MAM
Tribes Communication appoints Himanka Das as chief strategy officer
Mumbai: Tribes Communication has appointed Himanka Das as chief strategy officer to lead the organization’s strategic vision and drive its ambitious expansion goals. In under a decade, the group has transformed from an out-of-home (OOH) solutions service provider into a formidable comprehensive marketing powerhouse.
As an industry leader, Himanka Das brings with him more than two decades of experience in media and marketing communication, having worked across 250 plus brands and managed large investment portfolios. He is a seasoned executive with a strong strategy orientation to drive business outcomes and has worn many hats before taking on the role of chief strategy officer at Tribes. In the recent past, Himanka was serving as country director at Infomo, a global AI AdTech pioneer in the first-party data space. He has held leadership roles at Dentsu International for over nine years, which included three years as CEO of its group company, Vizeum India and as EVP Carat, India. Himanka began his career at Madison World, building his career working at Initiative, Lintas Media Group, FCB Ulka of IPG and Starcom of Publicis Media.
Prior to joining Infomo, Himanka took an academic sabbatical to earn a postgraduate qualification in data science from International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bangalore to accelerate his analytical skills. He also has a Masters in International Marketing and Mass Communication Studies from University of Pune.
Expressing his excitement about joining Tribes Communication, Himanka stated, “What impressed me is the pace and agility with which Tribes has made a cutting-edge mark in the marketing industry in less than a decade, leading transformations in disruptive technology such as AI, CRM data, analytics and continuously evolving consumer behaviour. It’s inspiring and an honour to be part of such an entrepreneurial team and culture, driving ambitious future plans. I am excited to work closely with the diverse business units, bringing strategic connections to engage and help consumers to make decisions in their purchase journey.”
Welcoming Himanka, Tribes Communication MD and chairman Gour Gupta said, “I am extremely pleased to welcome Himanka to the Tribes family, especially at such a pivotal time. Himanka’s profound industry knowledge and strategic acumen will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and deliver exceptional value to our clients. In addition, our shared values of business excellence and forward-thinking are perfectly aligned and I look forward to this collaboration, which will be instrumental in driving our next phase of growth.”
As chief strategy officer, Himanka will oversee the development and implementation of the company’s strategic initiatives, working closely with the executive team to identify new growth opportunities and enhance operational efficiencies.
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.
