74% of enterprises likely to move applications onto the cloud in 2022: Rahul Singh, SAP
Singh, VP & Head of Marketing, SAP India, shares the company is increasingly focusing on digitally transforming micro, small & medium businesses in India through cloud migration assistance
“With the return of physical events and on-ground marketing, we can see a seismic shift in how companies, brands and agencies engage with each other as well as consumers,” says Rahul Singh, Vice President and Head of Marketing, SAP India.
“Virtual meetings and seminars are great because you can attend two-three in a day quite easily without the hassle of commuting between different events, but then attendees also have the same freedom to log out of uninteresting interactions,” says Singh, explaining why a hybrid mix of on-ground and digital marketing across product categories is here to stay.
The Germany-headquartered international software corporation, which specializes in enterprise software for businesses, both digitally native as well as legacy brands making the shift towards digital, is seeing an increasing demand for cloud services as well.
While SAP is a market leader in the SME segment, with close to 10,000 mid-market business customers in India, the company is increasingly focusing on digitally transforming micro, small, and medium enterprises in India through cloud migration assistance.
A recent IDC Info-brief on the ‘State of Indian Mid-Markets’ has indicated that 74% of enterprises are likely to move applications onto the cloud in 2022. To address the needs of this market, SAP’s ‘cloud on wheels’ initiative will provide the much-needed support for the industry to remain competitive and to stay relevant in the rapidly changing business landscape.
“The pandemic really accelerated the already growing adoption of digital products, products, and engagement. From a marketing standpoint, virtual launch events and campaigns are very attractive when it comes to cost-effectiveness, accessibility and sheer convenience,” remarks Singh, saying that on the flip side, this also means that such events have to be engaging and interactive from the very start, in order to retain the attention of an online audience.
Transformation Express and the Metaverse
SAP India launched an immersive mobile experience center in April, called the ‘Transformation Express’, to advance cloud adoption and drive business transformation for the Indian mid-market enterprises.
The ‘Transformation Express’, a mobile high-tech bus, powered with multimedia displays and interactive touch points, travelled over 7,000 kilometers across 12 cities in 45 days, offering SMEs a first-hand glimpse at how a cloud-based digital core may help enterprises plan and adapt more swiftly.
“While the bus was the focal point, it wasn’t the only aspect. There was experiential marketing, events on the sideline, and we created a lot of social and digital content during that journey, and so it was a fully 360-degree immersive experience,” says Singh, noting that the ‘Transformation Express’ was a huge success.
“However, we wanted this experience to be accessible to companies as well as consumers and so by tapping into the increased interest in the metaverse, we launched an online exploration of the ‘Transformation Express’ in early June. It’s a replica of the physical bus, having digital touchpoints through which you can access videos explaining our offerings,” he elaborates.
The metaverse which can be accessed here (https://transformationexpress.growthmattersforum.com/) allows users to create and customize their own virtual avatars, which can also be imported to other metaverses, followed by a brief introduction by Singh's own avatar (though he notes he's much better looking in real life).
They can then enter the exhibition area wherein they can interact with other users as well as get familiar with SAP’s offerings for SMEs looking to upgrade their digital capabilities.
‘Sustainable’ Messaging
Apart from the digitisation of interactions and engagement, Singh highlights another area that brands in India need to look at is messaging. “It’s no longer about being the most affordable brand or the one that can be delivered fastest. Indian consumers have matured and are looking at their purchases from a lot of different parameters. They’re looking for products and services of socially responsible companies, which are transparent about their operations, and promise a net positive impact on society,” he says, pointing to the present-day ubiquity of the term ‘sustainable’ present across brand segments.
“I say sustainability, but it could really be any term, which ties the company to a higher purpose and appeal to an increasingly conscientious consumer,” he says. The point is to create a brand presence that stands out from an increasingly crowded marketplace, which is attempting to cater to a diverse group of consumers with a wide range of needs, wants, and aspirations.
Data Drive
“It’s a cliché now that data is the new oil, but customer data is really helping brands service the right customers with the right offerings and products. Since it’s no longer about selling licenses and locking in a customer for x number of years, consumers and clients have the freedom to move on to other platforms,” says Singh, adding that it all comes down to customer success, and the promises companies make at the beginning of the sales cycle.
“So you need a lot of data for that, and the thing is that a lot of data collection is regulated. SAP itself has a worldwide policy of not collecting third-party data, and unless we have explicit consent from our customers, we will not send communications to them. Indeed, forget about sending communications, you cannot have that data in your possession,” he says.
“So access to data is limited, with India also coming out with a policy on data collection and regulation soon, in line with the rest of the world, and how companies are going to navigate those restrictions while still providing the best possible products and services to the right markets is going to be something that is going to come into focus, and brands and marketers need to be prepared for it,” concludes Singh.
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e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards laud contributions of 33 industry pioneers
The leaders have been honoured for their successful digital strategies, campaigns and innovations
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 9, 2023 9:14 PM | 3 min read
The exchange4media Group hosted the inaugural edition of the e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards on Friday, June 9, at the Taj Santacruz in Mumbai. The star-studded award night recognized and felicitated the game-changers in the digital marketing domain for their outstanding and impressive contributions to the industry. The awards celebrated the best minds in the digital marketing space for their successful digital strategies, campaigns and innovations that leverage new technologies.
