Leveraging AI and Data for Performance-Driven Campaigns

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to redefine the marketing landscape, industry leaders gathered to discuss its impact on performance marketing, the challenges of a cookieless world, and the future of AI-driven campaigns. The 9th edition of the DIGIXX Summit and Awards 2025, held in Delhi on March 20, brought together industry leaders to discuss ‘Performance Marketing 3.0: Leveraging AI and Data for Performance-Driven Campaigns’.

Moderated by Devang Shah, Chief Business Officer, Consumer, Industrials & Commerce, dentsu India, the panel featured insights from experts across industries, including FMCG, BFSI, B2B, and digital marketing agencies:

Anuj Sriraj, Digital Activation Lead, Reckitt Benckiser India

Jatin Kapoor, Managing Director, Adsflourish

Mayank Saxena, Group Head – Marketing, Rupee112 & Bharatloan

Nishit Mohan, Co-founder, Lyxel & Flamingo

Robin Samuel, VP – Marketing, IndiaMART InterMESH

Sushrut Pant, Head – Marketing, Shree Cement

Devang Shah initiated the discussion by asking how AI is transforming performance marketing, particularly in the FMCG sector.

Anuj Sriraj highlighted how AI has evolved campaign management from manual optimization to automated, real-time improvements. He said, “In the past, I had to manually adjust campaign settings in the middle of the night. But now, AI eliminates such inefficiencies. Performance marketing is often associated with lower-funnel metrics like CTR, ROAS, or bounce rate. However, at Reckitt, we’ve adopted AI-driven performance marketing across the entire funnel – from awareness to conversion. For example, we use Google’s DV360 Persona AI for audience identification and creative AI tools that optimize ad content based on historical performance.”

With Google phasing out third-party cookies, Devang Shah raised concerns about marketing productivity in a cookieless world.

Emphasizing the power of first-party data, Jatin Kapoor said, “Even if third-party cookies disappear, marketers are sitting on a gold mine – first-party data. User behaviour from websites, CRM insights, and service history provide valuable audience insights. The key is leveraging this data for engagement and retention rather than focusing solely on user acquisition.”

Echoing this sentiment, Nishit Mohan reassured that alternative mechanisms like Google’s Topics API would support marketers. “Google won’t eliminate advertising altogether – it’s a marketing company at its core. AI-driven on-device processing will allow interest-based targeting without compromising privacy. Platforms like DSPs and federated learning tools will help brands continue targeted advertising effectively.”

With AI-driven campaigns relying heavily on data, Devang Shah asked the panelists how brands can ensure privacy compliance.

Robin Samuel detailed how IndiaMART uses AI while maintaining data security. He said, “We manage vast amounts of first-party data, including 20 crore registered buyers and 90 lakh monthly purchase requests. AI enhances our ability to match buyers with the right sellers. Unlike Google, which may know a user is interested in an excavator, we know whether they need a 10-ton or 25-ton excavator. By using behavioral data and category-specific insights, we improve ad relevance while ensuring privacy compliance.”

Shah here pointed out that BFSI has been at the forefront of AI adoption and asked how marketers decide when to rely on AI versus human intervention.

Mayank Saxena, explained how AI optimizes customer targeting in financial services. “We integrate AI across the funnel, from lead generation to loan disbursement. Predictive analytics helps us identify high-conversion audiences. However, we also track conversion rates to validate AI’s effectiveness. If AI-driven audience segmentation doesn’t yield expected results, human oversight helps recalibrate the model. AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on, so monitoring and adjustments are crucial,” he added.

Given the extended buying cycles in industries like cement, Shah asked how brands tackle attribution challenges.

Sushrut Pant reflected on the evolution of performance marketing and the need for holistic attribution models. “When I started marketing, ‘performance’ wasn’t a term we associated with the field – it was simply good or bad marketing. Now, AI helps us track how different marketing efforts contribute to consumer journeys. Cement buying decisions can span a lifetime, so ensuring seamless connectivity between media, website interactions, and on-ground retail efforts is key. We’ve been implementing a full-funnel AI-driven marketing approach to bridge these gaps.”

Online Coverage: Adgully