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InMobi and Microsoft collaborate on a festive trends guide for marketers
Mumbai: In line with the ongoing festive season, InMobi, a leading provider of marketing and monetisation technologies in collaboration with Microsoft Advertising (https://www.MicrosoftAdvertising.com) has unveiled key insights from its annual guide to seasonal digital marketing. The study, India’s 2023 Festive Trends Decoded revealed how brands can leverage the power of search and omnichannel solutions to create a unique marketing strategy and maximise their impact by better connecting with their audiences. The report also highlights the consumer’s interests across various categories.
In 2022, a significant trend emerged in festive shopping: a dramatic surge in keyword searches for sale, discounts, offers, cheap, deals, and near me. Across categories like consumer electronics, groceries, food, personal care, gifting, and automobiles, these searches experienced an average Month-over-Month (MoM) increase of 19 per cent.
“Brands play a significant role in amplifying the emotions of festivities among people, and it is vital for a brand to have a presence while catering to the needs of their consumers. By leveraging smart solutions and implementing an effective marketing strategy, they will not only enable themselves to reach their target audience effectively but also stay ahead of their competitors,” said Rohit Dosi, Vice President and general manager – Microsoft Advertising at InMobi. “The months leading up to the festivities around Dussehra, Diwali, and Christmas are important seasons for brands to leverage smart solutions, as consumer interest is piqued at this time,” added Rohit.
The study highlights that brands can prepare for pre-festive excitement and beyond by tapping into category-specific user insights to craft tailored experiences like special offers and engaging content. In line with InMobi’s 2023 report, The Marketers Guide to India’s Festive Season, 54 per cent of consumers are expected to engage in hybrid shopping. To maximize their presence throughout the customer journey, brands should connect with high-intent audiences early on through a multi-channel, full-funnel approach, rather than solely focusing on the final purchase stage. Additionally, fostering trust is crucial during festive periods when consumers explore numerous brands. By offering accurate and relevant information during product searches and discovery, brands can establish credibility and reliability, ultimately standing out in the competitive festive market.
“Our insights report comes at the opportune time owing to its valuable insights into evolving consumer trends. The shopping landscape has seen a great evolution with omnichannel marketing taking centre stage,” said, Microsoft Advertising, regional vice president APAC Nick Seckold. “The omnichannel experience will enable the brands to maximize their presence throughout the entire customer journey and provide a seamless overall customer experience. Additionally, by using Microsoft Advertising’s In-Market Audiences and omnichannel solutions, brands can effectively leverage these intent signals to connect with their target audience across diverse platforms and devices,” he added.
InMobi and Microsoft Advertising have been in a strategic relationship since July 2018 to help enterprises accelerate their digital transformation by providing them with insights, audience, and engagement platforms for a connected world. The relationship was expanded in 2019 as InMobi added Microsoft Advertising products and solutions to its offerings in India. Today the partnership covers over 75 regions across India, Southeast Asia and META.
Additional findings from the study include
Apparel and Jewellery: In October 2022, searches for apparel, accessories, and jewellery increased by eight per cent MoM, while clicks grew by three per cent. During Dussehra the previous year, searches surged by +16 per cent WoW, but clicks decreased by eight per cent WoW. Conversely, during Diwali week, there was a six per cent WoW increase in searches and a 20 per cent WoW rise in clicks.
Beauty and Personal Care: Beauty and Personal Care items in India experienced a 21 per cent rise in searches and a 13 per cent increase in clicks, aligning with the shopping and festive periods.
Consumer electronics: Witnessed a 30 per cent increase in searches and a 13 per cent rise in clicks, driven by festive season deals, reflecting heightened consumer interest in October 2022.
Groceries and Household Supplies: The festive season led to a 20 per cent rise in searches for groceries and household supplies, driven by the need to prepare meals and treats.
Food and Beverages: The food category saw an eight per cent rise in searches and a four per cent increase in clicks, highlighting the enduring appeal of festive culinary experiences in October.
Home Furnishings: During the festive season, consumers sought novelty by revamping home décor and furnishings, resulting in a 19 per cent rise in searches and a 37 per cent increase in clicks month-on-month.
Home Appliances: High demand for home appliances and sales contributed to significant online interest, with the category experiencing a remarkable 29 per cent surge in searches and an impressive 59 per cent increase in clicks in October 2022.
Gifting: During the festive season, there was a 35 per cent increase in searches and a 42 per cent rise in clicks for gifting and flowers in October 2022, a trend that continued until December.
Cars and Automobiles: Interest in new cars and motorbikes peaked in October with a 12 per cent increase in searches, driven by festive and year-end sales, and this trend continued until December 2022.
To learn about other unique festive consumer trends and uncover the strategies for your brand, download your copy of 2023 Festive Trends Decoded by InMobi and Microsoft Advertising.
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Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
