Catalyzing Growth: The Joint Venture’s Promise

Prada Philippines Inc. isn’t just a new name; it’s a symbol of the brand’s commitment to the Asian market. Owning all Prada stores in the country, the company is poised to accelerate Prada’s presence and influence. This strategic partnership transitions from a traditional franchisee-franchisor model to joint venture partners, promising enhanced operating efficiencies and a deeper market penetration.

Also Read: Jio Financial Services Leap: Pioneering India’s Mutual Fund Evolution

Investing in the Future: Financial Insights

The financial contours of this venture are as impressive as its brand lineage. SSI’s initial foray is marked by a PHP16.67m investment, while Prada’s commitment stands at PHP25m. Upon completion, the total infusion from SSI and Prada will reach PHP152m and PHP228m, respectively. With Prada S.p.A. holding a 60% stake and SSI Group owning the remaining 40%, the venture is a testament to balanced collaboration and shared vision.

A New Dawn: Operational Commencement and Expectations

Set to commence operations on January 1, 2024, Prada Philippines Inc. is not just taking over the existing outlets but is expected to usher in a new era of luxury retailing. The move follows Prada’s impressive sales performance in its Asian markets, signaling a strategic focus on the region’s burgeoning luxury sector.

As Prada Philippines Inc. gears up to redefine luxury retail in the Philippines, the venture stands as a beacon of strategic expansion and market adaptation. For aficionados and casual observers alike, this development isn’t just about new stores; it’s about experiencing luxury in a new light, tailored to the vibrant and diverse Asian market.

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Reporting to the Top

Khan Javed will report directly to Z2C Limited’s chairman, Raihan Ali Merchant. His responsibilities are comprehensive, encompassing all facets of corporate communication. This includes internal and external communications, executive messaging, and financial communications. His role is pivotal in shaping the story of Z2C Limited’s diverse portfolio, particularly as the company continues to launch ventures that are revolutionizing the media supply chain.

A Rich Background in Strategic Communication

Khan Javed’s journey with Z2C Limited began in 2021, where he spearheaded the launch of a strategic communications firm dedicated to the stakeholder economy. His expertise, accredited in public affairs by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), has been instrumental in assisting clients to navigate, prepare, and respond to various crises effectively.

His advisory practice garnered acclaim as the first in Pakistan to introduce international earned media corporate communications. This initiative provided clients and executives with platforms to showcase their thought leadership in global publications.

Proven Expertise in Earned Media Relations

Khan Javed’s innovative approach to testing the CIPR framework for earned media relations involved pitching his perspectives and insights to reporters worldwide. His success is evident in his op-eds being featured in prestigious publications like CIM’s Catalyst magazine and Warc’s Market Leader magazine.

As a spokesperson for Z2C Limited, Khan Javed’s insights have been quoted in numerous esteemed business publications, including Business Insider, CMSwire, Digiday, Forbes, and S&P Global. The strategies he developed from these successful pitches have been crucial in helping Pakistani clients access and influence international audiences through trusted publications such as Fortune magazine, Business Recorder, Deal Street Asia, Bloomberg, and Reuters.

Also read: New Study Highlights Vast Differences in Civil Lawsuit Processing Times Across the US

From Investigative Journalism to Corporate Communications

Before joining Z2C Limited, Khan Javed had a distinguished career as an investigative journalist, with a focus on the technology, media, and telecommunications industries. His investigative pieces have been published in renowned media outlets such as Campaign Asia-Pacific, PR Week, CIO Magazine, and TechCrunch.

Babar Khan Javed’s promotion to Chief Communications Officer at Z2C Limited is more than a career milestone; it’s a strategic move that exemplifies the company’s dedication to reshaping the narrative in media and communications. His extensive experience and proven track record in both journalism and strategic communications are set to propel Z2C Limited to new heights in the global media landscape.

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As part of an enormous $9.8 billion investment, Indonesian state-owned company Aneka Tambang, the Indonesia Battery Corporation, and an LG Energy Solution-led consortium from South Korea, are spearheading the cathode plant’s construction.

The Investment Ministry’s Thursday statement (Aug 3) confirms these developments.  Indonesia is strategically poised to leverage its abundant nickel reserves—an essential element in high-performance batteries—in its bid to establish a robust EV industry domestically. This venture signifies a critical stride towards increased self-sufficiency. 

Also read: Apple’s Resounding Success in India: Unveiling New Stores and Record iPhone Sales 

In recent times, Indonesia has witnessed a flurry of investments aimed at building nickel smelters and a cathode precursor facility. The establishment of a cathode plant would enable the nation to ascend the value chain further. 

The cathode plant’s construction is anticipated to commence as early as this year, following successful negotiations regarding shareholding, as stated by LG Energy’s CEO Young Soo Kwon. The consortium is concurrently developing a nickel smelter, a cathode precursor factory, and a $1.1 billion battery cell factory, with production set to begin in April. 

However, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia indicated that the plans encountered a setback following the issuance of the US Inflation Reduction Act, which disrupted the global supply chains for EV battery materials. 

Article Source: The Star

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This paradigm shift has been validated as Tesla Inc’s CEO, Elon Musk, made a personal pledge to establish the company’s headquarters in Cyberjaya this year. Anwar sees this commitment as a monumental achievement for Malaysia, stemming from its economic strategies such as the Madani Economy and the transparent governance of the unity government.

The Prime Minister emphasized the critical role of political stability for economic development and investor attraction. He noted the change in tide, contrasting the current flow of dignitaries visiting Malaysia to past times when the country saw a scarcity of such visits. The recent visit of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the President of the Philippines, after a hiatus of 49 years, was a testament to this change.

Another impending visit set to further bolster this narrative is that of the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The Sultan aims to explore investment prospects and fortify the Brunei-Malaysia relationship.

Also read: Twitter’s Rebranding Clash: The Tale of the Towering ‘X’

In the backdrop of these encouraging developments, Anwar expressed his disapproval of some entities using an altered version of Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah’s speech for political gain. He reasserted the need to respect the royal institution and abide by the Constitution, expressing no sympathy for those who defy these principles.

Anwar also disclosed plans to hold a meeting discussing a proposed salary review for civil servants and retirees. This decision is set to undergo a six-month minimum consideration period as per Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali. However, interim relief measures such as a special appreciation payment for civil servants and additional assistance for retirees and non-pensionable army veterans have been approved to tide them over this period.

With these moves, Malaysia continues its trajectory towards greater prosperity, stability, and respect on the global stage.

Source: Malay Mail

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According to Das, India’s payment infrastructure and systems are highly regarded around the globe, with other nations looking to replicate its success. Further, a survey recently conducted showed that 42% of participants had used digital payment methods. UPI overtook 800 crore transactions in January 2023, and NEFT set the record for the greatest-ever single day volume at 3.18 crore transactions on February 28th.

Also Read: Union Budget 2023-24 Slashes Financial Support for UPI Providers and Fintech Startups

The UPI was launched in 2016, and since then, it has become the most popular payment mode in India, accounting for 75% of all digital payments. The UPI is known for pioneering person-to-person and person-to-merchant transactions. Its transactions have increased manifold from 0.45 crore in January 2017 to 804 crore in January 2023. In July 2022, UPI transactions reached an all-time high of 6 billion, as per the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the highest ever recorded by India’s flagship digital payments platform since its inception.

The increase in digital payments has helped India move towards becoming a cashless society, with more people adopting digital payment methods. The government’s efforts to promote digital payments have also contributed to this growth. The success of UPI has also attracted the interest of several global companies, including Google and WhatsApp, who have launched their own payment services in India.

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Recalibrating APAC Strategy

The company affirmed that it is recalibrating its APAC strategy to focus more on technology talent. The moves comes as part of a global technology delivery capability across North America, LATAM, and APAC. As a result, Huge reduced its presence in Singapore and Tokyo and is increasing its technology presence elsewhere in the region. According to Jason Schlossberg, the global head of marketing, staff impacted by the decision represented less than two percent of its total workforce. He also said that the company remains committed to serving global clients wherever they are needed, including APAC.

The APAC region was previously managed by Martin Riley, team lead from 2014 until the closure in 2022. Riley has 13 plus years of experience building market presence and increasing revenues for clients such as  Emirates Airlines, Proctor & Gamble, Ritz Carlton, J.M. Smucker, and Cadbury. The Huge brand recently entered the Australian market, with Ben Skelsey as its managing director. Skelsey previously led the Singapore office as general manager and has worked at Huge for three years.

Remote and Hybrid Working

Huge also announced that it is embracing remote and hybrid working by shedding its offices and instead reorganizing and networking its entire organization. This allows the company to bring the best global talent based on clients’ unique needs. According to Skelsey, Huge’s global model, which is fully remote, means that it can continue to service clients irrespective of their location, including across Asia and the wider global world as needed.

Also read: Future-Proofing Singapore’s Supply Chain: Key Strategies For Businesses

Huge’s decision to pull out of Singapore and Japan was part of the company’s efforts to recalibrate its APAC strategy. The agency’s focus is now on technology talent, and it aims to provide a global technology delivery capability across LATAM, North America, and APAC. Although the move affected staff members in Singapore and Japan, some of them were absorbed into the Vietnam office, which is being developed into a tech hub. Huge’s new approach includes remote and hybrid working, allowing the company to provide its clients with the best global talent based on their specific needs.

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Gogoro, the electric scooter maker and battery swapping company, is not intimidated by the potential challenges it may face in the Indian market. Despite the ever-evolving norms and regulations in the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, logistical constraints, and competition from well-established players, the Taiwanese company is approaching the Indian market with a “go all in” attitude. This approach includes manufacturing electric scooters, introducing swappable batteries, and setting up a battery swapping infrastructure, similar to what they have established in Taiwan.

Also Read: BluSmart Mobility: Driving Change in the Indian Ride-Hailing Market

Gogoro currently has a network of battery swapping stations in Taiwan with over 10,000 charging points. They aim to have 100,000 charging points in the next ten years. With the positive response they received from their first station located at Green Park Mall in Taipei, which had over 2,000 customers and more than 1 million charging hours within its first month of launch and hit 200% capacity by June 2018, Gogoro is expecting similar success in India. The company’s Indian strategy will be launched with a battery swap station already present at the Punjabi Bagh metro station on August 1st.

Gogoro’s plans for India go beyond just capturing a share of the EV market. The company has set an ambitious goal for the country – to make India a global manufacturing hub for its electric scooters and battery swapping stations. But before reaching this grand plan, Gogoro understands the importance of laying a strong foundation. That’s why they have taken the first step by forming strategic partnerships with local players to increase compatibility and gain a significant foothold in the Indian market.

