Latest news with #AshwinMoorthy
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Catching the AI slipstream
The world may be treating AI like an awkward dinner guest, but 44% of Indians have already invited it to move in permanently. According to the Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2025, Indians are the biggest consumers of AI-related news. This means that hybrid teams and prompt engineering are turning AI from competitor to collaborator. The transformation is already here. For CMOs, this is the new Monday morning reality. As Indians increasingly use these platforms for news consumption and AI becomes more embedded in brand communication, we asked leading marketing executives two questions: Are you rethinking your content and messaging strategies to be more relevant in AI-driven environments? Do you see the CMO role evolving into a more tech-oriented one? Ashwin Moorthy, CMO, India, Godrej Consumer Products 'AI's impact on marketing will be seismic, disrupting the entire value chain — from consumer research to pricing decisions. Sophisticated pattern recognition and data analysis capabilities will transform everything. 'CMOs need to understand AI applications and work with partners who build solutions, not necessarily LLM technicalities. Critical concerns include data security with ring-fenced ecosystems and preventing data hallucinations. My biggest worry: Junior marketers becoming AI-dependent — they may not develop the intuition needed for senior-level decisions.' Sidharth Shakdher, CMO, PayTM 'The CMO's role is becoming highly tech-oriented, evolving from traditional marketing to autonomous AI-driven systems. Unlike previous digital marketing phases, AI represents technology that thinks and acts independently. 'Modern CMOs must control and harness these autonomous AI agents across different marketing channels and functions. The challenge is building systems to monitor, measure and control this autonomous thinking while maintaining oversight of AI-driven marketing tasks.' Jan Bures, EVP, sales, marketing and digital, Skoda Volkswagen 'AI is crucial for our messaging strategy across Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche and Bentley. We use AI for analytics, trend analysis and content creation. It helps us reach broader audiences and connect with people in areas we wouldn't normally access. When you integrate AI-relevant content into messaging, you achieve higher reach and engagement. We recognise that everything digital leaves traces, so we must work with AI rather than ignore it.' Raj Rishi Singh, CMO, MakeMyTrip 'The CMO's role is undeniably evolving in the age of AI. Consumer journeys are evolving and we have to constantly reimagine and reshape our engagement strategy, both on and off our apps. Today, we have the power to hyper-personalise creatives and be contextually relevant across platforms and moments, in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago. 'Marketing today is both an art and a science. While creativity and storytelling remain as important as ever, understanding data, leveraging technology and orchestrating real-time experiences have become equally essential. We're actively preparing for this shift by investing in tech capabilities within our marketing teams, fostering closer collaboration with product and data science, continuously rewiring our playbook to stay ahead of the curve.' Pawandip Singh, vice-president, marketing, Rapido 'Today's CMOs must balance technology with storytelling. I'm equipping all teams — brand, copy, design, video — with AI capabilities that unlock creativity and streamline production. AI helps tailor messaging, enhance visual identity and produce engaging video at scale. Through accessibility and continuous upskilling, our teams remain agile. My goal is to merge human creativity with AI-driven insights for more relevant, memorable brand experiences.' Zubin Kutar, head of digital marketing, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts 'AI tools are becoming primary information touchpoints, not just search alternatives. Traditional content structures won't work — we need AI-readable, concise and context-rich inputs. 'Modern CMOs must understand AI tool stacks, prompt engineering and automation flows, blending creative and systems thinking. This requires AI upskilling across teams, running prompt labs and closer collaboration with product and data teams. AI is both a challenge and an opportunity.' Maneesh Krishnamurthy, head of marketing, eyewear division, Titan Company 'New-age consumers increasingly use AI platforms for news and research. We measure our share of voice in AI environments and adjust content accordingly. 'We built Gen AI capabilities in-house a year ago — now over 50% of our advertising and content is AI-generated. Generative AI has multiplied possibilities for consumer engagement, bringing speed and flexibility to our teams while maintaining competitive advantage.' Deepika Deepti, head of marketing, Bata India 'CMO roles are evolving into hybrid tech-oriented leaders, as AI transforms brand communication efficiency. We're upskilling in-house and extended teams, making careful martech tool choices and collaborating closely with tech and data teams. 'We've established governance for ethical, brand-safe AI use. The shift enhances creativity through smarter, faster, more precise marketing. We're not preparing for this shift — we're already implementing it successfully.' Gaurav Agarwal, co-founder, Tata 1mg 'Healthcare content is shifting from keyword-based to Q&A approaches, requiring more referenced, up-to-date data. We've always followed Q&A-based content with deep FAQs on medicines and healthcare topics. 'Our content has been living and breathing rather than static. AI acceleration means going deeper, refreshing faster and making questions more conversational. The CMO role has been transitioning to tech-oriented for years, and AI is accelerating this evolution.' Prashant Sharma, CMO, TMRW 'As AI becomes central to Indian information consumption, CMO roles are evolving from creative-focused to tech and data-led. We must design adaptive, real-time brand experiences that AI platforms understand and amplify. 'We're investing in AI literacy across teams, building agile content frameworks and partnering with tech. Tomorrow's CMO blends creativity with technological expertise, using AI to predict needs, personalise at scale and drive precise growth.' Sai Narayan, CMO, 'Technology is our growth accelerator. The CMO's role is intertwining with product, tech and data functions, as AI reshapes consumer engagement. Modern CMOs must think like technologists. Marketing now involves real-time experience delivery and automation alongside storytelling.'
