Amid the rapidly changing landscape of digital marketing, India’s agency ecosystem is embracing new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), short-form video, and business messaging to remain competitive and foster growth. Agencies are finding themselves needing to quickly adapt, requiring urgent upskilling to prepare for future demands.
At the Meta Marketing Summit Agency Edition, held in Mumbai and Gurgaon, over 350 senior agency partners discussed the transformation required to shape the agency of the future. Presentations focused on how technology is driving change and growth within the industry.
Gaurav Jeet Singh, Director of Agency and VC Partnerships for Meta in India, emphasized the industry's transformation, stating, “The evolving digital landscape powered by the growth of AI, short-form video formats such as Reels, and Business Messaging has meant that agencies of all sizes need to adopt new skills to grow.” He noted partnerships with agencies to help them be ready for future challenges and opportunities.
AI has become a cornerstone for agency growth. Tools like Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns (A+SC) are now commonly used. Abhirup Datta, CEO of Sokrati and Performance Solutions, commented on their increased adoption: “AI and tools such as Advantage+ suite are not only transforming how agencies function but also accelerating growth and conversions for businesses of all sizes across India.”
The adoption of short-form videos, specifically Reels, is also creating significant opportunities for agencies. Aakriti Sharma, Client Lead at Wavemaker, highlighted its importance to brand strategies: “Reels is a widely adopted product now and a key part of the marketing strategy of almost all brands that we work with.”
Business messaging is another transformative force in the industry. The adoption of the WhatsApp Cloud API continues to grow, with Iti Kaul, Head of Digital at OMD India, acknowledging its impact: “Business Messaging on Meta has proven beneficial in driving KPIs, including high-quality leads at efficient costs.”
Finally, the development of bespoke tech solutions was discussed, including a partnership with AdYogi. Co-Founder Anshuk Aggarwal explained how Meta's collaboration resulted in the creation of BigAtom.ai, a product performance management platform enhancing e-commerce revenue through catalog ads. “BigAtom.ai also enhances catalog performance on Meta by automatically removing broken or low-performing products,” he noted.
The summit underscored the substantial shift underway as agencies evolve to meet new technological demands and consumer behavior.