The post Gogoro’s All-In Approach to Revolutionize India’s Electric Vehicle Market appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

This move follows the controversy that erupted more than two months ago, when Balenciaga’s ad campaign was criticized for sexualizing children. The brand faced backlash and issued apologies, which likely impacted its sales during the last quarter of 2022. According to HSBC analysts, Balenciaga’s “hyper-growth mode” was curbed by the scandal and sales were hit, particularly in the United States.

Balenciaga is set to showcase its women’s ready-to-wear collection on March 5th, during Paris Fashion Week. The artistic director, Demna, also issued an apology in December, taking responsibility for the scandal. Although Kering does not break down Balenciaga’s contribution to sales, HSBC estimated that the brand generated approximately 1.76 billion euros in 2021. Kering will report its annual earnings on February 15th.

Surprisingly, Balenciaga failed to land a spot in Lyst’s top 10 most sought-after fashion labels for the fourth quarter. This is the first instance of Balenciaga missing out on the list since 2017 when Lyst began publishing it.

Also Read: How do Luxury Brands Use Social Media to Market Themselves

Balenciaga’s partnership with the National Children’s Alliance demonstrates the brand’s commitment to making a positive impact and addressing important social issues. The program will provide crucial support to professionals and children in need, and help to restore the reputation of the brand after the recent controversy. It serves as a reminder of the power of companies to use their resources and influence to make a positive difference in the world.

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Inspired by Bo Lingam, the CEO of AirAsia Aviation Group Limited, Ask Bo will offer more detailed information and self-service functions to guide customers during their journey. AirAsia decided to replace AVA with Ask Bo because the bot didn’t do enough to improve customer experiences.

Also read: Revolutionary AI-Powered Bing & Edge Browser Launched By Microsoft: The Future Of Search & Content Generation

Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A, shared that Ask Bo will provide a more “proactive, attentive, and hassle-free experience” to guests within the Capital A lines of business. Kesavan Sivanandam, AirAsia Group’s Chief Airport and Customer Service Officer, says that Ask Bo can give real-time updates on flight status, communicate in multiple languages, send push notifications, give information about bags, and automatically update departure times in real time.

By March, guests will also be able to talk directly to human agents during the Ask Bo interaction. AirAsia is committed to providing the best customer service possible and will keep coming up with new ways to meet its guests’ needs.

This move by AirAsia comes after the airline, along with other Malaysian airlines, faced criticism for inadequate customer service. Ask Bo is a step towards making the customer experience better and giving passengers better services.

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Initial impressions showed a peculiar new toy with equally peculiar retro-themed games made for its D-pad controls and distinguishing feature, a foldable hand crank. The Playdate felt like a no-brainer purchase for so many reasons: novelty, nostalgia, creative experimentation, and a return to intimate explorations of fun and the kind of general goofballery that you just don’t get on major consoles. Its tiny black-and-white screen and “seasonal” games from indie stars like Keita Takahashi (working with Ryan Mohler under the name “uvula”), Bennett Foddy, Dave Hoffman, and Serenity Forge were In order for developers to create games using the Playdate authoring tool, Pulp, and sell them on itch.io, the Playdate also permits sideloaded games.

Leeying Foo was thrilled to learn that the Playdate was being produced in her nation. Award-winning UX/UI designer Foo from Kuala Lumpur exclaimed, “I was quite thrilled and honestly very proud!” But it soon became clear that the console would only be available to a small number of people, making it a very specialised console that few would be able to obtain. A sharply worded news article with the headline “Playdate gaming console: Made in Malaysia, but not available in Malaysia” was published in The Star, a significant English-language newspaper in the nation.

Playdate posted a mention regarding its availability in Malaysia on their shipping page shortly after the launch announcement. It begins, “This is, unfortunately, the most convoluted shipping scenario of all,” and goes on to explain that due to tax regulations, Panic is unable to ship or sell Playdates directly to customers in Malaysia. Shipping Playdates from Malaysia to California, where Panic’s fulfilment centre is situated, and then back to Malaysia again would not make much sense.

In an email, Panic co-founder Cabel Sasser stated that the company also publishes and sells Mac software. “We develop a possible tax relationship with any jurisdiction the moment we start directly sending actual items there.” Panic’s shipping priorities included determining the Playdate DDP (“delivered duties paid”), which essentially refers to taxes and customs fees that are calculated in advance so that there are no hidden surprises for the customer, say, if the Playdate is taken hostage at customs. This research required extensive time on tax laws and bureaucratic procedures.

Based on a good suggestion from their manufacturing consultant, Panic chose a Malaysian factory in Kedah, which is home to the nation’s first high-tech industrial park. They learned about the sale limits later in the process. Sasser emphasised the difficulties of producing a previously inconceivable piece of independent hardware, saying, “Shipping and logistics work arrived extremely late in the project’s existence since we were so focused on learning how to create hardware for so long. We had always anticipated that since our production was in Malaysia, they could simply send Playdate units to people locally or in quantity to gaming stores in the area, but we were told right away that, in fact, that’s not possible. We were very disappointed by that. It makes sense because Sony has a much larger footprint in Southeast Asia than Panic, which has only recently arrived.

Most people are unaware of [the Playdate’s] existence, but some of us have been monitoring their effort for a while, according to former game developer I-Van Yee, who now works for the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation, a government organisation that regulates the creation of digital material. Because of the device’s gimmicky character and unproven market, it is generally true that most developers won’t rush to it right away, but I personally think we would see some intriguing developments if academics or high-school-level kids got their hands on it. Yee, a former lecturer, believes that the Playdate is a promising creative tool that can be used by both teachers and students. He stated that academics should experiment with new platforms and may take some risks.

The question of Playdate in Malaysia, however, revisits crucial issues that define modern manufacturing and logistics, where the nebulous “global south” is a far-off place used for cheap labour, which in turn feeds into the growing body of critical work on the politics and power of logistics. This is because the games industry is slowly moving towards a broader, more global understanding of how its own products are made and by whom. Today, shipping is more than just transferring something from one place to another; it’s a procedure that’s a part of a complicated, faulty system that exacerbates cultural and economic injustices in all forms of global manufacturing, not just games.

Foo, a UX designer, is also cautious. According to her, “I personally believe it requires both parties to make it happen; Panic’s conscious intention to distribute here and enthusiasm from local developers to build for the console itself.” “This might be the technological advantage the Malaysian industry has, and since it’s being produced here, it could go hand in hand with providing our industry a voice… At the end of the day, Panic is a company, and the absence of Playdate at this location is an indication of a wider systemic issue with capitalism.

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Betterplace’s goal is to expand into Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore, where it has established a Global Center for Southeast Asia, according to Pravin. He also noted that the Middle East, including the UAE, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai, and the entire Gulf Cooperation Council, presents a great opportunity for the company’s growth. Pravin stated that MyRobin brings a valuable mix of team, customers, and technology to the table, and the company plans to take the product, MyRobin Mitra, into other regions. Betterplace is also looking at potential acquisitions in certain product areas both in India and abroad, as well as increasing its investment in R&D for future growth.

Last December, Bengaluru-based firm Betterplace secured $40 million in its Series C financing round, which included investors such as Macquarie Capital, Jungle Ventures, Unitus, and BII. Furthermore, the company has raised over 65 million dollars in the past year alone, making them well-funded. Pravin mentioned that they are open to collaborations that can help them grow, but they have sufficient capital. Despite the impact of layoffs and hiring slowdowns across various industries, Pravin highlighted the thriving blue-collar economy, and that there is a strong possibility of an even bigger gig economy in the coming years. Currently, 1.2 to 1.3 crore people are involved in such jobs and it is expected to reach 9 crore by 2030. Established in 2015, Betterplace caters to the entire value chain of frontline workforce management and boasts over 30 million workers on its platform, serving over 1,100 companies.

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But wait, there’s more! Not only can ChatGPT answer questions about operations management like a boss, but it’s also got a way with words, according to the professor. “I was just blown away by its linguistic skills – the choice of words, the concise writing, the structure – it was absolutely brilliant,” he said. But let’s not forget that ChatGPT still has some weaknesses, like its limited numeracy skills.

So what’s next for MBA’s and ChatGPT? Microsoft is considering a whopping $10 billion investment in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and many are predicting that the technology will shake up a range of activities beyond education. The dean of Imperial College Business School in London says they’re having serious discussions and a working group is analysing ChatGPT’s implications and will be formulating policies soon.

Also Read AI chatbot’s MBA exam pass poses test for business schools

But hey, there’s a silver lining for current MBA students. They can use ChatGPT to help them become better consultants. How? By honing their judgement against the chatbot’s strong performance in playing the role of the smart consultant (who always has an answer but is sometimes wrong).

Kara McWilliams, head of the ETS Product Innovation Labs, says, “We really need to embrace advanced technologies in education. AI isn’t going to replace people, but people who use AI are going to replace people.” So, there you have it folks. Get ready for a world where ChatGPT is helping b-school professors with lesson planning and syllabus creation, leaving them with more time for student support and learning. The future is now!

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Marketing In Asia was informed that this exclusive sales partnership covers Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Taiwan, providing access to the WMX platform, which focuses on amplifying the voices of artists, enhancing brand visions, and boosting fan engagement. The WMX media and creative content division reaches over 244 million unique monthly viewers around the world and offers access to premium, award-winning content.

Paul Josephsen, Global CSO for WMX, said “Since launching WMX’s Media offerings across Asia, we have seen an overwhelmingly positive response from brand partners and agencies”.

He further added “We’re excited to bring new, premium audiences to brands through our global music talent and to continue to build a local brand-community supporting our artists. Our team in Asia will be working closely with media planning & buying, providing the first-class service that WMX has become known for across the globe.”

Pankaj Jain, Partner Director in MPL for Httpool by Aleph, also shared his thoughts with us on the partnership and said, “Music connects generations and people from all over. The great talent united in the WMX’s portfolio speaks for itself.”

He further added “This offers a unique opportunity for brands to be connected with artists that have devoted fans and followers across the world.”

About WMX

Commercial Services, Media Business, Artist and Fan Experiences, E-Commerce and Retail, and Audience Strategy are the five main pillars of WMX. WMX is a groundbreaking music culture, content, and media division that aims to strengthen ties between musicians and their audiences while simultaneously promoting companies in novel and exciting ways. The media division offers advertisers direct access to Warner Music Group artists, immersive digital content with editorial integrity, an award-winning content studio, more than 15 top-rated music and culture shows, and scaled premium video with more than 56 billion monthly global views across platforms. In addition to UPROXX, Songkick, and HipHopDX, WMX also owns and operates Cover Nation, the largest community of cover song writers and fans, The Pit, the leading hard rock and heavy metal news website, and Lasso Nation, the social-first country music and lifestyle publisher.

