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]
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.