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ETBWS 2025: A new VUCA mindset to lead marketing in age of uncertainty
Marketing must evolve to keep pace with changing consumer expectations . In today's VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), planning long-term strategies is increasingly difficult. With expectations shifting constantly, marketing must adapt in real time. At the 7th edition of the Brand World Summit, organised by ETBrandEquity, a panel of leading CMOs discussed how VUCA has taken on new meaning. Once defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, it now stands for versatility, uncomfortable feelings, collaboration and agility – traits they say are critical for modern marketers. The panel featured Ashwin Moorthy, CMO, Godrej Consumer Products; Rohit Bhasin, president and CMO, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Sunder Balasubramanian, CMO, Myntra; Virat Khullar, AVP and vertical head, marketing, Hyundai Motor India; and Milind Pathak, chief corporate marketing officer, Proximus Global. Marketers face the challenge of applying core principles such as cost-efficient acquisition and effective service delivery while navigating a fragmented landscape. 'Media is now splintered by content formats, platforms, and how those platforms function. This fragmentation extends to distribution. Quick commerce has scaled, e-commerce is growing fast, modern trade offers multiple formats, and general trade remains strong. The task is to stay grounded in fundamentals while adapting to multiple business models,' said Moorthy. For Balasubramanian, versatility means evolving with audiences. 'A few years ago, Myntra was seen as a brand for the urban woman. Now we cater to non-metro women too, each with different expectations. The challenge is personalising the experience for all segments while maintaining brand consistency – that is versatility.' Discomfort, the panel said, is a given. 'When AI arrived, I felt genuinely uncomfortable as a marketer. Two things should unsettle every marketer – data use and the shift from creative to performance-driven marketing,' said Bhasin. 'Every CMO must lead the creation of a strong customer data platform with analytics and tech teams. If you are unwilling to learn and implement this, you risk becoming generic.' He added that marketers unwilling to own the full funnel risk being replaced – not by AI, but by those who understand the customer journey better. Pathak said collaboration has replaced complexity as a defining challenge. 'Marketing is perhaps the only team able to take a four- to eight-quarter view. We have formed multi-year partnerships with Microsoft and Infosys, where both sides co-invest in product development and align to meet market needs. Such collaboration drives sustainable growth.' 'While sales and distribution teams focus on today's revenue, marketers must think three or four quarters ahead. Actions taken now that appear in the profit and loss statement a year later are what drive saliency.' He added that future marketers will need to work seamlessly with AI agents, complementing and extending their capabilities. The final trait, agility, has replaced ambiguity. Marketers must update campaigns, retarget loyalty efforts, and adjust communications frequently to match shifting consumer behaviour. 'Take car buyers. Is the decision-maker the father, the mother, or the children who influence the brand and model? Understanding how they consume content is crucial. Are they just scrolling reels, or engaging with material where purchase decisions happen?' said Khullar. 'Cars have long lead times. Agility is vital not only for understanding evolving preferences, but for tracking sentiment, anticipating competitors and responding quickly. Organisations must move faster to market than rivals.' 'Agility is no longer a differentiator, whether you are in FMCG, e-commerce, or a high-involvement category. Consumers are upgrading faster than ever. Agility is not a strategy; it is a way of life – for marketers and for organisations,' Khullar concluded.