About Httpool by Aleph

In addition to the Asia-Pacific area, Httpool by Aleph also represents top digital media companies in more than 90 countries worldwide. To help bring Aleph Group’s vision to life and level the playing field in the digital ecosystem, Httpool has the rare mix of connections to the biggest companies in the space, patented technology, and deep domain expertise. This would pave the way for a world in which all advertisers could take use of the myriad possibilities presented by online advertising.

About Aleph

Aleph is the world’s preeminent digital advertising facilitator, linking tens of thousands of advertisers in emerging markets to the most popular digital publishing networks in more than 90+ countries. We help over 35 different platforms break into new markets and give advertisers the tools they need to make the most of platform advertising solutions like Twitter, Meta, and Snapchat. With these long-term alliances, Aleph opens the door for anybody, wherever, to market their products or services.

For more information please visit Httpool.

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Even though artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is still in its infancy, there is great potential for it to lower costs and increase patient access to care. Lack of preventive care and a delay in action causes catastrophic situations. Especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 areas where there are still shortages of medical personnel and services. People in developing nations already struggle to pay for the most basic healthcare services due to their unbalanced economic situations. Utilizing these cutting-edge tech-based solutions to enhance human life may be their best application. Given how pervasive technology is in almost every aspect of our lives.

India is growing in popularity as a destination for medical tourists thanks to the development of technology and the availability of qualified doctors.

The best option for people has always been to travel to India for medical treatment. They pick India because it seems to be a more affordable alternative to the pricey medical services offered in West. Recent programmes, like the “Heal in India” campaign, seem to be making progress.

Government statistics show that 495,056 people visited India in 2017 for medical care. Government statistics for 2020 show that Iraqis, residents of the Maldives, Afghans, and Oman came in second. The medical travel sector is expanding on a global scale. By 2023, the market will be worth over $10 billion, predicts Global Market Insights. The $60–80 billion global medical tourism market is now receiving more attention from the Indian government. This number is based on an estimated 14 million medical tourists who cross international borders each year. According to a strategy paper the Indian tourism ministry submitted this year.

Also Read: Marketing Campaign Ideas for Small Business

Let’s examine how AI will impact our health in the years to come.

Healthcare that is reactive versus proactive

The typical attitude toward receiving medical attention is “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it”. A reactive rather than proactive approach. But a lot has changed in the situation as it stands today. Wearable sensors, like those in smart watches and Fitbits, can already connect to our doctor’s office for prescriptions and diagnostic tests, as well as provide apps on our phones with useful feedback.

Healthcare for 1.3 billion people is being made more democratic

Artificial intelligence-led systems have the potential to bring healthcare to people regardless of their location or financial means because technology can act as the middle layer bridge. Medical research centers provide cutting edge medical care to rural and remote residents. The technology vastly improves accessibility. Thus, we have a chance to create a world that is truly equal.

Today’s healthcare is rife with inefficiencies, not just in India but pretty much everywhere else. However, a paradigm shift is about to occur, and technology has the power to close the gap between those who need high-quality care and those who can currently neither access it nor afford it. They have laid the groundwork, and the effort to level the playing field in healthcare is under way, especially in India.

Also Read: The Power of Words: How to Use Languages Effectively

Eliminating human biases

Today, human bias is present in most health consultations and treatments, with the exception of minor illnesses. There are times when one questions whether healthcare facilities are pushing certain treatments and medications out of self-interest. That is why we favor reputable physicians. It is advisable to take a second opinion for critical care and serious illnesses. In this situation, AI-enabled medical care can reduce time, effort, and expenses by making it simple to access.

Doctors’ experience influences their options. Artificial intelligence make it possible to access the knowledge and information from millions of cases. For instance, in oncology, medical professionals frequently recombine and combine drugs to treat cancers or get around drug resistance. The analysis of a wider range of data and the prediction of novel drug combinations that are personalized for a patient’s are made possible by Artificial Intelligence algorithms.

These are just a few illustrations of what is feasible when Artificial Intelligence is fully applied to the provision of healthcare. The possibilities must be balanced and supported; collaboration between public and private sector industry stakeholders is essential to realize this potential. As the world’s population ages and the incidence of chronic diseases rises. The cost of healthcare will continue to be a hot topic among healthcare stakeholders.

About the author

Mr. Senu Sam Founder & CEO of Mykare Health

The post How AI is Lowering the Cost and Increasing Access to Healthcare? appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

Companies can reduce time-to-fill and drop-off rates by using automation. According to Aptitude Research, when artificial intelligence (AI) technology is not used, 65% of candidates drop out of the process, and in a high-volume space, this number matters. In today’s technologically advanced world, technology provides solutions that make recruitment processes much easier and more efficient to carry out. Blue-collar hiring can take as little as a few minutes or as much as a few hours. Various technologies and platforms enable recruiters to use AI to automate some of the steps involved in recruitment. AI continues to advance; the more people hired, the better the results.

Making a good first impression on the candidate is essential for a long, happy, and engaging relationship in which they progress from candidate to employee.

According to a recent KPMG report, virtually all HR functions can be fully or partially automated. KPMG discovered that only five of the 21 responsibilities were relatively less susceptible to automation:

• People are responsible for the overall system architecture (building a high-performance work system)
• Human resources and business strategy
• Organizational efficiency
• Management of change
• Employee interactions

Also Read: Key Market Research Industry Trends (2023)

The Advantages of Recruitment Automation:

Recruitment automation has a significant impact on various recruitment processes, as well as improving candidate experience throughout the process. It can also help you understand the success pattern in hiring quality candidates by providing data on current and previous candidates. Discover the key benefits of automating your hiring process below.

Find Better Candidates

Your candidate persona should guide all recruitment decisions for a specific role. Recruiting automation tools can help you source and screen candidates more efficiently. This results in a higher-quality talent pool, which leads to better, more effective hiring decisions in the long run.

Boost Productivity

Recruitment process automation enables recruiters to work more efficiently and make better decisions at a faster pace. By automating repetitive tasks, 80 percent of organizations believe that recruiting automation helps them increase productivity.

Reduce Hiring Time

Recruiters can close positions much faster and focus more on strategic efforts by automating several hiring process steps, such as applicant pre-screening, pre-employment assessments, nurturing, workflow automation, and candidate engagement.

Hire simultaneously for several roles

Recruiters can’t fill one role at a time with an average time-to-fill of 36 days. Recruitment automation boosts productivity and allows recruiters to fill larger positions more quickly. By shortening your recruitment cycles, you can cut your cost-of-hire by tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the position and level of seniority.

Also Read: Traditional Marketing vs Social Media Marketing

Enhance Candidate Experience

Candidates value a positive experience, prompt responses, and hiring decisions that are made quickly. At various stages of the recruitment process, recruitment automation can initiate personalized and contextual interactions with candidates. As, a result recruiters can focus more on building relationships, while applicants benefit from a streamlined process, faster responses, and less time waiting for an employment decision.

The right tools can help recruiters control recruitment costs and reduce time-to-fill by reducing the likelihood of bad hires. Candidates with varying levels of experience should be evaluated in different ways. The right assessment tools can effectively identify candidates’ skill sets, behavior, interests, and job compatibility. By eliminating biases, assessment tools assist recruiters in making better hiring decisions. However, conducting bulk one-way interviews saves time for both the organization and the candidates, and  is also cost-effective. One-way interviews allow candidates to respond to questions at their leisure. It also enables recruiters to screen candidates on a large scale, which speeds up the recruitment process.

Automation is changing the landscape and is leveraging the HR space. Automation is worth considering if you want your HR team to benefit from more cost-effective processes and seamless recruiting.

About the author

Mr OmPrakash Muppirala “VP of Engineering & Head of Fountain India “

The post How Automation Helps Reduce Time-to-Fill and Drop-Off Rates In an Organization appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

Essential amino acids, which are building blocks for strong muscles, hormones, nutrient transporters and a robust immune system.  Nearly all nuts and seeds are missing a certain amount of amino acids. Therefore cannot be considered a complete protein, except pistachios. American pistachio is a nut which is delicious, versatile, and fun to eat. American pistachios provide a convenient complete protein snack that’s portable and doesn’t require cooking. Pistachios are plant-based and with people shifting to plant-centric diets. Pistachios provide a meat alternative for vegans, vegetarians and those who want protein from plant-based sources. With pistachios, there is no need to combine two or more incomplete sources of protein.

Also Read:How is Marketing Related to Creative Thinking and Growth

Being a complete protein source, pistachios fuels a healthy lifestyle by building and preserve muscle and help the body refuel and recover after a workout. Pistachios have numerous health benefits as they provide the body with all the nutrients it needs. For most people, including pistachios in their diet is a great way to improve overall health. In addition to being a complete protein source, it is an anti-inflammatory powerhouse with multiple antioxidants to help mood, energy and cell repair. American pistachios are low in calories and antioxidants, contain in various minerals, vitamins and fiber aid in weight management, heart and gut health, lower cholesterol and blood sugar, improved oxygen delivery, and improved eye and blood vessel health.

Knowing if you’re providing your body with beneficial nutrients when you snack is always good. California grown pistachios are available on all major e-commerce platforms or with major dry-fruit retailers they sell it under various brand names.

About the Author

Sumit Saran , India Representative,
American Pistachio Growers

The post American Grown Pistachios – Complete Protein that Satisfies Protein and Nutrients Needs appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

Social Media x Hospitality

Hospitality industry is perhaps the most adaptable when it comes to trends and technologies. Having guest service as the cornerstone of the business. It makes the industry a natural in being on the forefront of trends including those of social media and web 3.0.

Social media is the perfect tool for a hospitality business to engage with guests outside of the hotel premises. Being able to form a long-lasting bond with them, creating strong brand equity. The power of social media goes beyond just mere conversations. With the superpower of big data analytics, a powerful tool to not only engage with existing customers and expand the buying cycle but also acquire new customers, by creating a look-alike of our existing customers to say the least. Traditional marketing was rather blind; it depended mostly on the media buying capacity of a business as well as on brand messaging. The latter is true even for social media. However, social media has taught us the power of cool nerdy glasses, focusing on specific target audience does not only acquire new customers, but it also brings in a higher ROI.

