Zepto’s ‘Swap and Save’ Feature Sparks D2C Industry Backlash
Quick commerce platform Zepto is under fire from the founders of several direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands after the launch of its new ‘Swap and Save’ feature. The tool, which is still in its beta phase, automatically suggests cheaper product alternatives to items placed in a customer’s cart. While Zepto describes the feature as a customer-first move designed to help users save money, many D2C brands see it as a threat to product discovery, pricing integrity, and long-term brand loyalty.
The controversy has ignited fresh debate over the evolving power dynamics between quick commerce platforms and independent brands, especially as platforms like Zepto continue to expand their advertising-driven revenue models.
D2C Founders Cry Foul Over Brand Undercutting
The backlash was swift and vocal. D2C brand owners expressed their dismay on social media, questioning the fairness of a system where premium products are automatically swapped out for lower-priced alternatives. Rishabh Harish, founder of sustainable fashion label Wellbi, took to X to ask whether competing brands were now expected to run ads just to stay in a customer’s cart. He argued that the feature not only devalues premium positioning but forces independent labels to fight a losing battle on pricing, which often comes at the cost of quality and sustainability.
Fashion Brand NEWME brings 60-minute delivery service in Bengaluru
Fast fashion brand NEWME has launched its quick commerce delivery service, NEWME Zip with an aim to deliver orders within 60 minutes. Bengaluru becomes the second city to experience this, after a pilot in Delhi-NCR, where the brand operates on a 90-minute window.
The service leverages a network of city-wide dark stores. According to the brand, over 1,500 styles will be available for rapid delivery in Bengaluru. Early trials reportedly achieved delivery within 30 to 60 minutes, including during high-traffic periods.
The initiative is part of the brand’s broader omnichannel strategy, which includes 14 physical stores and a digital presence. It has focused on aligning its operations with evolving consumer expectations around speed and convenience.
Google’s Veo 3 generates AI videos with dialogues, voice-overs and sound effects
Text to AI videos using Google’s Veo 3
It’s not quiet anymore in the text-to-AI-generated video world since Google’s Veo 3 can produce them with audio, dialogues, voice-overs, and sound effects. The model comes from Google’s very own Deepmind, and the company says that with Veo 3, users can produce videos from text prompts with ‘improved quality’ as well as speech and audio. It’s a step ahead in the AI video race since OpenAI’s Sora has yet to add the sound feature into its software.
Aside from dialogues and sound effects, users can also apply ambient noise and background music to their AI videos with Google’s Veo 3. The company says that its model follows the text prompts and series of actions with ‘greater accuracy.’ For example, the prompt ‘a paper boat sets sail in a rain-filled gutter’ generates the exact clip in a close-up shot. The water flows, and the boat even tilts as it ends up in the gutter. Unlike the previous versions, the Google Veo 3 has a distinct sharpness that makes it less of an AI video. In some ways, that’s quite alarming.
Digital media revolutionizing content creation and monetization, EY Report
The landscape of the Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) has undergone a significant transformation, with digital media finally breaking television’s 20-year stronghold to become the largest segment in the industry. This historic milestone marks the dawn of a new era, one where digital platforms redefine not only the creation, distribution, and monetization of content but also the very core of what the M&E sector represents.
In the past, M&E was synonymous with providing knowledge and a means of escapism. Today, it has evolved into a multifaceted provider of value, catering to the diverse needs of consumers through four key tenets: information, escapism, materialism, and self-actualization. This comprehensive approach has become the new benchmark for media and content companies, as consumers increasingly evaluate the utility they receive across these dimensions.
What fueled the media mojo in 2024?
The Indian M&E sector grew by 3.3% in 2024, reaching INR2.5 trillion (US$29.4 billion) and contributing 0.73% to the GDP, as per the FICCI-EY report,“Shape the future: Indian media and entertainment is scripting a new story”. Digital media emerged as the largest segment, accounting for 32% of revenues, while traditional media like television, print, and radio saw declines in core advertising and subscription revenues. Advertising revenues increased by 8.1%, driven by digital performance advertising and demand for premium media. However, subscription revenues fell due to a decrease in Pay TV homes and poor theatrical performances by films. Overall, the sector is projected to grow by 7.2% in 2025, reaching INR2.68 trillion (US$31.6 billion).
OTT Viewers Find Non-Skippable Anti-Tobacco Warnings Intrusive
Over 35% of the viewers consuming content on smartphones find static warnings and unskippable messages on streaming services intrusive, according to a study by the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS- International). The study comes in the context of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s (MoHFW) draft anti-tobacco rules— Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rules, 2024– for over-the-top platforms (OTTs, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime). CUTS conducted this study with 1200 OTT viewers across 15 Indian cities.
The draft rules came out in September last year and required streaming services to display a non-skippable anti-tobacco health spot for at least 30 seconds across all content. Besides the health spot, the regulations also required streaming services to carry a 20-second non-skippable disclaimer every time someone opens up the streaming service and static health warnings at the bottom of the screen whenever someone smokes in a show or a film.
Comscore to launch YouTube CTV measurement in India
Comscore is making a bold bet on YouTube CTV measurement in India, a move Alejandro Fosk, Executive Vice-President International, Comscore, calls a “game-changer” for the market.
Following successful rollouts in Spain and Malaysia, India is next in line for Comscore’s third-party validation of YouTube Connected TV performance, marking a crucial step in standardising video metrics across screens.
He said, “We’re set to launch third-party measurement for YouTube on CTV in India by the end of this year. We’ve already rolled this out in Spain and Malaysia, and India is next. That’s going to be a game-changer for the Indian market, bringing independent measurement to YouTube CTV.”
In an exclusive conversation with BestMediaInfo.com, Fosk opens up on how Comscore is navigating walled gardens and tackling data quality challenges, building unified digital currencies, and why India stands among the top five global priorities for the company. He also threw light on Comscore’s plans for the AI platform measurement.
ANI vs YouTubers
The storm over Asian News International’s (ANI) copyright strikes on YouTubers may have a far-reaching impact on the future of content creation, creator protection, and platform accountability.
What began as an outcry over censorship has now evolved into a pointed demand: YouTube must step up and broker formal agreements with news agencies to protect its creator ecosystem.
The controversy, sparked after ANI issued multiple takedown notices and copyright strikes on independent YouTube channels for unauthorised use of its content, has already disrupted the informal, cut-copy-paste economy that many creators had built their business models on.
The facts are no longer contested. Even critics concede that ANI is well within its legal rights to enforce copyright.
The backlash now rests squarely on the pricing mechanism and what creators call the “extortionate” cost of lifting strikes. Demands reportedly range from ₹15 lakh to ₹40 lakh per creator, depending on the scale of content usage.
Closing
And yes, we are back from Goa Fest Abby One Show with 3 prestigious metals and 3 prestigious merits out of 14 shortlists. Sharing next, our case film for The Great Indian Art Fair campaign for Pentonic that came back with a Silver for the use of digital in PR. See you again next week!
That’s it today.
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