Love knows no boundaries, and neither does technology. In a world where people are influenced by thought leaders and cultures, the connection between people has become stronger. It is believed that technology has the potential to play a crucial role in facilitating the exchange of thoughts and ideas.
With a mission to make every business borderless, AnyMind Group aims to navigate challenges between businesses, facilitating connections digitally. From helping brands to reach target consumers to supporting creators in launching new ventures, the company claims to drive conversions and foster growth in an interconnected ecosystem. In a conversation with BrandWagon Online, Otohiko Kozutsumi, co-founder and CCO, AnyMind Group talks about the company’s expansion plans, its entrance into the Indian market through POKKT’s acquisition, and its focus on influencer marketing and e-commerce, among others. (Edited Excerpts)
How does AnyMind Group’s mission align with its marketing products and the recent acquisition of POKKT?
Firstly, our mission is to make every business borderless. Usually, whenever we start a business, there are some challenges so, the border is not just between countries; it’s more about removing challenges between businesses. As brands want to start a business and reach target consumers, we help companies do that, whether it’s through traditional branding or in the e-commerce space. It’s not just about brand recognition or awareness, we can also drive conversions and business.
Additionally, we support creators and publishers. They can easily create content on platforms such as YouTube or become influencers on Instagram. But sometimes, they want to start a new business, we help these creators create brands and products and then assist them in selling online. Essentially, we’re making it easier for brands and creators to do business. That’s the essence of our mission to make every business borderless.
For marketing, we have a few products. Firstly, there’s our marketing platform called AnyTag. This platform boasts a huge number of influencers and brands on board. Brands can easily find right influencers on this platform for influencer marketing. Sometimes, it involves a lot of manual work for brands to search on Instagram or other platforms for impressions, but with our platform, it can easily find the right influencer, whether it’s in the cosmetics category, travel, entertainment, or other industries.
Our data can also provide valuable insights. Brands usually want to reach out to popular influencers and now, we can provide profile data to help brands find the right influencers. We acquired POKKT in 2020, which is a mobile gaming advertising platform, particularly with a strong user base in India and many game titles. With these performances, we have garnered a lot of credit from brands.
How does AnyMind Group’s marketing stack cater to various stages of the funnel, and what crossover strategies are being explored between influencer marketing and performance?
In terms of our marketing stack, specifically, we see ourselves as a full-funnel service, covering everything from the top of the funnel, which is pure brand awareness, to mid-funnel concentration, and then performance. We have products across these stages. Starting at the top of the funnel, we have our influencer marketing product, along with the POKKT awareness brand product. These cater to brands and clients aiming to generate awareness.
Moving to the mid-funnel, we have the performance stack of POKKT, which includes apps for the web, among others. We’re also exploring a crossover between influencer marketing and performance because we have expertise in performance. We’re looking at how we can drive performance in influencer marketing by leveraging our understanding of both awareness and engagement, as well as performance metrics. Further down the funnel is our direct-to-customer (D2C) product. This product supports brands in its D2C journey, not just in its marketing efforts but throughout the entire D2C journey.
What were the key strategies to acquire POKKT and how this acquisition aligns with the company’s overall strategy and growth?
POKKT brings several advantages to AnyMind Group. POKKT’s founder, Rohit, who is also AnyMind Group’s board member, adds strong leadership and valuable insights to the mobile advertising industry. His inclusion in AnyMind Group’s management team further strengthens the company. Secondly, the move expands AnyMind Group’s presence into the Indian market, leveraging the potential growth opportunities in the region. Lastly, POKKT’s robust gaming advertising platform, already established globally, complements AnyMind Group’s offerings and facilitates business growth. This strategic move allows AnyMind Group to introduce its own platforms, such as AnyTag, influencer marketing, and e-commerce, into the Indian market alongside POKKT’s team. In terms of business strategy, AnyMind Group divides its operations into three main areas namely the marketing platform, D2C, and publisher growth (PG). The acquisition of POKKT aligns with the marketing platform segment, enabling AnyMind Group to enter the Indian market with a strong understanding of local dynamics and leadership while leveraging POKKT’s experienced team. This integration allows AnyMind Group to consolidate its influencer marketing and mobile marketing businesses under the marketing platform umbrella.
What is the company’s expansion strategy, particularly focusing on the Indian market, given its presence in 15 markets across Asia Pacific and the Middle East?
The company is currently present in 15 markets across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. As for expansion strategy, we recently entered the Saudi Arabia and South Korean markets, and we’re focusing on gaining more market share in each market. While we’re still in the startup phase in South Korea and Saudi Arabia, we anticipate significant growth from these markets this year. Our approach involves leveraging marketing and robust business growth strategies to capture more market share.
Specifically for the Indian market, our strategy this year revolves around targeting mid-market segment clients. We see a significant opportunity in this underserved segment, especially considering our capabilities as a technology firm. Our platforms enable us to handle businesses at scale, which might be challenging for other companies due to technology limitations. We aim to extend our reach beyond metropolitan areas such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, exploring cities including Surat, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Ludhiana. Our focus is on serving the mid-market segment effectively, leveraging our technology, and expanding our presence across India.
In the Middle East, our expansion strategy has already begun with the establishment of our Dubai office.
How does the company ensure seamless integration and interoperability among its various platforms to effectively serve a diverse range of businesses?
Ensuring synergy between our various departments is crucial for our company. While technology is important, it’s equally vital to have seamless integration and collaboration across departments including mobile advertising, influencer marketing, e-commerce, and publisher growth. This synergy allows us to provide end-to-end solutions for our clients, enabling them to achieve their business goals more effectively.
For instance, if a client wants to focus on branding through influencer marketing, we can also offer consultation on brand growth through our e-commerce platform or mobile marketing. This comprehensive approach not only enhances the client’s brand visibility but also drives revenue through e-commerce websites by leveraging influencers for performance-driven marketing.
From the client’s perspective, we aim to be a one-stop solution provider, whether they are creators, publishers, or brands, we strive to build an ecosystem that caters to everyone’s needs. For brands, we offer services ranging from creating their e-commerce websites to brand building through mobile marketing and influencer marketing. We also understand that D2C brands may require performance-driven strategies, which we can also provide.
Similarly, we assist creators in generating income by collaborating with brands, and we help publishers optimise and monetise their assets. By creating such an ecosystem, we ensure a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved, driving mutual growth and success.
How much revenue has the company generated in India since POKKT’s acquisition and what are future expectations?
While we’re not disclosing specific numbers, our minimum expectations are aligned with the group’s growth rate of 45% year-on-year (YOY). Being a listed company, we continue to experience rapid growth, in our largest markets such as Japan, where we’re still achieving over 40% YOY growth. Our goal is to consistently outpace market growth and maintain a high-growth trajectory. Despite our size, we maintain a startup mindset, constantly pushing boundaries and seeking new growth opportunities.
What are the key priorities for the future, and are there any upcoming plans or endeavours specifically focused on the Indian market?
Our current priorities revolve around influencer marketing and e-commerce businesses, which are crucial for AnyMind Group. The influencer marketing segment is experiencing significant growth, while the e-commerce sector has been consistently expanding, with a growth rate exceeding 40% annually. This growth trend is particularly notable in the Indian market, where we anticipate substantial business growth.
These two areas remain our primary focus due to its importance. Although our mobile marketing business in India is substantial and stable, our main areas of focus are expanding our D2C business, which presents significant opportunities, and scaling up our influencer marketing efforts even further.