Ambi Parameswaran

Making sense of the census: Do young marketing execs grasp its importance?

Census 2026 (as it may be called) will help us get a better picture and spur many more interesting questions to ask in marketing interviews

The changing business: Indian weddings grow bigger and more lavish

Some reports say it is the fourth largest industry in India with annual spending of $130 million. But in our management education we are yet to fully grasp its importance

Can kirana stores survive the exponential rise of quick commerce in India?

Some savvy kiranas are already evolving - becoming specialist gourmet shops, mini-supermarkets, or setting up their own efficient delivery systems

Anupam Gupta's The Rise of Asian Paints reveals success of an entrepreneur

If you want to understand what makes Asian Paints such a successful company and how the mind of a first-generation entrepreneur works, this book is a must read

Better nutrition labelling on packaged foods: Are large fonts enough?

Changing consumer behaviour takes a lot more than that

Book Review: Some lessons in fighting brand crises from the marketplace

In their book 'Managing Brand Transgressions: 8 Principles to Transform Your Brand', S P Jain and S S Jain attempt to draw the right lessons that are to be learnt from brand challenges

Content marketing before its time

The customer's decision journey is becoming more complex, requiring brands to create a constant stream of content to engage with their audience

Will rural consumers roar?

There are many changes happening that should help big FMCG brands reach rural consumers

Small (car) is beautiful

If you look at the sales numbers of various models, they tell an interesting story

Embedding AI in strategy

Gathering data, analysing it, using it to sell products or getting more attention is something that made digital native companies successful

Back to office, everyone

It seemed like yesterday when all IT majors were singing the praises of the #WorkFromHome practice. There were even reports that said many companies were planning on moving to #WFH permanently

Neuromarketing may pivot again

Marketers found the EEG technology useful to map the brain activity of a consumer when they are in the process of receiving marketing messages, pack designs, advertising etc

Growing better crops

The adoption of hybrid seeds by Indian farmers was not an accident, but it was through the application of a well-designed consumer strategy

India's ad to GDP: Stuck at 0.4%

Why is the ratio low? What could be the underlying causes?

Changing saving habits

Those were the days of the Harshad Mehta scam. IPOs were oversubscribed by a large margin and getting allotment was like winning a lottery

Cashing in on a new addiction: mobile games

Creating an engaging game is difficult. But more difficult is to get consumer to download the app & engage with it. In this re­gard, the gaming firms in India have done the impossible in short period

Big brand theories from India

Booming Brands is one of those rare books that leave you inspired to start your own journey, or apply some of the lessons to your business

Moviegoers are back

Filmmakers will have to invest in understanding the changing tastes of moviegoers, in multiplexes and single screens, in order to improve their chances of success

The role of sugar substitutes

The brand that managed to crack the sugar substitute market in India is Sugar Free from Zydus Wellness

Using symbols to build brands

Sengol became one of the most recognised Tamil words in India last month. Marketers can still only dream of such ubiquity for the symbols they lovingly create