A total of 33 digital marketing leaders were awarded at the dazzling awards night. The occasion was graced by top leaders, industry heads and experts from a wide cross-section of marketing, media and brands. Spotify Advertising is the Celebratory Partner of the event while Lemma is the Networking Partner.
The winners who were honoured with the award include Abhishek Mehta, Digital Marketing Lead, FMCG- Jubilant Foodworks, Altamash Khan, Digital Lead- Kellogg India, Ankit Desai, Head - Media & Digital Marketing (India & Global Centre of Excellence)- Marico., Anvesha Poswalia, Head of Digital & E-commerce - Home Care- Unilever, Apoorva Maheshwari, Head of Marketing- Bestseller, Deepa Krishnan, Director - Marketing, Category, Loyalty, Digital- Starbucks, Dipti Sudhir, Head- Digital Marketing & PR- Britannia Industries, Divya Batra, Head of Marketing- Haldiram’s, Girish Hingorani, Senior General Manager & Head – Marketing & E-commerce Cooling & Purification Appliances Group- Blue Star, Jahid Ahmed, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Acquisition/ Website/ Content & Social Media Marketing- HDFC Bank.
The other winners are Madhu S Dutta, Head of Marketing & GM- Brand, Media, & Digital Social- Raymond, Madhur Acharya, Vice President E-commerce- Lenskart, Manik Mahajan, Director - Digital Marketing and E-Commerce- Versuni, Niranjan Mutkekar, Associate Director - Digital Marketing- Purplle, Pierre de Greef, Digital Marketing Director- Pernod Ricard India, Priyanka Gandhi, Associate Director - Integrated Marketing Communication & E-commerce Marketing- Colgate Palmolive India, Priyanka Sethi, Director - Head of Marketing- Haier Appliances India, Proshanjit Dey, Marketing Head- Strategy & Innovation, ATL, Digital & Social Media, Nutrition- India & EM Markets- Dr. Reddy's Lab, Puneet Gupta, Business Head - Digital & Marketing- Nuvama Wealth and Rajeev John, Vice President Marketing- Health Care & Strategic Investments- Dabur India.
Adding more to the winner list were Ritu Mittal, Head of Marketing & Digital- Bayer, Sachin Mishra, Digital Marketing Lead- Cipla Health, Sachin Vashishtha, Chief Marketing Officer- Paisabazaar, Sadhana Daswani, Head Brand and Digital- JSW Paints, Saurabh Saini, Head, Digital Marketing & Communication- Havells India, Shaktipriyo Sikdar, Head - Digital Marketing- Emami, Sheena Kapoor, Head - Marketing Corp Comm & CSR- ICICI Lombard, Sunil Nat, Head of E-commerce & Digital Marketing- Galderma, Urmesh Chandra, Head - Digital Marketing- PolicyBazaar.com, Vidya Kailasam Hangal, India Consumer Digital Leader- Mondelez International, Vikram Jeet Bhayana, Head of Marketing- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Vinay Dholakia, General Manager - Digital Marketing & Media Head- Tata Motors and Vishal Gaba, Associate Director - Marketing- Bira 91.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
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Disney+ Hotstar offers free streaming of Asia Cup, ICC Men’s Cricket WC on cellphone
Both tournaments will be held later this year
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 9, 2023 11:10 AM | 1 min read
Disney+ Hotstar has announced that Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup tournaments being held later this year will be made available as free-to-view to all mobile phone users accessing Disney+ Hotstar.
“Disney+ Hotstar has remained at the forefront of the rapidly evolving OTT industry in India and the various innovations we have introduced to continue enhancing the viewer experience has allowed us to delight our audiences across the region. Making the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup available to a wider audience, we believe, will help us grow the overall eco-system,” said Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar.
We reached out to Disney+ Hotstar for a comment on the same but are yet to receive a response.
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e4m-ESP Indian Online Gaming Landscape 2023 Report: Glimpses unveiled
The report seeks to decode the growth of the online gaming landscape in India and focus on how brands can leverage this billion-dollar industry
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 9, 2023 10:54 AM | 2 min read
India has witnessed a digital revolution over the past decade, driven by various factors such as technological advancements, government initiatives, increasing internet penetration and the rapid adoption of smartphones. With over 750M active internet users in 2022, the country has become a prime destination for the open internet and all that digital media entails.
The key driver of India’s digital revolution is gaming, with the country being home to close to 500M individual gamers. The ever-evolving gaming market in India is fuelled by devices, data and digital penetration, all of which are getting cheaper, better, and faster.
The e4m GameOn Online Summit held in Mumbai today gave a sneak-peek into the much-awaited e4m-ESP Indian Online Gaming Landscape 2023 report. The comprehensive report serves as a compass, guiding stakeholders through the vast opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the gaming sphere. The detailed report is set to be unveiled soon and will be available for public use.
Gaming has emerged as a powerful force and the industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. 2022 has been a game changing year for the gaming industry in India with publishers, streaming platforms, esports organizers, and teams coming together to create a very healthy gaming ecosystem. It is believed that with professional teams training to compete and win in global tournaments, 2023 may well be a crucial year for esports.
