Nitisha P. Simon

Ever wondered how did THAT influencer garner MILLIONS of followers and still no one really seems to know them or they seem to have a non-existing community or fan following? A recent study by Social Beat revealed that 67% of brands in India face challenges in verifying influencer authenticity and campaign impact. In India, the rise of fake accounts inflates metrics, making it hard for Marketing Heads to gauge genuine reach. Simple Solution: Use tools like HypeAuditor and Qoruz to vet influencers. But I will tell you HOW you can spot fake followers even without using all tools Here’s how to spot the red flags: 🚩 Unusual Follower Growth: Use tools like Social Blade to analyze follower growth patterns. A sudden, sharp increase often indicates purchased followers. 🚩 Extremely Low or Unexceptionally High Engagement Rates: Compare the influencer’s likes, comments, and shares to their follower count. An engagement rate below 1-3% for large accounts could be a red flag. Some influencers are getting overtly smart. They charge up click farms and garner an excessive amount of comments, shares and likes within hours of the content being posted. If the creator gets more than 5% engagement consistently on ALL their branded posts then it's a major red flag. 🚩 Generic Comments: Look for repetitive or irrelevant comments like "Great post!" "Love your look" or "You are so beautiful" These often come from bots. 🚩 Follower Quality: Check the profiles of their followers. Accounts with no profile pictures, posts, or followers of their own may be fake. 🚩 Inconsistent Content Quality: Genuine influencers maintain a consistent tone, aesthetic, and message. Accounts with sporadic or low-quality content might be suspect. 🚩 Engaged Community: Check if they have an active community specific to the platform - example how many people are present in their broadcast ? Do fans of the influencer address themselves with a special name? Are you facing challenges with transparency in influencer marketing? I'm happy to guide you with a free short consultation catered to your brand. Let me know in the comments :)

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India's Podcast Boom: Untapped Potential & Audience Insights 🇮🇳 Did you know? India boasts the third-largest podcast listener base globally, yet only 15% are currently engaged! This presents a HUGE opportunity for brands, podcasters, and media houses. Here's what "The Podcast Pulse, India 2024" reveals: Massive untapped audience: 82% of respondents are unaware of podcasts! It's time to raise awareness and tap into the potential of this medium. Explosive growth: 78% discovered podcasts recently, highlighting a surge in interest. Make it Real: Authenticity emerges as the cornerstone for deeper audience connections, making it the ultimate content hook. Download the full report to unlock audience preferences, content choices, favourite hosts, and more! ➡️ https://bit.ly/3wfQwKc #thepodcastpulse #podcastcreators #advertisers #brandmarketers #podcastingknowhow #unpacresearch Bingepods (Ideabrew Studios) Aditya Kuber

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If you spend - Rs. 2 crore in producing a video content. And Rs. 2 lakh in distributing that video content. ❌ Dont expect the content by itself to do some magic. Content distribution is #strategy + science + execution. Don’t expect #content by itself to automatically find distribution.

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As we gaze into the future, the evolving trends and advancements in India unveil invaluable insights into the transformative landscape of the field. Delve into the unfolding narrative of pioneering basic performance marketing practices in India, illuminating the profound impact on the future trajectory of performance marketing and advertising. 👉Follow me at ✅ Sanjeev Kumar for awesome tips & tricks related to Digital Marketing ✅To read quality articles on innovative Digital Marketing strategies, visit:- https://lnkd.in/gQaxq6-J ✅ DM me if you need any help with Digital Marketing & AI automation ✅Subscribe to Weekly newsletter for innovative tips and tricks on Digital Marketing: https://shorturl.at/cjor5 #entrepreneurs  #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship  #entrepreneurlife  #startuplife  #startupcompany  #business101 #business #entrepreneurlifestyle  #startup #businessawards #company  #ceolife #ceo  #founderstories #founderjourney  #ceo  #owner #founder  #digileap #Digileapmarketingservices #Startups  #VentureCapital  #LeanStartups  #Economy  #Economics  #iima  #iim #iimkozhikode #iimindore  #isbalumni  #usabusiness  #ukbusiness #ukbusinessowner  #usabusiness

