MAM
Idea Cellular launches Dialer Tones
MUMBAI: Mobile service provider Idea Cellular has introduced a service called Dialer Tones for its customers.
The company’s customers can now set their Ringing back tones for callers from a choice of tunes, ranging from Bollywood film songs to International hits, wacky sounds to instrumental music and even their own voice, among other tunes.
The company has stated that the best feature of the product is, that the tones can be customised caller wise. For instance Friends can get a special tone and family can get an altogether different tone. There are several options in selecting the tone that customers want their callers to listen to: Set a common tune for all or customize a tune for individual callers.
It is also possible for the user to select groups. Here the same song/tone would be played to anyone calling from the set group. Extremely simple to use, Dialer Tones can be accessed by dialing into 456, the Say Idea voice portal service. Worldwide this service is extremely popular and one of most accessed value added services.
Idea Cellular CEO Vikram Mehmi, said, “We have always believed in providing exciting and innovative services for our customers. Idea offers the most comprehensive bouquet of value added services and all of them have been very popular among our customers. These services not only create a rich, creative and engaging mobile experience for our customers but also trigger higher revenues for us.
“We shall continue to offer more and more exciting value added services in the future. “
Digital
AI ads enter the chat as marketing turns conversational: 0101.Today
Brands test sponsored AI replies, reshaping digital influence
MUMBAI: As artificial intelligence platforms begin experimenting with advertisements and sponsored suggestions, marketing may be stepping into its most conversational era yet.
Gone are the days when digital advertising simply pushed polished creatives towards neatly segmented audiences. AI-led conversational marketing works differently. It listens first. Then it speaks. And crucially, it responds in real time to what a user is actually asking.
According to 0101.Today co-founder and managing partner Ajay Verma, the shift is not just technological but philosophical. “AI-led conversational marketing differs from traditional targeted advertising by shifting from message delivery to real-time dialogue,” Verma said. “Instead of pushing predefined creatives to segmented audiences, AI understands intent in the moment and responds contextually, helping consumers evaluate options rather than interrupting them. This makes influence feel assistive, not intrusive. It is truly data-led intelligent one-to-one marketing at play.”
He believes the next wave, driven by Agentic AI, will deepen this evolution. A handful of early movers, particularly in the BFSI sector, are already experimenting, though most brands still treat it as a pilot rather than a proven performance channel.
Yet the promise of AI-powered persuasion comes with a catch. Trust.
Verma cautions that consumers are quick to detect when helpful advice quietly morphs into a sales pitch. “Consumers increasingly perceive AI suggestions as advice when the interaction is transparent, relevant, and problem-solving. Trust is built when AI explains why a recommendation is made and aligns with user intent,” he said. “When responses feel biased or opaque, they are quickly classified as promotion and lose credibility.”
In other words, the chat box can charm, but it can also betray.
Some cosmetic brands are already seeing early traction by weaving product recommendations into helpful conversations. But Verma advises caution. “These are new tools and technologies, not magic wands where results appear immediately. Deploy this from an experimental budget rather than performance. Otherwise the medium risks suffering an early death.”
0101.Today positions itself as a data-driven conversion specialist, working across media, communication and technology to help brands align brand building, acquisition and retention with measurable business outcomes rather than siloed campaign metrics.
As advertising becomes more embedded within AI-generated dialogue, clear labelling may prove decisive. While marking responses as sponsored could temper short-term engagement, Verma argues it strengthens long-term brand equity.
“The internet is full of sponsored content. Brands that maintain a realistic balance will see long-term success,” he said.
In the age of AI, it seems influence is no longer about shouting the loudest. It is about speaking at the right moment, in the right tone, and making sure the listener knows who is talking.
