Indian major companies in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector are heavily investing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for their advertising strategies.

In the dynamic world of marketing, Indian companies are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and programmatic tools to create immersive consumer experiences and optimise advertising costs.

Mondelez India, known for its popular brands like Cadbury, is attempting to differentiate its campaigns by offering more immersive consumer experiences. This approach is evident in the 'Story of Us' campaign for Cadbury Silk, where generative AI was used to create over 500,000 personalised videos. Similarly, the Cadbury Celebrations campaign of 2022, titled "Shah Rukh Khan - My Ad", used AI to create custom ads for thousands of local businesses. Mondelez has also integrated technology into the creative process for campaigns such as Cadbury Celebrations and Cadbury Silk.

Pidilite, the makers of Fevikwik and other household products, are using AI tools across the entire gamut of marketing, from content creation to media planning and audience targeting. According to Sandeep Tanwani, the company's chief marketing officer, this move is aimed at streamlining processes, unlocking new creative possibilities, and improving media spend effectiveness.

HUL (Hindustan Unilever Limited) has deployed AI to transform its marketing and media strategies through a platform called Sangam. The result has been shorter creative cycles and sharper targeting, as evident in the reduction of HUL's media planning turnaround time from 25 days to just five. HUL has also been strategic with its ad spending, with social media and OTT ad spending increasing, taking digital platforms' share of HUL's total ad expenditure to 45%. Notably, HUL's TV investments dropped from 60% to 39%, while digital video investments grew from 20% to 29% due to Sangam.

Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) established Lightbox, an in-house design and creative lab two years ago. Recently, GCPL added a media planning platform called Media Allocation and Spends Harmonisation (MASH) to roll out campaigns and cut costs. The company also launched a new KwikGPT campaign for Fevikwik that uses AI to generate quirky, innovative products. GCPL plans to continue investing in technology to ensure the lowest possible cost per attentive reach.

In an economy with challenges, smart marketers are using AI and programmatic tools to optimise advertising costs. For instance, GCPL is not cutting back on spending but being more judicious with MASH, managing media operations across 20 countries with a three-member programmatic team. Mondelez India's vice-president of marketing, Nitin Saini, states that the boundaries between media and technology are becoming increasingly blurred.

As the world of marketing continues to evolve, it's clear that AI and programmatic tools are playing an increasingly important role in helping brands create engaging, personalised, and cost-effective campaigns.