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THE WORLD OF CELEBRITY BRANDS Kroll is out with its annual survey on celebrities once again. And Virat Kohli in spite of his relatively decreasing fortunes in cricket is no 1 again beating the top film stars. What is interesting is that almost 50% of the ad spends are now digital. India now really looks like a mature market for digital. Such is the force of celebrity endorsement in India that the top 25 in terms of television presence had endorsed 311 brands over 22 categories. This pretty much makes India I think a celebrity brand market. Celebrity endorsements dominate brand advertising. And often marketers don't even care about the fit of the brand to the celebrities personality. The top 3 brands advertised on television are Harpic by Akshay Kumar, Lux soap by Anushka Sharma, Kareena Kapur and ( gulp!) Virat Kohli and Veet endorsed by Sara Ali Khan. Of course Viraj is not the first male to feature in a Lux Soap ad. Shahrukh Khan appeared in a Lux soap ad back in 2005. In the West, they found that male celebrities did not work for Lux Soap after they tried Paul Newman in a Lux film ages ago. But obviously India has discarded that learning because celebrities are a potent force in the country. Gender hardly seems to matter? Another new trend is that celebrities are now entering our board rooms with interests in start ups and other ventures. Celebrities as entrepreneurs are a new trend. But is mass advertising with celebrities resulting in fatigue. Often one tends to remember the celebrity rather than the brand. As the overdependence of celebrities for Indian brands becomes more and more prominent, one has to see if this trend is deteriorating the quality of advertising ideas in India since they are so celebrity dependent. #advertisingandmarketing #celebrityendorsement #brandmanagement

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Consumer Confused, Brand Refused! Jagdeep Kapoor, Founder & CMD of Samsika Marketing Consultants writes in his regular column for the November 2024 issue of Businessindia Group Magazine that an often ignored reason for a Consumer to avoid purchase or use a Brand is their confusion about the Brand and what it is offering. According to Jagdeep Kapoor, the Samsika®️ Brand Mantra®️ When the Consumer is Confused the Brand is Refused™️ is a critical warning sign. The solution to this 'Confusion' problem lies in the problem itself, i.e. in the word C.O.N.F.U.S.E.D: 1. C - Clarity: Give clarity to the Consumer about the Brand's offering. 2. O - Onus: Take onus and responsibility about the promise you've made to Consumers. 3. N - Novelty: Provide novelty to consumers so they're excited about a new offering, or an upgraded one. 4. F - Factual: Bring out factual information about your Brand in front of the Consumer. 5. U - Understanding: Understand the specific consumer needs to avoid confusion, increase acceptance and remove the fear of refusal.  6. S - Sensitivity: Be sensitive to the consumers’ needs, emotions, background and other intangibles. 7. E - Education: Explicitly educate Consumers about what the Brand is offering so they can take an educated decision. 8. D - Demonstration: Demonstrate the benefits, how to use or consume the Brand and what to avoid. While many elements of marketing, advertising, distribution and promotion are deployed by spending crores of rupees, it is equally important that you do things in marketing, which help avoid confusion in the consumer’s mind. Read Jagdeep Kapoor's full column about ‘Consumer Confused; Brand Refused’ in the Nov 2024 issue of Businessindia Group magazine below:

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UX vs CRO case: on my way to Mumbai, saw an interesting approach, kind of somewhat new approach, while serving food they did not use the trolley at all, not even once, they served pre booked, then they asked others, took their orders, noted and served 1) usability wise, huge benefit, ease of management, speed, less trouble of passengers whereas I wonder 2) did people order less? As when people see food they order more , conversion wise, did it impact? I love everything new and then observe to improve. It will be interesting to see whether it was a one off case or general practice now with Indigo. UX is better, CRO not sure.

