Tag: Digital Marketing

Automobiles

Škoda Auto India Clocks Record-Breaking Year with 107% Growth in Its 25th Anniversary

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Škoda Auto India marked 2025 as the most defining year in its journey in the country, celebrating its 25th anniversary with its strongest sales performance ever. The brand closed the year with 72,665 cars sold, registering an impressive 107% year-on-year growth compared to 35,166 units in 2024. This milestone performance stands as Škoda Auto India’s biggest year to date, driven by a powerful product portfolio, wider market presence and a renewed focus on customer trust.

Reflecting on the achievement, Brand Director Ashish Gupta described 2025 as a truly special year, highlighting the brand’s most diverse product range, its widest network reach, and the strong emotional bond shared with customers. The overwhelming response to the Kylaq significantly expanded the brand’s accessibility, while continued demand for the Kodiaq, Kushaq and Slavia sustained momentum across key segments. The return of the Octavia RS further reinforced Škoda’s performance legacy, receiving extraordinary enthusiasm from car enthusiasts across the country.

The brand’s growth was supported by a clear product and network strategy. During the year, Škoda Auto India crossed the milestone of over 200,000 locally produced cars sold since 2021 and expanded its footprint to more than 325 customer touchpoints across 183 cities. This expansion strengthened the brand’s mission of democratising European engineering across India, achieved through long-standing dealer partnerships and the addition of new partners with a strong customer-centric focus.

Beyond products, Škoda Auto India strengthened its brand identity and customer engagement through cultural relevance and storytelling. India became the first major global market to complete a 100% network rebranding with the updated corporate identity, delivering a modern and unified customer experience. The onboarding of Ranveer Singh as the brand’s first-ever Brand Superstar added youthful energy and visibility, while campaigns such as ‘Fans, Not Owners’ celebrated the emotional connection customers share with the brand. Collaborations like the Octavia RS campaign with sitar maestro Rishab Sharma further helped Škoda connect performance with contemporary expression.

Trust and ownership experience remained central to the brand’s strategy. The combined sales and aftersales workforce grew to over 7,500 professionals, supported by more than 25,000 training days in 2025. Enhanced ownership benefits, extended standard warranties and value-focused feature upgrades helped reduce ownership costs while elevating service quality. Trust in Škoda’s engineering capabilities was reinforced through landmark initiatives such as the Fans of Škoda Leh expedition, which earned recognition from the India and Asia Book of Records for the largest convoy to reach Umling La, and the Kodiaq becoming the first petrol-powered SUV to reach the North Face base camp of Mount Everest.

As Škoda Auto India steps into 2026, the brand aims to build on the strong foundation laid during its silver jubilee year. With new product introductions, sharper sales and aftersales initiatives, deeper market penetration and a continued emphasis on listening to its customers, Škoda Auto India is set to carry forward its growth momentum while strengthening its position in the Indian automotive landscape.

Events in Goa

FIERCE Markets Brings Goa’s Next Food Wave to Margao

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Goa’s growing foodpreneurship ecosystem is set to enter an exciting new chapter with the launch of FIERCE Markets in Margao. Envisioned as a community-driven marketplace, the initiative aims to provide emerging food entrepreneurs with a practical, low-risk platform to test concepts, build visibility and engage directly with consumers in a real-world setting.

An extension of the FIERCE Kitchens ecosystem, FIERCE Markets brings together home chefs, student chefs, professional chefs transitioning into entrepreneurship and early-stage food startups under one roof. The platform has been designed to address two of the biggest challenges faced by food businesses today — high capital investment and limited market access. By offering ready-to-use food trucks and carts equipped with commercial-grade kitchen infrastructure, the market significantly reduces entry barriers for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The initiative is supported by the Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts, Verna, in collaboration with the Atal Incubation Centre at Goa Institute of Management. Together, they aim to nurture culinary talent in Goa by offering not just space, but also mentorship, operational guidance and real-time customer feedback, allowing entrepreneurs to refine their offerings and business models.

Operating daily from 5 pm onwards on the Margao–Colva road at Mungul, FIERCE Markets has also been envisioned as a complete experiential destination for the public. The space features thoughtfully designed seating, warm ambient lighting, integrated sound systems and live entertainment on weekends, creating an inviting social hub for families, food lovers and tourists alike. Regular pop-ups by renowned chefs and food influencers further add to the energy of the marketplace.

At its core, FIERCE Markets celebrates collaboration, creativity and community. It creates an environment where culinary diversity thrives alongside entrepreneurship, allowing ideas to evolve organically while building sustainable food brands. With this launch, Margao positions itself at the heart of Goa’s next food wave, supporting a new generation of food entrepreneurs ready to make their mark.

Events in Goa

Social Impact Conclave Goa 2025 Showcases Digital Responsibility, Neighbourhood Bonds & Community Values

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The Social Impact Conclave Goa 2025, hosted by Voice Up and co-hosted by the Rights of Neighbours Campaign, brought together influencers, youth leaders, and community voices to reflect on the evolving role of digital creators in shaping society. The event opened with remarks by Mr. Muzammil, a member of SIO, who expressed that the conclave was designed to create voices capable of influencing society with empathy and responsibility. He reminded participants that true influence lies not in popularity but in impact, compassion, and accountability, qualities that every digital creator must uphold in today’s fast-paced online world.

