Q] Tell us about the ‘Invest Karo Apne Style Se’ campaign, what was the core idea behind it, and how do you plan to extend it?
With ‘Invest Karo Apne Style Se’, we saw an opportunity to reframe investing, from being cold and traditional to something more expressive and personal. The insight was simple: every person is unique, like a fingerprint. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work, especially for the digital-native generation. So, the idea was to encourage them to take charge of investing in their own way, aligning portfolios with their personality and style.
The campaign will be extended to reach different geographies and states, tailored to each region. We’re planning a podcast series where we’ll talk to common people and gig workers, to understand their work style and address their investing concerns. We’re also exploring platforms like Snapchat, using filter elements to connect with younger, digital-native audiences. The idea is to blend style with investment and create something like ‘invest-style’ for our users.
Q] You launched the Omni app with the campaign — how has the response been in terms of downloads and engagement?
Right now, both the app and the campaign have been very well received — whether it’s by banks, senior management, the advertising and media industry, or our own business teams. With the app, we’ve revamped the entire user interface and experience. We’re currently in the process of migrating existing customers in batches. Once the environment stabilises, we’ll increase media spends and scale the campaign across various channels and platforms.
Q] What’s your marketing mix across social, broadcast, and in-app — and how is your spend divided among them?
Our marketing mix is led by social media, it’s the backbone of our communication, with 50–60% of our budgets going into multilingual, multi-format campaigns. In-app and precision marketing come next, accounting for 20–30%, where we engage users through personalised nudges via email, SMS, and WhatsApp. Broadcast media currently accounts for only 5–10% of our spend due to economic constraints, but it remains part of our long-term plan as we continue to optimise across platforms.
Q] How did you ensure that #ExtraordiNARI actually reflected lasting inclusivity and impact and didn’t end up as just a Women’s Day push?
The campaign #ExtraordiNARI was never a Women’s Day campaign, it was to spotlight a woman’s role in investing: inspire, equip, and empower them. We’ve planned a sustained engagement calendar throughout the year. For example, in our ‘Gift Her the Future’ campaign, we offered part-time roles to mothers, recognising that 70–80% of women don’t return to work after motherhood. Without financial independence, investing becomes secondary. So, we started by offering part-time work opportunities. We conducted a financial literacy camp for Adivasi women in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, launched ‘SIP SIP Hurray’ to match women’s SIP contributions, and partnered with Mumbai Police for safety and cyber security sessions. #ExtraordiNARI is a year-long platform to support women investors meaningfully.
Q] What led to the 3000% rise in followers, and what’s been your core content strategy?
I don’t take those numbers too seriously. In 2021, we had only 300 followers on Instagram. So, even a small rise looks extraordinary. But rather than chasing vanity metrics, we focus on sustained, meaningful engagement. We create content that educates, empowers, and engages. That’s been our philosophy. We use multi-lingual, multi-format content: reels, long-form, but we consciously don’t engage with influencers. The idea has always been to build a confident community of investors.
Q] From ‘Wize Whispers’ with Mr. Turt to campus initiatives like ‘Wonga Wits’, how are you using gamification to drive financial literacy, and how do you define success?
We don’t treat ‘Wize Whispers’ and ‘Wonga Wits’ as campaigns, they’re part of a larger movement toward nation-building through financial literacy. ‘Wize Whispers’ targets school kids through comics and characters like Mr. Turt, making learning fun and screen-friendly. As a parent, I’ve seen how much time children spend online, so comics became a natural, engaging format. We’re actively reaching out to schools across Maharashtra, including interiors, I’ve personally covered around 30 schools in my village, and my colleagues are doing the same in theirs. Wherever we have connections, we take the comic there, and we’re also exploring new tie-ups to expand reach across districts and villages nationwide. ‘Wonga Wits’ is aimed at college students, using gamified quizzes to build curiosity and core financial knowledge early on. We began marketing with a Red FM tie-up in Mumbai and are now scaling to 12 tier-2 cities like Raipur, Indore, and Lucknow- places where real India resides, through local media and direct student engagement, so as India becomes Vikshit Bharat, they grow with it.
Q] How is AI reshaping BFSI marketing, and how are you applying it at Yes Securities today?
If you look at AI, the key is understanding that marketing is about solving real problems with simple solutions. AI gives us speed and scale at a fraction of the cost. It helps keep teams lean, speeds up creative production, and allows us to personalise messages and translate them across languages. We’re also using conversational and generative AI — from designing creatives to targeted communication and support systems — all to engage customers in their own language and solve their problems more effectively.
Q] In the context of marketing, what do you define as ‘impact’?
In BFSI, trust is everything. Real impact happens when a campaign enters everyday conversations, like someone signing up after an explainer video, or parents discussing money through our comic series. We rebranded our stock recommendations from ‘Top Four Picks’ to ‘Stocks That Rock’, and soon, everyone started calling it that. Similarly, after launching ‘Gift Her the Future’ on Mother’s Day, not just Yes Bank but several others began offering part-time roles to help women. That ripple effect, driving financial independence and inspiring action, is what true success looks like.
PROFILE
Amit is a seasoned marketing leader with 18+ years of experience across financial services, FMCG, and consumer durables. Currently Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications at Yes Securities, he has held key roles at ICICI Bank, Axis Mutual Fund, and Magma Fincorp. A JBIMS alumnus, Amit brings expertise in brand strategy, rural marketing, digital transformation, and corporate communications. Known for building high-performing teams, he is passionate about innovative brand building and exploring new-age marketing collaborations.
ABOUT THE BRAND
YES SECURITIES, a subsidiary of YES Bank since 2013, offers tailored investment solutions to Retail & Institutional Clients. SEBI-registered and NSE/BSE member, YSIL combines its vast knowledge, experience and intuitive understanding of the markets to help our customers make Wize investment choices aligned to their individual styles and preferences.
FACTS
Media Agency: Zoom Advertising
PR Agency: Adfactors
Digital Agency: Quantastic
BTL/Activation Agency: Meet Graphics
Creative Agency: GOZOOP, PARKING AND OTHERS (Project-based)