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IPL- A MIRROR FOR INDIAN ADVERTISING AGENCIES   KKR won the IPL 2024 when the favourite was someone else. There is a lesson for management of advertising agencies (and other organizations) here.   Consider RCB and MI, the IPL’s biggest brands. MI has clinched the title 5 times, while RCB is yet to win. Then there's RR, for long the weakest team. They always maintained minimal auction spending. Yet, RR has one championship, a runner-up finish, and two playoff appearances. Contrast this with RCB, which spends the most but has a success rate of just 49.1%, even below RR’s 49.5%. CSK, with a 57.4% success rate, reigns supreme.   So, what can advertising agencies learn.   Relying solely on big creative stars won’t ensure success. Neither will pushing average talent too hard. Don’t be like RCB or RR. Agencies need top creative leaders supported by a core of talented individuals. A great leader is ineffective without a strong team, and a talented team falters without strong leadership.   Take PBKS, DC and SRH – they’ve had some success but lack consistency. Newcomers GT and LSG have shown promise, but it’s too early to judge them. Most agencies today fall into this category.   This pattern is evident in other leagues too. Whether it's EPL, Serie A, Bundesliga, F1, NBA, or NFL, top talent alone isn’t enough; it requires synchronized top-class management for consistent performance and success.   No Founder, CEO, CCO, or CMO alone ever transformed an organization. Even Steve Jobs needed a strong team. Similarly, no average team can elevate any leader to greatness. Agencies need a blend of top creative stars with talented young guns.   Many advertising agencies today think that one star performer in creativity, technology or management will be good enough to propel the agency. Won’t happen. Never has, never will.   From account management to creativity to media to planning to technology, agencies need star leadership in every department. And every department needs to have rising stars. Else, advertising has many one-shot wonders and it’ll remain so.   Running an agency these days is a tough task already. To make it successful and that too consistently cannot happen on the shoulders of one individual. No matter how young and talented or experienced and legendary that individual may be.   Like sport, those on the field aren’t very good at the business of sport and, those on the business side aren’t meant to go in the arena. Agencies need to learn this. They must re-think and re-build. Else why would most agencies find it tough when the market is only growing. Every yorker and every googley is playable only when you have read the wicket well,and have the right players taking guard. Whims and wishes don't run sport or any organization. Winning requires talent managed well. #creativity #creativeleadership #managment #advertisingagency

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Does the photo give it away? I am in Goa for the next 10 days. I am offering a no-obligations (read FREE) 30-minute consultation/discussion for anyone who needs help with, #marketing, #content, #branding or #strategiccommunications. Hit me up if you want to discuss: - How to increase awareness for your business? - How to communicate value? - How can existing initiatives and spending be improved? - How to get more leads? - How to improve your brand communications? OR Anything else that you might think is important? Send me a DM...let's connect. P.S. I may get 'busy' doing things other than work. I'll blame it on the environment! Francis Coelho | Mervin Soares | Rato Communications |

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 Imagine two doctors, both named Dr. Sharma, who run successful clinics. One is nestled in the bustling streets of New York and the other in the vibrant heart of Kolkata. Despite their similarities, their approach to valuing their businesses couldn't be more different, highlighting a crucial lesson in brand valuation. Dr. Sharma in New York: At 55, he's contemplating retirement. His clinic is more than just a place of healing; it's a beacon of trust and quality in the community. Recognizing this, he plans to sell not just the physical assets of his clinic but the brand itself. This includes the client list, the clinic's reputation, and the goodwill he's nurtured over decades. He knows that these intangible assets can significantly increase the selling price of his clinic. Dr. Sharma in Kolkata: Also looking towards retirement, he sees his clinic solely as a physical asset. The busy street location is valuable, but he hasn't considered how the trusted name of his clinic, built over years of compassionate care, could add to its value. As a result, he might sell it for just the market value of the property, potentially less if he's in a hurry. This contrast starkly outlines how understanding the value of a brand can affect the financial outcomes of similar businesses. Dr. Sharma in New York stands to gain substantially more from his awareness and investment in building a #brand, not just a clinic. 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝'𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥  For entrepreneurs and startup owners, this story is a powerful reminder of the importance of brand building. Your business's brand is an asset that can greatly enhance its overall valuation. It's not just about the services or products you provide but the emotional connection and reputation you cultivate with your customers. Investing in your brand—through customer experience, consistent quality, and community engagement—transforms it from a mere logo into a valuable asset that can command a premium, whether you're seeking investors, planning to sell, or looking to expand. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝’𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 As you develop or refine your business strategy, remember the story of Dr. Sharma and consider how your brand adds value to your offering. Are you just selling products or services, or are you offering a brand experience that has intrinsic value? Recognize the power of your brand—it’s an asset that deserves your attention and investment. #BrandValuation #BusinessStrategy #ValueCreation #BrandBuilding #Entrepreneurship

