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WATMedia announces WATSummit 2013 – A New Era of Digital Marketing
MUMBAI: WATMedia has announced its annual event, WATSummit, that brings together eminent personalities to confer the evolving facets of social and digital industry.
In its third edition, the theme of WATSummit 2013 is ‘A New Era of Digital Marketing‘.
The annual summit that is scheduled to take place on 15 February in Mumbai will also host WAT Awards 2013, wherein, thought leaders of Web, Advertising and Technology will be awarded.
A panel of experts will be seen highlighting the prominence of social media with ‘Social Media Marketing – Making sense of jibber-jabber by brands‘. The evolution of ‘Digital Media Marketing – Can it build a brand on its own?‘ will be discussed by a panel comprising digital agencies and brands.
The summit will also bring to light the E-commerce industry and the upspring of mobile marketing with discussion on topics like ‘Ecommerce Market build brand V/S build business‘, ‘Mobile Marketing – Promises of reach V/S Actual Impact‘.
The final panel will be seen conferring the do‘s and don‘ts and the challenges of ‘Startup Marketing – Breaking the cluster and creating a Brand‘.
WATMedia founder and CEO, Rajiv Dingra said, "This year, at WATSummit 2013, we aim to emphasise on the new era of digital marketing. The medium has grown exceptionally over the past few years and brands and consumers across the world consider the digital medium a dominant tool. I am delighted with the participation of renowned speakers who will share their profound knowledge. With WATSummit 2013, our endeavor is to embark on a digitally successful journey."
The keynote speakers for the event include people like Suresh Reddy (Ybrant Digital chairman and CEO), and Neville Taraporewalla (Microsoft Corporation – country director, advertising and online).
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
