IdeateLabs is an independently owned, full-service digital marketing agency specializing in providing end-to-end digital solutions, with offices in Dubai and Singapore. It was founded in 2007 and headquartered in Mumbai. The brand is expanding rapidly and is currently opening offices in the GCC and India. IdeateLabs' diverse client portfolio comprises brands such as RR Kabel, Hindustan Times, HDFC Bank, Future Group, Fullerton India, Thomas Cook, and Hiranandani Communities. We offer services in the areas of branding and rebranding, brand identity, copywriting, design and art, video production, content writing, AR and VR.
In a conversation with Aduri, Raman RS Minhas, IdeateLabs Chief Creative Officertalks about how agencies are transitioning from a traditional agency-building approach to an outcome-to-currency approach. Additionally, we will discuss leveraging AI and ML to explore, experiment, establish pace and consistency, and capture data to generate market insights and hypotheses, especially in categories where data is difficult to capture.
Could you briefly explain IdeateLabs' journey so far?
IdeateLabs was a highly independent startup before the term became popular. Like all businesses, companies have peaks and troughs. What is interesting is the current situation and the promise for the future.
Breaking away from the traditional agency approach, IdeateLabs is pivoting to become The Outcome People. We go beyond just output and are deeply involved in our client's business to deliver agreed outcomes. From mindset to operating model to commercials, results are the currency.
How did IdeateLabs leverage machine learning and AI in its digital marketing strategy?
AI and ML are now being used first in the creative and production space at IdeateLabs. It helps you experiment and explore while increasing speed and efficiency.
IdeateLabs is also leveraging AI to validate and extend some of the strategies it has been working on. In some cases, it can help you capture market data and insights to formulate hypotheses, especially in categories where data is difficult to obtain.
IdeateLabs has a group company, icogz, which specializes in data science and caters to specific projects and needs. From deep social listening and consumer understanding to comparing your brand's impact against the competition, it helps sharpen your strategy.
What are the emerging trends in programmatic advertising?
Enhanced performance metrics – AI and ML are increasingly being used to optimize campaigns, improve targeting, and instantly predict user behavior.
OTT play – Increased presence in OTT advertising as streaming platforms increase. Therefore, more multi-device and multi-channel integration is possible.
advanced creative rolling – Improve your ROI by giving your viewers a more personalized experience based on real-time data.
What is the importance of hyper-personalization in digital marketing?
I have a background in CRM and DM and love the level of personalization that digitalization offers. The most important word is “relevance.”
This has both qualitative and quantitative aspects. On the other hand, data-backed communications and content make them more engaging and meaningful, resulting in positive feelings toward your brand or product. On some level, it also helps build loyalty.
On the other hand, performance metrics such as CTR, conversion rate, and even sales to some extent will also improve as you will be able to connect with a larger audience.
What does the future hold for voice search in digital marketing? Can you share some effective strategies for growth and optimization?
I've heard that voice searches are on the rise. As the number of smart devices increases, marketers and the creative industry must prepare to take advantage of the opportunities they present.
Given the current state of India, the big future lies in localizing India with a language that covers all of India. Second, it's important to have the most relevant search results available as quickly as possible.
Voice searches also tend to take longer than text-based searches and are conversational. Marketers need to keep this in mind and adjust their content to be in sync with their audience's behavior. You can also benefit from providing information such as product details, offers, locations, FAQs, etc. to search engines in a structured way to improve relevancy.
What are some advanced social marketing tactics? Can you share some insights for professional digital marketers?
Tactics largely depend on your objectives such as reach, growth, engagement, and retention.
Here are a few:
Connect & Connect: Link touchpoints across content, push (email), and paid advertising to deliver an enhanced experience for connected consumers for optimized ROI.
deep & deep: Deep social listening that stays in sync with consumer sentiment and stays dynamically relevant. Gain a deeper understanding of your consumers based on data analysis to create clearer cohorts for better targeting.
more and more: Use ML to create more personalized communications and content. Further co-creation and user participation, including new platforms and features.
What are the current trends and what will the future hold for the digital marketing industry?
These are exciting times to be in the BANI world. In the rapidly changing digiscape, trends come and go one after another. And some stay longer.
UGC: It's been around for a while, but it's getting even hotter. People want authenticity now more than ever.
CRM: Cause-related marketing is evolving and will continue to connect with your audience if done with the right intent.
social commerce: As more and more e-commerce features are incorporated along with shoppable content, it's worth seeing how much viewers convert into consumers.
