Brands
ASCI and Futurebrands launches ‘Wielding Influence, Nurturing Trust’ study at the #GetItRight Brand Influencer Summit
Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), in partnership with Futurebrands, unveiled the ‘Wielding Influence, Nurturing Trust’ report at the #GetItRight ASCI Brand Influencer Summit 2023 in Mumbai on Monday. The report discusses the best ways for influencers to build lasting relationships with consumers so that influencer-led brand growth is equitable and profitable for all stakeholders.
The study brings together multiple perspectives that offer new insights into how influencers and brands can foster a culture in which they are genuine in their communication and build enduring engagement with consumers. The report highlights an opportunity for influencers to be engaged at earlier stages as stakeholders in the communication process. It also identifies six major influencer archetypes that allow for a more meaningful way to look at influencers than merely their followers or category affiliations. At a time when the creator movement is gaining significant momentum, the report provides a new paradigm of “informed trust” that allows for a ‘Trust Trinity’ that shapes effective production and consumption of content built on a foundation of authenticity and transparency. The study asserts that trust between consumers and influencers is the core of the relationship, and that it’s not a one-time event but a long-term process.
The summit saw a keynote address by ministry of consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh. It hosted top influencers such as trans icon and influencer Sushant Divgikar, Indian fashion icon Masoom Minawala, digital creator and cultural ambassador for India Kamiya Jani, food writer and actor Kunal Vijaykar, digital content creator Viraj Gelani, young finfluencer Anushka Rathod and India’s skin-positive influencer Prableen Kaur.
Comedian, actor and musician, Vir Das enthralled the audience with his unique satirical one-liners during an engaging fireside chat with journalist Anuradha Sengupta.
The other sessions were anchored by prominent experts such as Mukta Lad, Parul Ohri and Subhash Kamath.
The day-long event was filled with discussions, case studies, workshops and mentoring sessions, and offered budding influencers opportunities to network and shape their careers.
The summit ended on a high note with participants mesmerised by the soulful music of Ankur Tewari in a special performance by Coke Studio Bharat.
ASCI CEO & secretary Manisha Kapoor said, “Besides laying down guidelines to protect consumers, ASCI is also committed to help the advertising ecosystem GetItRight, the study and the summit are a step in that direction. Influencers are brilliant, diverse minds that offer a new version of advertising that is excitingly different. Their content has led to connections with audiences in a way never seen before. It is important that trust, authenticity and transparency be the foundation for a sustainable creator economy, with consumer interest at the very core.”
The agenda for the ASCI Brand Influencer Summit 2023 included:
. Mentor Connect
. Keynote address by Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs
. Panel discussion on the ‘Wielding Influence, Nurturing Trust’ report and influencer marketing
. Decoding Effectiveness of Successful Brand-Influencer Partnerships by Knowledge Partner of the event BigBang.Social
. Category Spotlight Sessions: Recipe for Success (Food and Health), Up Close and Personal (Fashion and Beauty), Reaching for the Sky (Travel and Lifestyle) and Show Me the Money (Finance and Fintech)
. Future Gazing Session: a peep into the future of influencer marketing
. Circle of Trust: fireside chat with Vir Das
. Coke Studio Bharat performance
The event was co-sponsored by, Cipla Health, Colgate Palmolive, Diageo India, Mondelez International and Nestle India. Associate sponsors for the event included, Coca Cola India, Johnson & Johnson India, and L’Oreal India. Knowledge partner was Big Bang Social and Media Partner, DB Corp Ltd. The category spotlight session was sponsored by Danone India, ITC Ltd., Johnson & Johnson, Kotak Mahindra Bank, L’Oreal India, MakeMyTrip, Mamaearth, and Marico.
The co-sponsors of the event also co-sponsored the “Wielding Influence, Nurturing Trust” Report; other co-sponsors of the report included, Danone India, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, ITC Limited, Mamaearth, and Red Bull India.
To access the full report, visit: https://ascionline.in/wielding-influence-nurturing-trust.pdf
Brands
Aptronix unveils ‘Big & Beyond’ campaign, opens largest store in Hyderabad
Naga Chaitanya, Sobhita front push as retailer expands premium Apple experience
HYDERABAD: Aptronix has rolled out its most ambitious brand push yet with the launch of the ‘Big & Beyond Aptronix’ campaign, alongside the opening of its largest retail store in India.
The campaign features actors Akkineni Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala as brand faces, signalling a sharper focus on aspirational, experience-led retail as the company scales its presence in the premium Apple ecosystem.
At the centre of the rollout is a new 8,000 sq. ft. flagship outlet at Sarath City Capital Mall, now the largest Aptronix store in the country and among the biggest Apple Premium Reseller formats in India. The space is designed to offer immersive product discovery, personalised guidance and integrated service support, positioning the store as more than just a point of sale.
The campaign itself leans into themes of scale, ambition and accessibility, aiming to connect with a younger, increasingly design-conscious generation of Apple users. By pairing celebrity appeal with in-store experience, Aptronix is looking to deepen emotional engagement while reinforcing its premium positioning.
A key pillar remains its ‘Limitless Aptronix Exchange’ programme, which offers customers simplified upgrade paths, transparent pricing and wider access to Apple devices. The initiative has been central to driving adoption by making high-end technology more approachable for a broader audience.
Premium Lifestyle and Fashion founder & owner Sutinder Singh said the new store reflects a long-held belief that Indian consumers should have access to the best Apple retail experience without compromise. He added that the campaign’s celebrity faces mirror the brand’s core values of elegance, ambition and confidence.
Aptronix CEO Meghna Singh said the ‘Big & Beyond’ theme reflects how the company operates, with a focus on building a best-in-class retail experience. She noted that the Hyderabad launch and the campaign together signal Aptronix’s intent to set new benchmarks in the category.
With this dual push of scale and storytelling, Aptronix is not just expanding its footprint but also redefining how premium tech retail is experienced in India.
