<ul><li>After the advent of social media, it is has become easier for consumers to reach out to brands personally and share their queries. And it is pertinent for brands to listen to it carefully, address it and make the required changes because if they don't, the customer is likely to switch to their competitor.</li><li>But listening to consumers is not just about hiring a customer service associate, it is about connecting with them. It involves paying close attention to their needs and understanding how you can help them achieve their goals.</li><li>Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer &amp; Director, India and MENA Region at <keyword id="3671421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tonic-worldwide" source="Orion">Tonic Worldwide</keyword> writes why it is important to listen to your consumers and how you can make the most of it. </li></ul>It is 2021, the year that has seen everything transform. Including research and consumer insight mining It is an era where digital transformation is not a luxury but a necessity. Most brands across sizes have gone digital. If you are reading this article, are a part of any agency or brand team and yet don't access business intelligence from what consumers are saying online, you might as well go back to your traditional means of doing business and become redundant! Social Listening has taken a new meaning with data driven thinking. Today, with the access to most of the consumer conversations in public forums about brands or their feelings, pain points etc, one can identify motivators and triggers or barriers with online researches with ‘Listening’ Imagine the consumer shouting out loud and telling you how you can make him/her buy more or what is stopping him / her from currently buying your product. This is GOLD! Where do you find this information? Is it only with social listening practice? Not really...There are multiple tools that provide social listening and yet marketers having access to those tools are unable to leverage that data in an effective way because it is just data without any meaningful action to it! Data is incomplete unless you can join the dots with relevant insights which is possible when you look at multiple data points and not just social listening for brand. Hence we have invented a practice called ‘<keyword id="12085964" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="deep-listening" source="Orion">Deep Listening</keyword>’ which enables intelligence on category, consumer, brand and competition. Insights come out of all of these which are put to good use Deep listening can enable you to <ol><li>Make the consumer your key stakeholder. When they know that you are listening and taking feedback seriously and implementing changes basis the same, they will feel equally responsible towards the product / service. For example, a premium skin care brand, kept evolving the product basis customer feedback and kept sending the products as trial to these consumers who ultimately became loyal brand advocates</li><li>Develop ‘Product Innovations basis consumer need gaps’. For instance a denim brand came up with a simple change in women denims that had deeper pockets given that women were facing a challenge with their pocket size</li><li>Improve your customer service and experiences transforming negative sentiments to positive ones</li><li>Do not just focus on negative comments. The positive ones can enable brand love if appreciated, acknowledged and communicated with</li><li>Arrive at Communication insights which are relatable and enable better campaigns</li><li>Intent driven content strategy that enables qualitative and meaningful content for consumers</li><li>Create viral content</li></ol>If the last one caught your attention, yes, content virality today is a bigger achievement than successful campaigns. Getting a consumer to not only consume but also appreciate and share your content with their social circle is a big achievement. With deep listening, you can identify upcoming trends, pop culture based conversations and enable content that is relatable and relevant to the TG making it shareworthy. Not just that, you can also identify content that is relevant to your brand and enable brand banter and conversations which catch attention 8. Drive ROI- Deep Listening around your product and category can help you identify demand and thus move the needle in that direction. If you are still NOT listening, you are a bad listener.

Listen or become redundant: Why is it important for brands to listen closely to their consumers

<ul><li>Based on ‘Deep Listening’ methodology, <keyword id="3671421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tonic-worldwide" source="Orion">Tonic Worldwide</keyword>’s insights division GIPSI, has arrived at unique and actionable insights.</li><li>The pandemic has led to the creator economy phenomenon, with an increase in conversations around product as well as store reviews by a massive 1447%.</li></ul>We're always consuming, wish-listing and adding items to multiple carts, across multiple E-commerce portals, consciously or unconsciously, especially due to pandemic induced behaviour. GIPSI, Tonic Worldwide's HI+AI (Human Intelligence + Artificial Intelligence) division applied its ‘Deep Listening’ methodology, triangulated with a survey (100 respondents) and 20 SME interviews to arrive at unique insights. The data sources are multiple for ‘Deep Listening’ Method – it goes beyond digital conversations and maps the data with interests and searches, coupled with unique HI perspectives giving actionable insights. All data compare January 2021 to July 2021, as well as to 2020 Data wherever applicable. Key Findings of the GIPSI Report: The Pandemic Effect is the key trigger for increased E-commerce adoption, with the majority of respondents shopping online tried at least 2 new E-commerce shopping sites/ apps in the past year. <ul><li>Rise in the Types of E-commerce: Social commerce, Conversation Commerce, Homegrown Small Commerce, Delivery commerce, Video commerce, Sustainable commerce, Thrift commerce, Gift commerce, Creator commerce....the list is endless! Implication: The digital audience of India today is approximately 620+ million which consists of Fans, Friends, Followers, subscribers, passive surfers, who are all likely to be consumers!