The real opportunity lies in embracing tech to create innovative solutions: Saad Khan, DDB Mudra Group

The advertising industry’s focus has been on the traditional channels with a gradual turn towards digital and the latest hot topic, generative AI. Amid this, a recent global study by IBM Institute revealed that business leaders are facing talent-related challenges owing to shifting employee expectations.

On top of that, it has also been predicted that 73% of marketing functions are set to be taken over by AI. While experts from advertising agencies believe co-existing with AI is possible, it’s important for agencies to foster a culture of experimentation for their talent to evolve.

This can be seen as advertising agencies like DDB Mudra Group move towards experimenting with AI, with campaigns like BotHard and young teams taking over the thought-driven experiments; it’s important to understand how agencies can foster an environment of risky and creative campaigns.

We speak to Saad Khan, President and Managing Partner - Growth and Strategy, DDB Mudra Group, who shares insights on how advertising agencies can encourage a culture of experimentation by embracing emerging technologies and data-driven insights to power the creative talent. 

Edited Excerpts:

How should advertising agencies encourage a culture of experimentation and risk-taking while ensuring client objectives are met?

I believe one of the biggest mistakes is assuming that experimentation and risk-taking work is against meeting business objectives. It is important to discard this assumption. If the business objective is to double growth or increase the market share significantly, we cannot achieve it by formulaic thinking and making safe bets. To change speed, we have to shift gears. 

The only way to foster a culture of experimentation and risk-taking is by looking at the work and rating it honestly.

To achieve that, the marketers and agencies have to ask questions like: Is it fresh? Will it cut through? Will it make a dent in consumer’s autopilot? Will it land the point in a memorable way? If the answers are yes, the objectives will be met.

According to you, what are some emerging technologies and trends that will have the most significant impact on the advertising industry in the coming years?

Enough has been written about emerging technologies and trends, whether it’s AI, virtual reality, voice, or mobile-first, it’s great for advertising. However, there are more outlets for ideas to reach consumers. More mediums for consumers to experience the brand in engaging and immersive ways. 

The most significant impact of emerging technologies, particularly AI, will be to deliver experience and engagement at scale.

As the advertising industry continues to evolve, what challenges and opportunities do you foresee in the coming years?

Firstly, how fast can we start wiring technology in our work? For decades, the industry’s focus has been on the mainline channels such as TV and print. While there has been a shift towards digital over the last few years, a substantial portion of content still remains adopted from the mainline source. 

The real opportunity lies in embracing tech to create innovative solutions that address business challenges. 

The agencies of the future will be the ones who will have strong tech muscles.

The second significant challenge is talent acquisition, which is getting harder to come by. Therefore, recognizing, rewarding, and retaining good talent has become imperative, and we at DDB Mudra Group stay attuned to talent assessment. 

Our constant aim is to support our teams in producing the finest work, and we are dedicated to establishing an environment where the talent can grow and flourish. The core values our culture is built on are called the 'Four Freedoms'. 

The success of any agency is closely intertwined with the clients they collaborate with and the broader economic context. Consequently, when the economy performs well, the employees are bound to reap the benefits. 

Another factor that we focus on is bringing in diverse talents from content, technology, and data fields. This can not only enrich agencies but also equip the industry with greater resources to tackle business problems.

Collaboration and partnerships are vital in the advertising industry. How does DDB Mudra Group cultivate relationships with clients and other stakeholders to foster growth and achieve strategic objectives?

At DDB Mudra Group, the core of the relationship is built on a simple principle: we do what’s best for the brand. It is this honesty and commitment towards the businesses we collaborate with that leads to solid relationships.

Data-driven insights and analytics have become increasingly important in advertising. How does DDB Mudra leverage data and analytics to inform decision-making and create effective strategies? 

Today’s consumer journeys are far more evolved and non-linear than ever before. While data-driven advertising and analytics-based insights are not a new phenomenon for us, their need and significance have increased drastically due to the increased importance of digital marketing.

We have been utilizing data and analytics across CRM, web, mobile, business and customer call-ins to craft more personalized marketing campaigns to enhance customer engagement and drive marketing efficiencies for our clients.

We use analytical tools for many of our clients to enhance digital experiences and achieve micro-segment marketing goals.

Data and analytics greatly aid in our understanding to predict consumer needs, desires, and future behaviours and provide personalised customer experiences towards prioritised segments.

We advise and help clients build data-driven approaches and Martech stacks that empower them to leverage data to their advantage.

With the growing emphasis on AI, and its ability to use unlimited data to create personalized experiences, how is DDB Mudra Group leveraging it to deliver more targeted and effective campaigns? What steps are you taking to ensure there is transparency and privacy?

AI is powering a shift towards an analytical approach to advertising. AI-powered tools have the ability to run through big data in very little time, further predicting future trends and insights with accuracy. It also helps us test messaging and strategies to understand consumers and their actions better.

We deploy this thinking across several of our clients in the areas of media planning and optimization, personalized experiences on the website, automated rich notifications and actions on mobile apps as well as CRM triggers through the entire customer lifecycle.

A recent example where we used AI for engagement and personalization at scale is ‘MTV Bothard’ - an AI-powered rapper using the GPT3 platform, a creative bot created for promoting the MTV show Hustle 2.0.

We are also a strong advocate for privacy and transparency in AI and have strict policies towards digital ethics, these are clearly outlined and followed to keep creator, consumer and brand rights aligned. As early users of this technology, it is our equal responsibility to decide how we use AI and win the trust of consumers.