MAM
Digital transformation, not hitting short-term metrics must be the primary role of marketers, say APAC CMOS
MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network’s 2019 global survey of 1,000 CMOs and senior-level marketers in 10 markets – including Australia, China, and Japan in Asia Pacific – highlights a growing challenge for marketing leaders, as they seek to move beyond optimisation and drive business transformation through digital.
Globally, 8 out of 10 surveyed recognise the imperative to transform the business in the face of digital disruption, as well as taking more responsibility for product and service innovation over the next 2-3 years. China, in particular, comes out leading this trend with 98% and 96% of respondents respectively prioritising these areas as key elements of the marketing function.
However, global CMOs are finding it difficult to achieve this vision with ‘Business Transformation’ and ‘Disruptive Innovation’ at the bottom of the list for the second year running in terms of functional priorities, and current capabilities beginning to lag behind future needs as short-term metrics dominate their focus.
Within APAC, CMOs are beginning to lead a shift away from this trend, with China, Japan and Australia ranking Business Transformation within the top 3 priorities for the marketing function today, as well as over the next 3 years. CMOs in China and Japan also notably outperform global counterparts in their expectations for Disruptive Innovation to rise among marketers’ top 3 priorities in the next 3 years, at 61% and 47% respectively, well above the global average of 36%.
Marketing functions risk lagging the digital race as performance gaps emerge
Across a spectrum of marketing capabilities, CMOs were asked what they believe to be important to future success, versus their current ability to execute. The data shows a significant gap emerging between the two:
85% believe creativity is critical to future business success, 54% believe they are delivering well today 83% identify the importance of seamless customer experience and commerce across channels, yet only 60% believe they are developing this capability well But the divide is most stark in data management and analytics, where 84% identify these capabilities as important to future success, yet only 49% are confident in these capabilities today
The divide between existing capabilities in data skills and the importance these skills will have on future business performance is perhaps the greatest risk CMOs must address as the growth of the global digital economy shows no signs of slowing down.
Digital transformation challenges emerge as key barriers in APAC rather than access to long-term investment
Globally, an inability to secure long-term investment is cited as the most significant barrier to delivering on marketing strategy (rated as a top three concern by 50% of all CMOs).
At the global level, the outlook for the next 12 months is mixed with 41% of CMOs reporting budgets as flat or declining, despite growing revenues (64% of respondents reported revenue growth over the same period). China stands out as a rare exception here, with only 17% of CMOs reporting budget as flat or declining (against 87% of same respondents reporting revenue growth for their businesses).
In contrast with their global counterparts, top barriers faced by CMOs in APAC are linked to the challenges associated with digital transformation as opposed to securing long-term investment.
For Australia and China for example, the inability to transform the business quickly enough is the number one barrier to delivering on marketing strategy. Also cited among their top 3 challenges is insufficient control over digital investments or programmes across the company. In Japan, the lack of access to requisite talent emerges as the top challenge.
While globally, two-thirds (64%) say they expect to come under further pressure to demonstrate tangible short-term results, marketers in China (84%), Japan (71%), and Australia (49%) are more likely to plan their marketing strategy over the longer term, at least 2 years in advance.
Takaki Hibino, APAC Executive Chairman, Dentsu Aegis Network said:
“Brands globally have invested heavily in digital but have yet to reap the rewards as short-term metrics rather than driving digital transformation continues to dominate the marketing function’s focus and priorities.
In Asia Pacific however, CMOs are leading the curve with business transformation now firmly positioned as function’s top 3 priorities, and CMOs in the region being more likely to plan their marketing strategies over the long term. This creates a real opportunity for CMOs in this region to truly embed the digital transformation agenda and drive the future capabilities the region depends on for growth.”
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
