Brands that listen, engage, and win in the numbers and narratives game

A distinguished panel convened at the Pitch CMO Summit 2025 in Mumbai to explore how data-driven insights can enhance brand narratives in the modern marketing landscape.

Moderated by e4m’s Kanchan Srivastava, the panel brought together marketing executives from diverse sectors, including finance, consumer goods, hospitality, media, and management consulting. Darshana Shah, Chief Marketing Officer at Aditya Birla Capital, joined Dipti Shah Jagdev, who serves as Chief Marketing Officer at VIP Industries. They were accompanied by Priyanka Puri, Senior Vice President of Marketing at HRIPL, Rishi Rai, CNN's Account Director for South Asia, and Satya Prabhakar, the Chief Executive Officer at ProManage.

Shah started the discussion. She spoke about the significance of data-driven storytelling in financial services, where vast amounts of structured and unstructured data are available for analysis. “To tell a story, I first need to know the audience. Customer segmentation is the starting point, where we categorise consumers based on transactional, risk, and behavioural data, along with their social footprint,” she explained.

Discussing health insurance, Shah emphasised the role of real-time data in consumer engagement. “If a customer has taken 7,000 steps, we send a trigger encouraging them to complete 10,000. It’s about one-to-one engagement—N equals one,” she said. She also underscored the importance of listening to data in shaping communication, ensuring brand narratives simplify financial jargon and resonate with consumers. “At every stage, data helps us understand our audience, personalise content, and drive meaningful engagement.”

As a representative of the luggage industry, Jagdev shared insights on consumer-centric storytelling. “Luggage has evolved from being a necessity stored on lofts to a fashion accessory,” she said, describing how VIP Industries undertook an ethnographic study across tier 1 and tier 2 cities. “We visited homes in Bhopal, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Bangalore, asking families to show us their luggage—both old and new. The stories that emerged were rich with emotion and history.”

These consumer insights informed VIP’s product development. “We discovered that young travellers prefer stylish, colourful designs, while mature consumers prioritise lightweight, ergonomic options. This led us to create tailored product suites catering to different family members,” Jagdev said. She emphasised that deep consumer research consistently uncovers insights that drive business growth. Going back to the consumer and identifying moments of truth always yields great value.

Then, Srivastava invited Puri to share his insights on the topic. She highlighted how HRIPL harnesses data analytics to create regionally relevant narratives in the beauty industry. “Beauty is a highly involved category, so resonating with consumers at a regional level makes a big difference,” she said. Citing the launch of Streax Gel Hair Color, she explained how consumer insights shaped the brand’s messaging. “The core proposition was unprecedented, and it shined with effective coverage. However, behavioural science helped us understand what ‘effective coverage’ meant to different audiences, leading to nuanced messaging across regions.”

HRIPL also integrates influencer marketing to enhance storytelling. “It’s not just about regional influencers but those who truly understand consumer sentiment. Their insights help shape the narrative while staying true to the brand proposition,” Puri said. She further emphasised the role of data in driving innovation. “Through trend tracking and e-commerce reports, we identified the rising demand for heat protection. We launched the Heat Protect Serum within months, which quickly became an Amazon bestseller.”

Media operates on both sides – delivering insights to audiences while gathering audience insights for themselves. Rai, representing the media industry, spoke about the evolution of storytelling in news and brand communication, highlighting how digital and on-ground data collection shape content strategies. “We often tell marketers that while digital metrics are valuable, real-time, on-ground data also provides critical insights into consumer interests.”

Personalisation remains central to audience engagement. “Consumers today follow a ‘my way or the highway’ approach. They expect brands to meet them where they are, offering authentic and valuable content without intruding on their personal space,” Rai explained. He emphasised that maintaining this balance is key to fostering audience trust and engagement.

The conversation then moved back to Shah as she elaborated on how storytelling fosters trust in the financial sector, where emotions often run high. “Money is serious business—it comes with a lot of emotions, fears, and expectations. Trust is paramount,” she said. She noted that Aditya Birla Capital has removed fine-print disclaimers in its communications to enhance transparency. “We want our messaging to be clear and honest. No more asterisks—what we promise is what we deliver,” she asserted.

