Amit Bhandare of YES SECURITIES explains why vernacular content is key for 2025

Curated by Priyanka Nair , Director - Brand Solutions, GOZOOP Group

While most marketers are putting their bets on AI, Amit Bhandare , Head of Marketing and Corporate Communication of YES SECURITIES , wants to focus on voice, video, and vernacular.?

Amit has solid reasons to do so.?

For instance, he believes that innovations such as voice navigation, voicebots for outbound calling, and tools for client acquisition and activation are making a significant impact, especially in the financial services sector. He also opines, once dismissed as niche, vernacular communication is becoming the cornerstone of marketing reflecting the diverse tapestry of a multi-lingual nation like India.?

Amit also writes about the importance of hyper-personalization, the need for ethical data usage, and the crucial balance between performance marketing and creative brand building, in this exclusive piece for Ad Two Cents.?

Read on.?

“As we look towards 2025, the marketing and advertising world is on the brink of major shifts driven by rapid technological advancements and evolving customer preferences. To stay ahead, brands will need to focus on the 3Vs - voice, video and vernacular - powerful trio of tools that are becoming central to customer engagement strategies. These trends are not just transforming how businesses communicate but also shaping the future of marketing in a highly digital and diverse landscape.

Voice: Voice searches, virtual assistants, and bot integration are revolutionizing consumer engagement. Innovations such as voice navigation, voicebots for outbound calling, and tools for client acquisition and activation are making a significant impact, especially in the financial services sector.

Video: The booming video streaming market is transforming how brands connect with consumers and deliver content.

Vernacular: In a country as phenomenally diverse as India, the importance of language in customer communication cannot be overstated. Vernacular language internet users have already outnumbered English users. This shift has made customer support in multiple languages a standard practice.?

Looking ahead, we can expect the rapid “regionalization” of content and services, enabling businesses to expand their reach beyond metros and tier-1 and tier-2 cities. In this evolving ecosystem, the notion of a "peripheral market" will cease to exist as regional markets gain mainstream prominence.

Hyper-personalization powered by AI

Marketing strategies will move beyond basic personalization (like addressing customers by name) to offering tailored experiences based on user behaviour, preferences, and real-time data.

However, personalization has its limits. Consumers want transparency about how their data is being used and the ability to opt out if they choose. Personalization should feel like a helpful service, not intrusive surveillance.

The challenge for marketers lies in using AI effectively without crossing ethical or comfort boundaries. As AI technology advances and consumer expectations rise, brands must strike a delicate balance between personalization and privacy, being helpful without overstepping.

Balancing performance and creativity: The key to future marketing

Recent discussions have highlighted Nike’s struggles with the negative impact of prioritizing performance marketing over brand building. However, marketers are shifting focus back to the top of the funnel. Brands like Airbnb are setting an example? by embracing brand storytelling and bold campaigns, moving away from an overreliance on performance marketing. Nestlé’s CMO captured this shift, stating, “Creativity comes first. Absolutely, 100%.”

To thrive in the Creator Economy of 2025, marketers must learn from past mistakes and strike a balance. While performance marketing has its place, so do creativity and brand building. To foster deeper connections with your audience and cultivate lasting brand loyalty, it’s essential to invest in big, impactful ideas that truly capture attention.

Marketing to the future

This is the new frontier – a world where algorithms meet artistry where trust trumps reach and where every brand has a chance not just to sell but to truly matter.

The rise of regional content is the real game changer. Once dismissed as niche, vernacular communication is becoming the cornerstone of marketing reflecting the diverse tapestry of a multi-lingual nation like India. Brands are moving beyond the metro audiences, finding resonance in tier-2 and tier 3 cities where authenticity speaks louder than any slick campaign.

By embracing these tectonic shifts, marketers now have the rare opportunity to reimagine their role, crafting new experiences that resonate deeply and endure with time."