</li></ul><ul><li>The Rise of ‘Apps’ in E-commerce: Currently, there are 1103 most used E-Commerce apps in India and shopping apps have today captured the mobile home screens and they have made it to the Top 4 categories in the list of Most Used Mobile Apps in India, in 2021. Implication: Fight for the home screens has begun. Are you ready?</li><li>Rise of surfing in E-commerce: Every month approximately 620K searches take place for Social commerce, increasing month-on-month. With the average Indian today spending about 2.25 hours on social media everyday, commerce has become content now! Implication: Only presence is not enough! Your E-commerce content needs to be thumb-stopping.</li></ul><ul><li>Rise of "Search" in E-commerce: About 54% of product searches takes place on Amazon, with respondents attributing to the same, rather than using a search engine. Implication: How discoverable is your brand? Use Search behaviour to decode consumers’ intent and interest.</li></ul><ul><li>Rise of “Experience” in E-commerce: Today, From chatbots, Live videos, conversation commerce to AR features, the options are plenty. Inclination towards conversational commerce is on the rise, with 79% increase in industry-led conversations on decoding conversational commerce, and the technologies involved. Further, top conversational AI platforms see steady growth. Implication: "Experience" can be your post-pandemic advantage. Invest in experiences now.</li></ul><ul><li>Rise of “Entertainment” in E-commerce: E-commerce destinations are now competing with Social Media networks and OTTs, with customers spending more and more time on these shopping destinations. Soon, this experience will replicate malls - with the option to watch movies, shop and order food, all in an 'E-comm mall'! Implication: E-commerce is not just a medium. It’s now a Destination for Entertainment.</li></ul><ul><li>The Rise of shopping on ‘Visual and Video platforms’ in E-commerce”: Visual platforms are seeing a whopping surge across all the platforms. Preference for ‘Instagram shopping’ rules the roost, followed by Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest. There’s also a strong inclination towards Pinterest shopping, with 799% growth. Implication: Make visual platforms your shop’s new address.</li></ul><ul><li>The Rise of ‘Reviews’ in E-commerce: Led by the “creator economy” phenomenon, E-commerce reviews are also determined by Social Media Creators’ reviews and recommendations which can make or break brands on digital. There has been a 1447 % increase in conversations, with a 3X positive sentiment and further 25K conversations specifically on reviews and recommendations on E-commerce destinations. Implication: Brands, what’s your Review Quotient (RQ)?</li></ul><ul><li>The Rise of "Small Commerce" &gt;&gt; "Delivery Commerce" : The boom of Small commerce has seen an immense growth with creators, home businesses and local stores which have moreover taken their consumer experience completely online, with 155%+ increase in adopting Whatsapp catalogues and 46%+ increase in Shopify app downloads.. This thriving space has seen over 1.5 million searches on topics related to build/ set up E-commerce websites, free tools and related queries. Further, there has been a growth of 73%+ in monthly active users of popular hyperlocal delivery players from the beginning of 2021 - to now. Implication: Brands, time to re-check who your competition is. Don't forget to include the new-shops-in-town</li></ul><ul><li>The Rise of ‘<keyword id="1479775" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="eco-activism" source="Orion">Eco-activism</keyword>’ in E-commerce: Witnessing a 50%+ surge in conversations around the topic and specifically 833K conversations on eco-friendly and <keyword id="6660763" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-packaging" source="Orion">sustainable packaging</keyword>, this <keyword id="12201157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="conscious-shopping" source="Orion">conscious shopping</keyword> behaviour is now on the rise. Implication: Products, persona and packaging with an eco-filter is a must</li></ul>Anjali Malthankar, National Strategy Director, Tonic Worldwide said, “Who knew that the biggest barrier ‘contactless shopping’ will become the biggest trigger for the rise and rise of E-commerce! With abundant data, there is no looking back on the reasons to adopt commerce on digital. Trends are available to all but brands which identify undercurrents will have an advantage. Our GIPSI report is for anyone who is riding, considering or fearing the rise and rise of E-commerce”. Commenting on the report, <keyword id="5909082" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="unmisha-bhatt" source="Orion">Unmisha Bhatt</keyword>, Chief Strategy Officer and Director – India &amp; MENA region Tonic Worldwide, said "At Tonic Worldwide, we enable our clients to meet their business objectives with better insights. That is why we exist! In the last year and a half, E-commerce and digitization has been a game changer for multiple companies of all sizes. In an effort to accelerate their business, GIPSI's ecommerce insights report focuses on ways and means to see higher growth by adopting best practices. By making this report accessible to other brands and businesses beyond tonic, we look forward to contributing to the larger growth story for marketers" GIPSI was launched in 2018 and is being headed and driven by Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer, Tonic Worldwide and Anjali Malthankar, National Strategy Director, Tonic Worldwide.

