GenAI becomes central to retail loss prevention
As retailers across Asia Pacific—including India—grapple with rising operational pressures, shrinking margins and shifting consumer behaviour, Zebra Technologies’ 18th Annual Global Shopper Study reveals a decisive move toward intelligent automation. Over 87% of retail leaders now view GenAI and automation as essential to loss prevention, marking a significant strategic shift as the sector battles shrinkage and operational inefficiencies.
The study highlights another year of declining shopper satisfaction, both in-store and online. In APAC including India, satisfaction slipped to 75% in stores and 69% online, down from the highs of 2023. Inflation continues to shape shopping behaviour, with most consumers prioritising discounts, while expressing frustration with out-of-stocks, locked-up merchandise and limited self-checkout options.
Digital-only audience grows 30% as 313 mn Indians skip linear TV
India’s media landscape is changing rapidly as consumers spread their attention across a growing number of platforms and formats, increasing pressure on advertisers and media planners to track shifts in audience behaviour, according to Kantar’s Media Compass Report for the third quarter of 2025.
The report, updated quarterly, is based on a rolling sample of 87,000 consumers and provides estimates on reach and frequency, cross-media usage and category-linked behaviours. Kantar said the data is intended to help brands adjust media planning and investment decisions more frequently.
According to the report, digital-only audiences, defined as people who use the internet but do not watch linear television, accounted for 26% of India’s population aged 15 and above, or about 313 million people, as of Q3 2025. This group has grown by 30% from a baseline of 20% in 2024. The report noted that digital-only users are more concentrated among younger audiences and NCCS C/DE segments.
Google Search Console is Expanding into Social Search Insights
What exactly is Google adding to Search Console?
On December 8, 2025, Google has introduced an experimental update that pulls social-channel performance directly into Search Console Insights. Instead of focusing solely on how users discover your website, the tool now shows how people find your social media profiles through Google Search. This creates a single place to understand the reach of your entire online presence.
What new data can you see?
Within the Insights section, eligible users will now see familiar search metrics applied to their social channels, including YouTube, Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram. Search Console reports impressions, clicks, and trending content for your social profiles, along with the specific queries that led users there. You can also explore where these users are located and how they’re finding your content across different Google surfaces including Image Search, Video Search, and Discover. In practice, this gives social profiles the same visibility treatment that website pages have enjoyed for years.
Improved Gemini audio models for powerful voice interactions
Earlier this week, we introduced greater control over audio generation with an upgrade to our Gemini 2.5 Pro and Flash Text-to-Speech models.
But generating expressive speech is only one side of the conversation. Today, we’re releasing an updated Gemini 2.5 Flash Native Audio for live voice agents. This update improves the model’s ability to handle complex workflows, navigate user instructions, and hold natural conversations.
Gemini 2.5 Flash Native Audio is now available across Google products including Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, and has also started rolling out in Gemini Live and Search Live, bringing the naturalness of native audio to Search Live for the first time. This means you can more effectively brainstorm live with Gemini, get real-time help in Search Live, or build the next generation of enterprise-ready customer service agents.
Outdated Metrics Cause 12% Marketing Spend Loss to Fraud in Digital Advertising
mFilterIt, a Made-in-India digital trust and fraud prevention company, has released its latest Ad Fraud Intelligence Report, highlighting the evolving nature of ad fraud and urging marketers to adopt full-funnel intelligence to safeguard performance and brand reputation.
The report finds that even premium and brand-safe environments remain vulnerable to AI-driven fraud, which imitates real user behaviour and bypasses rule-based verification, causing nearly 12% of marketing spend to leak into invalid traffic. It underscores that traditional reliance on metrics such as viewability, clicks, CTR, and installs no longer ensures genuine engagement.
It also reveals contaminated retargeting pools and gaps in contextual brand safety, emphasizing the need for independent oversight and a holistic approach to media trust. The report positions fraud not as isolated incidents but as a connected system impacting branding, performance, and attribution across the funnel.
OpenAI, Anthropic, and Block Are Teaming Up to Make AI Agents Play Nice
American AI giants are backing a new effort to establish open standards for building agentic software and tools.
OpenAI, Anthropic, and Block have launched the open-source Agentic AI Foundation to set standards for AI agents and steward key agentic technologies.
Sexual Wellness Products EXPLODE on Quick Apps
Sales of sexual wellness products have surged on quick commerce platforms, growing at nearly double the pace of offline trade. This significant shift is driven by consumer demand for discreet purchases and rapid 10-minute deliveries, prompting major companies to invest heavily in this channel.
Data reveals sales of products like condoms, lubricants, and creams rose by 35-40% on platforms such as Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, and Zepto in the first 11 months of the year. This contrasts sharply with the 22% growth seen in general trade, including pharmacies. While quick commerce operates on a smaller base, its growth trajectory is compelling for manufacturers.
Leading companies like Mankind Pharma (Manforce condoms), Reckitt Benckiser (Durex), TTK Healthcare (Skore), and Godrej Consumer (KamaSutra) are actively developing products specifically for the quick-commerce channel. They are also increasing stocking and promotional activities online, mirroring trends observed in grocery and daily essentials.
The appeal of quick commerce lies in its ability to overcome the social taboo associated with purchasing adult products in physical stores. The convenience, privacy, and speed of delivery, especially during urgent needs, are key drivers for consumers, particularly younger and digitally savvy demographics.
From the BC Web Wise Desk:
We’re thrilled to share the Dashcam Diaries for Tata Power EZ Charge—an engaging and unique format in the EV industry. This episode features an insightful interview with an Air Force personnel, highlighting India’s largest EV charging network and exploring the future of electric vehicles.
Check it out now.
