iWorld
VOOT amongst the top 10 brands in Talkwalker’s world’s most loved brands of 2020
KOLKATA: The marketing industry has been flooded with terms like ‘loyalty’, ‘trust’ and ‘engagement’ for many years. More recently the term ‘love’ has become an emotion beyond measure. But can people really love a brand? Social analytics firm Talkwalker says people can and they do. Talkwalker recently released its Brand Love Story 2020 report, featuring the world’s most loved brands, with Viacom18’s homegrown OTT platform, Voot, emerging as the only entertainment brand to not just make it to the list, but also be in the Top 10, globally. As a leading streaming platform, Voot has always believed in engaging with its viewers while providing them with wholesome entertainment. With interactivity and engagement as the driving factor, Voot’s digital journey has built a vibrant community of Asli Fans who interact, participateand contribute towards the conversations the brand drives on social media platforms, online forums, blogs and offline chatter.
“Our relationship with Voot users is central to the way we make choices on the platform, and it is something that they recognize and appreciate. Getting the experience and service right for them is very much a journey, but as long as we stay authentic as a business, our users can and do fall in love with us every day. Voot’s Top 10 ranking in the Talkwalkers most loved brand report as the only entertainment brand in a list of globally celebrated brands, is testimony to how far we have come. Recognition like this, only drives us harder to innovate and obsess on behalf of our viewers, so the love affair continues and thrives.” said Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshit said .
By Talkwalker’s calculus, brands that are loved are ones that build what it calls “vital emotional connections” with consumers. With a distinct focus on localized content, to help stay relevant, and a creative marketing strategy that helps engage users with social media and influencers, Voot drives high engagement along with positive sentiment rates through engaging fandoms, having good customer service and maintaining a high standard of corporate social responsibility.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