The gaming industry in India has created bundles of opportunities for gamers, making them economically independent. Moreover, e-sports has gained substantial popularity in India and is poised for significant growth in the coming years. The emergence of professional teams, increased prize pools, and a growing fan base, esports is expected to become a mainstream form of entertainment and a lucrative industry in India.
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Sociowash bags eBay India’s integrated digital mandate
The agency will develop performance media strategies while deploying its video production and influencer marketing verticals
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 2:41 PM | 1 min read
Sociowash, an integrated advertising agency, has won the integrated digital mandate for eBay India. The agency will be responsible for enhancing the brand’s overall digital presence by developing creative tactical strategies. The account was won in a multi-agency pitch and will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai team, stated a release.
As part of this strategic partnership, Sociowash will be responsible for creating awareness about the brand and executing campaigns to onboard more sellers onto the platform. The agency will provide end-to-end solutions and services for the brand's creative, performance media, video production, and influencer marketing needs while resonating with its target audience and helping them achieve their business objectives.
Pranav Agarwal, the co-founder of Sociowash, commented on the win, "eBay India is a prominent leader in the e-commerce industry. We are elated to have been chosen by them to manage their digital landscape. Our team's extensive experience and expertise will redefine and elevate the brand's digital positioning. Together, we can create an impact that goes beyond what has been achieved before, setting new benchmarks and adding genuine value for the brand"
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Meta Verified now in India
As per reports, the subscription is available for ₹699 monthly on iOS and Android3
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 11:35 AM | 1 min read
Meta has said that Meta Verified will now be available in India.
The announcement was made in a post by Mark Zuckerberg who also mentioned that previously verified accounts will maintain the status for free.
Meta Verified in a subscription bundle on FB and Insta.
Subscribers will get a badge indicating their account has been verified with a government ID, extra protection against impersonation, direct access to customer support and more visibility, the company had earlier said.
As per media reports, this subscription is available for ₹699 monthly on iOS and Android3. The company also plans to introduce a web purchase option for ₹599 a month.
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e4m GameOn Summit to explore the future of gaming
The conference will be held on June 9
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 8:55 AM | 2 min read
The gaming market in India is dynamic and is a rapidly evolving ecosystem. Gaming has emerged as a powerful force and the industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years and continues to expand at a rapid pace. The widespread availability of affordable internet access, affordable data plans, has led to a surge in online gaming, allowing people across the country to access and engage with various gaming platforms. In order to explore the gaming industry further, e4m has announced the third edition of the e4m GameOn-Online Gaming Summit. The conference is set to be held on June 9 in Mumbai. The Presenting Partner of the event is AnyMind, the Growth Partner is Mobavenue while AdScholars is the Co-partner.
At the conference, top leaders from the gaming ecosystem will come together and share insights on key topics under the theme ‘Online Gaming, The Next Big Thing?’. The summit will also give a sneak-peek to the much-awaited e4m-GroupM ESP Report on the Indian online gaming landscape.
As per industry experts, 2022 was one of the landmark years for the Indian esports and gaming industry, as publishers, streaming platforms, esports organizers, and teams came together to create a very healthy ecosystem. It is believed that with professional teams training to compete and win in global tournaments, 2023 may well be a breakout year for esports.
Click here to see the full agenda: https://e4mevents.com/e4m-GameOn-2023/agenda
Due to the advancements in technology, the gaming market is only getting bigger. Top leaders and experts from the gaming industry are set to come together under one roof to discuss the opportunities, challenges and the future of the gaming industry in India. The e4m Summit explores the industry’s rapidly growing revenue streams, the drivers of growth, the changing demographics of the gaming universe, and ways brands can seize the opportunity to target consumers.
To ensure you don’t miss out on valuable insights, click here to register:
https://e4mevents.com/e4m-GameOn-2023/login
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e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards: Inaugural edition on June 9
The awards recognize and honour digital marketing leaders for their impactful strategies, campaigns and innovations
By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 8:51 AM | 1 min read
Digital marketing leaders play a crucial role in shaping the industry and driving innovation. Their expertise, insights, strategies and vision help others advance their knowledge and understanding of digital marketing practices. These leaders inspire the next generation of marketers and help the industry grow.
With an aim to honour the great minds in the digital marketing sphere, the exchange4media Group is hosting the first edition of the e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards on June 9 in Mumbai. The awards night will celebrate and acknowledge the stars of the domain in India and witness the coming together of some of the best brands, individuals and agencies. Spotify Advertising is the Celebratory Partner of the event while Lemma is the Networking Partner.
e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards acknowledges the great leaders who have developed & implemented successful digital strategies, campaigns, and innovations by leveraging new technologies for digital marketing. The awards aim to inspire leaders to stay ahead of the curve and unlock their full potential as digital marketers by felicitating pioneers in the digital marketing sphere.
The star-studded awards night is a perfect opportunity to network with the best and brightest minds from the digital marketing ecosystem, expand knowledge and get an overview of the functioning of several digital marketing agencies.
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