#borzo

The gig economy is fast transforming and influencing the lives of people globally, as access to various services and products become accessible at one’s fingertips. On the other hand, this is also creating numerous job opportunities for people.

Borzo (formerly WeFast) recently did a survey on ‘Battling traffic obstacles during last-mile deliveries’ of gig workers to understand their perception about their work.

The survey found that 31 percent of respondents found that the quality and conditions of roads have improved compared to last year, but 20.6 percent believed it had deteriorated. When it came to their view on traffic congestion in their delivery area almost 87 percent of them believed it was ‘High’. A vast majority of respondents agreed that traffic remains one of the key issues.

Furthermore, 55.5 percent of responded said that they have been involved in a traffic accident or near-miss incident during their job. Due to traffic congestions, road users have witnessed their commute time increasing, in the case of gig workers the pressure of delivering fast also influenced them to ride fast.

More than half of the respondents admitted that the pressure of delivering fast makes them speed on the bike. A vast majority of 90 percent of responded also felt that lack of parking space on main roads was a key contributor to traffic woes.

Then 76.8 percent of gig delivery partners think that traffic signals are very long in their delivery areas leading to longer delivery time.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/business/express-mobility-traffic-remains-leading-woe-for-gig-workers-says-survey-3192930/

Written by: Devesh Gangal Country Marketing Manager, Borzo, India.

In today's fast-paced digital era, the marketing landscape is experiencing rapid changes. Among the most influential developments in recent years is the pervasive use of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing, absolutely changing heads to toes how businesses promote themselves and engage with customers.

Modern marketing teams are embracing smart technology solutions to enhance team efficiency and improve customer experiences. AI marketing utilizes the power of artificial intelligence to analyze consumer data and tailor marketing strategies to individual customers. By employing machine learning algorithms, AI can uncover patterns and trends that escape human observation, enabling marketers to craft more effective campaigns targeted at specific demographics and user behaviors. Marketing communications leveraged through usage of predictive analytics will certainly have a deeper impact.

The dotal boom is in full swing, with new AI tools being launched every day. These tools are making work processes faster and more efficient than ever before. In fact, the dotAI boom is expected to have a greater impact than the dotCom boom, disrupting various industries as it continues to grow. Thanks to open APIs and integrated subscriptions, businesses can now centralize their marketing communications operations. This makes it easier to collect data and target specific audiences with personalized marketing strategies.

AI in Marketing Communications

Effective communication with customers lies at the heart of any successful business. To build brand awareness, drive consumer engagement, and ultimately boost sales, businesses are now relying on AI-powered tools to create highly personalized, engaging, and relevant content for their target audience. Tools such as DALL.E, MidJourney, ChatGPT, Bard, Adobe Sensei GenAI and Firefly, Rephrase.ai, Synthesia.io, Copy.ai, and others have transformed marketing communications.

Al acts as a machine that mimics various aspects of human intelligence, such as learning, logical reasoning, and auto-correction. The adoption of Al for precise and tailored marketing strategies is rapidly increasing as it enables the analysis of large datasets and provides valuable operational insights that can be very helpful. It is enabling marketing.

Communications by generating personalized approaches that cater to individual customer preferences from different demographic groups by analyzing behaviors, products usage patterns, purchasing parameters and various hidden patterns.

To ensure responsible use of AI, brands have the ability to regulate themselves by creating transparent internal ethical guidelines. This includes safeguarding their data when utilizing third-party Al models and integrating these models through secure APIs. While privacy concerns have existed on the internet for a long time, brands can enhance their credibility by publicly sharing guidelines that demonstrate their responsible approach to AI and data. As AI models continue to evolve, it becomes essential to provide customers with transparency regarding the use of AI-generated content through clear disclaimers. This transparency builds trust and reassures customers about how Al is employed in delivering content.

It is crucial for individuals to recognize that growth and change are inevitable. To navigate these transformations successfully, it is essential to embrace the shifting tides and adapt strategies accordingly. Numerous brands have already integrated AI into their marketing campaigns, signifying the importance of understanding how AI can be leveraged within their specific domains. It is important to note that a one-size-fits-all approach may not yield equal benefits for all brands. Each organization must identify the areas where AI can bring value and subsequently develop a well-defined framework and roadmap for implementation. By doing so, brands can effectively harness the power of AI to drive their success in the evolving marketing landscape.

The monitoring, evaluation, and quality control of AI-generated work are crucial to prevent any discriminatory or plagiarized content from going unnoticed. Brands prioritize maintaining high standards and ensuring that such content does not make its way into their campaigns. Therefore, complete dependence on AI alone is still a long way off, as human oversight and intervention remain essential to ensure the integrity and ethical standards of content creation.