Social media has proved to be a brand asset for hospitality business globally and leveraging it has added great value to the brand as well as boosted sales. With an engaged audience on social media, one tactfully written copy about an offer relevant to the season, and you are already selling your rooms or filling up your restaurants. It is also a great place to create social proof with a pool full of loyal customers who will sing your praise and help you acquire more.

Also Read: Role Of Marketing, The Importance of Marketing Research

In Brief, What is the Role of Social Media in the Hospitality Business?

• It is a great way to build a constant channel of communication outside the hotel. From their feedback to reviews to any information that is needed. It is also makes for good social proof.
• The food culture of social media encourages users to post pictures and reviews about their experiences in restaurants, giving easy insights into how customers are experiencing the offerings and perhaps highlighting small changes one can make to improve that experience.
• Social Media channels is a great platform to build brand affinity using media (photos and videos) and an interesting channel to keep intact and also control the brand narrative.
• The marketing tools available on social media boosts sales. Strategic marketing practises may be applied to reach the correct target audience and hence gives a higher return on investment,

Social Media is not an independent channel. It transcends into the digital realm and sends out signals picked up by Search Engines for ranking thereby increasing traffic to your brand website, which in turn improves your top line.

Social media can strategically develop alternative business verticals such as destination weddings using storytelling. Needless to say, in today’s digital era, social media starts with hygiene but is a powerful tool to engage a customer base that will not only help your top line but also your bottom line by lowering cost of customer acquisition, ultimately strengthening your brand equity.

About The Author

Mr. Jayant Singh, is a Managing Partner with Treehouse Hotels and Resorts. He has been working
as Managing Director with Karma Hospitality. Jayant is also the founder and Chief Executive
Officer at Onlychef.co.in Jayant had a remarkable experience with the
companies for so long as he was associated with Asvatth Consultants as Chief Executive.

The post Social Media Engagement and Impact on Sales In Hospitality Industry appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

Key takeaways:

• KPJ Healthcare Berhad has partnered with Pine Labs to bring affordability to quality healthcare, by offering patients various payment options that will be available across all KPJ Healthcare Hospitals in Malaysia.
• As a result of the partnership, patients can pay for medical services provided by KPJ Healthcare, over time, by using the Pine Labs POS terminals at the hospital’s payment counters with Pine Labs interest-free instalment plan.
• Though the first fiscal quarter of 2023 (“Q1 FY2023”) is the target date for a fully deployed system, more than 30 Pine Labs terminals have already been implemented at KPJ Healthcare’s hospitals in the Central and Southern Regions.
• As a result of the partnership, patients have the chance to pay for their medical services provided by KPJ healthcare via zero-interest Instalment Payment Plans offered by the vast network of 14 bank partners in partnership with Pine Labs Malaysia. This provides a great financial experience to patients, enabling them to amortize their hospital bills out over a period of up to 36 months, which can be paid for using their credit card. Instantaneous Buy Now Pay Later (“BNPL”) and eWallet options are also available through Pine Labs’ point-of-sale (“PoS”) terminals bringing greater payment flexibilities and choices.

More than 30 Pine Labs terminals have been implemented at KPJ Healthcare’s hospitals in the Central and Southern Regions, with a gradual roll-out to the remaining KPJ Healthcare institutions to follow. The first fiscal quarter of 2023 (“Q1 FY2023”) is the target date for a fully deployed system.

Norhaizam Mohammad, the Officer in Charge and Chief Financial Officer of KPJ Healthcare spoke to us on the partnership and this is what she had to say, “Our collaboration with Pine Labs marks an important milestone as we expand our payment options for our patients. This is in line with our commitment to providing high-quality and accessible healthcare to all Malaysians. This will also empower our patients to plan their medical expenses better and allow for greater flexibility in getting the quality healthcare they seek.”

She further added, “Pine Labs’ thriving network of banking partners, which includes key banks in Malaysia, presents us with an extensive reach and ensures our patients across Malaysia can enjoy this new payment option. In turn, the platform creates a highly effective and streamlined record throughout our network of hospitals.”

Sharad Gulhar – Head of Merchants Business – APAC, Pine Labs, commented, “Malaysia has a well-established reputation of being a world-class medical tourism destination. We are pleased to play our role in creating greater convenience for the country’s thriving healthcare sector and introducing affordable ways to pay digitally. Our partnership with a renowned healthcare institution like KPJ Healthcare enables us to deliver seamless, speedier, and secure digital payment transactions to patients and their loved ones. We believe healthcare as a segment is ripe for disruption when it comes to instalment payment purchase options as affordable healthcare is everyone’s right and providing it to all is what we strive for at Pine Labs.”

Pine Labs payment terminals have been installed at the following KPJ Specialist Hospitals in central and southern Malaysia:

For additional information, please visit KPJ Healthcare Berhad or Pine Labs.

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Read In Detail Here: 5 Ways Diverse Leadership Can Help Your Company Grow

CONCLUSION

Is your company ready for diverse leadership? Build your own leadership strategy for the organisation of tomorrow. You can guarantee that business will continue to evolve — so will workplace culture. Diversity and inclusivity in the workplace are one direction businesses should be heading towards.

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Established in 2019 by Ashish Munjal and Piyush Nangru, Sunstone works with scholarly organizations to upskill understudies for employability. It offers profession arranged preparing intercessions for undergrad and postgraduate understudies.

Ashish Munjal, President and Fellow benefactor, Sunstone says he understood from the get-go that the schooling system in India’s Level II and Level III didn’t offer similar instructive open doors as benefited by understudies in Level I urban areas, “enlarging the expertise hole throughout the long term”.

It was to overcome this issue that Ashish and Piyush established Sunstone, which offers result based courses in organization with driving schools and confidential colleges in a half and half model across India.

The Gurugram-based startup as of late declared the end of its Series C round of $35 million drove by WestBridge Capital and with interest from Alteria Capital.

Also Read: 7 Ways to Get Out of ‘The Debt Trap’

The new capital will be utilized to “venture into new projects and new geologies, with a critical spotlight on undergrad tech programs”.

“Obviously absence of heritage advanced education foundations in Level II and Level III urban areas has created open doors thin in examination. We are joining forces with establishments in these urban communities to address the issue of value and pertinent training,” Ashish says.

The Gurugram-based startup has now extended its presence to in excess of 35 urban areas and 40 organizations.

Sunstone had brought $28 million up in a Series B round drove by WestBridge Capital in October 2021. The round likewise saw interest from existing financial backers Saama Capital and Alteria Capital as well as Work10m, a work-centered reserve by Pankaj Bansal, Gathering President of PeopleStrong.

“Throughout the past year, we have seen Sunstone develop and keep on updating the nature of training gave to each understudy. Seeing the steadily expanding request and its capability to be a significant disruptor, we are eager to twofold down our venture to help its central goal of changing the advanced education area in India,” said Sandeep Singhal, Overseeing Accomplice, WestBridge Capital, at the hour of the financing.

Zeroing in on work

As indicated by the India Abilities Report, a normal of only 35-40% of the executives and designing alumni are viewed as employable. The absence of industry-applicable educational program, reasonable experience, and work driven training turns out to be significantly more noticeable in semi-metropolitan regions, provincial areas, and portions of India that fall at the edges of openness.

Ashish expresses that while building Sunstone, “the main issue was one of work post studies”. “The chief justification behind continuing on toward advanced education for a greater part of wannabes is open position, prompting monetary security,” he says.

Sunstone works intimately with corporates to foster industry-prepared programs for both postgraduate and college understudies, with an exceptional spotlight on BFSI, business examination, operations, deals the executives, retail, computerized promoting, and others.

“Present day positions have become more ability centered than degree-centered. There is a stockpile request confuse in the gig market. While understudies grumble about absence of occupations, organizations and selection representatives struggle with tracking down reasonable up-and-comers that meet their ability necessities,” Ashish says.

He adds that this is “the specific issue that we are attempting to address”.

What next?

Sunstone’s emphasis is on arising towns and urban communities where there is a ton of undiscovered capacity and a lack of chances.

The startup has joined forces with Propelld and Credenc to give 0% interest EMI instruction credits to understudies enlisted with Sunstone edge.

“We are situated towards building trust for the whole training classification and building mindfulness around the potential outcomes and open doors that instruction brings to the table,” Ashish says.

Sunstone intends to grow to 100+ urban areas in the following two years.

The post This Edtech Startup Is Focusing On Employability Tier II, III Cities appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

President George Sivulka says that the new money will be put toward working out Hebbia’s designing group and “speeding up advancement” of its item stage, as well as growing its client procurement endeavors into proficient administrations ventures.

Also Read: How Is This Second-Generation Tech Consumer Brand Making Waves With The Millennials?

At the point when TechCrunch last expounded on Hebbia, the organization — established by a group of Stanford man-made intelligence scientists — was applying man-made intelligence procedures to make search and rundown devices that could figure out particular space information. One of them was a Chrome module called Ctrl-F, which redesigned Chrome’s inquiry usefulness to go past text design coordinating with regular language handling, featuring valuable data straightforwardly on pages.

Presently, after something of a turn, Hebbia is sending off another simulated intelligence controlled item with an eye toward profound report investigation: a “brain” web crawler. Sent off today, it can investigate billions of archives on the double, including PDFs, PowerPoints, bookkeeping sheets and records to return replies to questions like “Which are the biggest acquisitions in the store network industry inside the beyond five years?”

“With Hebbia, you bring your own information or you search a trusted … essential source storehouse of information we’ve proactively recorded for you: income records, news, [meeting] minutes, SEC filings, as of late passed regulation, logical examination and that’s just the beginning,” an organization representative told TechCrunch. “[There’s more] trust and straightforwardness around the thing corpus is illuminating your list items.”

The motivation for the brain web search tool came from Sivulka’s own insight. During his doctoral exploration, Sivulka says that a large number of his companions, who worked in finance, needed to scramble north of thousands of records in hundred-hour long weeks of work. Simulated intelligence, he thought, could tackle this issue — or if nothing else smooth out a portion of the center cycles included.

It’s initial days. In any case, Sivulka says that Hebbia’s web search tool is finding early foothold among monetary administrations firms, which are involving it for an expected level of effort and different strides across speculation pipelines.

“Hebbia at present considers 20 paying endeavors clients, including a few of the world’s biggest confidential value firms, multifaceted investments, consultancies and government projects,” the representative proceeded.

New York-based Hebbia, which as of now has a 15-man labor force, hopes to twofold its headcount before the year’s over.

The post Hebbia Raises $30M To Launch An AI-Powered Document Search Tool appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

As an organizer, Joshua has coordinated the organization’s innovation stage development from Netscape modules through Java and into versatile. As well as setting key innovation procedures as CTO, he heads the stage and cycle robotization groups inside Kaon, guaranteeing Kaon’s intuitive applications can be sent consistently all through Kaon’s client advertising and outreach groups.

