#TBH: Can advertising take the lead in bringing social change?

While sticking their necks out on issues may imperil the brands, they do take calculated risks to be able stand out in the clutter. To be sure, the representation of the LGBTQIA+ community in advertising is a more recent phenomenon. This may be a result of the successful challenge to Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that effectively decriminalised consensual adult same-sex relationships, providing a huge fillip to the LGBTQIA+ movement. (Stills from ads)

Gone are the days when brand advertising just meant highlighting the features or attributes of a product. Today, brands are strongly aligning their communication strategies with a cause. With the proliferation and the growing popularity of social media, the medium has played its part in brands strongly associating with a cause.

Online retail in Indian garners $60B GMV in FY23; Flipkart Group maintains market share: Redseer

In contrast to the pre-covid levels e-tailing market has grown deeper across categories, with more users making purchases online. Although mobile phones dominated the category divide in FY19, fashion is now the single largest category with 27 percent share whereas BPC, grocery and home categories are the fastest growing. (Representative Image via Unsplash)

Ads monetisation contributed $1.2 billion in revenue for Indian e-tailers in FY23, according to Redseer’s new report.

Brands in the news for their trade secrets

Whenever a big company’s trade secret is exposed, the company’s brand image is on the line. So are the profits. Conspiracy theorists claim that it could be a profit-making marketing scheme for the companies as well. (Left image by @TrungTPhan via Twitter, right image by Abenteuer Albanien via Unsplash)

Whenever a big company’s trade secret is exposed, the company’s brand image is on the line. Critics feel trade secrets and conspiracies are nothing but marketing schemes by brands.

Indian Ocean on making and releasing music in the streaming era, reels, creators and more

Rahul Ram says, "we are very modest about what our art does. We don’t believe we can change people or their ways. It's just as creative people and artists and being lucky to be doing what we are, we just reflect on the times we live in, and hopefully people resonate with it."

Popular Indian folk fusion band Indian Ocean is adapting to new platforms and exploring new ways to distribute and market music, from collaborations with creators and animated music videos to making reels.

Marketing Mocktail: Sight to Insight – consumer insights explained

An insight is like “When you open the fridge, and the light comes on." (Representative Image: Annie Spratt via Unsplash)

If brand marketing is the business of ideas, then consumer insights are the illuminating force behind them. Unfortunately, marketers use the word ‘insight’ loosely. Everything from data to research findings to general observations are termed as insights.

HomeLane chooses 22Feet Tribal Worldwide for its digital and production mandate

A recent Modor Intelligence Forecast report pegged the market for home interiors and renovation in India to be between USD 20 - 30 billion. (Representational image by ian dooley via Unsplash)

The interior design industry is largely unorganised and comprises mainly of small, mid-sized players. HomeLane’s goal is to stand out in a cluttered residential interiors market.

Simply Speaking: Velvet rope – the tightrope between longing and belonging

To make bonds, connections and emotive associations is the nature of social man but all the while he craves the halo of singularity. Indeed, we are unified in our hunger for exclusivity. (Image: Andrik Langfield via Unsplash)

Broadly the quest for status via consumption is an intended outcome of prestige brand consumption. It signals that we have access, to something exciting, enriching and more fun.