Mumbai: The second half of Day 2 had yet another Knowledge Seminar in store, presented by Rajasthan Patrika, titled A Story Of Adaptability: From the Silver Screen to the Mobile Screen with Zeenat Aman, Indian Film Actress and Moderator, RJ Anmol. The audience was treated to an insightful journey through the evolution of storytelling in the digital age, as Aman shared her experiences of transitioning from the silver screen to the mobile screen. Anmol posed a question to Zeenat Aman, recalling a time when no one was willing to play Dev Anand’s sister. He asked how she adapted from playing Janice to playing Rupa. Zeenat responded by emphasising the importance of believing in what you do and giving it your all.

Zeenat also reflected on her transition from the silver screen to social media. She started her social media journey a year ago, valuing her privacy after being thrust into the limelight during her heyday. “I was quite overwhelmed by the response I received on social media; it was unexpected!” she said. Notably, she achieved an engagement rate of 16.6% last year, surpassing Jennifer Aniston and Kareena Kapoor Khan. Zeenat also stressed the importance of honesty and being forthcoming. She spoke about the relevance of sharing thoughts and experiences that resonate with the times, noting that people appreciate listening to genuine stories. The session offered invaluable insights into the art of adaptability in the ever-changing entertainment landscape.

Following the Fireside Chat, the next Knowledge Seminar was presented by News 18 Network, titled Marketing Adaptability: Blending Traditional And New-Age Marketing For Brand Success, featuring a distinguished panel of industry specialists. Among the esteemed speakers were Chandan Mukherjee, Director & Executive Vice President at Nestle; Shubhranshu Singh, Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles; Sukhleen Aneja, Chief Executive Officer of The Good Glamm Group; Sandeep Karwa, Vice President, Monetization at Flipkart; and Zairus Master, Chief Business Officer at Honasa Consumer Ltd. Conducting the discussion was Delshad Irani, Editor of Storyboard 18.

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Zairus, through this conversation, addressed the prevalent issue of emerging brands being overly fixated on short-term goals, long-term goals and the apparent divide, stressing the importance of balancing short-term and long-term objectives. He emphasised the overarching goal of building brands and the necessity of acting swiftly to achieve business growth. “There is only one objective and action which is to create business,” he affirmed. Thereafter, Chandan underscored the importance of fundamental principles, such as understanding consumers and the brand and utilising various integrations to achieve objectives. He noted the evolving nature of brands in today’s dynamic landscape, highlighting their ability to redefine and stretch boundaries. Chandan also touched upon the rapid digital penetration and technological advancements, urging against drawing distinctions between traditional and modern approaches. Sukhleen, while addressing the audience said, “Fundamentally, if we have to grow, we have to keep adapting and manage the pace of change, while keeping our humility in check.”

In this informative session, the panel delved into the fusion of traditional and new-age marketing strategies for brand success. With a focus on adaptability in an ever-evolving market landscape, the speakers shared their insights on blending time-tested marketing approaches with innovative techniques to stay ahead of the curve. From leveraging digital platforms to harnessing the power of storytelling, the session provided attendees with actionable strategies to navigate the complexities of modern marketing and drive meaningful impact for their brands.

It was then time to rock and roll with Advertising Rocks!; presented by Mastiii and powered by MIQ. Advertising Rocks is a one-of-a-kind musical contest that provides a platform for numerous members of the advertising, media and marketing fraternity to showcase their talents and rock the stage. Stealing the show in first place in the Solo – Indian and Solo – International category were Nishant Patil from Logicserve Digital Pvt. Ltd., and Bodhisattwa Banerjee from VML India, respectively.

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The second half of Day 2 of Goafest 2024 began with an informative masterclass by Flipkart Ads, on the topic Flipkart IRIS: Winning the e-commerce game with deep analytics. Khushagra introduced the “new hero and friend in the market” – Flipkart IRIS (Insights and Research Intelligence System). His colleague Saksham continued the masterclass, stating that Flipkart IRIS essentially elaborates the marketing funnel, and can process petabytes of data weekly. One of its salient features is its homepage, which gives an overview of a brand’s performance, vis-à-vis leaders as well as competitors. This masterclass left the attendees with constructive insights into achieving success in the e-commerce market today with the help of Flipkart IRIS.

Following this, a masterclass by Spotify, presented by Shraddha Shetty, provided attendees with invaluable knowledge on Unlocking Spotify: Innovation Beyond Audio, revealing that Spotify is more than just an audio platform. She highlighted its highly engaging and immersive environment, making it ideal for brand advertising. Shraddha emphasised the importance of compelling storytelling, especially given the short attention spans of audiences. She concluded by stressing the future of Spotify as a blend of sound and sight, encouraging brands to focus on imagination, human-like communication, and contextual relevance.

The day concluded with a D&AD masterclass where Paul Drake, introduced ‘Win One, Teach One’ at the Trend Immersion Workshop, which emphasised on nurturing new talent in the creative industry through initiatives like D&AD New Blood and D&AD Shift. Notably, 270 Shifters have completed the program, with 72% now employed in creative roles across sectors. Drake explored trends like ‘Pay It Forward’, ‘Open Source Casting’, and ‘Ownable Iconicity’, highlighting the ‘Awe Economy’ and extreme responses as key drivers.  He quoted Arthur Schopenhauer on stress innovative thinking and discussed distinguishing between trends and fads, showcasing examples like Pokemon Go and Fortnite. Participants engaged in interactive activities and viewed videos like Pharrell Williams’ ‘Cash In Cash Out’ to learn about trend applications. The workshop emphasised humour, awe, and authenticity while prioritising the product. Overall, it emphasised innovative thinking and strategic foresight in navigating trends within the creative industry.

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