Conscious shopping behaviour is now on the rise as eco-activismwitnesses a 50%+ surge in conversations; 833K conversations happenaround sustainable packaging: Gipsi report

<ul><li>Tonic Worldwide’s Gipsi decodes consumer needs of 2021 which were born out of 2020. </li><li>It predicts that brands can advance the good news and work hard to indulge the consumers in positive sentiment with Good news.</li></ul>United in surviving the pandemic albeit separated by screens, 2020 has forced many learnings upon humanity. India saw a new digital audience and quick adoption of e-commerce, video apps and WFH culture thriving. But it also came with a lot of side effects of deprivation, slow-down, lack of social connect and much more. It is fair to say that predictions and forecasts need to underplay this season with the uncertainties that the world witnessed in 2020. With this in mind, Tonic Worldwide’s insight division GIPSI decided to decode the consumer needs of 2021 which are born out of 2020. It applied the “Deep Listening methodology” across multiple data points on the brink of a fresh year, to decipher sentiments, conversations and interests to decode the needs of 2021. <div type="image" title="gipsi - Tonic" msid="79854186" hostid="261"></div> The 4 Key Needs of 2021 according to GIPSI are: <ul><li>The Need to Heal from 2020</li><li>The Need to find Balance post-2020 imbalance</li><li>The Need for Good News post-2020, which was the year of bad news</li><li>The Need for Reassurance post-2020</li></ul><ol><li>The Need to Heal from 2020:</li></ol>GIPSI observes that there is a need to heal beyond physical health- mental, financial, social and more. <ul><li>In 2020 multiple factors triggered importance of ‘Mental Health’ – celebrity suicide, job losses, domestic violence etc. As a result, awareness hit its peak, with a 1021% surge in "Mental Health Quotes" searches, and 40K conversations around "Mental Health".</li><li>Further, the year also saw an increasing concern on the career forefront with nearly 3.6 Mn LinkedIn updates for #Opentowork, #Opentojobs, #Openforbusiness.</li><li>People have begun to value self-care, with a 2x increase in “guided meditation” and 147% surge in YouTube trends of "Yoga for beginners''.</li><li>Consumers are busy bonding with puppies as a means of social healing, 302% search increase in "How to train a puppy".</li><li>Many relationships were put on hold with the mounting uncertainty, leading to a 2020 phenomenon - Situationship, with over 174K posts on Instagram.</li></ul>GIPSI’s implication spells - “Brands can be the vaccine for the side effects of 2020 damage. Brands, what are you healing in 2021?” 2. The Need to find Balance post 2020 imbalance GIPSI says, Consumer sentiment to take charge and take risk to bring back the lost balance is promising. <ul><li>Freshers take charge - 326% increase in searches for "how to make resume for freshers", and 187.5K conversations on Job opportunities with a positive sentiment. The #workation trend hits India with 5K+ posts, while the debate of “Work from home or Work for home continues”.</li><li>Relationships extend beyond romantic nature, as long distance #workbuddies becomes a norm, and calls for a catch up.</li><li>Consumers interest in money matters surges once again - 2x increase in trends towards “stocks to watch today” and 4x increase in trends towards “is it a good time to invest”.</li><li>Indians find a way to make weddings grand over virtual means, with wedding meals home-delivered and streamed live.</li></ul>GIPSI’s Implication spells - “Brands can help bring back the lost balance and help consumers feel more in control.” 3. The Need for Good News post 2020, which was the year of bad news GIPSI identifies, the deprivation of ‘good news’ in 2020, makes Good news in 2021, an essential! <ul><li>With the common plea being “Go Away 2020”. The biggest good news people want to hear is over Vaccine arrival- 19.4K + conversations and 153.7K engagement, with an overall positive sentiment.</li><li>Rising interest trends towards events, festivals and shubh muhurat indicates the eager anticipation for celebration.</li><li>India in vacay mood: High intent on leisure and getaways with 11.4K conversations and 67.5K engagement on Travel 2021.</li><li>Sustainability takes center stage with a cumulative 186% search increase on Sustainability packaging and ecofriendly materials. 2021 will need some serious steps with respect to sustainability packaging.</li></ul>GIPSI’s implication spells - “Brands can advance the good news and work hard to indulge the consumers in positive sentiment with Good news.” 4.The Need for Reassurance post-2020 After leaping and flitting through 2020 consumers are pandemic hungover and seeking confidence over their choices of anything to do with 'stepping out'. They're seeking reassurance in each step of their decision journey <ul><li>Be it sending kids to school, going out to a mall or a restaurant, or even scrutinizing brands on purity quotient. Where a neutral sentiment of 78% looks for assurance from schools to provide safety. At the same time a booming 71% positive sentiment over malls and cafes adapting to safe personalized measures for consumers.</li><li>They're also demanding transparency and promise of purity from brands as 35.7 k + online conversation over purity test, a 700% + search of rice purity tests are on the rise.