Ashish Kulshrestha: Secrets to Digital ShoutOuts’ Success

In this exclusive interview, we speak with Ashish Kulshrestha, CEO and founder of Digital ShoutOuts Media. With over 15 years in the media industry, Ashish excels in brand solutions, client management, and innovation. He shares pivotal moments that shaped his career, the strategies driving Digital ShoutOuts Media’s success, and his vision for the future. Ashish’s insights on digital marketing, gaming, and live streaming reveal his confidence and forward-thinking approach, offering a glimpse into the evolving media landscape and the company’s ambitious expansion plans.

 

With over a decade of experience in the media industry, can you share some pivotal moments that shaped your professional journey?

Thank you for this opportunity. When I entered the digital industry, I was uncertain about what lay ahead. This market’s inherent unpredictability keeps one excited and continually moving forward. With a technical background and a degree in Cyber-Crime Law, I grasp market dynamics and stay prepared to tackle challenges.

Reflecting on my journey, my initial three jobs were pivotal in shaping my career. At Justdial, I learned the significance of data, particularly B2B data. Way2sms was transformative, providing insights into data monetization. I gained extensive experience across various digital mediums like SMS marketing, email marketing, display ads, pop-ups, and push notifications, alongside mastering platforms like DoubleClick, AdSense, and AdWords.

My tenure at Taskbucks immersed me in the app ecosystem, focusing on user installation processes, tracking, attribution platform behaviors, and retargeting. Each company held significant market leadership: Justdial as the largest B2B publisher, Way2sms in SMS, email, and display marketing, and Taskbucks in app installations. Working with these leaders offered deep insights into user behaviors and advertiser needs through client interactions.

I’ve also successfully launched and developed divisions throughout my career, offering valuable insights into market dynamics. Drawing from these experiences, I founded my company in 2021, and today, we take pride in our achievements.

 

Congratulations to Digital ShoutOuts Media for completing 3 glorious years and for the launch of a new office in ME! Can you share how it came about to you launching this agency?

Thank you. I’ve always wanted to work in the creative field. Throughout my career, I’ve collaborated closely with many brands and creative agencies, though I spent most of my time in performance marketing. When I decided to start my company, I aimed for over 80% of our work to focus on ideas and innovation. Now, after three years, I can proudly say we are recognized in the market for our innovative brand-building work. Additionally, over 90% of our revenue comes from branding campaigns.

I am proud to have achieved the purpose for which I left the performance industry and founded Digital ShoutOuts Media. With a similar purpose and goal, we are now entering the Middle East market. I am confident we will soon have another interview where you will congratulate us on our success in this new market.

What strategies do you use to stay on top of the latest adtech and media trends?

I believe experience and vision matter. The Adtech industry is evolving rapidly. I have spent over 14 years in the media industry. When I entered the digital space, there were a few big websites, slow-loading internet, Nokia phones with VGA cameras, and the launch of Android and 3G in India. At that time, barely 1% of users had access to the latest technologies. Now, brands are focusing on the Metaverse, AI, and VR. I have witnessed this transformation closely.

The key is to stay updated with upcoming trends. While no one can predict the future, living through such a transformation allows you to anticipate what might come next. Trust your anticipation. My first client was a major FMCG brand seeking simple clicks at Rs.5 CPC. Recently, we pitched a robot for a phone brand, but the client wanted something more. This journey from simple clicks to sophisticated robotics illustrates the industry’s evolution.

My advice is not to do everything your competitors are doing. Excelling in the same areas as your competitors isn’t necessary. Everyone has different expertise. Focus on excelling in the areas where you truly want to be.

With your expertise in gaming and live streaming, how do you see these areas evolving in the media landscape, and what opportunities do they present for brands?

Before answering the question, I’d like to address a necessary change in the Indian gaming ecosystem: the mindset. In India, parents still do not view the gaming industry as a viable career option. However, gaming is not the future; it is the present. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with top Indian gamers, significantly boosting the industry’s visibility.

Despite this, we have a USD 3.5 billion industry set to be worth almost USD 7.5 billion and create 250,000 jobs by 2025. India has about 146 million real money gaming (RMG) players and about 202 million non-RMG casual gamers, with 57% of RMG players and 51% of casual gamers residing outside major cities. The game live-streaming market in India is projected to reach USD 200 million by 2024 and USD 250 million by 2027.

Most of these gamers are Gen Z and Millennials, who make up 52% of India’s population. Brands love this age group, especially those in the OTT, BFSI, soft drink, automobile, e-commerce, cosmetic & personal care, and apparel & fashion industries. Many categories want
to target this audience. Live streaming gaming offers numerous brand integration options with the latest technologies, providing unskippable, unstoppable content with 100% viewership. We are now focusing more than ever on our live-streaming solutions with the latest technologies.

What are your goals for the future of Digital ShoutOuts Media, and how do you plan to continue evolving and innovating in the industry?

We have been considering starting a new vertical to launch four new products and Connected TV (CTV) for a long time, but due to global expansion, we put that plan on hold. Now, in a few weeks, we will launch these new products, followed by CTV, with our creative ideas and  innovations. Our strategy team is already working on it. Recently, we read that Netflix is set to launch its own proprietary advertising technology platform, which will significantly boost the CTV ecosystem.

I strongly believe that evolution and innovation are journeys, not destinations, especially in the media industry, which is ever-changing. Emerging technologies will reshape traditional mediums. The rise of AI, the Metaverse, immersive experiences, Blockchain, Web 3.0, and increased personalization will transform the media ecosystem. For the first time in decades, we are witnessing digital media provide unparalleled competition to offline spending. TV is becoming CTV, and OOH is becoming DOOH.

Additionally, we are aggressively focusing on the Non-Gaming Live Streaming industry. People are cutting their cable connections, a trend that started in Tier-1 cities and is now happening in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities as well. Everything is available online through apps. To watch the news on TV, mobile, or laptop, there are multiple options: websites, apps, or YouTube Live Streaming channels.

Indian brands love our ideas, innovations, and creativity. When we began pitching our ideas in markets outside India, the excitement among brands further motivated us. We are ready to explore new opportunities in the coming months.