Goafest 2025 Day1 : AI is underhyped, Rishad Tobaccowala
HighlightsRishad Tobaccowala emphasized that while artificial intelligence is becoming ubiquitous, the true differentiator in the age of machines will be Human Ingenuity, encompassing qualities such as intuition, interaction, inspiration, and inventiveness. Tobaccowala advised agencies and marketers to not only automate with AI but to also rethink their storytelling and business models, suggesting a dual-model strategy that efficiently runs current businesses while investing in future models. He predicted that artificial intelligence will lead to a rediscovery of meaning and human connection in the workplace, ultimately elevating the value of work rather than replacing it.
The day 1 of
Goafest 2025
opened with a thought-provoking fireside session titled—Staying relevant in an age of machines, featuring
Rishad Tobaccowala
, author and senior advisor to the
Publicis Groupe
in conversation with Anupriya Acharya, CEO, South Asia, Publicis Groupe.
Tobaccowala set the tone with a keynote that debunked the myth that
artificial intelligence
(
AI
) is overhyped. 'AI is still underhyped,' he said. 'Its true impact is yet to be fully realised.'
Comparing it to electricity, he emphasised that while AI will soon be ubiquitous, it won't be a competitive advantage on its own. Instead, the differentiator will be HI —
Human Ingenuity
, Intuition, Interaction, Inspiration, and Inventiveness.
To thrive in the age of AI, Tobaccowala emphasised the importance of developing the—6 Cs— core human capabilities that machines can't replicate.
These include cognition, or the habit of upgrading one's mental operating system regularly; creativity, the ability to connect the dots in novel ways; curiosity, by continuously asking bold questions; collaboration, by working across diverse teams and mindsets; convincing, through compelling storytelling and persuasion; and communication, where clear writing and speaking become key assets as technical skills like coding become commoditised.
He urged leaders to shed legacy mindsets and constantly update their 'mental operating systems,' noting that in an AI-driven world, scale can become a liability rather than an asset. 'Don't benchmark only within your industry—disruption often comes from the outside,' he cautioned. 'Think like an immigrant—stay curious, adaptive, and open to reinvention.'
In the engaging conversation that followed, Acharaya asked for his advice to agencies and marketers. Tobaccowala responded, 'Agencies must use AI not just to automate but to reimagine storytelling and business models. Marketers, on the other hand, need to rethink their entire business architecture for today's realities.'
He emphasised that companies should adopt a dual-model strategy: run the current business efficiently while simultaneously investing in future models. 'Put your best talent on building what will eventually replace your existing business,' he said.
Tobaccowala also tackled the growing anxiety around change and burnout. 'Yes, change is hard and often unpleasant. But it becomes manageable when employee incentives align, training is provided, and personal benefits are clearly communicated.'
Offering insight for today's workforce, he advised young professionals to play the long game. 'It's a 50-year career—pick the right mentors, not just the right jobs,' he said. For leaders, he was unequivocal: 'Stop being bosses, be inspirers and mentors.'
On the question of AI altering not just how we work, but why we work, Tobaccowala was optimistic. 'AI will force us to rediscover meaning, purpose, and human connection at work. It won't replace work, but it will elevate its value.'
He closed the session with a prediction, 'One of the most underestimated forces today is India. The country is poised to become central to the global future of talent, technology, and media consumption.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
25-05-2025
- Business Standard
Leo India all set to outpace industry growth this year: CEO Amitesh Rao
Leo India, the advertising agency under the Publicis Groupe (formerly known as Leo Burnett India), is expected to outstrip the average industry growth by a significant margin this year. 'We are 100 per cent going to outstrip the average industry growth by a significant margin, both in terms of the scale of revenue and in terms of the calibre of work and the talent that is producing this work,' Amitesh Rao, chief executive officer, Leo South Asia told Business Standard in a virtual interaction. India's advertising industry is projected to grow at 6.5 per cent in 2025 to reach a market size of ~1.1 trillion by the end of the year, majorly driven by the digital segment, according to the Dentsu e4m Digital Report 2025. In the last 15 months, Leo India is said to have added over 40 clients, according to reports — major brands include Pfizer, Shriram Finance and Nestlé. It has also picked up mandates from various companies in the Middle East and North African (Mena) region, Southeast Asia, China and Europe last year. Rao added that the firm has increased its scope by extending mandates with existing clients. It is also in talks with several international brands that want to enter or expand in India, as well as national brands, to further expand its client base. 'We found a lot of growth and what we are seeing as a strong opportunity for Indian talent to work globally. I believe that we (India) have a market that has some of the world's best creative and strategic talent. However, historically, this talent has not been deployed for global work,' Rao said. Apart from Mena, China, Southeast Asia, and Europe, Rao said that there are other global markets that are coming to tap into Leo India's talent pool to work for their brands. He further said that India stands out in many ways compared to other markets in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region in terms of the number of consumers and the size at which brands and businesses operate in the country. 'That's why global holding companies and international brands are paying close attention to India, it is clearly a key market to watch. But some challenges remain, as the strength of the Indian currency is not to our advantage and it impacts the pricing parity from the consumer's perspective, the brand's perspective and even in terms of how we pay for talent. While it has huge potential, it also makes it a tough market,' said Rao.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Goafest 2025: Without real views, digital advertising loses its business impact, Tejas Apte