B2B Sales Q&A with Joshua Smith of Kaon Interactive

We got some information about how innovation, explicitly virtual commitment, is evolving the “old school” way organizations are pondering B2B deals.

Q: How has virtual joint effort changed the essentials of B2B deals?

A: It hasn’t yet, in light of the fact that the devices that empower cooperative commitment to a far off B2B deals climate are simply emerging from the lab now. Assuming we take a gander at how B2B deals occurred prior to everything out of nowhere became remote, the best gatherings included coordinated effort.

Cooperating at a whiteboard to discuss what your frameworks are versus what they should be. Welcoming merchants on location to the shop floor to see the genuine issues that should be settled and to picture how new hardware could squeeze into existing work processes. Contrasted with that, a video-conferencing device showing an exhausting slide deck is never going to come anyplace near that sort of commitment.

All things considered, you should have the option to reproduce those spots in a virtual world and allow individuals to cooperate continuously while sharing that experience. That doesn’t need to mean VR headsets or gamer-level PC rigs. You can get that sort of submersion and connection in a work area internet browser assuming you understand what you’re doing. It requires a brilliant mix of wonderful plan and strong innovation, created with an unmistakable comprehension of how deals really occur. Virtual cooperation isn’t an equipment issue, it’s a product issue and a plan issue.

Also Read: How Is This Second-Generation Tech Consumer Brand Making Waves With The Millennials?

Q: Do you suppose devices like VR will become ordinary in significant level conferences? Will CEOs start wearing VR headsets?

A: That won’t ever occur. Assuming we take a gander at the historical backdrop of innovation, the as it were “on-face” innovation that endured in excess of a couple of years are eyeglasses. From the Stereoscope, through the first VR headsets in quite a while, through glasses-based 3D TV, nothing has made it past the Trough of Disillusionment in Gartner’s publicity cycle. Headset-based VR is a stage in the walk toward metaverse joint effort, and that stage won’t ever arrive at the standard.

What will ultimately become typical is virtual presence that doesn’t need putting plastic all over.

I don’t know precisely exact thing shape that innovation will be, yet it will presumably look something like the famous thought of holography. It very well may be stunts with mirrors, it very well may be genuine multi dimensional images, or perhaps it’ll be something altogether new.

Virtual gatherings should be life-sized, six levels of opportunity (6-DOF), constant, and high loyalty. Until they hit that multitude of imprints, I accept individuals will keep on enduring Zoom gatherings since they’re simple and natural, and they have an extremely low hindrance to section on the equipment side.

Q: What about the metaverse? How is it that that could be applied to B2B joint effort?

A: That relies upon which meaning of metaverse you use. Assuming you mean the Web3, blockchain, VR-headset, exceptionally adapted, security annihilating tragic Snow Crash Ready Player One metaverse, I trust that never at any point works out as expected.

Yet, in the event that you mean the juncture of virtual presence, perceptions in 3D that make a feeling of spot, and ongoing joint effort that unites individuals in spite of actual distance, that meaning of metaverse is precisely exact thing we want. The significance of eye to eye gatherings isn’t the eye to eye part. It’s the part where you do things together. It’s the part where a seller and a client cooperate to tackle an issue. Making a metaverse that permits that to happen will be extraordinary.

So stage one is to re-characterize “Metaverse” to something valuable. It should be characterized as far as how it helps its client base, not how it helps the monetary records of the organizations attempting to drive it upon us.

Q: Kaon entered the virtual B2B deals field well before different stages were embracing it. How was it spearheading the beginning of virtual undertaking selling?

A: Being first to showcase is hard on the grounds that you can’t simply duplicate another person’s prosperity. You need to attempt many things to sort out which ones work and which ones don’t. In the area of promoting that can be very troublesome. There are such countless factors that it’s difficult to be sure assuming what you are doing is helping or on the other hand assuming the horde different things occurring in the market are driving outcomes. You wind up depending on a ton of human instinct, which isn’t horrendously solid.

Be that as it may, in deals, it’s truly simple to understand what works. Assuming you put a component out there and no one purposes it, that implies it doesn’t work. Assuming it’s generally utilized, it takes care of business. This is valid on the grounds that our clients have their own cash on the line.

Salesmen are generally paid on commission, so they will promptly take on anything that closes more arrangements. Also, they will oppose anything that burns through their time. We frequently see upper deals or promoting the board attempt to lead with directs: this is the way you will take care of your business. That never at any point works in a deals association. Give them great instruments, and let them sort out some way to utilize them.

For instance, when Apple and Google made expanded reality (AR) conceivable on cell phones we quickly added that as an element to every one of our applications that included 3D item models. Naturally, it appeared to seem OK that AR would help deals in different ways. However, when I take a gander at the examination, I see that this component is seldom utilized. It functions admirably, the UX is natural, and the special visualization is truly cool.

In any case, since it isn’t being utilized, I need to finish up it’s not more successful at shutting bargains than taking a gander at 3D item models on a screen without enlarging reality. We are leaving the component in, since it’s consistently conceivable that somebody will find a stellar use case. In any case, it’s anything but a fundamental focal point of our guide since we’d prefer put resources into highlights our clients really care about.

Q: How did your experience as a business person lead you to perceive the open door that existed for a virtual B2B deals stage?

A: Personally, it didn’t. I’m very great at concocting thoughts to tackle issues, and at deciding if those arrangements are compelling. Yet, perceiving what issues the market has — perceiving the open door — is an altogether unique expertise from that. Assuming you take a gander at tech new businesses that fizzle, it’s seldom in light of the fact that their innovation didn’t work, or on the grounds that it wasn’t sufficiently cool.

New businesses fizzle since they are attempting to take care of an issue the market doesn’t especially require settled. Or on the other hand more regrettable, a few new companies don’t have the foggiest idea what issue they are attempting to tackle.

Kaon’s prosperity gets from a readiness to turn continually as the scene changes, and an initiative group who is especially great at understanding the issues our business sectors need answers for. We are incredibly great at tuning in. However in both the showcasing and B2B deals spaces, we likewise frequently must be figured pioneers to assist our clients with understanding what their concerns truly are whenever we’ve distinguished them. We can see the backwoods while they are checking one specific tree out.

Getting that thought administration into the wild is another totally unique range of abilities. So perceiving the open door, building familiarity with those issues, and afterward assembling arrangements and inspiring them to showcase contacts all aspects of the C-suite and the groups who execute those thoughts. Development is perfect, yet it isn’t adequate all alone for progress.

Q: What illustrations have you found out about upsetting a space like B2B deals that had been stale for a long time?

A: There are such countless examples. In any case, I suspect one of the most basic is that, in by far most of organizations, the devices utilized by the outreach group are made by the advertising division, yet promoting doesn’t collaborate with deals by any means. They never ask deals what they need — they simply make stuff and toss it over the wall.

That is the reason showcasing divisions continue to make recordings and PDFs, which are totally inadequate apparatuses for deals and afterward asking why no one purposes them.

There is a whole industry devoted to making it simpler for sales reps to get to showcasing insurance that sales reps have positively.

As a result of this conventional division of work, our purchaser is generally in the head promoting official’s (CMO) hierarchical umbrella, so on the off chance that we are building something for B2B deals, the principal thing we want to do is track down our client in the deals association.

You’d be stunned the number of advertisers that have no clue about how to try and contact territorial deals chiefs in their own organizations. So that can be a genuine battle, and afterward we need to bring the voice of deals into the discussion, which likewise isn’t simple thus “showcasing knows best” custom. At the point when your purchaser and your client are two unique individuals, it very well may be truly a test to make the right device.

When we get everybody adjusted, however, it’s clear to make the right instruments since we’ve been busy for such a long time. We understand what sort of intuitiveness prompts shut arrangements and what is cool yet pointless.

We know how to make shared encounters and work with coordinated effort utilizing the equipment and organizations individuals as of now have. We know how to make everything turn-key, so sending doesn’t transform into an IT bad dream. We know how to acquaint new apparatuses with the clients in both the deals and showcasing associations to guarantee they realize they exist and how they are expected to be utilized. Lastly, we know how to dissect how things are utilized, to guarantee persistent improvement and refinement are information driven, not instinct driven.

The post How B2B Sales Is Changing Through Virtual Engagement appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

There are a few business sectors that have arisen starting as of late and ought to be focused on as they are moving and expanding popular for items and administrations in these classifications. Here are a portion of the top business sectors gaining ground lately that your business ought to focus on.

Green Living

It isn’t simple being green yet many individuals are moving in the direction of the pattern of residing in a harmless to the ecosystem way whether it be through green home plan or items and administrations that assist with advancing a decreased carbon impression both all through the home. As a business startup searching for ways that you can advance harmless to the ecosystem items and administrations into your business makes certain to gather new clients that are getting on board with to be a little greener in their regular daily existence.

From more energy effective machines to green kitchen plan, there is a heap of ways that your business startup can pursue this direction and develop another base of clients all the while. Furthermore, private backers are sagacious about the thing is moving on the lookout and will pay heed on the off chance that you are a little greener in your endeavors or can exploit green living development and its client base.

Also Read: How This Startup Kickstarted A New Era For E-sports In India? – Sportzchain

Wellbeing And Wellness

Wellbeing and health is another specialty market that is giving no indications of relapse as shoppers want to put their best self forward from head to toe keeps on pushing ahead. This market embodies everything from caffeinated beverages to wrinkle creams and gym equipment, that permit purchasers to hold their young gleam, battle sickness and disease, and consistently have the best appearance.

In addition, a maturing Baby Boomer age is especially centered around finding that wellspring of youth you might have the option to propose with your business startup. With Baby Boomers controlling, a large part of the spending that shoppers do today and being an underutilized class, focusing on your items and administrations straightforwardly to them can assist you with plunging into a market that has an overflow of pocket cash to spend on such extravagance things.

Wellbeing and wellbeing items and administrations are likewise getting a decent lift from rising medical services costs as more spotlight is put on preventive wellbeing and remaining solid through private consideration. This is just additionally commended by an increment future for purchasers and the need to look great regardless of the expense.

Web Technology Services

As quick as the web develops, more administrations equipped around assisting web clients and site proprietors with willing keep on being required. Items and administrations that middle around the Internet will truly do well as there is a developing requirement for website improvement, site rebuilding, and the capacity to protect these locales through security conventions.

