We must move away from one-size-fits-all metrics: Panel at GroupM's Brew

Dal Singh Gill vice president, global partnerships, Seedtag; Amin Lakhani, chief executive officer, Mindshare (South Asia); Sumeli Chatterjee, head integrated marketing and experiences (IMX), India and Southwest Asia, The Coca-Cola Company and Sidharth Singh, senior manager countlines and gifting, Mondelez International, discussed the AI revolution and its impact on creativity at GroupM’s Brew event, held in Mumbai on 16 October.

The panel was moderated by Tushar Vyas, president, GroupM South Asia.  

The panel began by discussing the unprecedented speed of innovation in AI, the challenges posed by the rapidly changing landscape, and the need for technological solutions to comprehend these changes. 

Setting the context, Vyas briefly underscored how AI is narrowing the gap between imagination and execution through inspirational, automation, and optimisation pillars.

AI's dual role: Enhancing efficiency and fueling imagination

Chatterjee highlighted the primary aspects of implementing AI. She said, "Primarily, it involves optimising efficiency, enabling us to think and act faster, more adeptly, and with improved precision. However, it's equally crucial for AI to expand the horizons of imagination. This isn't a matter of pitting AI against humans, but rather empowering us to transcend previous limitations and accomplish what we once deemed difficult."

Chatterjee then simplified the essence of AI's role in brand strategy. 

"It's the amalgamation of technology and creativity. Focusing solely on technology often results in mechanical and monotonous outcomes. Yet, when we merge the two, something truly magical occurs. I've encountered no better representation of this synergy than the concept of empathy at scale," she voiced. 

Adding to the discussion, Gill said, "As marketers, our core mission is to forge deeper connections with consumers. The concepts of 'tech for culture,' 'empathy at scale,' and 'doing good' have all evolved to serve this central objective. They all gained prominence as the digital media landscape began yielding insights from consumers, helping us align better with their needs."

Decoding the secret sauce for AI

Singh shared insights into their approach to AI at Mondelez, highlighting its ever-evolving nature. 

"The secret sauce is a dynamic concept, which might vary in just six months. However, our fundamental strategy revolves around placing the brand and the consumer at the forefront. Understanding consumer insights, identifying pain points, and crafting solutions take precedence. We also emphasise the role the brand can play in enhancing the consumer's experience. It's essential to prioritise the consumer, or else the emphasis on technology might overshadow the consumer-centric aspect," explained Singh.

Co-creation with AI 

Chatterjee went on to explain the potential for co-creation between consumers and brands enabled by AI. 

"Generative AI empowers consumers and brands to collaborate effectively, learning from each other and creating together. While there are risks, this co-creative ecosystem has the potential to shape the future of brand interactions," remarked Chatterjee. 

Gill then discussed the need to move beyond conventional metrics of measurement in the industry. 

"Our industry often relies on basic metrics like CTR, viewability, and view-through rate. At SeedTag, we've partnered with Lumen, an attention company that measures metrics such as dwell time and actual engagement. Traditional viewability metrics alone don't suffice because they don't account for the user's actual engagement," shared Gill.

Gill also advocated for customised metrics. 

"We must move away from one-size-fits-all metrics and start challenging ourselves to discover and adopt metrics that align with our specific goals. Metrics like brand uplift and favorability offer a more comprehensive understanding of ad performance," he said.

Lakhani highlighted the role of AI in simplifying complex ecosystems for decision-making. 

"Our goal is to help our clients win in the marketplace by understanding consumers and translating the complex ecosystem into simple decision-making matrices. This requires the use of AI to facilitate this process," said Lakhani.

The session concluded with Lakhani describing the positive cycle of AI. 

"AI can free us from repetitive tasks, saving time and effort. This opens up opportunities for creative thinking, personal time, and enhanced engagement within the ecosystem. We await AI's true potential to unlock these possibilities," he said.