HighlightsTejas Apte, head of media and digital marketing at Hindustan Unilever, emphasized the urgent need for a trustworthy media ecosystem to combat the pervasive issue of fake impressions and fraudulent practices in digital advertising. The Indian Society of Advertisers launched the Media Charter, which focuses on four key pillars: Brand Safety, Viewability, Fraud Prevention, and the Ethical Use of First-Party Data, to address challenges in the digital advertising landscape. Apte highlighted the critical role of long-term partnerships with agencies, such as GroupM, in driving innovation and success within Hindustan Unilever, while acknowledging the impact of automation and in-housing agency functions. Tejas Apte , head of media and digital marketing at Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and chair of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA)'s Media forum, emphasised the critical need for a more robust and trustworthy media ecosystem, particularly in the digital realm. Speaking at Goafest 2025 on day 3, Apte highlighted that the pervasive issue of "fakes" – fake views, fake news, and fraudulent impressions – poses a significant threat to business effectiveness and the long-term health of the digital advertising industry. Apte articulated that the primary concern stemming from these "fakes" is the diminished effectiveness of advertising campaigns. He also shared that up to 30 percent of digital impressions may be fake or non-human, leading to major business inefficiencies. "The real loss here is that you invested a certain amount in the media. In the old days of television and print, the ad would physically appear in front of a real consumer. Today, with digital advertising, there's no guarantee the ad actually reaches a real person. If it doesn't, it can't have a tangible impact on the business. Ultimately, it's the digital ecosystem that suffers." He further pointed out that the predominantly ad-funded nature of digital media, in contrast to the more balanced subscription and advertising models of legacy mediums, makes it imperative to ensure brand safety and eliminate fraudulent impressions. "If all of your digital is going to be advertising driven, then making it safe for consumers, getting rid of any and every fake impression of a consumer is essential for the health of digital as a medium," Apte asserted. To address these pressing challenges, the ISA, in collaboration with various industry stakeholders, launched the Media Charter, built on four key pillars. The first is Brand Safety, which ensures that advertisements appear alongside content that is safe for both consumers and brands. The second is Viewability, aimed at guaranteeing that ad impressions are genuinely seen by consumers and not lost to hidden placements or fraud. Fraud Prevention forms the third pillar, targeting deceptive practices such as "ad buffering" that artificially inflate impression counts. Lastly, the charter emphasises the Ethical Use of First-Party Data, advocating for transparent, consent-driven collection and responsible utilization of consumer data. Apte also acknowledged the ongoing work on a fifth pillar: cross-media measurement, recognising the evolving landscape where TV and digital increasingly coexist. A significant aspect of the ISA Media Charter 's success, according to Apte, lies in its collaborative development. The playbooks accompanying the charter were co-created with major players like Google, Meta, DoubleVerify, and others, fostering a shared understanding of industry standards and advertiser expectations. This collaboration helps bridge the gap between input metrics provided by platforms and the business outcomes advertisers seek. Regarding the evolving relationship between advertisers and agencies, Apte underscored the critical role of agencies in HUL's success. He shared an example of GroupM and HUL which has been working for around 28 years. He emphasised the importance of long-term partnerships built on trust and the ability to constructively challenge agencies to innovate. "The service which is offered right now may not hold six months, two years, five years down the line," he remarked, referring to the impact of automation and AI. On the growing trend of in-housing agency functions, Apte acknowledged different degrees of implementation across clients. He highlighted the upsides, including easier data flow, improved business decision-making, and greater control over automated work. However, he maintained that core creative ideas and strategic media planning brilliance will continue to reside with agencies. "The big creative idea will still come from the creative person. The right inputs on the media plan will also come from the media planner." Apte also addressed the raids conducted by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in March on several media agencies and industry bodies, including the ISA. While avoiding speculation due to the ongoing nature of the investigation and the lack of public information about its origins, he noted, 'Nobody knows what triggered it or what exactly is being investigated. There's still nothing in the public domain that clarifies the reasons behind the raids or the direction of the investigation.' Measuring the success of the ISA Media Charter, Apte stated, will involve observing a decline in overall ad fraud and an increase in brand safety across the industry, particularly among smaller advertisers. He also expressed optimism for progress on cross-media measurement in the near future. Within HUL, Apte noted that the co-creation process of the charter led to the discovery of new partners and ideas, particularly in areas like brand safety and ethical first-party data collection, ultimately contributing to improved media quality for the organization.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Time of India