Include the craving for web based gaming as well as additional instructive open doors that are on the web and you have a recipe for a high market request that is centered around the web and its use. As a business startup, you want to ponder how you can play toward this client base with your items and administrations and tap into the income stream that this market offers new and arising organizations with web innovation administration needs.

Versatile E-Commerce

Likewise, web centered is the capacity to offer your items and administrations through cell phones. Permitting your clients to purchase straightforwardly from you utilizing their mobile phone, iPad or tablet can acquire you in the income office as you can give them what they need right away.

Having a site that doesn’t work with these gadgets can cost your clients that become whimsical and pick your rival over your business startup offering. Watch out for the capacity to offer versatile deals to your purchasers as this is the eventual fate of online deals as individuals utilize the most potential advantageous stage to do their shopping now, during special times of year, and into what’s to come.

Markets To Watch

While those are four business sectors that are warming up as of current, there are a few new anticipated specialties that are making headways at a disturbing rate. Watch out for computer generated reality (VR) innovations as VR is turning out to be a greater amount of the real world and the capacity to incorporate this innovation into your business startup offering might give your business an advantage into what’s in store.

Computerized reasoning (AI) is another region that is getting high commendation as well as cloud-based frameworks that appear to be taking a hold in practically every business opportunity. Web of Things (IoT) is likewise moving in home items as purchasers hope to be associated with their abode regardless of where they live.

Security likewise gets a major push as additional information breaks happen and shoppers become progressively worried about misrepresentation insurance. Working your business startup into any of these market open doors might be what you want to add to your income stream or arrive at another base of clients with your items and administrations.

In the event that you are hoping to get subsidizing from a private supporter, remember these business sectors as your confidential financial backer is almost certainly fixed on these specialty possibilities too. This might be the key element you were absent in your marketable strategy or a defining moment for your business startup. In one or the other case, these are markets to focus on and engage with as there will be a lot of expenditure on here by buyers now and into what’s in store.

Regardless of what market you are hoping to enter with your business startup, make certain to assess the open door accessible to you and what it will mean for your potential income stream. By continuously being vigilant of new and anticipated markets can assist you with finding another business road and permit to build your income going ahead.

The post Top Trending Markets For Business Startups appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

The Irish organization says it will utilize the extra obligation office to foster its foundation further and immediately give eCommerce organizations financing. It will use the sum to work on its liquidity and backing its desire to offer the most cutthroat rates to its clients, especially in the US and Western Europe.

Also Read: How Is This Vendor-Agnostic IT Consultancy Providing Solutions To Different Organizations?

The declaration comes several months after the organization brought €288.28M up in an obligation funding round from J.P. Morgan. In February, WayFlyer likewise raised $150M (roughly €149M) in a Series B round of financing at a $1.6B (roughly €1.59B) valuation.

Aidan Corbett, prime supporter and CEO of Wayflyer, says, “Presently, like never before, eCommerce organizations need admittance to fair, adaptable, and reasonable subsidizing arrangements from a trusted and strong accomplice. At a useful level, this arrangement helps support our target to offer the most attractive terms and the best rates to our clients while propelling Wayflyer’s relentless obligation to being a confided in accomplice, regardless of the effect of more extensive financial circumstances available.”

Focusing on bigger internet business organizations

Several months back, the Irish unicorn sent off another Scaler item to give huge web based business organizations (yearly income of $20M or more) with reasonable funding to give them conviction over future income.

“Scaler is worked for eCommerce organizations that need millions in financing consistently, however don’t have any desire to persevere through difficult application processes with conventional banks or give huge security,” says the organization.

The item furnishes eCommerce organizations with a bigger capital pool, permitting them to utilize it at whatever point and anyway they need up as far as possible.

Wayflyer: What you really want to be aware

Established in 2019 by Aidan Corbett and Jack Pierse, Wayflyer helps web based business organizations to develop by giving a scope of funding and examination arrangements that further develop income, drive deals and streamline supply chains.

With its answers, qualified organizations are given the adaptability to get publicizing space and stock, making ready for development and productivity.

The organization’s free investigation stage likewise examinations advertising execution day to day and furnishes web based business organizations with proposals intended to further develop execution.

Last year, Wayflyer ventured into new business sectors, including Spain and the Netherlands, opened a committed office in Atlanta, and framed organizations with Adobe, Sezzle, and eBay UK.

Right now, the organization has clients across 11 nations and workplaces in Dublin, Atlanta, New York, London, and Sydney.

The post Irish Unicorn Wayflyer Bags €252M From Credit Suisse appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

The issue with existing stroke restoration strategies isn’t that they aren’t compelling, yet that they’re for the most part situated in clinics and accordingly limit how frequently they can be locked in with.

“For the vast majority, numerous years recovery, particularly brain restoration, has been centered around large massive gear in offices,” made sense of Guillem Singla, CEO and fellow benefactor (with CTO Dimitrios Athanasiou) of Neurofenix. “We’ve extricated the quintessence of what should be finished in brain restoration: It must be escalated, drawing in, rousing and get individuals to follow up for weeks as well as long stretches of time.”

Also Read: How SanKash Eased The Burden Of Dream Vacations For Indian Travellers?

There are some home recovery gadgets out there, frequently as gloves or free movement following, the two of which work to a degree however haven’t gotten on.

“Before beginning to foster the main items, we chatted with many patients, many specialists, tried everything out — I for one, when a relative suffered a heart attack, needed to attempt numerous things,” Singla said. “The main earnest need that was by and large totally disregarded was upper appendage restoration: 80% of patients experience the ill effects of arm and hand disability after a stroke.”

The organization’s answer (“after around 50 cycles,” he added) is the Neuroball, a gadget that the client can hold and tie into effectively and which tracks each development of the upper appendages from shoulder down to fingertips. It does nothing profoundly unique in relation to in-emergency clinic arrangements yet rather permits patients to play out the rehabilitative activities and developments undeniably more habitually, and in a way that mirrors their specific necessities and capacities.

It incorporates a movement and direction sensor for wrist, elbow and shoulder developments, and individual sensors for each finger. The ball rests in a support yet can be gotten and moved uninhibitedly.

“The key is brain adaptability,” said Singla. “The proof shows that the more redundancies a patient does, shows recuperation positively. In a run of the mill meeting a patient does somewhere in the range of 30 and 40 developments with a specialist, and in our clinical preliminaries we showed that patients accomplished more than 600 every day.”

Convenience, gamification and a touch of algorithmic change are what the organization claims bring about this gigantic expansion in practice — and, as per concentrates on they’ve led, improved results, including further developed scope of development and diminished torment.

It’s more straightforward to put on than a resistive glove, doesn’t occupy a ton of room, runs its product on a little, committed tablet and has a small bunch of various games accessible for every development the patient requirements to perform. These are basic yet inspirational things, similar to a perpetual racer where you crush to hop or a Space Invaders game where you pivot your wrist to move your boat. It probably could be Fortnite, however it’s worse than simply seeing a number go up. There are even lists of competitors on the off chance that a client wants to contrast their advancement and an individual patient.

The commitment of further developed home restoration is one that will more than likely enticement for a many individuals for whom going to the emergency clinic or exercise based recuperation office three or four times each week is unrealistic. Such a timetable would be pursuing for anybody, not to mention an individual who could have portability, discourse or upper appendage constraints.

Doing the activities at home and individually, with the product acclimating to patients’ own rhythms and inclinations, (for example, being more adaptable in the first part of the day or night) drives normally to undeniably more rehabilitative work being managed without extra clinical assets. (“Truth be told, last week a patient arrived at 300 days straight on our foundation,” noted Singla.)

The fundamental boundary is reasonableness: The gadget is too new to possibly be covered by protection, however it meets all requirements for HSA and FSA spending. Up until this point the organization, situated in the U.K. (what’s more, Atlanta in the U.S.), has led a small bunch of tests showing the Neuroball’s viability yet not the sort required to be covered as a recommended clinical gadget. In any case, that is next on the plan since they have a new $7 million round in the bank.

“Series A was raised because we had clear objectives as a main priority,” Singla said, fundamentally laying out its business and clinical presence in the U.S. and afterward extending to neighboring types of treatment.

“We want to be the head of brain restoration at home, for stroke as well as for injury,” he proceeded. “In a real sense have 400 thoughts in our overabundance of enhancements we can make: extensions, mental preparation, discourse and language … on the off chance that you contemplate the requirements of a neurological patient, they are very differed. There’s so many different treatments we can check out.”

The $7 million A round was driven by AlbionVC, with support by HTH, InHealth Ventures and existing financial backers. The gadget isn’t comprehensively accessible yet, however inquisitive clinicians and planned patients are urged to reach out for likely joint effort.

The post Neurofenix Puts A New Spin On Home Stroke Rehabilitation with the NeuroBall appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

Their success comes after tremendous hard work and perseverance, but an important factor contributing to this success remains the encouragement these sportspersons are receiving from various top-notch organizations in the country. On the occasion of National Sports Day, we bring you some of the biggest companies in India which have time and again fueled Indian sports talent to achieve more through their various initiatives.

MG Motor India

MG Motor has a rich legacy of supporting sportspersons, which the company has continued in the recent times through various partnerships with budding talent in sports. In association with The Vadodara Marathon, MG Motor India presented a personalized Hector to Paralympian Bhavina Patel, who bagged a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. The company also roped-in para-athlete and Arjuna Awardee Deepa Malik to be the voice of the personal AI assistant in its SUV, MG Astor. The company is also known for recognizing budding female sports talent and showcasing its support to player like golfer Tvesa Malik, athlete Rupal Chaudhary, hockey player Khushboo Khan, and any many more.

Mobile Premier League

Mobile Premier League (MPL) is the world’s leading mobile eSports platform that allows users to participate in free as well as paid competitions across 60+ games in multiple categories, including fantasy sports, sports games, puzzle, casual and board games.  As an industry leader, MPL continues to support VS Rathanvel, a young chess prodigy. Rathanvel began playing chess at the age of seven and became a grandmaster at the age of ten. In 2011, he was ranked third in the world under-10 category. This partnership has enabled Rathanvel to compete in international events and earn recognition on a global scale. MPL’s ultimate aim is to democratise gaming and esports across the country, by giving gamers a platform to compete with the best and monetise their skills. Founded in 2018, MPL hosts millions of tournaments a month and is trusted by over 90 million registered users across Asia, Europe, and North America.

Adidas

Footwear and accessories giant Adidas launched a new product aimed at making sports convenient for menstruating sportspersons. The new TechFit Period Proof Tights are the company’s way to ensure that teenage girls and women in sports do not give up on their dreams just for the fear of period leakage. Adidas launched ‘Stay in Play’ to promote its latest innovation, and roped in Tokyo Olympics Silver-medalist Mirabai Chanu as the face of this campaign.