The brand also utilises advocacy-driven storytelling by leveraging satisfied customers. “We amplify positive experiences by sharing customer testimonials across digital and offline channels,” Shah explained. Additionally, the company employs real-time social listening to track consumer sentiment, address concerns, and develop relevant content. “The goal is to make financial services relatable and accessible,” she said.

Beyond trust, Shah emphasised the importance of simplification. “Finance can be complex, but our fintech platform, ABCD, is designed to make it as simple as the alphabet,” she remarked. The company tailors financial education initiatives to different demographics, leveraging influencers, local activations, and digital content. “For instance, in smaller towns, we use street plays and regional storytelling to explain financial concepts,” she said. “Understanding local nuances and integrating them into our storytelling is key.”

Next, in the discussion, Jagdev highlighted the challenge of maintaining brand consistency across multiple touchpoints. “Consumers engage with brands through various channels, from e-commerce to brick-and-mortar stores. Ensuring a unified brand experience is crucial,” she said. She described how VIP Industries tailors its product offerings and promotions to suit different sales channels while maintaining a strong brand identity. “For example, Skybags is positioned as a youthful, fashion-forward brand. Whether in a store or on an online marketplace, its core identity remains intact,” she explained.

To prevent price wars between online and offline channels, VIP Industries differentiates product assortments. “Online retailers often drop prices aggressively. We ensure that offline stores carry distinct product lines to avoid direct competition,” Jagdev said. She acknowledged that managing pricing and brand consistency across channels remains a dynamic challenge but emphasised the need for strategic differentiation. “A seamless yet adaptable brand experience is the goal,” she concluded.

As digital storytelling becomes more immersive and real-time, brands must leverage data-driven creativity to personalise content and deepen consumer engagement. Puri focused on how HRIPL achieves this by aligning global trends with regional consumer preferences.

“We are an Indian homegrown brand, but we closely track global beauty trends, adapt them to Indian consumer preferences, and launch collections accordingly,” she said. For instance, when ‘Mocha Mousse’ was identified as the ‘colour of the year’, HRIPL introduced five additional brown shades tailored for Indian customers.

The company also integrates real-time data feedback from salon partners to refine its offerings. “Our campaigns at salons generate valuable consumer insights. For instance, if a particular trend is gaining traction in Odisha, we adapt our product and marketing strategies accordingly,” Puri said.

She emphasised that HRIPL’s data-driven approach enables hyper-personalized marketing. “Since we have detailed data on our salon partners, we can run highly targeted campaigns, ensuring that our storytelling remains relevant and impactful,” she added

The discussion moved forward with Rai addressing the challenges brands face in utilising data for campaign optimisation in the media landscape. “The biggest challenge is that there is simply too much data available. You can track everything, from what kind of coffee a consumer prefers in the morning to their nighttime choices. But the key is cherry-picking the right data points—identifying what truly matters for the storytelling process,” he explained.

Authenticity in brand communication is of paramount importance. “It’s not just about telling a story; brands must also live up to it. Sustainability is a great example. Many brands talk about it, but are they truly sustainable?” asked Rai. “At CNN, we produce a lot of sustainability-focused content. To align our practices with our messaging, we partnered with a third-party agency to offset the carbon footprint of all our editorial and branded productions.”

He noted that while brands are increasingly consumer-focused in their narratives, they often lag in execution. “There’s still a long way to go in ensuring that storytelling isn’t just a marketing exercise but a genuine brand commitment,” he added.

The session came to a conclusion with Prabhakar discussing emerging trends that will shape brand storytelling, highlighting a significant gap in consumer engagement. “Brands are leaving money on the table by not tapping into the vast number of consumers actively searching for their category but not converting immediately,” he said. He pointed out that while 5 to 20 per cent of consumers may convert into customers, the majority—up to 95 per cent—walk away.

“These are not random visitors; they are people who either searched for your brand or the category, found you, clicked on you, and engaged with your content. If this isn’t your target audience, then who is?” Prabhakar remarked.

He stressed the need for brands to maintain continuous engagement with these consumers. “Many are still in the research phase, unsure about their purchase decision. Their exploration time is limited if they’re looking for luggage, a loan, or even a life partner. If brands can provide helpful, informative content and address their concerns, they’ll be remembered when the actual purchase decision is made,” he concluded.