MAM
How can AI help brands to understand what will visually work
MUMBAI: For a brand to survive and succeed, reaching out to the readers and the non-readers — young or old — is critical. There is a section of the consumers who may not want to read, but they could look up and notice — at least. And, enjoy — may be. ‘Visual’ seems to the new norm in the communication strategy of all advertisers and strategists.
Can artificial intelligence really help brands to understand what will visually work with which types of consumers to make which buying decisions? Logograb CEO Luca Boschin recommends use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) to unlock the new visual age.
In his presentation, Boschin said that there is a social change in the way one shares and consumes content nowadays.
We have converted information into a commodity so that we could keep our businesses going and make them successful, said the Logograb CEO.
Gutenberg had invented the printing press. The purpose it served was manifold — from storytelling to reading. And, from books to reading on mobiles. However, in the last four years, there has been a massive change in how we read and where. Today, we are bombarded with content from multiple platforms. And, additionally, it’s a visual age.
Although there is a lot to see and read on multiple avenues, Boschin said, “Teen non-readers have tripled in numbers in the last two years as a result of visual-age. He said that 4000 million images are shared on social media every day.
63 per cent social media is made up by visual; about 83 per cent images on social media are talking about brands, that’s because consumers are communicating visually. Boschin concluded that the visual age has arrived and “visual is the new norm.”
Brands should make sure that they act on this trend and not ignore it.
Another speaker on the Day one at Zee Melt 2017 presented a session on ‘You are what you measure’. Google India apps and display product lead Neel Murty shared some interesting insights.
Murty said: “Sometimes we have the numbers but one thinks that we could do more. But, how could we define success? We can achieve more by thinking about the metrics that we are measuring with. He spoke about three major things that is setting goals and measuring success.
Measuring for success in the app world and pitfalls in measurement: Vodafone — Using universal app campaigns to drive downloads of their MyVodafone app, to improve customer experience and reduce customer service call volumes.
Result: 19 of overall app downloads across all marketing channels are driven by UAC (universal app campaigns), surpassing original target by 373%
On an average 20 per cent of users drive 70 per cent of business, and so one needs to focus on LTV instead of short term. Use metrics for long term instead of short term.
The last speaker for the session was Kantar Media APAC MD Nick Burfitt who spoke about TV to TV that is from television to total video. Today, there is a greater need than ever for clear standards of audience measurements. This data is critical input to understand media investment.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