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We are an agency which has some how excelled in service based brands, one of the most difficult segment which we manage OR try to manage is Healthcare Services. In this space, branding & communications needs to be more sensitivity, you cannot sell you need to advice, doctors & patients is a very interesting relationship we need but we dont want! Here's is a very interesting article I came across, as I am also reading & learning would like to share the same with you all. Cherojit Goswami very nice article.

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Plot twist: Influencers need more than just a pretty feed! Just penned a piece for Campaign India and The Other Circle on why influencers can't ghostwrite their own PR. Spoiler alert: It's not about the 'gram, it's about the grand plan! Read how to go from 'swipe up' to 'level up' in the influencer game: https://lnkd.in/dRHSsacP #InfluencerPR #BrandBuilding #MoreThanJustLikes #BestPRPractices

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Brand purpose is your brand’s superpower - Karen Bailey 1. Purpose driven branding is about connecting your brand with causes that matter to your customers. 2. Brands captivated with purpose aren't distracted by comparison. 3. The brands that will thrive in the coming years are the ones that have a purpose beyond profit - Richard Branson. 4. A great brand taps into emotions. Emotions drive most, if not all, of our decisions. A brand reaches out with a powerful connecting experience. It's an emotional connecting point that transcends the product - Scott Bedbury Shared below is a powerful purpose driven brand communication by Clinic Plus - An ode to all the daughters. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is the parent company of Clinic Plus. HUL launched Clinic Plus Health shampoo in India in 1987, and it is the country's best-selling shampoo brand. Richard Branson Karen Bailey Scott Bedbury #BetiBannKeAana #BrandPurpose #Branding

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Is AI taking over copywriting? While moment marketing speeds things up, human creativity is still key for true brand-building. Swipe left to know more! Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3MRKwfe Story by: Nisha Qureshi and Shreyas Kulkarni #advertising | #marketing | #campaign | #AI | #artificialintelligence | #creativity | #Copywriting | #GenAI | Nandita Chalam | Xavier Institute Of Communications | Aalap Desai | tgthr. | Bobby Pawar | Havas India | Prathap Suthan | Bang In The Middle | Pallavi Chakravarti | Fundamental

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One thing that most agencies lack at and cannot scale is Nurturing you team. We always talk about nurturing clients, if they need any help or sugesstions. But what about the team? How would you nurture them to come along on your journey of building this agency big? Here’s my way - 1. Relation building - I never forced building a corporate culture within the team. Because if I myself cannot fit into that, I can not expect my team members to. Professionally working is a separate thing but you always need to be soft, interested and curious to know more about the team, solving their issues and giving them a little freedom too. 2. Aligning goals - The one and the most important part is discussing goals of your team members. Where they want to be in the next 5 years or what they think success is for them and then aligning their goal with the agency’s. This will clarify that they are not alone in their journey and this agency is gonna help them out and this is a mutual contract of helping and achieving goals for both. 3. Taking your team along - One thing I have recently realised is to involve your team in mostly everything you do. A few days back when we were working on customer avatar diagnosis (clients we want to work with) for agency, we invited our team to be a part of this. What projects they enjoy, which niche they want to work in, founders they relate to and so much more. This helps knowing what your team wants and how they see the operations. 4. Upskilling your team - I love buying them books and workshop’s access. Of course, this is gonna add to the agency indirectly but to be honest, it’s intentionally more for them. I want people to learn more when they come with us on this journey. And these are all the things I do to keep my team happy. Because happier the team, merrier you are. Haha Do you have a team? How do you nurture them?

