The second edition builds on the foundation of the first DCODE guide and integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the entire spectrum of digital marketing. Instead of treating AI as a standalone subject, DCODE 2.0 examines its application across Search, Paid Media, Performance Marketing, Content & Creative and other key areas, reflecting its growing role in the modern marketer’s toolkit.
The launch also brings MICA into the initiative, adding academic rigour and contemporary learning perspectives to the real-world expertise of DS Group and WPP Media. The collaboration is aimed at strengthening the playbook’s relevance for industry practitioners as well as the wider marketing and academic ecosystem.
DS Group said DCODE 2.0 is intended to remain an evolving resource, with periodic updates planned to incorporate emerging technologies, new tools, changing industry practices and evolving consumer behaviour.
The second edition has also been reorganised and streamlined to make it more accessible and practical for marketers. Its modules have been strengthened, while the Paid, Owned and Earned (POE) framework has been refreshed to offer a more intuitive, practitioner-friendly approach to digital marketing planning and execution.
Rajeev Jain, Sr Vice President, Corporate Marketing, DS Group, said, “Digital marketing is evolving at an extraordinary pace while AI is fundamentally changing how marketers think, create, engage and measure. DCODE 2.0 is our effort to navigate this transformation and translate it into practical knowledge that marketers can apply. Our collaboration with MICA adds an important academic dimension, while our partnership with WPP Media brings deep industry expertise. Together, they make DCODE 2.0 a more relevant, comprehensive and future-ready resource for the marketing ecosystem.”
Prasanth Kumar, CEO WPP Media, South Asia, said, “Marketing is moving from a world of fragmented digital channels to an increasingly connected, intelligent and adaptive ecosystem. AI is accelerating this shift, but its real impact will come from how effectively marketers integrate it across the entire consumer journey, from discovery and media to content, commerce and measurement. DCODE 2.0 is a timely effort to bring these evolving disciplines together and translate a complex, fast-changing landscape into practical knowledge. By combining industry experience with academic rigour, the playbook can help marketers move beyond simply understanding new technologies to applying them meaningfully to drive growth.”
Jaya Deoras Deshmukh, Director & CEO, MICA, said, “The future of marketing is not merely to discover demand; it is to imagine, create, and responsibly steward the futures that demand inhabits. As the marketing function steps into this Age of Imagination, the fundamental discipline of demand activation transforms, sensing unfelt and unmet needs and bringing them to life. DCODE 2.0 captures that very shift by pairing smart technology with human intuition, empowering marketers to look beyond what already exists and imagine entirely new possibilities into being.”
DCODE 2.0 is designed for corporate and agency marketing teams, digital practitioners, media planners and buyers, students, academic institutions and senior marketing professionals. The playbook will be available as an open-access resource, supporting the initiative’s objective of contributing to the broader digital marketing ecosystem.
The guide provides frameworks, processes, best practices and actionable guidance across key areas of digital marketing, with a focus on helping practitioners navigate an increasingly complex and technology-led ecosystem.
India’s media and advertising landscape is also expanding, with total advertising revenue projected to grow by 9.7% in 2026 to Rs 2,01,891 Cr, according to the TYNY 2025 report by WPP Media. The projected growth represents an incremental addition of Rs 17,844 Cr over 2025.
Digital, including digital extensions of all media, is expected to account for 68.1% of total advertising revenue. Within digital, commerce-led advertising is projected to be the fastest-growing segment at 24.2%, driven by the convergence of retail media, quick commerce and social commerce.
Other digital channels are expected to grow at 11.1%, while OOH and cinema are projected to expand at 8.9%. Television is expected to grow at 3.1%, supported by connected TV and addressable advertising, while audio is projected to grow at 1.5%, fuelled by streaming platforms.
At the same time, AI-powered search, voice and agentic discovery are projected to grow at 8%, reflecting the increasing role of AI and technology in India’s evolving advertising ecosystem.
The playbook can be accessed through the Digital Marketing Strategy Guide on DS Group’s website.
WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. It brings platforms, people and partners together to create opportunities for growth in a media environment where media is present across channels and experiences.
For more information, visit WPP Media.
WPP Media is part of WPP, which describes itself as the growth partner for the world’s leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and its agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP brings together media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and strategic counsel.
The DS Group (Dharampal Satyapal Group) is a leading FMCG conglomerate and a Multi-Business Corporation with a strong Indian and International presence. Founded in 1929, it has a diverse portfolio spanning Food and Beverage, Confectionery, Mouth Freshener, Hospitality, Agri, Luxury Retail businesses and other investments.
Catch, Pulse, Pass Pass, Silver Pearls, Ksheer, Rajnigandha, Ovino, L’Opera, Le Marche, Birthright, LuvIt, Chingles, Golmol and Namah are among the brands the Group currently shelters.
As a corporate, DS Group is guided by values built on a foundation of collective good, with an emphasis on giving back to society and protecting the planet. The DS Headquarters has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification under the USGBC (US Green Building Council) existing building O&M (Operation and Maintenance) programme version 4.0.
The DS Headquarters has also received LEED Zero Carbon Certification from the USGBC. DS Group has aligned its financial performance with global ESG priorities through the launch of a pioneering Double Materiality Assessment across all businesses.
Further demonstrating its environmental leadership, the DS Group has a water positivity index at 1.8 across its business units in 30 locations of India.
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