</li></ul>GIPSI’s Implication spells - “Brands will need to re-build trust to regain the confidence to be re-considered. Gipsi also informs consumer reviews will play a big role” Commenting on the report, Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer and Director – India &amp; MENA region, Tonic Worldwide, says, “While the crisis has been ongoing for a while now, there has been some lead time for marketers to recalibrate and be better prepared to communicate with consumers in 2021. This <keyword id="10265037" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="gipsi-report">Gipsi report</keyword> equips marketers across categories to be the catalyst in the Consumers life by uncovering their need gaps in the given situation.” Anjali Malthankar, National Strategy Director, Tonic Worldwide says “Unlike any new year report with speculative insights, with GIPSI 2021, we decided to get more realistic and thus discovered an unusual scenario for a new year report –consumers’ needs of 2021 are heavily impacted by the 2020 pandemic experience. Consumers are increasingly experiencing and engaging on digital, it’s only natural to say a regular deep listening can give brands an upper edge and a digital ear to the ground.” Gipsi was launched in 2018 and is being headed and driven by Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer, Tonic Worldwide and Anjali Malthankar, National Strategy Director, Tonic Worldwide.

2020 saw a cumulative 186% increase in search on sustainable  packaging and ecofriendly materials: Report

<ul><li><keyword id="3671421" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tonic-Worldwide">Tonic Worldwide</keyword>’s HI+AI insight division ‘GIPSI’ shares Diwali 2020 profiles with insights and implications for marketers’ quick reference.</li><li>Revenge consumers are the ones who want to live the old normal, and are ready to pay the premium in the new normal to experience the same and more.</li></ul>Diwali 2020 is here and so are many perspectives. The industry is buzzing with positive sentiment and brands are extending the sentiment by supporting smaller players. Everyone has been waiting for Diwali in 2020 as a ray of hope for recovery. Digital data is a powerhouse of insights. ‘GIPSI’, the HI +AI insights division of Tonic Worldwide has published a brief <keyword id="10265036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="diwali-report">Diwali report</keyword> about the digital consumer profiles with insights and implications. This attempts to decode the pre-Diwali digital behaviour with its ‘Deep Listening’ methodology. The data sources are multiple for ‘Deep Listening’ Method – it goes beyond digital conversations and maps the data with interests and searches added with unique HI perspectives giving actionable insights. According to the report: The Revenge Diwali celebration consumer intends to spend, not save! For them splurge is the new retail therapy. This profile of TG is ready to pay the premium to celebrate Diwali in the old normal way and more. Their heavy wallets need a breather. Which is good news for marketers. This is reflected in staycation syndrome - 289% increase in conversations, and 179% increase in intent. International travel - 171% increase in conversation, and 650% increase in searches. What’s more - 433% increase in interest in "Premium" trends across categories. GIPSI is asking brands if they are premium worthy for the Revenge celebration? The Cautious Diwali celebration consumers are the non-risk takers and want to play by the book. They find the mobile screen as the safest window for – buying, experiencing, celebrating and meeting! The interesting part about this is that ‘caution’ has led to the tech adoption as we can see Diwali shopping is on full swing with 600% interest growth in ‘live shopping’. 164% increase in conversations and 129% increase in search volumes w.r.t video shopping. GIPSI suggests brands to keep the ‘screen mask on’ to engage with the cautious ones. The 40% interest increase in ‘car purchase’ and 105% interest increase in ‘test drive’ booking shows that the cautious want to invest in safe private travel transport The Diwali in disguise celebration profile wants to celebrate Diwali without peer pressure, social calendar and social expectations, leading to celebrating Diwali in the most authentic way. The behaviour can simply be understood with DIY meeting CIY (Celebrate It Yourself). There is an 800% increase in DIY Outfit, and 247% increase in DIY Home Décor, added with 90% increase in searches related to ‘Diwali at Home’. What’s more, this TG is even going hi-tech with Diwali cleaning with 300% search increase in "vacuum robots". GIPSI says brands which keep it authentic and appeal to CIY sentiment for this TG will win their hearts. For the ones in denial of Pandemic, Diwali is a break from the Pandemic. The greed for Diwali celebrations has got the better of them –even the pandemic cannot come in the way of Diwali and them. They are in ‘Pandemic off. Party on’ mode. There is a 26 times increase in conversations related to ‘Festive Crowd’ during pre-Diwali compared to the beginning of this festive season. 68% increase in searches for ‘Diwali Party’, 55% increase in searches for 'local sale'. 