MAM
Indian moms not splurging on premium brands during lockdown
MUMBAI: Momspresso.com is India’s largest user-generated content platform that allows women to express themselves through different formats including text, audio, and video across ten languages. It has been introducing several campaigns to keep moms and kids engaged and entertained during the lockdown period. If we take a closer look at the mums of the country who are caring for children and their family amidst these uncertain times, it becomes important to understand what they are going through and how has COVID-19 impacted their interaction with their surroundings at large.
And in order to understand this better, MomSights – Momspresso’s research and insights division is conducting the Covid-19 Weekly Tracker for 6-8 weeks. Some trends have emerged from the first three weeks of lockdown – majority of moms have adapted to the new normal. While stress and anxiety were major sentiments in the first two weeks, this week has witnessed moms feeling hopeful. However, since they have been managing everything at home, moms are now exhausted. The third-week survey was conducted among 500 moms across the country, from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Kanpur, Jaipur, Bhopal, etc. Going forward, Momspresso.com intends to survey over 3000 moms through its Covid2019 tracker over the next 6-8 weeks.
Momspresso.com COO Prashant Sinha said: “ The world is changing post-Covid at a very rapid pace and so is the consumer behaviour – and therefore, the brands want to know what the consumer is feeling and how are they reacting to situations in these unprecedented times. It is pertinent for brands to be in the know-how of the consumer and have easy access to the pulse of their behviour. We are helping brands not just to understand consumers but also developing content around the same. ”
In the third week of the lockdown, mom’s stressors have remained similar to the first two weeks. While 74% of moms are worried about keeping everything sanitized, 57% are concerned about keeping their kids busy during this lockdown. Kids' health remains the topmost stressor for moms as 78% are worried about their kids getting sick amid the lockdown. Screen time is a growing concern for moms.
On the brighter side, a majority of moms have mentioned that they have a renewed appreciation for spending time with their family and an increased value of life. They are also realizing the importance of a healthy lifestyle, a positive outlook, and me time. Post-lockdown, they plan to continue living a healthy, disciplined life, check their spending habits, and plan finances better.
Panic buying and stocking up on essentials were rampant in the first two weeks of the lockdown. In the third week, however, moms have a sufficient stock of staples at home. However, spending on tea/coffee, biscuits, breakfast cereals, and snacks has gone up slightly as more time is spent at home. Since visiting a doctor is not feasible, moms are stocking up on medicines as well.
For all their pantry items, moms are sticking to their usual pre-lockdown brands and not splurgingon premium ones. While the demand for sanitizers, handwash, and other cleaning products has increased in this week, moms are buying whichever brands are available in their nearby store.
Neha Gahlaut – Head, Momspresso MomSights, said: “During this lockdown, moms across the country are taking care of kids, family, household chores and office work. Hence it is important to understand what moms are going through and how they are feeling, on a continuous basis. Thus, leveraging MomSights, we aim to keep a track of their state of mind, their purchase behavior, and the content that they are consuming, over the next few weeks. We have endeavoured to give that opportunity to a multitude of brands who are accessing this info and benefitting from it.”
In another important part of the study, Momspresso.com aimed to find out how moms are leveraging digital platforms during the lockdown. According to the third-week results, there has been an increase in the use of apps like Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. Just like the first two weeks, moms are relying more than ever on Whatsapp to connect with their friends and family and ensure their well-being. Further, OTT platforms such as Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. have also witnessed a surge in demand as a way for families to binge and bond.
Moms are increasingly watching videos related to art and craft projects for kids, new recipes for cooking and yoga, workouts and meditation videos to stay healthy amid the lockdown.
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.
