DS Group, WPP Media and MICA have released DCODE 2.0, the second edition of an open-access digital marketing playbook that puts artificial intelligence inside core marketing functions instead of treating it as a separate subject.
The guide combines industry experience from DS Group and WPP Media with academic input from MICA. It is aimed at corporate and agency marketing teams, digital practitioners, media planners and buyers, students, academic institutions and senior marketing professionals.
What DCODE 2.0 changes
The expanded edition works AI into search, paid media, performance marketing, content and creative. The organisers say the real value comes from applying AI across the entire consumer journey, from discovery and media to content, commerce and measurement.
It also refreshes the Paid, Owned and Earned (POE) framework and adds updated modules, processes and practical guidance. DS Group says the playbook will be updated periodically as new tools, technologies, industry practices and consumer behaviours emerge.
- AI positioned across search, paid, performance, content and creative
- A refreshed POE framework with updated modules
- Open-access availability for teams, students and educators
- Planned periodic updates as tools and consumer habits shift
Why it matters for Indian marketers
WPP Media’s TYNY 2025 report projects India’s total advertising revenue will grow 9.7% in 2026 to Rs 2,01,891 crore, with digital expected to account for 68.1% of the total. Commerce-led advertising is pegged as the fastest-growing digital segment at 24.2%, driven by retail media, quick commerce and social commerce.
AI-powered search, voice and agentic discovery is projected to grow 8%. For marketing teams, this means AI is no longer a laboratory experiment; it is becoming the operating layer for planning, buying, creative and measurement.
Rajeev Jain, senior vice-president of corporate marketing at DS Group, said 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,” he said.
How to use the playbook
Start by mapping each marketing function against AI use cases: search visibility, paid bidding, creative variation, content production and commerce conversion. Then refresh your POE plan so paid, owned and earned media each carry an AI action item.
Because the guide is open access, it is a low-cost resource for training internal teams or introducing students to applied AI. Prasanth Kumar, CEO, WPP Media, South Asia, said AI is accelerating the shift toward a more connected ecosystem, but its impact will depend on how effectively marketers integrate it.
Jaya Deoras Deshmukh, Director and CEO, MICA, framed the update as pairing “smart technology with human intuition” — a reminder that AI tools still need judgement, taste and strategy behind them.
Source: India Today
