Digital Agencies
Indian ad and marketing chiefs huddle over AI, unveil shiny new ISA logo
MUMBAI: The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) recently concluded its CEO Conference 2025, where the great and the good of Indian business gathered to contemplate that most modish of technologies: artificial intelligence. Held at Mumbai’s ITC Grand Central—a venue whose opulence matches the industry’s self-regard—the conference bore the somewhat predictable title AI: Making Businesses Future-Ready. The conference featured high-impact discussions on the transformative role of AI in business, marketing, and advertising.
A significant moment during the conference was the unveiling of ISA’s new logo, representing a fresh identity for the organisation as it continues to guide the advertising industry forward.
ISA chairman Sunil Kataria highlighted the organisation’s dedication to industry leadership, stating, “With AI redefining the rules of business, the ISA CEO Conference 2025 has provided a platform for leaders to share insights, debate challenges, and explore AI-powered opportunities. The unveiling of our new logo symbolises our evolving journey as an enabler of industry transformation.”
The conference featured keynote presentations, expert panel discussions, and case studies demonstrating how AI is revolutionising consumer engagement, creativity, and business efficiency. Speakers addressed AI’s role in predictive marketing, automation, and personalisation, while also discussing ethical considerations.
Google’s Roma Datta Chobey arrived bearing impressive statistics—as tech executives are wont to do—proclaiming that 80 per cent of advertisers are already riding the AI bandwagon through the usage of some AI-driven Google Search Ads product. Left tactfully unmentioned was whether these early adopters understood the technology they were so enthusiastically embracing.
Said Roma: “Multimodal AI is enriching context to enable deeply personalised experiences. Intuitive information discovery is changing how users search and interact with information. Multi-Agent systems are automating complex workflows, boosting productivity and accelerating innovation.”
The conference featured the usual suspects from India’s corporate aristocracy: chiefs from Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and assorted tech firms, all sharing their visions of an AI future with the certainty that comes from having read the same industry reports.
Distinguished speakers included Rohit Jawa (CEO, Hindustan Unilever), Kumar Venkatasubramanian (CEO, Procter & Gamble), Abheek Singhi (Managing Director, BCG), and Ranjani Mani (Director and Country Head, Generative AI, Microsoft).
BCG’s Abheek Singhi contributed to the proceedings with the mandatory consultant’s metrics, suggesting AI could compress marketing timelines by 90 per cent while boosting effectiveness by 30 per cent to 50 per cent —a range broad enough to ensure future retrospective accuracy, whatever the outcome.
The launch of ISA’s new logo was explained by Nihilent Limited and Hypercollective global chief reative officer KV Sridhar who stated, “The new logo reflects the times we live in currently. It draws upon ISA’s strengths and rich legacy, while adding elements of the digital age to make it relevant in today’s world.”
The conference reinforced the importance of collaboration and forward-thinking in navigating AI-driven transformation, with ISA continuing its commitment to supporting advertisers in an increasingly AI-integrated business environment.
BENGALURU: For years, creative teams have learned to live with ambiguity. Vague comments, last-minute changes, feedback that arrives without context, clarity, or conviction. It became part of the job – something teams worked around rather than getting it solved.
But as we head into 2026, that tolerance is wearing thin.
Creative work today moves faster, scales wider, and involves more stakeholders than before. Teams are producing more content across more formats, often with distributed collaborators and tighter timelines. In this environment, guesswork is no longer a harmless inconvenience. It’s a cost – to time, to budgets, and to creative mindspace.
The real problem isn’t feedback, it’s how it’s given
Most creative professionals you see today will tell you they’re not against feedback. In fact, they rely on it. Good feedback sharpens ideas, strengthens execution, and pushes work forward. The problem is ‘unclear’ feedback. When someone says “this doesn’t feel right” without context, they aren’t just revising – they’re basically decoding. They’re guessing what the problem might be, trying different directions, and burning time in the process. Multiply that by a few stakeholders and a few rounds, and suddenly days disappear.
In 2026, when teams are expected to deliver faster without compromising quality, interpretation is a luxury most can’t afford.
Scale has changed rverything
Creative projects used to be smaller and simpler. A designer, a manager, maybe one client contact. Feedback loops were short, even if they weren’t perfect.
Today, the same project might involve internal marketing teams, agencies, freelancers, brand reviewers, and regional teams. Everyone has a say. Everyone leaves comments. And often, those comments don’t agree. More people reviewing work means alignment matters more than ever. Clear feedback isn’t just about being nice to creative teams, it’s about keeping projects moving when complexity increases.
Guesswork quietly wears teams down
One of the less talked-about impacts of unclear feedback is what it does to people.
When feedback is vague or contradictory, creatives second-guess their decisions. They hesitate. They overwork. They keep extra time buffers “just in case.” Over time, confidence drops. Ownership fades. Work becomes safer, not stronger. Creative energy gets spent on managing uncertainty instead of pushing ideas forward. And in an industry already grappling with burnout, unclear feedback adds unnecessary mental load.
Actionable feedback is a shared skill
Clear feedback doesn’t mean controlling creative decisions or dictating every detail. It means being specific enough that someone knows what to do next.
Actionable feedback answers three basic questions:
What exactly needs attention?
Why does it matter?
What outcome are we aiming for?
This applies whether you’re reviewing a video frame, a design layout, or a copy draft. The clearer the feedback, the fewer follow-ups it creates. In 2026, teams that treat feedback as a skill and not an afterthought, will move faster with less friction.
Tools shape behaviour (whether we admit it or not)
The way feedback is delivered is often dictated by the tools teams use. Comments buried in long email threads, messages split across chat apps, or notes detached from the actual work all contribute to confusion.
When feedback lives outside the work, context often gets lost. When it’s disconnected from versions and timelines, decisions get questioned. When it’s scattered, accountability disappears. More teams are starting to realise that feedback problems aren’t just communication issues, they’re workflow issues. How work moves between people matters just as much as the work itself.
From Opinions To Alignment
One of the biggest shifts happening in creative teams is a move away from purely opinion-driven feedback. Instead of “I like this” or “I don’t,” teams are asking better questions:
● Does this meet the brief?
● Does this solve the problem?
● Does this align with the goal?
This change reduces unnecessary back-and-forth and helps feedback feel less personal and more productive. It also makes decisions easier to explain and defend. As creative work becomes more strategic, feedback has to support that shift.
2026 Is About Fewer Loops, Not Faster Loops
There’s a misconception that speed means moving through feedback cycles faster. In reality, the most creative teams aren’t just accelerating loops, they’re reducing them. Clear, actionable feedback upfront leads to fewer revisions later. Clear approval stages prevent last-minute surprises. Clear decisions stop work from circling endlessly.
In 2026, efficiency won’t come from working harder or longer. It will come from designing workflows that respect creative time and attention.
Ending guesswork is a mindset change
Ultimately, ending creative guesswork isn’t just about better tools or processes. It’s about mindset. It’s about recognising that clarity is an act of respect – for the work, for the people doing it, for the time invested and for the mindspace used. It’s about moving from “figure it out” to “here’s what we’re aiming for.”
Creative teams that embrace this shift will find themselves not only delivering faster, but also enjoying the process more. And in an industry built on imagination, that might be the most valuable outcome of all.