50% increase in searches related to 'street shopping’. This has concerned GIPSI, while GIPSI is a great promoter of listening to consumers, for this profile she is urging brands not to listen to the consumers. Instead, take care of their safety while they are not taking care of themselves. Commenting on the report, <keyword id="5909082" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unmisha-Bhatt">Unmisha Bhatt</keyword>, Chief Strategy Officer and Director – India &amp; MENA region, Tonic Worldwide, says, “There are a lot of expectations from Diwali 2020. The power of digital is also far more realized than previous years by brands across categories. Deep listening and data enables brands to navigate uncertainty by understanding underlying sentiments, currents, trends, insights. Once brands understand what their TG cares about, it enables them to build long lasting relationships. With this report, we are uncovering the types of consumers and their mindsets in the current times so that brands can capitalise on these insights.” <keyword id="6618180" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anjali-Malthankar">Anjali Malthankar</keyword>, National Strategy Director, Tonic Worldwide, says “In a data overloaded world, what’s missing is the perspective and the HI touch to the AI data. Agile, HI +AI is a great combination for a tool which can report consumer insights in real time! Whether you are a marketer or a consumer, all will enjoy and relate to the profiles defined in this report- check out how you or your consumers relate to the profiles.” Gipsi was launched in 2018 and is being headed and driven by Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer, Tonic Worldwide and Anjali Malthankar, National Strategy Director, Tonic Worldwide.

The revenge Diwali consumer wants to spend, not save, reveals report

<ul><li><keyword id="3671421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tonic-worldwide" source="Orion">Tonic Worldwide</keyword>’s GIPSI launches the world’s first Insights report on the Metaverse as NFTs.</li><li>As per the report, Gamers are the early adopters.</li></ul>GIPSI, Tonic Worldwide's HI+AI (Human Intelligence + Artificial Intelligence) division today launches first Insights <a href="https://bit.ly/3gvIbXl" data-type="tilCustomLink">report </a>on the Metaverse as NFTs. Experience is at the core of the metaverse, which is now called Web 3.0. When GIPSI deep dived into AI data to understand and decode the Metaverse, it observed that people need to experience it first-hand, and not just learn about it passively. The report, “Metaverse Loading '' is a collection of NFTs on Opensea.io. which can be viewed, liked and shared GIPSI believes that metaverse is still loading. To help people understand this complex topic, GIPSI decided to show-and-tell! “Metaverse loading” is a snackable mini report in the form of NFTs. The idea is to nudge people to get started on the topic of the metaverse and encourage them to start their own Metaverse journey. The report sheds light on the scale of conversations, emotions, early adopters and side-effects of the metaverse. Further, it shares thought-starters for brands to step into the Metaverse and grab more opportunities to offer more experiential engagement to their customers. Key Findings of the <keyword id="10265037" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gipsi-report" source="Orion">GIPSI Report</keyword>: <ul><li>Metaverse is here to stay. As of early Jan‘22, 23.4 million conversations were happening globally and 414k conversations were happening in India. </li><li>GIPSI reports rapidly changing emotions around the metaverse. What started as ‘fear’ has evolved into ‘concern’ which needs discussion and answers. On the other hand, the ‘mockery’ around it being a kiddish concept or a smokescreen has now got the audiences to feel the FOMO.</li></ul> <ul><li>The <keyword id="13128243" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="early-adopters-of-metaverse" source="Orion">early adopters of metaverse</keyword> identified by GIPSI, basis the data as of early Jan ‘22 are </li><li>Gamers, with 3.95 Million conversations. They are the metaverse natives</li><li>Investors, with 755K conversations. They are here to mint money</li><li>Entertainers, with 310K conversations. They are in the search of a new stage</li><li>Last but not the least, brands! They are here to be part of the new marketplace</li></ul> <ul><li>Well, GIPSI also wants readers to not ignore the other side of the metaverse. The side effects. Some of these are the undercurrents and some, big concerns.</li><li>Fear of eyes: While the larger conversations are, excitement around AR glasses, VR lenses, there is an undercurrent of concern about the impact of these on the eyes. Giving a clear indication for the eyecare sector to pay attention to.</li><li>Future of brains: 1420% increase in conversations are happening around how it will affect mental health. Experts are concerned. This is not an undercurrent.</li><li>Future of Environment: This is a mix bag. There is a good and bad side to the metaverse as far as environment is concerned according to the data.</li></ul>Anjali Malthankar, National Strategy Director, Tonic Worldwide said, “Metaverse simply put is an ‘experiential web’. It is still loading but it won’t take too long before it becomes a new way of using the web for everything. I think marketers this time are keen on, not missing the bus, big-medium and small, all brand teams are eager to know and enter the space, which is a good sign. Unlike web2.0 where it took a pandemic for all brands to adopt digital, for web 3.0 there is no dearth of curiosity and excitement. Metaverse Loading is an attempt by GIPSI to get started on the topic by interacting with the report NFTs on Opensea.io." Commenting on the report, Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer and Director – India &amp; MENA region Tonic Worldwide, said “Metaverse is still a mystery for most marketers and consumers. This inhibition comes from the fear of the unknown and the fear of technology. This is our attempt to de-mystify Metaverse for marketers by enabling them to experience it firsthand as a report in the form of NFTs."

