The Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) has released the SMARTIES India 2026 shortlist, and the numbers point to a marketing ecosystem that is prioritising measurable outcomes over vanity metrics. Participation rose 28.8% year on year, and more than 100 new submitters entered the programme across 25 categories.
A shortlist shaped by effectiveness
Entry volumes grew in over 80% of comparable categories. The sharpest jumps came in areas that directly connect creativity with commercial or behavioural results:
- Personalization: up 107.7%
- New Product and/or Service Launch / Re-launch: up 70.3%
- AI-Driven Creative Excellence: up 66.7%
- Short or Long Form Video: up 54.3%
- Creator / Influencer / Celebrity Marketing: up 53.8%
These shifts are echoed in the finalist mix. AI-labelled categories account for 16.1% of finalist listings, while commerce, retail and conversion categories make up 13.8%. Perhaps most telling: 42% of finalist listings come from entries appearing across multiple categories, suggesting the strongest ideas are built to work across objectives and channels.
Why this matters for Indian marketers
SMARTIES India has long been a compass for where marketing effectiveness is heading. This year’s shortlist shows that AI is no longer a side experiment; it is now a material part of the effectiveness conversation. At the same time, brand building is increasingly tied to transaction and growth, not just awareness.
Jury chair Rajneet Kohli, Executive Director Foods at Hindustan Unilever Limited, noted that the shortlisted work “used data and innovation with purpose, solved consumer problems and proved business impact.” That framing is a useful checklist for teams reviewing their own campaign plans.
Moneka Khurana, Managing Director and Board Member at MMA India, put it simply: “The strongest marketing today doesn’t choose between creativity and impact. It delivers both.”
What practitioners can do
If you are planning your next campaign or annual entry, three patterns stand out:
- Design for multiple categories and channels from the start, not as an afterthought.
- Make business impact explicit: tie creative decisions to conversion, retention or revenue signals.
- Use AI and personalization with a clear consumer problem in mind, rather than as a tech feature.
The jury composition reinforces the message. Company and brand-side executives make up 96.7% of the senior jury, spanning consumer goods, financial services, healthcare, automotive, technology, real estate and travel. Leaders from HUL, ITC, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Tata companies and Nestle evaluated work alongside founders from younger brands such as Bombay Shirt Company, Yoga Bar and Moxie Beauty.
Jury Chair Geetika Mehta, Managing Director at NIVEA India, added that the strongest work “stayed true to consumer behaviour, cultural context and the brand, while proving business impact.” The 2026 edition also adds four new Industry Awards: Juror’s Choice Award of the Year, National Advertiser of the Year, Local Brand of the Year and Specialist Agency of the Year. These honours recognise sustained effectiveness and specialist capabilities, not just a single campaign’s performance.
Shortlisted work will be examined at MMA SMARTIES Unplugged India 2026 on 9 October at Taj Lands’ End, Mumbai, with winners announced at the SMARTIES India Gala later that evening.
Source: www.business-standard.com
