Click Here to Lose Trust
Banks are confronting a trust crisis as cyber crime targets systemic vulnerabilities and victim‑blaming campaigns erode confidence. Recent advertising that shames fraud victims highlights a shift from education to blame, while digital banking exposes weak fraud detection and employee collusion. The article argues that brand equity now hinges on real‑time analytics, robust security execution, and a human‑centric approach to customer relationships. Rebuilding credibility requires banks to invest in technology and restore the personal touch that historically underpinned trust.
Playing Cards: The Changing Role of Consumer Credit
Indian consumers are now evaluating credit‑card offers before buying, turning the card into a purchase trigger. The credit‑card market, valued at $20.1 billion in 2025, is projected to reach $38.3 billion by 2034, driven by digital adoption and co‑brand partnerships. Banks face...
Indian Travellers Pivot to East Asia as Gen Z Dictates Summer Trends
Indian travelers are increasingly swapping traditional European summer trips for East Asian destinations, driven by Generation Z, which now accounts for over 40% of summer searches on Airbnb. Searches for Tokyo and Busan have jumped 90% and 95% year‑on‑year, while...
Who Is Manufacturing the Faces We Trust?
Indian advertisers and brands are rapidly adopting AI‑generated digital spokespersons that can speak regional languages, adjust facial features, and deliver consistent messages without fatigue. Mankind Pharma announced a partnership to embed these generative systems across its marketing and multilingual communications,...
Marketing’s Ability to Game the System Is Diminishing: Anoop Manohar, Axis Bank
Axis Bank’s chief marketing officer Anoop Manohar argues that the era of blanket impressions is over, urging marketers to prioritize real engagement. He describes how the bank leverages AI‑driven real‑time signals to deliver personalized offers at key life milestones, while...
'Gen Z Walks Into A Bar...And Orders Water'
Global alcohol consumption is falling, with U.S. drinkers dropping to a 90‑year low of 54% and most of the top 20 markets reporting volume declines. Europe sees 71% of consumers cutting back, while India remains an outlier, posting roughly 7%...
Me, Mine and Myself: Death by Algorithmic Personalisation
The article argues that algorithmic personalization is turning premium‑brand experiences into a homogenized feed, eroding the exclusivity that once defined luxury fashion, hospitality and lifestyle. Recommendation engines and AI assistants now surface the same outfits, restaurants and hotels for millions,...
After Matcha, Ube Takes The Lead
Ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines, is rapidly entering India’s premium café scene, appearing in lattes, milk teas and dessert‑style cold brews. Café operators see it as a high‑margin differentiator, especially since the tuber can be sourced locally....
An Easier Way To Think About Brand Growth
The article argues that traditional brand‑building tactics—mass reach and repetitive media—no longer provide clear growth paths in today’s fragmented digital landscape. It introduces the "Brand Adoption Journey" framework, which starts by identifying the finite conditions a consumer needs to adopt...
"Passion Is How Visa Shows Up Beyond Payments": Danielle Jin, CMO, Visa Asia Pacific
Visa’s Asia‑Pacific CMO Danielle Jin explains the company’s “passion‑pillar” strategy, turning the payments giant into a lifestyle brand by anchoring marketing to sports, music, gaming and broader cultural moments. High‑profile partnerships such as the FIFA World Cup, Olympics, K‑Pop awards...
Bentley Bets on Priyanka Chopra Jonas: From Star Power to Identity
Bentley Motors announced a partnership with actress‑entrepreneur Priyanka Chopra Jonas on April 10, 2026, positioning her as the face of an identity‑led luxury ecosystem. The campaign for the Continental GT uses restrained, black‑and‑white imagery that places the car as a silent witness to Chopra Jonas’s narrative...
Still Alive: What Samay Raina’s Comeback Signals for Brands
Samay Raina’s new special *Still Alive* marks his return after a controversy over edgy humor, sparking a wave of social media buzz and renewed brand interest. While the program’s emotional storytelling has generated strong viewership, the article warns that visibility alone...
Long Road to Price Reveal: Why Auto Brands Act 'Pricey'
Indian automakers are moving from one‑day launches to staggered rollouts, unveiling vehicles first and revealing prices weeks later. Recent examples—Renault Duster, Maruti e‑Vitara and Toyota Ebella—opened bookings before pricing, using the gap to build buzz and collect market feedback. The...
GLP-1 Goes For The Middle
Indian pharmaceutical firms are rapidly converting the GLP‑1 hype into scale after Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide patent expired in March. Generics from Sun Pharma, Torrent, Zydus and others have already captured more than 15% of the market, pushing Novo’s share down...
The Man of The Moment- Rakesh Bedi
Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi has re‑emerged as a digital meme star after his line “Baccha hai tu mera” went viral in the film *Dhurandhar: The Revenge*. The meme sparked a wave of brand collaborations, with Crocs India, Fanta and MasterChow...