Metaverse in India: Around 414k conversations in India happened on the Metaverse in early Jan 2022: Report

<ul><li>The biggest task for today's marketers is to abolish gender roles and work on an honest <keyword id="1616270" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="portrayal-of-women">portrayal of women</keyword>.</li><li>We reached out to a few leading women from the advertising, marketing and media industry to discuss a few stereotypes they are tired of seeing, how we can change the portrayal of women and making the industries more inclusive.</li></ul>The advertising industry was infamous for perpetuating gender stereotypes -- from a sacrificing mother to a man being the bread-earner, the portrayal of women has remained very shallow for years. How brands depict women and their role in society has evolved today, she is independent, she has a voice and is slowly learning to care less about society’s judgement, but we haven’t taken a big leap yet. She is still a woman who is ‘aesthetically pleasing,’ fair-skinned, doesn’t come from a minority community and is a little far from real. We are limping towards <keyword id="2414535" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="INCLUSIVITY">inclusivity</keyword>. It is only when there’s an equal representation inside Indian advertising agencies and media organisations that we will have diverse voices in a brainstorming session, which ultimately gets reflected in a brand’s communication. Recently, women have faced greater economic hardship through the Covid-19 pandemic, disproportionately losing jobs and income. LinkedIn’s report shows how Covid-19 has disproportionately impacted women’s careers. Our latest Opportunity Index findings show that 85% of women in India have missed out on a raise, promotion because of their gender. Women’s careers are observed to have been more adversely affected despite increasing flexibility at work, as 68% of women and 74% of working mothers in India say it is difficult to balance career and familial responsibilities today. More than 7 in 10 women and working mothers in India also say that household responsibilities often come in their way of career progress. So, it is safe to say that we are far away from building an inclusive environment for employees of all gender spectrum. We reached out to women in leadership across media, brand and advertising industry to understand how we can bridge the gender gap and improve <keyword id="10891888" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="portrayal-of-women-in-advertising">portrayal of women in advertising</keyword>. Here is what they had to say: Pooja Jauhari, CEO, The Glitch: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3" retweetcount="1" status="#iwd2021: @followtheglitch's CEO, @PoojaJauhari talks to us about nurturing an inclusive environment at work and sh… https://t.co/JVNVXS4kO2" createdat="1615008600000" id="1368071342319235075"></div> Malini Agarwal, Founder of MissMalini and Creative Director at Malini's Girl Tribe <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2" retweetcount="0" status="#IWD2021: @MissMalini's Founder @MaliniAgarwal on how the messaging of beauty ads can damage young girls by forcing… https://t.co/o3o34sMRxV" createdat="1615209968000" id="1368915943628316673"></div> Divya Dixit, SVP, Marketing, Direct Revenue &amp; Analytics: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="11" retweetcount="3" status="#InternationalWomensDay: @ALTBalaji's @dxtdvy's team is made up of 90% women. She shares a few skillsets that women… https://t.co/c2n5SGOZAM" createdat="1615197601000" id="1368864070548520962"></div> Juhi Bhatnagar, Strategy &amp; BD, India, Snap Inc: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="5" retweetcount="0" status="#InternationalWomensDay: @juhibhatnagarr, Strategy &amp; BD, India, @Snap Inc shares how we can make the AdTech industr… https://t.co/JlpD7yIzuE" createdat="1615188600000" id="1368826317010055168"></div> Shradha Agarwal, Co-founder and COO, Grapes Digital: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1" retweetcount="0" status="#iwd2021: @GrapesDigital's @shrads_agarwal tells us why it is important to have more women in leadership positions.… https://t.co/4HvUb3vL5m" createdat="1614941492000" id="1367789870916063237"></div> Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer &amp; Director - India &amp; MENA region, Tonic Worldwide: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4" retweetcount="0" status="#InternationalWomensDay: @TonicWorldwide is run by 60% women. Tonic's Chief Strategy Officer &amp; Director - India &amp; M… https://t.co/GJBePGhc5Y" createdat="1615186801000" id="1368818774376247297"></div> Rajni Daswani, Director, SoCheers: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4" retweetcount="0" status="#InternationalWomensDay: @TheSoCheers' Director, Rajni Daswani on how portrayal of women needs to change in adverti… https://t.co/PIXba4KRaR" createdat="1615184655000" id="1368809772527480833"></div>

Leading women from the advertising, marketing and media world on making the industry more inclusive

