MARCH 20209safety awareness camps that have so far impacted over 10000 people across India. Similarly, government organisations such as MeitY, Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre), Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre have been actively working with private organisations and internet brands to curb this malice. A key area of emerging technology which is augmenting private and public companies has been leveraging artificial intelligence in order to weed malicious attempts even before they cause any damage. Realising the importance of a collaborative approach towards this cyber ailment, law enforcement authorities and brands have also adopted social media as a bullhorn to integrate cyber safety awareness into the mainstream consciousness. Brands and companies often realise the importance of digital safety late in their brand-consumer journey lifecycle owing to the objectives of building a strong market share first. Unlike other countries, the consumer lifecycle journey in India tends to differ. Consumers today are much keener to adapt to brands that tend to speak in their native lingo and more importantly appeal to a common societal purpose. Digital safety could power the next wave of brand communications as brands increasingly try to appeal to a newer set of millennial audiences and shift their spends from traditional to digital media. A report from Dentsu Aegis Network pegs the digital ad industry in India to reach Rs 25,000 cr by 2021 while outpacing the traditional ad industry by 3x. While India's populace speaks over 30 languages across 1600 dialects yet lack of availability of relevant content is the largest barrier for adoption of online services by over 60 per cent of India's internet users. A recent example stems from the fake call centre scam perpetrated by cybercrooks pretending to be bank employees and siphoning off large amounts of money via social engineering scams and skimming techniques. This led to financial institutions trying to hurriedly adapt their communication campaigns to appeal to a vernacular audience on digital media. As per media reports, most of these scams originate across the belts of rural areas such as Jamtara, Bharatpur and Mewat where consumers have been bereft of cybersafety campaigns in their native lingo. What is needed is to systematically incorporate digital-safety consciously into brand campaigns which will help driving-in the sensitization for the next wave of our young users accessing the internet. Internet-based platforms will go a long way investing in digital safety in a manner that's not only engaging for the user but also drives sensitization towards general safety issues. It is only then will we be able to enable our users to put in place a preventive ecosystem at a personal level. No amount of effort is going to be enough until brands also realise the key collective role played stakeholders such as government, law enforcement authorities and the industry to safeguard the interests of this malice that seeks to impede the growth of digital India. As the internet proliferates and its key role multiplies in our daily lives, it is imperative that brands bear a shared responsibility in making the internet safer to continue to enjoy its convenience and the fantastic opportunities it presents. Internet-based platforms will go a long way investing in digital safety in a manner that's not only engaging for the user but also drives sensitization towards general safety issuesSapna Arora, CMO
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