MAM
AET Global entrusts Su Piow Ko, VP of AET Global, With an additional charge as the CEO of India
Mumbai: AET Displays, a renowned industry expert in fine-pitch LED displays, has entrusted Su Piow Ko, vice president of AET Global, with an additional charge as the CEO for India. With over three decades of experience in LED technology, Ko brings a wealth of expertise to his new position.
Under his guidance, AET aims to push the boundaries of technological advancement, expand its market presence, optimize after-sales support services, and forge strategic partnerships that drive sustainable growth in India. Having officially entered the Indian market on October 26, 2023, AET expeditiously solidified its foothold, offering over 50 products and boasting more than 2000 installations nationwide. In addition, AET strategically operates one assembly plant, three offices, three customer experience centres, and five service centres throughout the country, ensuring extensive coverage and support for its clientele.
AET Global vice president Su Piow Ko expressed his enthusiasm about his new role, stating, “I am honoured to take on the responsibility of CEO, India, at AET. India presents immense opportunities for growth and innovation in the LED display industry, and I am excited to guide AET in achieving excellence and surpassing customer expectations in this dynamic market. My vision extends beyond establishing AET as a leader in the LED sector in India; I am also dedicated to bolstering the nation’s economy through our commitment to local manufacturing.”
Ko’s journey in the LED technology sector began over 30 years ago, quickly ascending through the ranks on account of his outstanding leadership skills and technical proficiency. His 7-year tenure at Siemens as a Senior Production Operation Manager provided him with invaluable experience in managing large-scale manufacturing operations and optimizing efficiency.
Prashant Srivastava, head of international marketing, praised Su Piow Ko’s appointment, affirming, “Su Piow Ko’s demonstrated leadership and comprehensive understanding of market dynamics make him a valuable asset to AET’s strategy in India. His forward-thinking approach will enable us to promptly adapt to market fluctuations and capitalize on emerging trends, ensuring enduring success in India’s competitive LED arena. With his years of knowledge and experience, I am confident that AET India will benefit from his ability to cultivate a collaborative and respectful culture, fostering innovation and productivity among the team.”
MAM
ASCI study uncovers how Gen Alpha navigates ads in endless digital feeds
‘What the Sigma?’ ethnographic report maps blurred boundaries between content and commerce for 7–15-year-olds.
MUMBAI: Gen Alpha isn’t scrolling through the internet, they’re living rent-free inside its never-ending dopamine drip, and the ads have already moved in next door. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Academy, partnering with Futurebrands Consulting, has published ‘What the Sigma?’, an immersive ethnographic study that maps how Indian children aged 7–15 (Generation Alpha) consume, interpret and live alongside media and commercial messaging in a hyper-digital environment.
The research draws on in-home interviews, sibling and peer conversations, and discussions with parents, teachers, counsellors, psychologists, marketers and kidfluencers across six cities. It examines not only what children watch but how algorithms, content creators, peers and parents shape their relationship with the constant stream of shorts, vlogs, gameplay, memes, sponsored posts and ‘kid-ified’ adult material.
Five core themes emerged:
- Discontinuous Generation, Gen Alpha is not growing up alongside the internet, they are growing up inside it. Cultural references, humour, aesthetics and language sync globally in real time, often leaving adults functionally illiterate in their children’s world. A reference that lands instantly for a 10-year-old in Mumbai or Visakhapatnam feels opaque or disjointed to most parents.
- Authority Vacuum, Parents and teachers frequently lose cultural fluency in digital spaces. The algorithm responsive, inexhaustible and perfectly attuned to preferences becomes the most attentive presence in many children’s daily lives. Rules around screen time feel increasingly difficult to enforce when adults cannot fully see or understand the content landscape.
- Digital as Society, Online and offline no longer exist as separate realms, they form one continuous reality. The phone is not a tool children pick up; it is the primary social environment they inhabit.
- Great Media Mukbang, Content flows as an ambient, boundary-less, multi-sensorial stream. Entertainment, advertising, commerce, gameplay, memes and vlogs merge into one undifferentiated feed. The line between active choice and passive absorption has largely collapsed.
- Blurred Ad Recognition, Children aged 7–12 typically recognise only the most overt advertising formats. Influencer promotions, gaming integrations and vlog sponsorships often register as organic entertainment. Children aged 13–15 show greater ad literacy but remain highly susceptible to narrative-integrated, passion-driven and emotionally resonant brand messaging. Discernment remains low across the board in a non-stop stream.
ASCI CEO and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “ASCI Academy’s study is an investigation into the content life of Generation Alpha not to judge them but to understand them. Their cultural reference points seem disjointed from those of earlier generations. Insights on how they perceive advertising is the first step towards building more responsible engagement frameworks, given that they are the youngest media consumers in our country right now.”
Futurebrands Consulting founder and director Santosh Desai added, “While earlier generations have been exposed to digital media, for this generation it is the world they inhabit. This report explores not only what they watch but how they are being shaped by algorithms, content and advertising.”
The study proposes four adaptive, principles-led pathways:
- Universal signposting of commercial intent using design principles that make advertising recognisable even to young audiences.
- Ecosystem-wide responsibility shared among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents.
- Future-ready safeguards built directly into children’s content experiences rather than as optional background settings.
- Formal media and advertising literacy embedded in school curricula to teach age-appropriate understanding of persuasion and commercial intent.
In a feed that never pauses, Gen Alpha isn’t merely watching content, they’re swimming in an ocean where entertainment, commerce and identity swirl together. The real question isn’t whether they can spot an ad; it’s whether the adults building the ocean can agree on where the lifeguards should stand.