The keynote address was delivered by veteran journalist Shree Prakash Kamat, who explored the immense power influencers hold in shaping public thought. He emphasised that content must be rooted in constitutional values and civic conscience to contribute meaningfully to society. Warning that purposeless content easily descends into trolling, he urged creators to maintain integrity and consistency in the values they represent, using their platforms thoughtfully and responsibly.

One of the most engaging sessions, “Good Neighbours Build a Society,” was led by Dr. Aisha Fidha of GIO. She reflected on the warmth, trust, and solidarity that once characterised neighbourhood life in India, where communities functioned as extended families. Dr. Fidha explained how urban lifestyles and rising individualism have created what she termed “urban coldness,” leaving people emotionally distant despite physical proximity. She highlighted the physical consequences of weakened community bonds—such as increased stress, disturbed sleep, and reduced emergency safety—as well as psychological effects, including loneliness, anxiety, and social withdrawal. She stressed that neighbourhoods are the first unit of society, and strong neighbourly connections are essential for both social harmony and human well-being.

The programme concluded with a thought-provoking address by Mr. Asif Hussain, Chairman of the Board of Innovative Education. He spoke about the responsibility influencers carry in shaping society’s moral and emotional landscape. In a powerful remark, he said that “mankind should be heroes, but we have reduced ourselves to zeros,” pointing to humanity’s role in conflicts, environmental degradation, and social chaos. Yet he reminded the audience that positive change is always possible, and that even the darkest moments eventually give way to light. Mr. Hussain encouraged influencers to use their platforms for constructive storytelling by creating reels, videos, and short films that inspire transformation. Urging the youth of Goa to rise to the occasion, he emphasised that meaningful change begins with consistent small efforts, saying, “Boond boond se banta hai samandar.”

A total of 24 influencers and change-makers were honoured during the event for their contributions to society through digital media. Among them, Mr. Yunus Shaikh and Mr. Usman Khan Pathan received special recognition for their exceptional work in driving social awareness and promoting impactful causes through their digital skills. Their dedication stood out as an example of how online influence can be used to create real-world change.

Social Media

Hashtags Are Dead: 3 Instagram Settings That Will Skyrocket Your Reach

Tanisha Cardozo

Hashtags once ruled Instagram. They helped users reach new audiences, find trends, and grow their following. But times have changed — and hashtags are no longer the growth tool they used to be. Today, most hashtags attract a general audience that scrolls past your content without engaging. If you’re still depending on hashtags to increase your reach, it’s time to rethink your strategy.

The new way to grow on Instagram is to focus on content that addresses real, relatable problems faced by your audience. People want value, not noise. That’s why Instagram’s new features are shifting the way content gets discovered. Instead of spamming hashtags, use the “Add Topic” option before posting your reels. It helps Instagram understand your content category and show it to users who are actually interested.

Next, don’t underestimate the power of alt text. It’s not just for accessibility — it’s also for discoverability. When you write descriptive alt text, you give Instagram’s algorithm more context, which improves your chances of reaching people who are searching for content like yours.

Finally, engagement is everything. Add interactive elements like questions, polls, or “comment your thoughts” prompts. The more your audience interacts, the more the algorithm rewards your post with visibility.

So yes — hashtags might be dead, but your reach doesn’t have to be. By using these three Instagram settings, you can attract a more meaningful audience, boost engagement, and grow your presence the smart way.

Social Media

OpenAI Developing Generative Music Tool That Makes Music from Text & Audio Prompts

Tanisha Cardozo

OpenAI is working on a new generative music tool that can create music from text and audio prompts. This innovative project is expected to enable users to add original soundtracks or instrumental accompaniments to videos, according to a report by The Information. However, there’s no official word yet on when it will launch, or whether it will be a standalone product or integrated into existing platforms such as ChatGPT or the video-generator Sora.

The tool is expected to offer features like multi-vocal track generation and AI-assisted mixing, making it appealing to independent musicians and content creators. As per the report, the project involves collaboration with students from the prestigious Juilliard School, who are helping to annotate musical scores to provide accurate training data for the AI model. The partnership aims to understand how machines can learn and replicate musical patterns and emotions.

Notably, OpenAI’s new tool builds on its previous projects — MuseNet and Jukebox — and promises enhanced user control over musical style, tone, and energy. Jukebox, released in 2020, enabled users to create AI music in various genres like reggae and blues, though it is no longer actively maintained.

The move by OpenAI into the music generation space is expected to intensify competition with other tech giants like Google and startups like Suno, which already offer generative music solutions. The development of this tool has also sparked discussions around copyright, ethical questions, and creative ownership. Several voices in the music industry have raised concerns about AI companies not fairly compensating artists, with some calling for stronger laws to protect human musicians. At the same time, some scammers have exploited AI music tools to fraudulently earn streaming revenue on platforms like Spotify.

As of now, there is no confirmed release date nor clarity on distribution format. Whether the tool will debut as a stand-alone app or integrate into OpenAI’s broader ecosystem remains to be seen. But if released, it could reshape how creators build music, merge audio with video, and how the music industry approaches production and rights in the age of AI.