Interactive Avenues’ Amit Thaker on Adapting to New Media Consumption Trends

Amit, your digital marketing journey spans multiple industries and roles, and this is your second stint at Interactive Avenues. Can you share some key takeaways from your previous experiences and how they shaped the way you approach digital strategy today?

I believe that a deep understanding of the consumer is key – their motivations, interests, influences, consumption behaviors, media usage patterns and loyalty. These factors combine to shape products, build brands and develop communications. A comprehensive understanding of the consumer allows us to create more detailed and better strategic insights and a much more effective communications strategy, which in turn leads to better marketing results.

As someone who has managed multiple teams in digital advertising agencies, what are the most important factors in building a high-performing digital team?

Hiring the right people is key! We go to great lengths to bring the best talent into the system – this includes multiple rounds of interviews, background checks and in-depth reviews of previous jobs. We also take the time to understand what kind of culture a candidate is looking for. In many cases, we even hold chemistry sessions with the wider team. While this increases our recruitment time, it allows us to fill the gaps with people who are the best fit for the role.

You have worked in various industries such as BFSI, Media, eCommerce and Sports. How do digital strategies differ across these sectors and where do you see the greatest potential for innovation?

The fundamentals remain the same – it’s important to carefully consider the landscape, audience profiling, product/service benefits, brand promise, etc. Audience gaps and/or motivations help us focus on innovative approaches. Rather than focusing solely on category, the approach can vary based on the nature of competition, nuances of consumer behavior, brand proposition, etc. That said, communication strategy tends to diverge more by sector, as category codes may need to be adhered to.

How have media consumption patterns changed in recent years and what impact does this have on digital media strategies?

The biggest change has been the dramatic shift to social media and short-form video. Social media has had a huge impact on brand messaging, branding, community building, and media spend. In some ways, planning has become easier because we now have access to a wealth of data on consumer behavior, preferences, and more. At the same time, because social media offers consumers a wealth of content, it has become increasingly difficult to capture attention and drive engagement.

How do you think media buying will evolve as display advertising transitions to a programmatic model?

While software platforms have been using AI solutions for some time, increased intelligence will drive smarter targeting and optimization solutions. Consumer privacy demands are only increasing, which in turn requires platforms to tighten access to consumer data. We also leverage curated publisher lists to reach niche cohorts of consumers—those with higher levels of privacy, brand safety, visibility, and other benefits.

With the holiday season in full swing, which sectors are showing interest and which advertising media are spending most of their budget on?

We are seeing mostly categories that directly experience seasonal growth during the holiday season – home décor, jewellery, gifts, electronics, automotive and the like, with very strong spend on high-impact programming formats and innovative ad units.

Are there any underutilized channels you think advertisers should consider during this time?

Brands could better leverage sponsorships – in fiction and non-fiction programming, in branding during programming, in content partnerships and in collaborations with influencers.

Where are agencies going wrong when planning their holiday campaigns and how can they strike a balance between traditional and digital media? What metrics should they prioritize to measure the success of these campaigns?

Agencies often tend to underestimate the nuances of audiences and consumer behavior during pre-planning exercises. This can result in flawed media choices and targeting. To ensure optimal campaign results, we go the extra mile by combining technology, content, and media platform capabilities.

What digital trends do you think will dominate this holiday season? How should brands innovate during these times to stand out?

Innovative content creation supported by media and influencer marketing are the main trends we expect to see this holiday season. Standing out from the competition requires a lot of planning! I would say it is key to give planners detailed briefs, enough time to work on the same, and then iterate and combine content and media to really drive differentiation.