<ul><li>While festivals will still be celebrated either virtually or in small groups this year, consumer sentiment has already shown early signs of improvement due to recently concluded Ganesh Chaturthi.</li><li>With a steady monsoon, plump harvest so far and IPL returning, <keyword id="34612" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="advertising-industry" source="Orion">advertising industry</keyword> is hopeful that the ongoing <keyword id="36208" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="festive-season" source="Orion">festive season</keyword> will bring in cheer and serve as a respite from the pandemic-associated slumber. It will help the ad world bounce back to normalcy.</li></ul>India is the land of festivals and every festival is celebrated with great pomp and joy in this country. While the recently concluded festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, which is otherwise known for its fanfare and grand celebration, was affected due to the pandemic, it has brought in early improvement in consumer sentiment. According to Axis My India report, 42% of families said they will shop more or the same as compared to last year. This gives an indication that there is a sense of cautious optimism and the pent-up demand or degree of revenge shopping that happened last year might not be the same this year. This expected increase in spends is higher among private and government service employees. The spends increase on essentials like personal &amp; household care is at 47%, an increase of 4 percentage point over last month. Consumers are spending a little extra money to spruce their homes now to welcome Maa Durga and then prepare for India’s biggest festival, Diwali. Ergo, brands are pinning a lot of hopes on the festive season this year to help them bounce back. They have started working on their advertising campaigns in full swing to win back consumer trust and help shape the market sentiment. The progress of the advertising industry has always been in tandem with consumer sentiment and about 40-45% of the annual ad spends in India happen between Raksha Bandhan and New Year. In many ways, advertising is a lag and lead indicator for our country -- if the country's GDP is growing at 8%, advertising grows at 12%. If GDP falls, ad revenue falls even lower. In 2020, when ad revenue had reached as low as -60% in April, a lot of hopes are banking on the festive season this year for industry’s overall revival. Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India said, “With the increase in the vaccination numbers and positive market sentiments, the festive period is poised for a stronger, and better recovery from 2020. It is estimated that the festive season will generate advertising upwards of INR 7000 Crore, which is approximately 12-15% higher than last year’s festive season and is expected to provide big support to the growing economy.” This Indian festive season is coupled with IPL, which is a gigantic festival in itself that drives advertising industry’s revenue and holds the power to alter market sentiment. Joshi said that the return of IPL 2021 and a slew of high-impact properties like the ICC T20 World Cup coupled with reality shows like the KBC 13, Bigg Boss 15, Dance+6, and several mega OTT releases will make it a festive bonanza for all stakeholders. Hari Krishnan, CEO, Mullen Lintas is also optimistic about seeing a better recovery than 2020. He said, “Last year, it was cautious optimism. This time around, there seems to be a lot more confidence post-vaccination and the optimism appears to be a lot more reassured. That apart, there are two big cricketing events and that’s definitely going to bring a lot of eyeballs back to television. It’s a great reach platform and something that brands would be eager to be a part of. There’s every chance that this festive season could see a lot of pent-up shopping happening which different categories could benefit from.” Experts said that digital will lead the game as advertisers have been shifting their monies from traditional to virtual platforms. Sahil Shah, Managing Partner, WATConsult said, “I reckon it will be a 60-70% jump in certain categories who will go even more aggressive. And compared to pre-covid levels, overall spends should be 15-20% higher. I think digital invariably will see the maximum percentage-wise growth followed by TV and then other mediums. From a marketing point of view, data-led communication will gain more importance and so will eCommerce investments. Also, marketers are experimenting with newer ways of reaching the consumer through innovative content and experiences which is an area that the overall <keyword id="618493" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-marketing" source="Orion">digital marketing</keyword> industry will surely move towards.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Digital media to take lead, followed by TV and print" text="Digital media to take lead, followed by TV and print">Digital media to take lead, followed by TV and print</cmsannotation> Rishabh Mahendru, AVP, Client Servicing, AdLift is expecting to see ad revenue grow by 10%-15% this year. While digital is likely to get the bigger chunk of the pie, he said that Facebook (Instagram), OTT and YouTube will be in lead within that sector. He also said if there’s another lockdown, e-commerce will still continue to flourish. “Time was more uncertain last year, still the e-commerce industry saw a growth of more than 50% festive orders. This year, we should see same or better results,” said Mahendru. On the other hand, Unmisha Bhatt, Chief Strategy Officer &amp; Director, India and