The hidden cost of getting South India influencer marketing wrong

The hidden cost of getting South India influencer marketing wrong

The author argues that brands must move beyond transactional influencer campaigns to build meaningful connections across South India. South India has increasingly become an important market for influencer marketing, offering brands access to diverse and serious audiences, powerful regional creators and significant opportunities for consumer engagement. From FMCG, beauty, technology, fashion and even the new-age…

The Hidden Cybersecurity Cost of AI Assistants in the Workplace

The Hidden Cybersecurity Cost of AI Assistants in the Workplace

Businesses are rapidly adopting AI assistants for everyday work, but the security controls meant to protect corporate information have often failed to keep pace. Across enterprises, employees can now move sensitive documents into generative AI tools in moments, creating exposure that may be difficult for organisations to see, track or control. The central problem is…

How Marketing Leaders Should Measure AI Productivity, Cost Savings and Growth

How Marketing Leaders Should Measure AI Productivity, Cost Savings and Growth

CMOs should not measure AI ROI with a single metric. AI can create several different types of value. It can allow employees to accomplish more, reduce external spending, improve conversion, accelerate pipeline or improve customer understanding. Those outcomes should be measured separately before being combined into an overall assessment of return. Open Future Forum’s September…

The AI Productivity Paradox: Faster Results Could Come at the Cost of Human Motivation

The AI Productivity Paradox: Faster Results Could Come at the Cost of Human Motivation

Generative artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful productivity tool, particularly for economies and businesses facing shortages of specialized skills. But research from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the University of Hong Kong and Arizona State University suggests that faster work does not automatically mean better final work. AI can help workers reach a good…

how much does SEO cost? (September 2026 Analysis)

how much does SEO cost? (September 2026 Analysis)

I’ve spent more than 20 years building publishing websites, and I’ve also advised businesses on their SEO needs. Search traffic matters to my own business, so I understand the discomfort of committing money to something whose results you cannot order on a schedule. For an ongoing small-business SEO campaign, I would start investigating providers around…

The Hidden Cost of Ignoring SEO Link Building at Scale

The Hidden Cost of Ignoring SEO Link Building at Scale

Senior executives rarely think of link building as a strategic risk. It shows up on marketing dashboards, gets reviewed in quarterly SEO reports, and stays firmly in the operational layer of the business. But the competitive implications of underinvesting in link acquisition compound over time in ways that don’t become obvious until the damage is…

Why Brands Are Backtracking on AI Marketing Automation Despite 90% Cost Cuts

Why Brands Are Backtracking on AI Marketing Automation Despite 90% Cost Cuts

AI marketing automation trends.) Some brands are already taking steps in this direction by utilizing AI tools to handle repetitive tasks while reserving creative storytelling for human marketers. This hybrid approach allows brands to reap the efficiency benefits of AI while maintaining the authenticity that consumers desire. As marketers experiment with different combinations of human…

Why Ignoring SEO Content Distribution Could Cost Your Startup in 2026

Why Ignoring SEO Content Distribution Could Cost Your Startup in 2026

CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey.) Creating Anchor Assets for Effective Distribution One highly effective strategy within SEO content distribution is the development of anchor assets. These are substantial pieces of content—such as comprehensive guides, in-depth research reports, or unique tools—that serve as the cornerstone of your distribution strategy. Once created, anchor assets can be repurposed…

Driving faster processes and greater cost efficiency – The Irish Times

Driving faster processes and greater cost efficiency – The Irish Times

Artificial intelligence (AI) is having a profound impact on the funds industry with widespread adoption of both generative AI and agentic AI speeding up processes and reducing costs. The former is being used to prepare and process documentation while the latter is being used to manage end-to-end workflows, particularly where the systems involved in the…