Our team spent the day at the #SMARTIES™ Unplugged 2026 Conference!
Across sessions on retail media, creative effectiveness and AI, one shift kept coming up: consumers now discover brands through AI agents, alongside creators and commerce platforms.
That’s the space we work in every day at OptimizeGEO. Here’s how the big ideas from the day connect to AI-led discovery:
Touchpoints driving the top 20% of consumer attention in India grew from 12 in 2018 to 21 in 2024 (WPP Media Touch Points India Study).
AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are now part of that mix. When someone asks an AI which brand to buy, the answer shapes their shortlist before they visit a single website.
67% of marketers find it hard to connect the consumer journey through measurement (MMA India x WPP research).
AI search adds a new layer here. Brands need to know how often they appear in AI answers, which sources AI relies on, and how that visibility links to shopping and sales.
Around 6% of 15,000 branded creator assets analysed by Kantar went on to build the brand.
Consistency matters to people and to AI models alike. A brand that tells one clear story across its website, reviews, media coverage and creators is easier for AI to understand and recommend.
Intent carries more weight than reach. AI conversations are high-intent moments: the person is actively asking for a recommendation. Showing up there is one of the strongest signals a brand can earn.
AI is a growth lever. MMA India’s 101 AI in Marketing Use Cases library, launched by Moneka Khurana, Rohit Dadwal and Ranjana K., brings together real use cases from 30+ companies and 50+ brands, with measurement and customer journeys sitting right alongside content.
As discovery, media and commerce come together in the AI era, OptimizeGEO helps brands see and improve how they show up across AI search, from AI visibility (Generative Engine Optimization) to shopping and commerce data and LLM ad intelligence.
How is your brand tracking its presence in AI answers today?
Is reach enough, or should marketers be measuring attention too?
The Beyond Reach report by Publicis Media India and MMA India reveals that 81% of marketers prioritise reach, while 92% cite standardised attention measurement as a key challenge.
Lalatendu Das, CEO, Publicis Media South Asia: “Reach will remain fundamental to any media strategy, but scale alone does not tell us whether an exposure has the quality or opportunity to drive an outcome.”
81% of Indian marketers prioritise reach, but only 17% prioritise attention quality, finds the Beyond Reach report
Reach remains central to media planning, but Publicis Media India and MMA India’s ‘Beyond Reach’ report reveals a gap between intent and practice: 86% of marketers would likely reallocate budgets if robust attention evidence showed stronger brand-memory outcomes, while 92% cite a lack of reliable or standardised attention measurement as a major barrier.
That was the thread running through today's Leadership Dialogue at #SMARTIESIndia, "Beyond Efficiency: Where AI creates real growth, not just efficiencies," moderated by our President, Asia Pacific, Raman Kalra with Pavanjit S Bedi (CMO Foods, Hindustan Unilever) and Sunita Bangard (MMA India Board Member; CEO – Emerging Opportunities Novel Jewels, Aditya Birla Group).
Practical takeaways:
**Speed is a growth lever.** Bewakoof, from Aditya Birla's fashion portfolio, can deliver a custom t-shirt in 3 days. That's AI turning efficiency into a product people pay for.
**AI can help you find the next market.** HUL Foods used it to pivot from hot drinks to cold beverages to reach Gen Z.
**The bottleneck isn't the tech.** AI literacy is still low. Talent, culture and behaviour change decide how much ROI you actually get.
**Efficiency and growth aren't opposites.** Done right, efficiency lifts both the topline and the bottom line.
**The biggest boardroom myth is "AI will take away jobs."** The panel's view was that AI handles execution and humans own the rest, including great storytelling.
**For the next 12 months, treat AI like gymnastics.** Make small bets, fail fast, learn fast, and build the muscle.
The organisations that win won't be the ones with the most AI tools. They'll be the ones whose people know how to use them.
Thank you to Pavanjit, Sunita and Raman for a grounded, no-hype conversation.
Connecting brand building to actual business results has always been tough—until now. Proud to contribute to our new report with MMA India, WPP Media and Amazon Ads
“From Fragmentation to One View: A Marketer’s Playbook for Full-Funnel Growth”
Based on a survey of 126 advertising leaders, here is what you'll find: Clear Results: How to link top-of-mind brand awareness and directly influence sales. Connected Journeys: How to track ad performance across every buyer touch point. Smarter Growth: How to break down data walls and spend budgets more efficiently.
Beyond Reach: Rethinking the Quality of Media Exposure.
Reach remains a cornerstone of media planning. But in a world where audiences encounter more content than ever, how much of that reach actually earns attention?
Launched by Publicis Media India and MMA India at #SMARTIESUnplugged 2026, Beyond Reach explores why the industry needs to look beyond impressions and bring attention quality into media planning and investment decisions.
The findings make a compelling case for change:
• 81% of Indian marketers prioritise reach, while only 17% prioritise attention quality.
• 86% would consider reallocating media budgets if robust attention evidence pointed to stronger brand outcomes.
• 100% believe an agreed industry standard would accelerate the adoption of attention measurement.
The takeaway?
It’s not about replacing reach, but understanding the quality of the opportunities it creates and their potential to build memory and influence brand choice.
A step towards making attention more measurable, actionable and meaningful for marketers.
If you want to understand how Attention Qualified Reach (AQR) based planning can drive better outcome for your brand, reach out to us at : [email protected]
81% of Indian marketers prioritise reach, while 69% don’t use attention in media planning, finds Publicis Media India and MMA India’s Beyond Reach report.
More here: https://lnkd.in/gBPxVsKi
Here are highlights from my panel discussion at MMA Smarties Unplugged India 2026 .
In beauty, the right experience starts with understanding the moment. #AI can help us read signals, connect the journey and make faster, more relevant decisions. However, truly exceptional consumer experience is not bot or human, it’s a concierge-like blend of both. #AI bringing speed and scale, people bringing judgment, empathy and the human touch.
The future of #CX isn’t about automating every interaction. It’s about knowing what will help and when a person should step in.
It was great learning about the latest market trends from industry leaders, exchanging ideas, and connecting with people across the industry.
Always a pleasure to have meaningful conversations, share perspectives, and explore new opportunities to collaborate.
If we missed catching up at the event, feel free to reach out! Would love to connect and explore potential partnerships and collaboration opportunities.
