Can you walk us through your professional journey and share how your experiences have shaped your approach to leadership and innovation in the Adtech space?
My professional journey has been defined by resilience, adaptability, and strategic growth. After working in the call center industry, I ventured into entrepreneurship and launched operations in India. However, the 2008 global economic meltdown forced a shift back to employment, leading me to media roles at Timesjob, Dainik Jagran, and Mediascope. These experiences enriched my knowledge of media operations and digital advertising, enhancing my leadership skills.
While working as Country Head at Hybrid in India, I’ve combined entrepreneurial traits with a deep concern for team well-being, fostering a culture of collaboration and growth. My leadership style is based on empathy, strategic thinking, and a desire to learn, which are essential in the constantly changing AdTech environment. By embracing change and leveraging strength, I have guided my team through challenges and positioned Hybrid at the forefront of digital advertising innovation.
How do you manage the balance between revenue generation and maintaining a forward-thinking approach in a rapidly changing digital landscape?
Generating revenue while staying innovative in a world constantly evolving due to technological advancements is crucial. At Hybrid, we always consider innovation together with financial objectives ensuring we stay ahead of industry trends. Although revenue is important, it is not the only goal; we dedicate resources to research and development to ensure that our solutions are the most up-to-date and relevant to our clients.
The plan is to use analytics to respond to market shifts, quickly adjust the product portfolio, and seek new revenue sources. This means that we encourage our team to be innovative and take calculated risks as this is the only way that we can grow. This balance ensures immediate monetary gains while positioning the company for future dominance in the AdTech market. Ultimately, our strategy supports continuous growth and prepares us for the future.
How did the VOX Contextual Marketing Suite help achieve over 8 million impressions and a 0.99% CTR in your recent Philips (Versuni) campaign with Omnicom Media Group?
With our solution, VOX Contextual Marketing Suite, we were able to support the Philips Air Fryer campaign and reach over 8.3 million impressions, 82,379 clicks, and a 0.99% CTR. In this case, we avoided ‘banner blindness’ through the use of in-image ads that were relevant to the content of the pages. We were able to target our audience, the urban male and female population of India between 22-40 years. Our approach was based on constant experimentation, for instance, the change of creative and domain to enhance post-click effectiveness such as bounce rates and time spent on the website.
The campaign’s personalized approach resulted in a reach of 5.2 million users, 180 in-carts, and 73,000 new sales. VOX utilized Semantica 360° and advanced Computer Vision to place ads within relevant content, driving brand awareness and purchase consideration. This approach made it possible to create ads that would be appealing to the users and thus achieve outstanding campaign results.
What future trends in programmatic advertising do you believe will have the most significant impact on digital advertising?
Several aspects of programmatic advertising that are expected to shape the future of digital advertising include; Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning, Connected TV (CTV) and OTT, and better brand safety. AI and machine learning are changing ad campaigns and making them more efficient and targeted in real-time. The change from cookie-based targeting to contextual targeting is proving more effective and less prone to errors. CTV and OTT platforms are disrupting the environment by providing the ability to target viewers based on their characteristics and combining the immersive experience of TV with the flexibility of digital advertising. Furthermore, the focus on brand safety is a shift to more responsible advertising, where ads are aligned with the brand’s values and do not harm its reputation. Other trends that are also on the rise include shoppable ads and rich media ads that are more engaging and interactive for the consumer as well as more memorable.
With the festive season in Q4 approaching, how is Hybrid prepared to help brands maximize their campaigns during this busy period?
As the festive season approaches, Hybrid is fully prepared to offer customized solutions that cater to the unique needs of each brand. Our AI-driven tools ensure that your ads resonate with your target audience by delivering them in highly relevant content environments, using in-image ads and innovative formats like stickers and stripes with full “wow” effects, making your brand stand out during the celebrations.
We synchronize your digital ads with television commercials, allowing your brand to maintain a consistent presence across multiple platforms during key festive moments. Additionally, our location targeting focuses on high-activity festive areas, such as cafes and supermarkets, ensuring your ads reach local consumers where they’re most likely to engage.
These tailored solutions ensure your brand not only captures attention but also connects meaningfully with the right audience, maximizing impact during this crucial period of high consumer engagement.