JSW

Steel giant JSW is known for its continued efforts towards improving the sports scenario in India. The group has time and again undertook projects to upscale the facilities for sportspersons. The flagship endeavour of the group, the JSW Sports Excellence Program, supports 49 athletes across four disciplines, including Olympic medalists wrestler Sakshi Malik and javelin-thrower Neeraj Chopra. The Sponsor of the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics, the JSW Group also presented the Tokyo medalists as well as their coaches with cash grants of up to Rs 1 crore.

Tata Steel

Tata Steel has a long legacy of supporting Indian sportspersons. Throughout decades, the leading steel company has provided assistance to numerous talented individuals and teams at different national and international sporting events. Many of India’s Olympics heroes have been employed by the Tata Group in a bid to support them with their training and other needs. An important chapter in the success stories of athletes like TC Yohannan, Mercy Kuttan and Lavinho Pinto remains the encouragement they received while being employed with the Tata Group.

India’s journey to excellence in sports is still a long one, but the country’s sportspersons have nevertheless made positive strides over the years. What they need is continued encouragement and support from all directions, which is something companies like MG Motor and Tata Steel are expected to continue providing.

The post The Making Of Champions: How Top-Notch Companies In India Are Leading The Sports Movement appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

New Delhi, 27th August 2022: Spinny, a full-stack used car buying and selling platform in India announced its brand new campaign, “Go Far”, featuring its brand ambassador & strategic investor, Sachin Tendulkar. The series of films celebrate India’s spirit to dream big and make things happen.

The campaign explores how different people go beyond boundaries for love, dreams, self. For Sachin, someone who has seen the kind of success that he has, going far is in a way going back to basics – an inward journey to meet himself again. Back to the person that makes him who is, to the source and to his most rooted version. A part of this is driving his first car, the humble 800.

Couple of years ago, Sachin had expressed a keen interest to reconnect with his first car.
“My first car was a 800. Unfortunately, it is not with me right now. I would love to have it back again with me. So people listening to me, feel free to contact and get in touch…”

The 800, Bayers Blue, was painstakingly recreated down to every last detail in Spinny’s Integrated Quality centers. Now, as a strategic investor for Spinny, Sachin is seen out and about in the 800, doing things that represent his most authentic self.

Go far as a campaign is personal, relative, hence featuring different people and their stories to push beyond the comfort zone to get what they really, truly want. Whether it’s a family celebrating a new car and a new house or an elderly couple focusing on a dream they ignored for many years; the journeys represent a very individualistic take on pushing boundaries.

Also Read: How SanKash Eased The Burden Of Dream Vacations For Indian Travellers?

The Founder & CEO of Spinny, Niraj Singh, said, “We believe in life and in your choices, go far. You should be able to buy a car that you actually, really want to buy, that you know would make you happy. With Spinny, we’d go that extra mile, go far at every step to make it happen for each of our customers, including Sachin Tendulkar. His first car would make him happy in a way that is rooted and real and we made it happen. A car is a special purchase for a home and our endeavor is to make it extra special for each of our customers.

Speaking about his involvement in the campaign, Sachin Tendulkar said, ““A car to me is more than just a mode of travel. It’s my second home, my co-passenger in the journey as one explores life and goes places. Our car reflects us, sometimes complements our personality.When Squad Spinny re-created my first car, it was therefore very special. The team had put in a lot of effort and gone great lengths to bring back special memories of my first car. Spinny values the emotions behind car ownership and strives to provide an experience with timeless values of trust, transparency, and integrity”.

The campaign will run on digital platforms along with a strong presence across TV, radio, OOH and OTT platforms. It will also be aired during Asia Cup 2022 on Disney+Hotstar, and on StarSports.

The post Go Far With Spinny, Sachin And His First Car; The Campaign That’s All About Dreaming Big, Going Beyond The Limit appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

My entrepreneurial journey started when I founded Quantum Leap in the year 2006 as a Corporate Training Company. 8 years, we built a clientele of 110 corporate organizations. In 2010, I set up 3 more businesses, in the Outsourcing, Recruitment, and Event Management space.

December 2012, I shut down my Outsourcing and Recruitment business after suffering a 70 lakh loss and a 45 Lakh debt. My family had stopped going out and meeting people and collectively we were going through a tumultuous time. I thought that the worst time is upon us and did not know what wrong had I done to deserve this. This is a common, relatable feeling for anyone struggling in a debt trap. You start questioning every action of yours and life seems unfair because all you wanted was to create, build, and grow something which backfired on you!

I understand that and as I delved deeper into the roots of why I fell into the debt trap, I realised that it was a lack of knowledge of how to do business that landed me there.

Also Read: How This Startup Kickstarted A New Era For E-sports In India? – Sportzchain

So, having experienced debt first-hand and then bouncing back to building successful businesses, there are some key lessons that I have learned that I want to share with anyone who needs to get out of the trap of debt.

Here are 7 things you must do if you find yourself in a debt-trap:

1. ACCEPTANCE- Accept that you are in debt. It happened, accept it instead of thinking about WHY it happened to you. Acceptance is the first step toward finding solutions and moving on. When you accept this, firstly you feel free. You stop questioning the why and the how and start focusing on reality. When you accept, you make peace with it. That’s the first step.  
2. FORGIVENESS– Don’t be too hard on yourself and others who are asking you to repay the debts. Your intent behind taking loans or money from others was that you were looking to grow. So, forgive yourself first and then the others who may be talking about you. 
3. PATIENCE– Don’t become desperate and look for shortcuts to repay debts, they never work! Get-rich-quick methods never work because they may give you instant gratification but they are never viable options for the long term. They are not stable. Be patient.
4. COMMUNICATION– Communicate to the ones you owe with all your intent of repaying money and with courage. Tell them that you have every intention of returning the money to them and do not avoid them. The more you avoid them the more they raise fingers at you. You know you took the money for a reason, communicate with them and tell them why.
5. ACTION– Rebuild your business or career based on your strengths and capabilities. When you build something based on your capabilities, you already know the fundamentals. It helps in strengthening the base for a scalable and profitable business. 
6. CONSCIOUSNESS– Repay your debt but don’t spend every penny you earn. Reinvest in your business because it needs to grow. When you start making money again, the initial urge might be to repay all of it but don’t do that. Repay some and put some in your business so that you can start making money through your business.
7. LEARNING– Learn your lesson, and never repeat the same mistakes that landed you in debt in the first place. The only silver lining that debts can bring you is in the lessons that you learn. Jot them down, track the root of the mistakes, the actions you took that landed you in that debt and assess how to avoid them in the future.

Falling into a debt trap can happen to anyone. Don’t judge your capabilities based on this. Your capabilities and intent matter more than your situation. When you start looking at debt from a perspective of learning, it lessens the pressures, the sleeplessness, and the dejection.

Do not lose yourself because you have landed yourself in a debt trap. Calm down and strategise wisely, confidently and with full sincerity. How you react to the debt trap determines whether you come out of it or sink deeper!

So, to anyone out there battling with the debt trap, make the most of your strengths and bounce back!

About the author

Rajiv Talreja, Founder of Asia’s Largest MSME Business Coaching Company- Quantum Leap Learning Solutions Pvt Ltd, Author of the Bestseller book – Lead or Bleed, Serial Angel Investor, TedX Speaker and Founder of DreamCraft Events and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, and DreamCatcher Investments Pvt Ltd.

The post 7 Ways to Get Out of ‘The Debt Trap’ appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

Have you ever wanted to go on a vacation but stopped due to financial constraints? 

It is estimated that around 35-40% of middle-class Indians cannot realise their vacation dreams due to financial woes. Many people who cannot make the transit from Domestic Tours to International Travel switch from Asian Holidays to holidays in Europe. 

Travellers make sacrifices that limit themselves to taking vacations in cheaper places or taking it once a year instead of two. What if travel enthusiasts could afford to take their desirable vacations without having to be short-changed?

SanKash, “San”, derived from the French word SANS which means No, and “Kash”, a representation of the English word CASH, is the answer for which travellers in India are looking. 

They are a unique, concept-based lending solution that offers services to anyone who wants to travel; established in April 2018. In the end, good memories are more important than financial struggles, and SanKash aims to bridge the gap between Money and Memories.

They identified a massive gap within the Indian travel market between travel experiences and the availability of money on time. The company shares that many reasons stop a traveller from taking a vacation. Still, they give them” A reason to go” and take that much-desired vacation without borrowing money or burning a hole in their pocket. 

The AI & ML driven SanKash platform has been designed by a team of travel technologists and fintech experts leveraging financial technologies & their experiences to enable success for the world’s fastest-growing travel market and brands.

The Itinerary For A Successful Journey

The travel Industry in India sees an approximate transaction of 200 million on an annual basis. This number is humble as the payment options are restricted to Debit Cards/Bank transfers, and credit options are limited to credit cards. This means that nearly 35-40% of middle-class Indians could soon become travellers with the help of SanKash. 

SanKash intends to create the best-in-class customer and partner-focused affordability solutions for the travel industry. The company is a revolutionary travel FinTech company that aims to make holiday trips a part of the simple and accessible pleasures of life. They focus on helping Travel Agents and Tour Operators (Offline and online) provide pay-in-parts/monthly solutions for their customers. 

SanKash improve important travel marketing metrics, including conversion, booking value, channel loyalty, cross-selling, and ancillary revenue for their travel partners. They also help process travel packages without hassles and flourish the operator’s business. Additionally, they provide end customers with an alternative to standard payment options. 

The idea is to empower the travel ecosystem’s stakeholders through its pay-in-parts solution. With SanKash, its travel partners can get their customers to make travel decisions faster and increase the trip value, thereby augmenting their sales. 

By implementing and integrating SanKash’s technology, travel operators can boost conversions and drive double-digit growth. This benefits small-time travel operators who are struggling to meet their daily needs. 

As for customers, SanKash is making travel more accessible, affordable, and fulfilling by offering flexible, pay-over-time payment choices.

What Sets SanKash Apart? 

The Indian Travel sector has witnessed over 3000+ BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) providers over the last few years. While this has made travelling more manageable and accessible for customers, it has proven difficult for merchants when choosing the BNPL provider partner. 

Currently, a merchant chooses its BNPL partner basis the commercials offered by the service provider. There are gaps in this arrangement. Every BNPL operates and underwrites only a segment of customers, and the process is dissimilar for each service provider. There is no control and no insights into customer data.  