Goafest 2025: AI moves beyond tech to empower every team
HighlightsThe panel discussion on 'From Code To Commerce: Growth in the AI Age' showcased how Artificial Intelligence is transforming business operations, featuring insights from industry leaders like Arjun Choudhary, Vice President of Swiggy, and Tejas Apte, Head of Media and Digital Marketing at Hindustan Unilever. Pragya Bijalwan, Chief Marketing Officer at Voltas, highlighted AI's role in personalizing consumer experiences and driving predictive maintenance, emphasizing its impact on energy efficiency in India's cost-conscious market. Sanket Prakash Tulangekar, Director of MakeMyTrip, discussed the advancements of their AI assistant, Myra, which enhances user experience through conversational interfaces and multi-agent orchestration, making travel planning more seamless. The sun-kissed shores of Goa once again played host to the brightest minds in advertising and business as Goafest 2025 kicked off its exhilarating Day 2. Attendees, still buzzing from the previous evening's festivities, were treated to a soulful start with a captivating live performance by the renowned Indian singer and composer Raghav Sachar, whose melodies set a harmonious tone for the day. But the real symphony began with the day's inaugural session—From Code To Commerce: Growth in the AI Age. This high-energy panel discussion dove headfirst into the very heart of the global business revolution: Artificial Intelligence. Moderated by independent journalist and producer Anuradha SenGupta, the session brought together industry leaders including Arjun Choudhary, vice president, Swiggy , Sanket Prakash Tulangekar, director, MakeMyTrip, Tejas Apte, head of media and digital marketing at Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and Pragya Bijalwan, chief marketing officer at Voltas. From the quiet hum of back-end analytics to the vibrant roar of consumer engagement, these top executives illuminated how AI is no longer a futuristic concept but a tangible, transformative force actively reshaping their operations and redefining the very fabric of commerce in India. 'In the HVAC space, AI has changed how consumers interact with appliances,' said Bijalwan from Voltas. She further added, 'Our systems now personalise room temperatures through app-based learning and voice assistants like Google and Alexa. It's about humanising technology.' Beyond comfort, she noted that AI is driving predictive maintenance, enhancing energy efficiency, and enabling CDP-driven service readiness—all critical factors in India's cost-conscious consumer market. Apte offered a sweeping view of AI's penetration. 'We began in R&D,' he said, referring to HUL's Agile Innovation Hub, where AI spots global CPG trends, mixes sample product formulations, and even 3D-prints prototypes. 'Now, AI is in our supply chain, sales apps like Shikhar, and even in marketing—where we recently deployed 150,000 personalised video ads using actor Arshad Warsi's voice for kirana stores,' shared Apte. The company's marketing teams are also producing fully AI-generated digital assets using platforms like Pencil Pro, enabling quicker campaign rollouts and experimental content strategies. On the travel front, MakeMyTrip is revolutionising the user experience with extensive AI integration. Tulangekar, detailed how their AI assistant, Myra, is at the forefront of this transformation. Myra leverages AI-driven review summarization to quickly provide users with holistic insights into accommodations. It also employs natural language interfaces, allowing users to converse with the platform for seamless queries. Beyond simple interactions, Myra features agentic frameworks that simulate real-world multi-agent collaboration. This sophisticated system guides users through complex tasks like booking flights and hotels, and even planning entire itineraries. Tulangekar emphasised Myra's use of multi-agent orchestration to handle a wide array of queries related to hotels, flights, and activities. 'The future of travel assistance is conversational,' said Tulangekar. 'We've trained AI agents to specialise in hotels, flights, local transport, and destination discovery—all working together behind the scenes.' Food delivery platform—Swiggy is also investing heavily in AI. Choudhary, revealed internal transformations such as sales co-pilots, AI-generated PRDs, and automated meeting summarisation into podcasts. 'We've democratized AI,' he said. 'It's no longer just for tech teams—business folks are generating product demos and user journeys on their own.' Yet, the discussion wasn't without concerns. As generative AI content floods marketing channels, ethical questions are rising. Should AI-generated advertisements be labeled? How do brands ensure authenticity, especially when content is personalised at scale? 'Labeling AI content may not always be necessary unless it's misleading,' said Choudhary. 'But when it comes to sensitive content like food imagery, we prefer authentic photos over generated visuals.' Bijalwan highlighted a successful example from Voltas: a personalised video campaign featuring its mascot 'Murthy' addressing channel partners by name. The campaign saw 98% click-through and 87% video completion rates—a testament to the power of AI-personalised engagement. Meanwhile, regulatory clarity remains a work in progress. While the U.S. and EU are pushing for stricter AI governance, India continues to promote a self-regulation model. Eventually, we'll need clearer guardrails, admitted Choudhary, referencing content duplication and misuse issues. 'But responsible AI use starts with how we treat consumer data and intellectual property,' he added. Despite the open questions, the mood on stage was overwhelmingly optimistic. 'AI won't replace jobs—it will transform them,' said Bijalwan in her closing remarks. 'The onus is on both individuals and organisations to upskill and adapt. AI will be function-agnostic—it's not just for tech, marketing, or operations. It's for everyone.'