MENA Region at Tonic Worldwide said that brands will explore LinkedIn this year. She said, “Innovative campaigns will be seen by brands on LinkedIn considering the rise in engagement by professionals on LinkedIn. High Reach/Awareness platforms like TV and Outdoor will remain a part of the integrated pie and will see the same demand as earlier. However, the platform which will see the most growth over the previous years is digital since its gained relevance.” Sharing a few other trends which we could see in digital marketing, Bhatt added, “Video commerce and live stream shopping is one of the new trends that we will see coming up soon. And remember teleshopping? We will soon see the rise of that on digital too! Seamless user journey and functionalities will emulate the retail environment to ensure consumers don’t miss the retail experiences. This means, technology-based experiential marketing with AR/VR and Mixed reality to ensure consumer recall, as well as engagement, will see a rise too along with experience commerce which enables sales. Conversation commerce will also pick up in the form of chatbots as it leads to faster responses for the impatient consumer.” Digital adoption accelerated by the pandemic has drastically changed the way audiences consume media. This has also paved the way for content creators, bringing them into the spotlight. Prachi Bali, National Head Client Partnerships &amp; Business Head (North), FoxyMoron (Zoo Media) said, “Besides the usual engagement platforms of FB, IG &amp; YT, regional and nano influencers are seeing a great deal of interest. Also, regional and smaller content/publishing platforms are finding their way into media plans. Brands want to build a stronger consumer connect by making the content work harder, multiplied by language and platform, rather than making stand-alone traditional pieces of content. Consumer-facing technologies that drive engagement such as filters, interactive ads, shoppable videos are the trends we will see brands adopt as they all encourage social commerce. ” While brands and advertisers are extra cautious this year to commit big monies on media after 2020 and will be looking at ROI from their media investments, they still want to make hay while the sun shines. Prasad Shejale, Founder and CEO, Logicserve Digital said, “Advertisers will tend to focus on all the possible mediums and attract more and more audiences. I am positive that they will scale up equally across different mediums now and hence, all the mediums are sure to grow. With such a focus, I foresee even the bottom-funnel channels to grow. Looking at consumer behaviour and preferences over the past few months or years, I feel video channel will witness a huge growth as there is a dire need to break the clutter nowadays. When I say video, it will be video in every way whether it is video on demand or on social media or OTT. Having said that, while we know that the advertisers will try to make the most out of the festive season and explore different formats or platforms, a lot of them are also focusing on the right measurement infrastructure that helps them understand the impact properly and also provides useful insights to plan for future activities.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Auto industry, e-commerce and travel to be the big spenders" text="Auto industry, e-commerce and travel to be the big spenders">Auto industry, e-commerce and travel to be the big spenders</cmsannotation> As per the data from Gipsi, (Tonic’s AI and HI research arm), search queries have risen by 3x across categories like online shopping, travel, automobile (specifically SUV’s segment), fashion, and gadgets over 2019. Experts also opined that auto will see a boom because consumers are now avoiding public transport. Other categories that popped up in our discussion were EduTech, E-commerce, OTT and travel. “People have begun travelling, offices are slowly opening up. Traffic is back on the roads and the restaurants are filling up slowly. This year, fashion &amp; accessories, FMCG, Durables, EdTech, FinTech and most of the new e-commerce/online brands should be active. We could see some action from auto sector as well,” said Krishnan. Joshi also shared his optimism about spends from the auto and e-commerce industry. He said, “Automobile, gaming, education, beverages, FMCG, cement, tyres &amp; consumer durables are some of the categories that will re-activate their marketing plans in H2. Given the advertising clutter during the festive period, brands will need to drive awareness and stay top-of-mind throughout the consumer’s purchase and consumption journey.” Apart from these obvious ones, Shejale highlighted that the travel industry, which suffered the most during 2020, has finally started picking up. He said, “Firstly, I am sure travel will revive and has already started picking up. As the travel industry flourishes, the hotel and hospitality will grow too. Apart from these, retail (online as well as offline) will also recuperate and continue to grow.” Trends so far have only indicated that consumer sentiment is improving, which is more likely to continue growing during the ongoing festive season.

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Leading women from the advertising, marketing and media world on making the industry more inclusive

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