DIGITAL SPENDING TAKES OVER

As commercial activities regain momentum, media reports reckon that India will continue to be the fastest-growing advertising market in the world, with digital leading from the front

- Soumya Sehgal

IF 2021 WAS A YEAR of resilience, 2022 is expected to be a year of amplification. Evidently, the digital channels helped individuals and industries navigate the two tumultuous years, literally enveloping all — from the neighbourhood kirana store to the big conglomerates. Majority of them put their faith in the power of digital and sailed through this phase smoothly. Digital media engagement remained strong, evidence that the pandemic has only accelerated pre-existing trends toward the online world.

Endorsing that the rapid shift of businesses and consumers towards digital media augmented this change, Rajesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Perfetti Van Melle India says he sees consumers expecting more from brands and their increased reliance on the digital medium to learn about brands, in terms of how they can satisfy their unique needs. He also foresees digital to not only become an essential part of multi-media campaigns but also the lead vehicle for certain campaigns. “Brands are now actively leveraging trends like vernacular campaigns, voice, gaming and AR — and with all of these, digital marketing is leading the next phase of transformation in consumer marketing,” he states.

Prasanth Kumar, CEO, GroupM South Asia adds, “The pandemic has pushed the envelope towards digital and has hence topped the pie, with advertisers keen to explore more of it.”