Mumbai: WebEngage, a B2B SaaS and full-stack retention platform, has unveiled its highly anticipated Global Trends & Benchmarks Report 2024–2025, spotlighting India’s remarkable growth in contextual marketing. The report reveals a 163% surge in revenue from contextual campaigns across the country, underscoring a shift toward more personalized, data-driven marketing strategies.
The findings — drawn from the analysis of 850+ brands and over 400 billion messages — indicate that while personalization is seen as essential, brands in India and the broader APAC region continue to lag behind in core engagement metrics. This gap presents a significant opportunity for brands to further optimize how they connect with consumers.
Key Trends Driving the Shift
From AI-powered automation to lifecycle engagement, the report outlines the technologies and strategies enabling higher retention, conversions, and ROI. Some of the standout insights include:
- 40% increase in conversions among brands using advanced personalization strategies
- 25% uplift in customer retention through AI-powered engagement and automation
- 30% growth in retention metrics for companies adopting lifecycle automation
- 3x increase in WhatsApp campaign adoption for real-time customer communication
- 60% of businesses shifting toward first-party data, prepping for a privacy-first digital future
The BFSI sector emerged as a standout performer, with a 33.56% open rate and 7.28% click-through conversion rate, highlighting the power of hyper-targeted engagement in regulated industries. Meanwhile, the media and entertainment sector led the volume race, sending over 138 billion messages across APAC — a testament to the sector’s dependence on continuous customer interaction.
“This year wasn’t just about keeping pace with change—it was about embracing it, steering it, and, at times, even challenging it. From AI-powered personalization to reimagined engagement strategies, our partners have shown that innovation isn’t a buzzword—it’s a necessity. As we look ahead to 2025, we believe AI will continue to drive real-time, hyper-targeted marketing at scale. The fusion of AI and automation is enhancing efficiency, deepening engagement, and boosting marketing ROI, ensuring that AI-driven businesses stay ahead in an increasingly digital-first world. At WebEngage, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with brands across industries and geographies, witnessing firsthand how they adapt to the evolving complexities of user engagement.” — Avlesh Singh, Co-founder & CEO, WebEngage
With the deprecation of third-party cookies and stricter data privacy laws taking hold, the shift toward first-party data and AI personalization is no longer optional — it’s foundational. WebEngage’s report outlines how forward-thinking brands are redefining marketing playbooks through behavioral segmentation, predictive analytics, and channel diversification, with push notifications, email, and WhatsApp leading the charge.
This year’s report positions AI not just as a tool, but as the backbone of modern marketing innovation, with sectors like e-commerce, BFSI, and healthcare leveraging it for fraud detection, predictive modeling, and deep personalization.
In a digital landscape shaped by heightened consumer expectations and data regulations, WebEngage’s findings serve as both a benchmark and a compass — guiding marketers toward sustainable, scalable, and impactful customer engagement strategies in 2025.
