The rise of video content has transformed the digital world, establishing itself as one of the most preferred mediums for online communication and engagement. Nowadays, people seldom focus on text alone. With improved technology and widespread internet access, video has become the favoured format for both consumers and marketers.
In tandem with this shift, brands are increasingly striving to personalise interactions and engage consumers through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies. These advancements enable brands to tailor content to individual preferences, thereby enhancing engagement and forging deeper connections with their audience.
Founded in 2023, Whilter.ai is a technology company specialising in business-to-consumer (B2C) solutions. It aids brands in transforming their consumer communications, traditionally dominated by text or email.
Just as it is straightforward to create personalised SMS, WhatsApp, or email campaigns, where each recipient receives tailored messages, Whilter.ai aims to extend this level of personalisation to video content.
By harnessing AI and advanced technologies, the company empowers brands to deliver customised videos, thereby boosting engagement and fostering meaningful connections with their audience.
Co-founders Pankaj Arora and Prashant Yadav, alongside their team, focus on various use cases primarily involving first-party data for brands. These include upselling, cross-selling, renewals, retention, loyalty, customer delight, and more.
Comparing interactive video content to text or static images
Whilter.ai has worked with several brands including Myntra, Domino’s, Royal Enfield, Maruti Suzuki, and MotoGP Bharat, where it leveraged video content to reach their target audience. Yadav shares that customer decisions when purchasing a product or a service are often impulsive, subjective, or personal rather than objective.
Prashant Yadav
Talking about the significance of videos, he also says that it helps people make faster and better decisions and it strikes not only their cognitive centre but their entire being.
“In the video, your opinion and choice are validated which makes you feel like a part of a community and on a larger landscape with the digital revolution. With brands, videos prioritise consumer experience more than the product or the pricing. That is why having an interaction that creates multiple threads of connection towards your customers, helps consumers see more products, and make decisions faster,” he explains.
Video content – meaningful or flashy?
Along with the increasing emphasis on video content, there is a growing concern that brands might be prioritising more on flashy visuals over substantive and meaningful engagement. While videos can capture attention and convey information quickly, a question arises on the possibility of it lacking the depth and nuance that is often found in more detailed text-based content.
Arora says that as long as the brands are thoughtful in terms of sending the brand message in a particular way making it more contextualised, the trigger moves to more useful information. He adds that when a video is hyper-customised or personalised, people get that attention.
He exemplified his statement by describing a campaign the company conducted with Myntra. The campaign featured a personalised video message from a fashion content creator. When a user browsed the platform, added items to their cart, but then left without purchasing, the video would appear. It was tailored specifically for the user, suggesting that their choice of items was exceptional and encouraged them to complete the purchase.
Prashant Yadav
“Whenever there is a video call out you have the attention. That is what was needed, that is what a brand ran the campaign for. Does that happen with text? No. We also have to be more thoughtful in terms of the frequency of those campaigns. One should not bombard consumers with all those kinds of messages,” says Arora.
Yadav highlights that making something hyper-customised makes it relevant to consumers. If someone is looking for options to upgrade their travel and relevant brands suggest a near airport cab or which flights to board, then they will be delighted and purchase it. But if that consumer is asked to invest in the Chinese economy which that individual is not exposed to, then they will be annoyed and consider the message as spam.
Pankaj Arora
“Making something hyper-customised is not just about relevance to the individual but also about relevance at the right moment or stage. This approach addresses the challenge of adding value rather than being perceived as spam. Currently, emails and TV are saturated, and social media is nearing saturation. However, inboxes, especially on WhatsApp, are seeing high engagement. There might come a day when this channel also gets saturated, but I am sure a new channel will emerge to reach us,” he asserts.
Arora shares that since the company deals with personal data here, it understands the criticality of the system. It takes care of all those descriptions at various levels to make sure that personalised data is handled well.
“We see ourselves not just as a tech company, but as a ‘CreaTech’ innovator, blending creativity with technology through the use of ethical AI,” he adds.
With one year into existence, the company is now focussing on positioning itself as communication and experience partners to brands other than offering feature-based solutions.
It is collaborating with all of the players available to it such as developers, creative, business service providers, communication solution providers, advertising and marketing agencies.
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