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Millward Brown’s link (TM) with facial coding technology increases its database to 800 adverts across Asia
MUMBAI: Millward Brown, the only full-service research agency to have a dedicated, global neuroscience practice, today announced that since pioneering its award-winning link(TM) with facial coding technology in early 2012, it now has a database of more than 800 adverts across Asia.
The approach, created jointly by Millward Brown and Affectiva, seamlessly integrates automatic interpretation of moment-by-moment facial responses to ads with viewers‘ cognitive responses — providing advertisers with powerful recommendations to optimise effectiveness.
The integration of Affectiva‘s Affdex(TM) Facial Coding software with Millward Brown‘s Link(TM) copy-testing solution has tapped into a clear need amongst the region‘s advertisers to accurately measure emotions in advertising in a simple, cost-effective and scalable way that is accurate across different cultures.
“Listening to the overwhelming feedback from our clients and looking at results from more than 800 studies we‘ve conducted across Asia, we know that implicit measurement through facial coding, combined with established survey-based research, is giving a level of insight that simply could not be achieved by either approach in isolation,” said Global Innovations for Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific director Pankaj Jha.
“In fact, we see that the powerful combined approach improves the already strong relationship between link metrics and sales effectiveness.”
The technique has proved most useful to: Aid understanding of the real emotional power of ads, particularly when an ad is “edgy” and uses challenging creative devices; Clarify and highlight emotional reactions, not easily explained by survey responses; Help discover transition points that either enhance the story or break the flow, which could lead to issues of comprehension; Identify branding moments and cues that did or did not work well and Chart the overall flow through the advert to optimise storytelling.
Kohler managing director of kitchen & bath, India Salil Sadanandan said, “Analysing the facial responses of viewers uncovered some post-rationalisation occurring on the survey, and that there was a positive response to the advertising idea underlying respondents‘ answers. That insight is helping us develop the creative further with changes highlighted by both the survey and facial metrics. We generated more insightful and usable findings by combining both methods.”
Globally, Millward Brown has used Link with Facial Coding to research more than 1,500 ads, primarily for Fortune 500 companies, since launching the best-in-class solution in early 2012.
AD Agencies
WPP Media elevates Dipti Gulati to vp, client growth for APMEA
Singapore-based executive to commercialise AI-powered solutions business across the region
SINGAPORE: WPP Media has promoted Dipti Gulati to vice president, client growth, handing her the mandate to lead the commercialisation of its solutions business across APMEA.
Based in Singapore, Gulati steps up after serving as senior director, client growth, where she drove expansion across APAC spanning programmatic, search, social, CTV, DOOH and cross-channel offerings. Now, she is tasked with translating advanced AI, data and technology ecosystems into scalable growth strategies for global brands across FMCG, luxury, F&B and financial services.
“I commercialise the future of media — at scale, across APMEA,” Gulati said, announcing her appointment. She added that she turns advanced data, AI and technology ecosystems into real commercial outcomes, shifting the conversation “from a pure media play to owning business outcomes”.
Her brief is unapologetically future-facing: addressable, accountable and AI-powered media. She will work with cross-market teams across APMEA, bringing together diverse perspectives and cultures to accelerate growth and build what she calls the “future of media”.
Gulati’s rise caps nearly two years at WPP Media and follows a six-month stint as regional director of growth, APAC, at Mindshare, where she led new business development and expanded capabilities for existing clients. Earlier, as global account director for integrated marketing communications on the Unilever business, she drove communications strategy for multi-million dollar beauty and wellbeing brands across Southeast Asia.
Before that, Gulati spent close to two years as associate director at Warner Bros. Discovery in Singapore. She also served as director, strategic partnerships and market development at TrustSphere, leading go-to-market and growth initiatives across Asia and evangelising relationship analytics to C-level executives. TrustSphere, credited by industry and Harvard Business School case studies as a pioneer in relationship analytics, became a springboard for her deeper engagement with data-driven growth.
Her board and evangelist roles at the Asia Cloud Computing Association and its Asia Analytics Alliance further sharpened her regional policy and analytics credentials. Earlier chapters include marketing consultancy at Blockchain Foundry and a seven-year run at Warner Bros. Discovery in India, where she led ad-sales and business development for HBO and WB across north and east India, delivering record billings. She began her career at Diligent Media Corporation Ltd and Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd..
From ad-sales floors in Delhi and Mumbai to boardrooms in Singapore, Gulati’s arc mirrors the industry’s own shift — from selling spots and slots to engineering outcomes through data and AI. At WPP Media, the brief is clear: scale smarter, move faster and turn algorithms into advantage.
