Another threat to the duopoly: How is Vodafone Idea foraying into the adtech industry?

Vodafone Idea has launched its ad-tech platform called Vi Ads, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), to give marketers an ROI-focused programmatic media buying platform. The telecom operator rolled out Vi Ads with the aim of participating as a major player in the multibillion-dollar Indian ad tech industry.

How will Vi Ads benefit?

It is a self-serve interface that helps marketers set up campaigns, track them, derive personalized insight, and enable targeted outreach. Vi Ads is built to achieve full-funnel campaign objectives from awareness to purchase.

Banking on Vi’s deep data science technology, Vi Ads will enable marketers to engage with the operator’s over 243 million subscribers through multiple channels like Vi-owned digital media — Vi App, Vi Movies, and TV App, and traditional channels like SMS, and IVR calls. The company highlighted the below aspects that distinguish Vi ads:

1. It offers precision targeting not only on the company’s digital assets but also on external third-party programmatic media.
2. It will not be media-specific and enable marketers to engage with Vi users on external media channels and publisher partners of Vi Ads.
3. Marketers can benefit from unique audience segments, interest groups, and targeting parameters derived from Vi’s deep consumer insights built on opt-in consumer data.

Avneesh Khosla, chief marketing officer, Vi said,

“With our programmatic platform – Vi Ads, we will address two of the biggest challenges faced by marketers today – authentic insights and enhanced reach.”

He further added,

“This is a simple, easy to use, and highly efficient solution for marketers to effectively reach out to the right target group with the most relevant messaging at any given point of time, while also providing a monetization opportunity to Vi as we aggressively build and scale our digital assets.”

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Vi Ads collaboration

Vi Ads is developed in collaboration with TorcAi, a provider of audience infrastructure and programmatic solutions. It leverages advanced data sciences & machine learning to weave together legacy marketing and advertising technology platforms with new-breed tech. Rohit Verma, CEO TorcAi Digital said,

“This partnership, and the development of the Vi Ads platform, will enable Vi to connect their vast stores of customer insights with advertisers, and publishers, to deliver the right message, at the perfect time.”

Is the entry of telecom operators a threat to the duopoly in the digital advertising market?

In the fast-growing Indian digital advertising market, telecom operators Bharti Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea have launched their own platforms to compete with tech and eCommerce giants like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Flipkart.

The combined revenue of Google and Meta grew to Rs 23,000 crore in FY21 whereas Amazon India and Flipkart generated cumulative advertising revenue of Rs 3900 crore. Digital advertising is sure to undergo a major change as the telcos are going all out to make advertising an additional revenue stream.

In early 2021, telecom provider Bharti Airtel launched its Adtech platform- Airtel Ads and Reliance Jio launched its JioAds later in the year. The three largest telecom operators have a huge opportunity in the digital ecosystem as they collectively own 1.16 billion users and have access to such vast data reserves. As Google plans to phase out third-party cookies by the end of 2023, they are best positioned to take advantage of the fact that they have access to authentic first-party data.

In the case of Airtel, brands can access its 350 million+ customers through various digital platforms via Airtel Ads. It also acquired a strategic stake in the startup Aqilliz to integrate the latter’s advanced blockchain technologies across its fast-growing offerings in Adtech, Digital Entertainment, and Digital Marketplace.

Similarly, JioAds offers advertisers access to reach 450 million+ users through online and offline media assets. The JioAds ecosystem offerings spread across Connectivity, Entertainment, and Commerce. A major selling point for advertisers of JioAds is its brand-safe omnichannel network.

A first-party platform is ideally suited for addressing the question of trust and privacy in digital advertising. Ad tech has seen significant growth and innovation in India due to the digital revolution, which has also led to a higher volume of investments in the industry. The Indian market will be interesting to see if the new entrants can overtake the duopoly and eCommerce companies.

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