The proprietary AI and ML-powered logical engine by SanKash solves this problem by aggregating all BNPL service providers to offer a seamless single Pay Later button to the merchant’s customers while keeping other cross-selling opportunities unique to the merchant. For more information on the product by SanKash, follow the video in the link here. 

SanKash’s logical engine is not a marketplace for customers or merchants but does all the heavy lifting for the customer. With the customer’s basic information and travel data, the engine decides on the financial provider to approve the case. The customer doesn’t need to know all these workings in the background. 

SanKash, Revolutionizing FinTech Industry 

SanKash plans to validate the solution and consolidate its position in the travel market initially, although they are an industry agnostic company. Fast-moving inventory and dynamic pricing are what make the travel industry unique. 

For example, the price and availability of an airline ticket can change in less than 3 minutes, which means that the Pay Later decision should be arrived at within that period. 

What does the market have in store for SanKash? 

Market Insights: Presently, the total Indian travel industry size is approximately USD 40 Billion. The industry is projected to grow at about 7% CAGR. The travel loan/BNPL segment contributes roughly 1% to 2% of GMV of the travel transactions. By FY 2022-23, the travel loan payment option will reach approximately 5% of the total GMV. Analysis shows that offline transactions contribute 60% of the total travel market. And online transaction has a market share of 40%. Nearly 70% of spending is on leisure and holiday while the rest is for business and other travel.

Offline transactions are done by travel agents and tour operators such as Thomas Cook, SOTC, Veena World, Picky Your Trial, etc. The market has around 750 large travel companies, 60,000 mid-size agents, and 2,50,000 small agents. 

SanKash is the largest BNPL aggregator in this space, with 6000 travel brands. With headroom to grow, SanKash will consolidate its position in the offline transaction space while working to acquire digital portals and airlines directly.  

SanKash had acquired the country’s largest airline, hotel chain, and cruise liner with the Fly Now Pay Later, Stay Now Pay Later, and Sail Now Pay Later options. These services will be available to customers in the next 30 days. 

Business insights: SanKash’s target audience is anyone who wishes to travel. Some prominent players to whom SanKash offers its services are Thomas Cook, SOTC, Pick Your Trail, Veena World, Cordelia Cruise, Indigo Airlines, Royal Caribbean cruises, and TBO.

SanKash is:

• Present in 240 cities across 15 states and 158 PIN Codes 
• 6000 travel partners and 9500 points of sale (including branches) 
• 100K Customers worth INR 750 Crore processed thus far are received

Also Read: How This Startup Kickstarted A New Era For E-sports In India? – Sportzchain

Scale New Heights 

SanKash benefits the entire travel ecosystem, including travel partners, financing partners, and the end consumer. The travel partners target new customer segment, converts them, and provides them with the tool to upsell to the identified customers. 

The platform runs on a B2B2C model, providing access to a large customer base via travel partners, thus managing a lower acquisition cost. Once customer acquisition occurs at the travel agents, SanKash processes the data and decision management through its proprietary logical engine routed through NBFC partners. 

The financing partners can target the unpenetrated market through SanKash. By integrating with SanKash as a platform, they can now acquire more customers at almost ZERO acquisition costs. SanKash’s proprietary algorithm around travel helps them penetrate deeper without taking any additional risk on the portfolio.

Customers are awarded the option to take their desired vacation without scouting for other funding options like Credit Cards. Credit cards, while a great financing option for meeting short-term goals, can run up expenses. Financial institutions offer it as a means to acquire new customers and can generally be used with no specific purpose. 

Users can use credit cards any way they want; this means that the usage of the card can become uncontrollable. With the high-interest rates of nearly 3% per month on repayment after the initial 30 or 45 days of credit, using credit cards can be detrimental to your financial goals. On the other hand, a travel loan is specific and less expensive. 

Behind-The-Scenes Of All The Highs & Lows

First mover player, adoption rate, time to convince partners, and business development cycles are some of the toughest challenges. So far, the challenges have been remedied by being persistent and staying on top of the challenges. 

SanKash generates its revenues in two ways; a) in the form of commission from NBFC partners and b) platform fee per user from travel merchants. SanKash has seen revenue growth of 50% month on month so far.

What does SanKash have in store for you? 

Instalment payment options and plans are unheard of in India, even though it is popular in many countries. It is a special category of loan available at the Point of Sale. It is easier on the pocket as travellers can stagger payment when it’s too burdensome. 

SanKash intends to create a niche for itself by helping customers. 

• Use their savings for some urgency instead of travel.
• Not wait for the prices to drop for their dream vacation.
• Upgrade their experience to what they couldn’t afford previously (like a 5-star hotel or business class travel).
• Make travel affordable by making the payment small, monthly, and spread out over time.

SanKash aims to onboard all large airlines operating in India, a minimum of 50% offline agents, and three large hotel chains by FY 2023. They are aiming to expand their services internationally and have ongoing dialogue regarding this. 

They’re staying true to their vision of increasing market share incrementally by onboarding 1% of first-time travellers to take air travel and converting 30 % of once-a-year travellers to travel twice a year.

Mr Akash Dahiya, Co-Founder, SanKash, sums it up beautifully by sharing, “Our mission has always been to make travel one of the most affordable and accessible commodities of life. Our collaboration with travel partners and BNPL partners can help not just the merchant’s existing customers. Still, new customers too to tailor their budget to their needs, by paying for it over a period.”

The post How SanKash Eased The Burden Of Dream Vacations For Indian Travellers? appeared first on Marketing In Asia.

The Beginning Of A New Era

What difference do three die-hard sports enthusiasts who are also early investors in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency bring? This story started when Siddharth Jaiswal, Vinayak Yannam, and Sankara Subramanian SK combined two of their passions: Sports and Blockchain, in a one-of-its-kind business venture. 

Sportzchain, a hybrid name derived from their passions, was founded in April 2021. Sportzchain is the place for sports lovers, with fans of FCs like Arsenal and Manchester United to Mumbai Indians. They bond over shared interests in different sports and have clear favourites.

What Helped Sportzchain Pave The Way? 

Sportzchain is the world’s first engage-to-earn (E2E) platform. They enable sports fans to earn while engaging with their favourite teams’ sports through five key products they offer.

• Fan tokens: This is a Blockchain-powered tokenised membership where fans can directly influence sports teams’ decisions. 
• NFTs: They specialise in converting match-day memorabilia of players into phygital NFTs, where they combine the physical and digital NFT sides.  
• Play to Earn: This product is for casual games such as stick cricket for the fans to play while also earning parallelly.  
• Watch to Earn: This product enables fans to earn while watching a live sports match. 
• Fan Commerce: Through this product, fans can Redeem $SPN Sportzchain’s native tokens and use them to buy sports merchandise, match day tickets, and OTT subscriptions such as Hotstar, Sony LIVE, and Amazon Prime.

Also Read: How to Choose The Right Cybersecurity Insurance For Your Business?

Becoming The New “Fan Favourite” 

It took Sportzchain a year to start developing their Alpha application. They aim to build a platform where fans have the liberty to purchase tokens of their favourite teams. Moreover, they have partnered with five sporting teams from the Pro-Kabaddi and Cricket world. Sportzchain launched India’s first Phygital NFT for Tamil Thalaivas through their partner Koinearth. 

Sportzchain is the flag bearer for this new online development. Their Alpha application has gone live since the end of July, and they have run three successful polls for Dabang Delhi, Tamil Thalaivas, and Iceland Cricket teams.

During these pools, fans vote for the team’s sporting decisions. This included deciding on the training kid design for Dabang Delhi and Iceland Cricket Team’s next international match. 

India has never seen fans making binding sporting decisions for different teams. It is exciting for the fans and the sporting community as a whole because these critical decisions that fans decide on must be abided by the teams irrespective of their personal feelings. Has such inclusion and such activity existed in the Indian sporting world online? 

Sportzchain says that the Fan tokens’ market share is USD 500 million and is looking to tap into at least 10% of the market in the coming days.

How Is Blockchain Transforming The Gaming Industry?

Their target audiences are sports fans and crypto investors, predominantly male from 18-40 years of age. At present, their customer base is India-specific. However, they aim to target the Asian markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia very soon. This will take their product international and further grow it. 

Before Sportzchain, a typical gamer would play games simply for entertainment. A change came slowly when professional esports came into the picture. Casual gamers can play and earn these days, which is made possible by Blockchain technologies. 

Several blockchain-based games allow players to earn NFTs and native tokens. In the future, traditional gaming companies will follow suit.

Sportzchain And Phygital Sports Nft (Non-Fungible Token) 

A match-day jersey signed by Surjeet Singh, the former captain of Tamil Thalaivas, was Sportzchain’s first phygital NFT. Accompanying the jersey was a plaque commemorating his 300th tackle point in Pro Kabaddi League. The items were sold to Praveen Ramasamy, a proud owner of Tamil Thalaivas NFT collectables, within 24 hours of listing.

The phygital NFTs were hand-delivered to Praveen Ramasamy in Chennai. He was also awarded a digital twin of the phygital memorabilia along with privileges like match day tickets and an Amazon voucher.  

Earlier this year, Sportzchain launched exclusive NFTs of Tamil Thalaivas on Sportzchain’s page hosted on NgageN. Fans and collectors that bought these NFTs were provided with several perks, including match day tickets, lucky draws, and many other exciting rewards.

Competitors, Revenue model, and Funding details:

The company is currently pre-revenue but shares that they consider ‘Socios’ as their direct competition and ‘Fanisko’ as their indirect competition. 

They have successfully secured seed funding of USD 600 thousand in May 2022. This funding round was led by SUNiCON Ventures, a highly-acclaimed firm in the funding ecosystem.

What Does The Future Of Gaming And Esports Hold?

Blockchain, cryptocurrency, and NFTs are all buzzwords of the modern world. Blockchain games are making thunderous noises across the globe and now, in India as well. Blockchain gaming will eat into the timeshare of the traditional gaming industry in India rapidly as the modern generation is all about digital integration. 

It is understood that conventional games will always have a separate space in our hearts. However, the future belongs to blockchain gaming without a doubt.

The brand’s strategy is very straightforward; they intend to become a brand representing the digital world for fans. They want to present a single platform where fans can do everything they ever envisioned —starting from engaging with teams, earning while watching live sports, playing games, and building like-minded communities. 

Additionally, another selling point is that Sportzchain wants to equip every sports enthusiast to be able to invest in fan tokens and NFTs.

The post How This Startup Kickstarted A New Era For E-sports In India? – Sportzchain appeared first on Marketing In Asia.