Worldwide budget for digital transformation expected to reach $3.2 bn

At the DIGIXX Summit, a fireside chat on “Martech Convergence: Aligning Marketing Strategy with Digital Transformation” brought together industry leaders to discuss how brands can integrate martech seamlessly and leverage digital transformation effectively. Moderated by Lawrence Suchitha, Vice President - Growth & Strategy - India, Teamology Softech and Media Services, the session featured Prashant Mathur, Vice President, CXM, dentsu India, who shared deep insights into the evolving marketing landscape.

Lawrence opened the discussion by asking, “With so many martech tools available, how can brands ensure seamless integration across platforms to create a unified and efficient marketing strategy?”

Mathur explained that marketing has always been about the customer first, and as consumer expectations change, marketing strategy must evolve. “It started with the industrial revolution, then came the retail revolution, and today, we are in the age of the customer. The customer is at the center of everything, and brands must align their strategies to meet those demands. Digital transformation is affecting every aspect of life, so it’s no surprise that it has fundamentally changed marketing strategies as well. To give an example, Google wants to harness the power of technology by catering to the customer as a unit of one, meaning they want to customize experiences for every individual user. Among the billions of internet users, Google is able to personalize interactions for each one of them, and that is the power marketing strategy today must harness.”

Discussing the shift from traditional marketing methods, he pointed out that marketing was once a one-way process. “Whether it was through billboards, radio, television, or retail, brands were simply pushing messages out to consumers. But digital transformation has changed that—now, it’s a conversation. Brands can interact with consumers, receive feedback, and customize their messaging in real time.” He noted that digital transformation has become a major global priority, with businesses investing heavily in it. “The worldwide budget for digital transformation is expected to reach $3.2 billion by next year, growing at an annual rate of about 25 per cent. That’s how critical this shift is for the industry.”

Lawrence then questioned, “From a digital perspective, only digital allows for true personalization. Other mediums aren’t as specific, are they?”

Mathur agreed, emphasizing that digital is the best medium for personalized marketing. “The digital journey happened in phases. Initially, we had websites, but they weren’t personalized. Today, technology has evolved to enable websites to offer personalized experiences. Now, websites even have dedicated WhatsApp channels, showing how customer connectivity has transformed. Digital transformation allows brands to follow customers on the channels they prefer, ensuring a truly personalized conversation.”

Shifting the conversation to data, Lawrence raised an important concern: “Marketing has become data-centric, but data itself is a dragon. Extracting accountable insights and integrating them into marketing strategies is a challenge. How can businesses overcome that?”

Mathur acknowledged the complexity of data management and stressed that obtaining customer data starts with customer satisfaction. “The best way to get customer data is to keep them happy. A satisfied customer is more likely to share their data. Unlike in Western countries, where people are very protective of their personal information, Indian consumers tend to be more liberal with sharing their data.” However, he pointed out that data accessibility varies across industries. "There are industries rich in customer data, such as BFSI, automotive, and retail, where brands interact directly with customers. But in categories like FMCG, where there’s no direct customer interaction, data collection becomes a challenge.”

He explained that digital transformation has significantly reduced the lag in data collection. “Earlier, brands would receive customer data with a delay, making it difficult to act on insights in real time. But now, digital transformation enables us to track customer behavior instantly and respond immediately. This, however, has its own challenges. Take Twitter, now known as X, for example. It has become one of the best platforms for customer service. If someone has a bad experience at a restaurant, they tweet about it, and the brand responds almost immediately. That’s the power of digital—it bridges the gap and ensures brands are aware of their customers’ concerns in real time.”

Highlighting a real-world application of data-driven marketing, he shared an example from Maruti Suzuki. “Shashank Srivastava wanted to take data-driven engagement to the next level. He wanted to map car service appointments with personal events. For example, if a customer is a cricket fan and their car service date coincides with an IPL match, instead of just inviting them for a service appointment, the brand could invite them to watch the match at the service center. This creates a personal bond between the brand and the customer. That’s the power of data—it’s not just about collecting it, but about how creatively companies can use it.”

Watch the entire discussion here: