Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group), an FMCG conglomerate and multi-business corporation, in collaboration with WPP Media and MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad), has launched DCODE 2.0 – The Guide to Digital Marketing, the second edition of its digital marketing playbook.
Building on its first edition, DCODE 2.0 examines changes in digital marketing, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrated across areas including Search, Paid Media, Performance Marketing, Content & Creative and other key disciplines. Rather than treating AI as a standalone subject, the playbook looks at its application across different areas of digital marketing.
The second edition includes MICA as an academic partner, bringing academic perspectives alongside the industry experience of DS Group and WPP Media. The collaboration is intended to make the playbook relevant to marketing professionals, students and the academic community.
DS Group said DCODE will be updated periodically to include new technologies, tools, industry practices and changes in consumer behaviour.
DCODE 2.0 has also been reorganised to make it easier to use. Its modules have been revised, while the Paid, Owned and Earned (POE) framework has been updated to help marketers plan and execute digital marketing campaigns.
What is DCODE 2.0?
DCODE 2.0 is designed for corporate and agency marketing teams, digital practitioners, media planners and buyers, students, academic institutions and senior marketing professionals. It will be available as an open-access resource.
The playbook provides frameworks, processes, best practices and guidance across key areas of digital marketing.
India’s media and advertising market is projected to grow by 9.7% in 2026, reaching ₹2,01,891 crore, according to WPP Media’s TYNY 2025 report. This is an increase of ₹17,844 crore over 2025.
Digital is expected to account for 68.1% of total advertising revenue, including digital extensions of other media. Within digital, commerce-led advertising is projected to be the fastest-growing segment, at 24.2%, driven by retail media, quick commerce and social commerce.
Other digital channels are expected to grow by 11.1%, while OOH and cinema are projected to grow by 8.9%. Television is expected to grow by 3.1%, supported by connected TV and addressable advertising, while audio is projected to grow by 1.5%, driven by streaming platforms.
AI-powered search, voice and agentic discovery are projected to grow by 8%, reflecting the increasing role of AI and technology in India’s advertising market.
What leaders said
Rajeev Jain, Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing, DS Group, said: “Digital marketing is evolving at an extraordinary pace, while 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. Our collaboration with MICA adds an important academic dimension, while our partnership with WPP Media brings deep industry expertise. Together, they make DCODE 2.0 a more relevant, comprehensive and future-ready resource for the marketing ecosystem.”
Prasanth Kumar, CEO, WPP Media, South Asia, said: “Marketing is moving from a world of fragmented digital channels to an increasingly connected, intelligent and adaptive ecosystem. AI is accelerating this shift, but its real impact will come from how effectively marketers integrate it across the entire consumer journey, from discovery and media to content, commerce and measurement. DCODE 2.0 is a timely effort to bring these evolving disciplines together and translate a complex, fast-changing landscape into practical knowledge. By combining industry experience with academic rigour, the playbook can help marketers move beyond simply understanding new technologies to applying them meaningfully to drive growth.”
Jaya Deoras Deshmukh, Director & CEO, MICA, said: “The future of marketing is not merely to discover demand; it is to imagine, create, and responsibly steward the futures that demand inhabits. As the marketing function steps into this Age of Imagination, the fundamental discipline of demand activation transforms, sensing unfelt and unmet needs and bringing them to life. DCODE 2.0 captures that very shift by pairing smart technology with human intuition, empowering marketers to look beyond what already exists and imagine entirely new possibilities into being.”
