings, which over the long-term have been the main driver of stock prices. "Counter-cyclical inflation depresses margins, but consensus EPS estimates are still at very elevated levels. It is thus likely that we get downgrades in consensus EPS estimates. US earnings revisions have already turned negative, and we expect this trend to accelerate. If there is a recession earnings are likely to decline rather than just grow more slowly, especially in real terms," TS Lombard explained.With growth set to moderate, and expectations still anchored to the post-pandemic boom of 2020 and 2021, there seems to be more room for equity prices to fall, according to TS Lombard. And investors can take advantage of that by following the firm's recommendation and shorting the SPY ETF.

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