Published on: September 18, 2026
National, September 18th, 2026: Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group), a leading FMCG conglomerate and multi-business corporation, in collaboration with WPP Media and MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad), has launched DCODE 2.0 – The Guide to Digital Marketing, an evolved and expanded edition of its comprehensive digital marketing playbook.
Building on the foundation of its first edition, DCODE 2.0 reflects the rapidly changing digital marketing landscape, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrated across the entire spectrum of digital marketing. Rather than treating AI as a standalone subject, the playbook explores its application across disciplines including Search, Paid Media, Performance Marketing, Content & Creative and other key areas, reflecting its growing role as an integral part of the modern marketer’s toolkit.
A significant addition to DCODE 2.0 is its association with MICA, bringing academic rigour and contemporary learning perspectives to complement the real-world expertise of DS Group and WPP Media. The collaboration strengthens the playbook’s relevance for both industry practitioners and the wider marketing and academic ecosystem.
The second edition also marks DS Group’s commitment to keeping DCODE an evolving resource, with the playbook intended to be updated periodically to incorporate emerging technologies, new tools, evolving industry practices and changing consumer behaviour.
DCODE 2.0 has also been reorganised and streamlined to make it more accessible and more practical for marketers. The modules have been strengthened, while the Paid, Owned and Earned (POE) framework has been refreshed to provide a more intuitive, practitioner-friendly approach to planning and executing digital marketing.
Rajeev Jain, Sr Vice President, Corporate Marketing, DS Group, said, “Digital marketing is evolving at an extraordinary pace while AI is fundamentally changing how marketers think, create, engage and measure. DCODE 2.0 is our effort to navigate this transformation and translate it into practical knowledge that marketers can apply. Our collaboration with MICA adds an important academic dimension, while our partnership with WPP Media brings deep industry expertise. Together, they make DCODE 2.0 a more relevant, comprehensive and future-ready resource for the marketing ecosystem.”
Prasanth Kumar, CEO, WPP Media, South Asia, said, “Marketing is moving from a world of fragmented digital channels to an increasingly connected, intelligent and adaptive ecosystem. AI is accelerating this shift, but its real impact will come from how effectively marketers integrate it across the entire consumer journey, from discovery and media to content, commerce and measurement. DCODE 2.0 is a timely effort to bring these evolving disciplines together and translate a complex, fast-changing landscape into practical knowledge. By combining industry experience with academic rigour, the playbook can help marketers move beyond simply understanding new technologies to applying them meaningfully to drive growth.”
Jaya Deoras Deshmukh, Director & CEO, MICA, said, “The future of marketing is not merely to discover demand; it is to imagine, create, and responsibly steward the futures that demand inhabits. As the marketing function steps into this Age of Imagination, the fundamental discipline of demand activation transforms, sensing unfelt and unmet needs and bringing them to life. DCODE 2.0 captures that very shift by pairing smart technology with human intuition, empowering marketers to look beyond what already exists and imagine entirely new possibilities into being.”
DCODE 2.0 is designed for a wide spectrum of users, including corporate and agency marketing teams, digital practitioners, media planners and buyers, students, academic institutions and senior marketing professionals. It will be available as an open-access resource, reinforcing the initiative’s objective of contributing to the broader digital marketing ecosystem. It provides frameworks, processes, best practices and actionable guidance across key areas of digital marketing, helping marketing practitioners navigate an increasingly complex and technology-led ecosystem.
India’s media and advertising landscape continues to expand, with total advertising revenue projected to grow by 9.7% in 2026 to Rs 2,01,891 Cr, according to the TYNY 2025 report by WPP Media, an incremental addition of Rs 17,844 Cr over 2025. Digital is driving this structural shift, with digital, including digital extensions of all media, accounting for 68.1% of total ad revenue. Within digital, commerce-led advertising is the fastest-growing segment at 24.2%, driven by the convergence of retail media, quick commerce and social commerce. Other digital channels are expected to grow at 11.1%, while OOH and cinema expand at 8.9%. Television is projected to grow at 3.1%, supported by connected TV and addressable advertising, while audio is expected to grow at 1.5%, fuelled by streaming platforms. At the same time, AI-powered search, voice and agentic discovery are projected to grow at 8%, reflecting how AI and technology are becoming increasingly integral to India’s evolving advertising ecosystem.
The playbook can be accessed at <Digital Marketing Strategy Guide | DS Group>
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