70% of brands plan to increase spending on retail media in 2025: Report

New Delhi: Data Unplugged: Future of Data by MMA Global India, held at DoubleTree by Hilton, Gurugram, brought together industry leaders to explore the transformative potential of data in shaping digital maturity and AI readiness. 

With the theme ‘Data First, AI Next’, the event saw the launch of the ‘Retail Media 2.0: Moving Up the Funnel’ report by MMA Global India and Amazon Ads. 

The event featured 14 sessions and 28 speakers, offering insights on leveraging data for next-gen marketing strategies. Suresh Khadakbhavi of Digi Yatra Foundation delivered the inaugural keynote, followed by Manik Nangia of Bajaj Auto. 

Other keynotes included MMA India Board Members Jaspreet Bindra of The Tech Whisperer and Soumya Mohanty of Kantar; among other fireside chats and panel discussions. 

‘Retail Media 2.0: Moving up the funnel’

The centrepiece of the event was the launch of the ‘Retail Media 2.0’ playbook, unveiled by Rohit Dadwal (CEO & BOD, MMA Global APAC | Global Head, SMARTIES Worldwide). The report dives into the evolution of retail media as the third wave of digital advertising. 

Key findings include:

• 61% of shoppers credit retail media touchpoints like Amazon with influencing their purchase decisions.

• 79% of respondents discover products through retail media while shopping online.

• Retail media is a full-funnel solution, integrating brand-building and performance marketing.

• 45% of shoppers experiment with new brands, with retail media playing a pivotal role in this behaviour.

• 82% of media professionals already leverage retail media, with 70% planning to increase their spends in 2025.

This playbook is supported by two studies conducted with 7,880 consumers (by Kantar) and 150 media professionals (by MMA Global India), revealing significant insights into shopper behaviour and marketer adoption trends.

Agenda Highlights:

Data maturity is a journey, and MMA is the enabler. Data Unplugged brought this vision to life by creating a platform where leaders across industries came together to explore how to be Data First in order to be AI Next. The agenda offered a full spread of perspectives on how to elevate your data leadership across critical markers. With insights from speakers and sessions, MMA is enabling organisations to benchmark their data journeys, bridge gaps, and accelerate toward true data leadership.

In her welcome address, Moneka Khurana (MMA Global India) shared how the data maturity framework works and the 5 data archetypes that define AI success to help organisations assess their data maturity levels and accelerate AI-driven business growth in the coming year.

Keynote highlights

• Suresh Khadakbhavi (Digi Yatra Foundation) in his keynote explored how a data-first mindset drives smarter strategies and innovation.

• In a special address, Manik Nangia shared how Bajaj Auto is revolutionising mobility through data-driven digital transformation, embracing a data-first culture to drive efficiency, and preparing for an AI-powered future.

• In her Knowledge Session: To AI or Not to AI: Empowering AI with Consumer Data for Better Outcomes, Soumya Mohanty (Kantar) highlighted actionable strategies to empower AI with consumer data. 

• In his Valedictory Keynote, Jaspreet Bindra (Tech Whisperer) posed thought-provoking questions on the symbiotic relationship between data and AI.

More agenda highlights:

Moneka Khurana and Ajay Sharma (Amazon Ads) delved into how retail media bridges the gap between awareness and conversion, emphasising its role in driving impactful advertising solutions, inspired by the Retail Media 2.0 report.

MMA India Board Member Chandan Mukherji (Nestlé India) & Pallavi Singh Sambyal (VIDA World) spoke to Bani Dhawan (Google) in a fireside chat on Omni-Channel Engagement Strategies Powered by Data.

Panel: The Future of Marketing: Data, Digital & Gen AI with Abhinav Narula (MakeMyTrip), Rajat Mathur (Dabur), Sai Naraya (Policybazaar) and Kanika Mittal (Taboola). 

Knowledge Session: Short Form, Big Impact: Data-Driven Insights into SFV and Regional Content by Gaurav Jain (ShareChat & Moj).

Panel: Data-Driven CX: Transforming Customer Feedback into Actionable Insights with Ashish Tiwari, Home Credit India, Avi Kumar (FernsNPetals), Kunal Aman (SAS), Vaibhav Kumar (Max Life Insurance), Shivani Chopra (HP India).

Knowledge Session: Synergies of Open Internet and Data-Driven Marketing by Rahul Singh (The TradeDesk).

The event was supported by Amazon Ads (Lead Knowledge Partner), Digital Turbine (Corporate Partner), AdTech Today, Best Media Info, Free Press Journal (Media Partners), ad:tech & IAA (Support Partners), NotifyVisitors (Communication Partner), amongst more.