India’s digital marketing landscape is entering a new phase, with artificial intelligence (AI) moving from an experimental tool to an integral part of how brands discover, target and engage consumers.
That is the central theme of DCODE 2.0, the second edition of the digital marketing playbook launched by Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group) in collaboration with WPP Media and MICA on Thursday. Unlike its first edition, the new playbook embeds AI across search, paid media, performance marketing, content and creative, reflecting the growing role of technology across the consumer journey.
For marketers, the shift is as much about managing complexity as adopting new technology.
“When the digital boom happened after Covid-19, everybody—advertisers, marketers and agencies—were shifting to digital,” said Rajeev Jain, senior vice-president, corporate marketing, DS Group. “But everybody was in the learning curve because there were lots of data points, complexity and measurability issues.”
DCODE 2.0 attempts to bring practices across paid media, performance marketing, e-commerce, social media, influencer marketing and search into one framework, while adding AI as a layer across these disciplines. The playbook has also brought MICA into the initiative to add an academic dimension to industry practice.
Balancing AI Speed
Jain said AI is already being used by DS Group across several marketing functions. In search, brands are increasingly focusing on generative and AI-led discovery, while AI-generated content is being deployed for technical communication, festivals, consumer promotions and moment marketing.
“AI has been helpful in churning out content at a fast pace and at an economical rate,” Jain said.
But he cautioned against treating AI as a replacement for human-led brand building. Conventional television commercials, he said, remain important when the objective is to establish an emotional relationship with consumers.
The challenge becomes sharper with younger audiences. Navin Khemka, President – Client Solutions, WPP Media, South Asia, said Gen Z is discovering brands through visual feeds, short-form content, creator videos and direct AI queries rather than following the linear paths familiar to earlier generations.
“From awareness to consultation to purchase, all can be happening in the same session,” said Khemka, pointing to the rise of social commerce and the convergence of discovery and checkout.
Authenticity is consequently becoming more important. Jain said Gen Z tends to examine a brand’s claims and logic rather than simply follow popularity or celebrity endorsement. Khemka added that younger consumers may trust peers and creators more than popular celebrities and are less likely to return if a brand fails to deliver on its promise.
For legacy brands, the answer is not simply to chase younger consumers. Jain said brands need to remain contemporary while retaining their core identity, adapting packaging, products, content and communication to changing consumer behaviour.
The broader advertising market is moving in the same direction. India’s advertising revenue is projected to grow 9.7% in 2026 to Rs 2.02 lakh crore, with digital—including digital extensions of traditional media—accounting for 68.1% of the market. Commerce-led advertising is projected to be the fastest-growing digital segment, at 24.2%.
For marketers, however, the digital opportunity comes with a measurement problem. “I’m not able to gauge what is my net reach,” Jain said, pointing to fragmentation across platforms.
Khemka expects the distinction between digital and traditional media to eventually become less relevant, with marketers instead thinking in terms of video, commerce, performance and how consumers access media.
The implication for marketers is clear: the next digital playbook is not about choosing between old and new media, but integrating technology, content, commerce, and consumer insight across an increasingly fragmented journey.