Author: Indrani Bose

Why are brands betting on indie agencies over established giants?

While the shift to indie agencies is significant, some argue that legacy agencies continue to offer advantages that cannot be easily replaced. (Image source: Unsplash)

The biggest advantage of working directly with CXOs and founders is the ability to bypass indecisiveness and hierarchical delays, which often stifle creativity

App stores, brands, influencers and fake reviews: AI-generated ratings and fake reviews on app stores are cause for concern

Prashant Puri, CEO & co-founder of AdLift, acknowledges the issue, stating, "Fake reviews are a disaster waiting to happen. Both Google Play and the App Store rely on user engagement signals like ratings, reviews, downloads, and retention to rank apps. A sudden surge of five-star reviews can push an app higher, but if not backed by real engagement, the boost is temporary. Google and Apple’s detection systems aren’t perfect, but they are improving, and manipulated reviews eventually get flagged." (Representative Image: Bernard Hermant via Unsplash)

Calling out the fake reviews, Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath said, “I wonder how many Google India Play Store and Apple App Store reviews are genuine. I was going through Zerodha’s reviews and compared them with those of other financial services apps in India. Most of the 5-star reviews seem fake — many even read like AI-generated content.”

India’s Film Industry set for Rs 23.8 crore boost by FY26: Report

Older viewers tend to watch a lot more total TV than their younger counterparts, so the 75% U.S. viewers 65+ spend with linear TV adds up to a lot more hours. There is a similar trend in Thailand with all media types having greater total reach with older audiences than younger generations.

India’s online gaming market is set to reach INR 53.8 crores gamers by FY 2028.

FCB Kinnect wins full-funnel creative mandate for Prega News

The agency will oversee end-to-end brand communication, spanning creative, digital, influencer marketing, production, and SEO. As the brand expands into expert pregnancy care solutions, its partnership with FCB Kinnect aims to further solidify its position as the go-to choice for millions of women on their journey to motherhood.

Leveraging its integrated approach, FCB Kinnect, alongside its sister agency FCB/SIX India, will develop idea-driven, culturally relevant campaigns to strengthen Prega News’ brand affinity and drive business growth.

$2.5B in revenue, 7 years profitable: Is Canva ready for an IPO?

"From the start, Canva has been about telling the stories of different organizations," Adams explains. "Even if we go public, it will still be important for Canva’s future to maintain that vision. Communicating to investors the value we bring—not just to them, but to Canva, our customers, and users—will be crucial."

Going public could put pressure on Canva to deliver results to shareholders every quarter, potentially impacting the company’s mission and aspirations.

India’s app block order on Google Play Store: 119 targeted, 15 down, developers in the dark

While it's unclear if national security concerns were a factor in this round of app blocks, the inclusion of apps from countries other than China and Hong Kong suggests broader regulatory scrutiny. (Image source: Unsplash)

The blocking order was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, which empowers the Indian government to restrict online content access in the interest of national security, sovereignty, or public order.

India’s 2025 salary increase: 9.2% projected, compared to 9.3% in 2024, says Aon study

The study also reveals that overall attrition rates declined to 17.7 percent in 2024 from a high of 18.7 percent in 2023 and 21.4 percent in 2022, indicating the availability of a larger talent pool post the Great Resignation.

Salary increments are also projected to vary across industries with engineering design services and auto/vehicle manufacturing budgeting for the highest salary increases followed by nonbanking financial companies, retail, global capability centres and life sciences.

Influencer search volume booms: National stars surge 47% to 3M, global at 2M, regional dips, says Kantar

Live music and concerts are becoming more popular, with a 43% increase in searches for events like Coldplay, Taylor Swift, Vijay Antony, and Diljit Dosanjh concerts. (Image Source: Zoozoothemes)

Cricket continues to captivate India with 223.4 million average monthly searches, including a 103% surge in searches for women’s cricket.