ET Shark Awards 2026 shortlist flags AI storytelling, Tier II/III push as CMO priorities
The 8th ET Shark Awards 2026 shortlist, chaired by ex-Britannia CEO Varun Berry with Kantar as knowledge partner, surfaced five jury themes from 120+ CMOs: AI-led storytelling, outcome-driven marketing, legacy brand reinvention, regionalisation into Tier II/III, and experiential festive campaigns.
What happened
ETBrandEquity unveiled the 8th ET Shark Awards 2026 shortlist, chaired by ex-Britannia CEO Varun Berry with Kantar as knowledge partner. Jury of 120+ CMOs noted
Key facts
- 8th edition
- 120 CMOs
Why this matters
Legacy brand reinvention as a jury theme validates acquisition theses around tired heritage brands with strong equity but weak regional and digital execution.
What to watch
- Winners announcement and category-wise case study release
- Q4 FY26 ad-spend disclosures from top 20 advertisers
- Regional OTT/influencer CPM benchmarks from GroupM TYNY 2026
- Agency holdco (WPP, Publicis, Dentsu) India revenue mix shifts
- Launch of CMO-level AI governance or brand-safety frameworks by ASCI
- M&A or relaunch announcements from heritage brands citing reinvention
- Map which shortlisted brands disclosed AI-creative stacks; build a vendor heatmap (Adobe Firefly, Runway, Indian players like Rephrase/Neural Garage)
- Pull Tier II/III media inflation data from Pitch Madison and GroupM to quantify reallocation
- Track Kantar's post-event whitepaper for jury verbatims on outcome KPIs
- Screen listed FMCG/retail names (HUL, Britannia, Marico, Nykaa, Honasa) for AI/regional commentary in Q3 earnings calls
- Brief retail clients on shifting creative RFPs to include AI-personalization SLAs