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Today, reaching different generations with the same approach just doesn’t cut it. Different generations exhibit unique habits that set them apart. And generational differences go beyond age - they reflect the evolving nature of technology and how it molds itself around people of various age groups. Gen Z, Gen Y, and Gen X have distinctly different perceptions of technology and approaches to content consumption, simply because of their varied exposure to tech in different eras. For example- - Gen Z grew up with smartphones and social media. - Gen Y saw the rise of the internet in the early 2000s. - Gen X witnessed the shift from analogue to digital. These differences matter when it comes to how each generation consumes content, engages with brands, and makes buying decisions. What works for one generation can completely miss the mark with another I’ve broken down how brands can tailor their approach for each generation in more detail on the BW Marketing World blog. Feel free to check it out! 🙌 #marketing #expertise #genz #genx

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Manforce's latest attempt (agency: Grapes) at equating a product's (or category's) name to its own is only one in a really long list of similar such attempts. Though there is a case to be made against asking about the said product while canoodling in a public park (and in a cinema theater, in another ad) since it can be easily procured on the way to a private space (home/hotel room), this post is not about that. Manforce has been at this job of force-equating the product with its brand name since May this year. Just before Manforce, Pepsico's Sting made an identical effort, trying to force-equate 'energy drink' to Sting. Ironically, a full decade ago, Nirma used the exact same narrative to force-equate 'shudh namak' with 'Nirma (namak)'. If Ritwik Bhowmik offered a button when the shopkeeper gives a non-Sting drink (which is red in color, to indicate Thums Up's Charged), the kid in the Nirma ad offers fake money (from the board game Trade/Monopoly) when the shopkeeper offers a non-Nirma salt pack. Even the now-dead Koo forced its way trying to make Koo a verb in a 2021 campaign. So, instead of saying, 'Did you share it online?', people say, 'Koo kiya kya?' in a spectacularly forced attempt to make it seem like Koo was widely used by people. It's far more likely that people say, 'Did you tweet it?'. Probably the earliest attempt at all this was Coca-Cola's 'Thanda Matlab' campaign where Aamir asks for 'Thanda' and is adequately annoyed when the resultant drink offered by the vendor was not a Coca-Cola. I don't know how long agencies/brands would try to use advertising to force a behavior of equating a product/category with a brand name even when no one is actually saying that (except it being the brand manager's/CEO's wishful thinking, assuming that throwing money at the wish would make it come true). The irony is that brands that have actually become default for the category/verb (like Google for search, Xerox for photocopy, Uber for cabs, etc.) don't seem to use it so vocally in their campaigns. The video below plays the following ads in this order: Manforce, Sting Energy, Nirma Salt, Koo, Coca-Cola. #advertising #marketing #verb #product #category

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The Perception Shift Framework for D2C Brands As a young e-commerce brand, it’s easy to hit a wall when you’re focused on a single product. But often, the real issue isn’t your product—it’s how you view your brand. This is where perception mapping can make all the difference. So, what is perception mapping, and how can it help you break through and grow ? What’s Perception Mapping? Perception mapping is your brain’s way of making sense of everything around you. It’s like the software processes what you see, hear, and touch. When your brand is too narrowly defined, this mental map can trap you into thinking only within that narrow category. How to Shift Your Perception: A Quick Example Let’s say your brand specializes in baby towels, and you want to expand. But you’re stuck. Why? Because your brain is locked onto “towels” and can’t see beyond that. Step 1: Rethink the Core Function Ask yourself, “What does a towel do?” Maybe it’s about wiping spills that disrupt precious baby moments. Step 2: Reframe Your Brand Instead of saying, “We sell baby towels,” think, “We offer solutions for managing spills around babies.” This tweak in focus rewires your brain to see beyond towels. Step 3: Broaden Your Scope Now, your mind opens up to other spill-related products—milk spills, food spills, and even medicine spills. You’re not just in the towel business anymore; you’re in the company of preserving special baby moments. Step 4: Expand Your Line With this new perspective, you can develop a range of products that tackle various spill issues, transforming your brand from a one-product wonder into a go-to provider for baby care solutions. Why This Works Shifting your perception opens up new avenues for growth and innovation. This simple framework helps you see beyond your initial product and unlock your brand’s full potential. If you’re a D2C brand feeling stuck, try shifting your perception. The opportunities are there—you just need to see them differently. I’m Udit, a Consumerologist specializing in decoding latent needs by using the power of human perception Let’s unlock your brand’s true potential together

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