Looks like my SMARTIES did pretty well at the #SMARTIES2026 forum, after a tough fight for MMA India's top honor.
Delighted to have Pampers Premium Care and Gillette Fusion5 bring home Gold in what was an incredibly competitive SMARTIES season, with some outstanding work in contention, across categories.
Pampers Premium Care - Cross Digital Media Marketing
Gillette Fusion 5 - New Product Launch / Re-Launch
What makes this especially rewarding is knowing what sits behind these two trophies.
Two brands that constantly challenge convention, keep reinventing themselves, and never settle for average. The quality of work is never accidental. It's the outcome of ambitious brands, strong partnerships, healthy debate, and teams that care deeply about getting it right.
And to the incredible team for creating a fertile ground & for putting their hearts into the work, thank you for making the journey such a rewarding one.
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.
Proud to see UltraTech Cement recognised as Most Resilient Brand of the Year at MMA India SMARTIES 2026.
A win that celebrates the power of collaboration, shared ambition and a partnership that continues to create meaningful impact. Congratulations to the UltraTech team and everyone behind this achievement!
Karix x Myntra Virtual Try-On Studio took Silver in the Personalisation category, and I'm still smiling about it.
The idea came from a question we've all asked while shopping online: "I like it…but, will it actually look good on me?"
So ahead of EORS, instead of sending shoppers yet another "you left something in your cart" message, Myntra let them try the look on. Right inside WhatsApp.
Pick a style, share a selfie in the chat, and see yourself in the outfit. That's it.
People loved it. Many even shared their try-on looks online. And it drove an 11% uplift in conversion compared with non-AI campaigns.
This win seems so personal and so seeing it on stage next to some of India's biggest brands and agencies feels extremely special.
There’s so much conversation around AI today, but I think we learn the most when we share what we’re actually doing with it.
Really glad we could share our experience, and I hope it gives fellow marketers some ideas and inspiration to explore how AI can make a difference in their own work.
We’re all learning as we go, and the more we share, the more we learn from each other!
