Products can be copied.Content can be generated.Distribution can be bought. Technology is available to everyone.
So what still builds a lasting brand advantage?
That's the question I explored with Naiyya Saggi at SMARTIES Unplugged, in our fireside chat on "Building the Brand Moat: Creativity, Technology & Effectiveness." The full conversation is now live on MMA APAC YouTube channel.
From BabyChakra to EDT, Naiyya has built around community, consumer insight, trust and technology. Two things she said have stayed with me.
1. Personalise the journey, not just the message.
At EDT and with Luma, personalisation isn't something added on at the end. It shapes the whole experience a customer goes through. When the brand feels like it was built around you, it's very hard for a competitor to copy that relationship.
2. Bravery is a strategy.
Naiyya and her team have made bold choices that are rewriting the codes of their category. Most brands follow the category codes. Brands that last are brave enough to rewrite them. Copying a product is easy. Copying the conviction behind it is much harder.
A few more ideas from our conversation:
#Trust is a business asset. It shows up when customers come back, recommend you and forgive you.
#Technology makes an idea bigger. It doesn't make it distinctive. It should scale an idea without flattening the brand.
#Reach is not the scoreboard. Look at retention, pricing power, customer value and growth.
#AI is everywhere, so it isn't the advantage on its own. As a SMARTIES juror, I see AI in almost every entry now. As execution gets easier, the edge moves to insight, judgment, taste and courage.
My takeaway: a campaign can win you a quarter. A brand that is personal, trusted and brave enough to redefine its category can win you a decade.
Thank you, Naiyya, for a candid and generous conversation, and to MMA IndiaMoneka Khurana and the SMARTIES team for hosting it.
To watch the full session link in the first comment.
Which brand do you think has been brave enough to rewrite its category's rules?
Amazing to see the pictures and have heard great feedback about the event. Congratulations Ranjana K.and the MMA India team for such an insightful event.
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.
What if a plate could reveal the hunger we don’t see?
We’re pleased to announce that HungerWare Collection: The Plates That Serve Truth, part of India Gate Basmati Rice’s Grains of Hope initiative, has won at MMA India SMARTIES 2026 in the Social Impact Marketing category.
At the heart of the campaign was a striking plate visual that brought the realities of hunger and food insecurity into focus. By turning an everyday dining object into a powerful conversation starter, HungerWare highlighted the importance of child nutrition and our mission of 'Grains of Hope'initiative to support mid-day meals, helping ensure that no child’s aspirations are limited by a lack of nourishment.
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!
The panelists unpacked why scaling AI successfully requires far more than technology alone – demanding clear business strategy, mature digital capabilities and an unwavering focus on human insight to drive real impact. Thanks to MMA India for a fantastic event.
Lloyd, thanks for a comfortable SMARTIES organised yesterday and congratulations to you and your team on a lovely Friday where we could freely mingle and exchange knowledge. Really appreciate your guidance throughout the submissions and the win. Myntra client went back happy.