While we are at the ethical subject of AI usage in Marcom, let's take a look at some Pros and Cons of AI in Marketing

Pros:

1. Automation: Al streamlines various aspects of advertising, from the placement of print and digital ads to optimizing the targeting of digital ads, maximizing budget efficiency.

2. Efficiency: Al can create advertising schedules and instantly provide alternative schedules in case of delays or cancellations.

3. Boosting Creativity: Tools like MidJourney, DALL-E, and various online copy and video creators assist advertising professionals in delivering better output, sparking new ideas and enhancing creative endeavors.

4. Writing Support: ChatGPT has caused a sensation in the writing world by helping overcome writer's block and generating new ideas in seconds.

5. Cost Savings: Al proves highly beneficial for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and specific teams, enabling faster and more cost-effective ad creation.

Cons:

1. Job Displacement: It is undeniable that AI has the potential to replace certain jobs that can be fully automated, necessitating only human intervention in the form of prompts and result compilation.

2. Limitations of Replication: AI cannot completely replicate the dynamic nature and behind-the-scenes chaos of real-world advertising, requiring constant human intervention and decision- making.

3. Propaganda Potential: The misuse of Al-generated ads for propaganda purposes raises concerns and prompts the need for updated guidelines and scrutiny, especially in political campaigns.

In conclusion, despite the endless possibilities of AI's use in Marcom, it is crucial to balance the potential of AI with ethical considerations. While AI offers numerous benefits, it is important to remember that human oversight and intervention are still vital to maintain content quality, adherence to advertising standards and prevent issues that impact Brand reputation negatively. Internally, teams have to streamline clear protocols and extent of AI usage in context of initiatives that directly correlate with the reputation.

Source: https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/digital/the-ethical-dilemma-of-marcom-in-the-times-of-ai/101972075

Almost 76 percent of delivery riders surveyed have already adopted an electric vehicle (EV) scooter for work, demonstrating a strong willingness to embrace sustainable transportation options.

Borzo, a global intra-city delivery service, surveyed 6,000 delivery riders regarding the adoption and perception of EV scooters for performing deliveries. "The results indicate a significant shift towards embracing EVs as the preferred choice for last mile deliveries."

Even among those who have not yet adopted EVs, over 70 percent expressed readiness to use an EV in the future for delivery operations.

The survey found that a significant segment of respondents are experiencing substantial financial benefits from using electric vehicles for deliveries. "Over 50 percent of participants reported saving more than 30 percent on petrol expenses each month, demonstrating the potential for long-term cost savings by transitioning to electric vehicles."

Other advantages mentioned include lower rent expenses, quieter and smoother ride, and the availability of charging incentives or discounts.

The most common obstacles reported were the difficulty in finding charging spots (41 percent) followed by concerns about low battery range (21 percent) and longer charging times compared to refuelling (18 percent).

“The trend of electrification of the last mile delivery segment is an upward and promising trend but with enormous challenges of charging infrastructure, battery swapping and maintenance," says Eugene Panfilov, General Manager, Borzo India.

"Borzo remains committed to supporting the electrification of our last-mile delivery fleets by providing incentives, subsidised cost, infrastructure development through partnerships, and raising awareness among delivery service providers. It is important for various delivery players to address the needs of gig delivery workers, especially those aspects which improve the margins of delivery partners.By embracing EVs, the last mile industry can collectively contribute to a greener future and reduced emissions and better margins for our backbone, the gig delivery workforce."

Borzo has a fleet of over 80,000 delivery partners in India who serve the enterprise hyperlocal and SME segment. Borzo's services are available in various countries across Asia, Latin America and Europe and are used by over 500,000 active couriers and over two million customers.

Among the 6,000 workers who took part in the survey, 75.6 per cent already use electric vehicles for deliveries Borzo, an intra-city delivery service, recently conducted a survey regarding mobility choices among gig workers. The survey revealed that among the 6,000 gig workers who took part, 75.6 per cent use electric vehicles for deliveries.

Three out of four participants who have not yet adopted EVs said they would like to switch over to battery power.

The report also mentioned that among those who had not yet adopted EVs, 70.5 per cent preferred to use electric vehicles for deliveries in the future. In other words, this corresponds to almost 3 in 4 people in that particular group who would prefer to switch to an EV over an ICE vehicle for deliveries.

The reasons for this choice are many. 77.4 per cent of partners said that their reason was the savings on fuel, while others stated low rent, quieter and smoother ride along with charging incentives as their primary motivation. In terms of savings, workers who used an EV claimed that they increased their savings margin from 10 to 30 per cent by using a battery-powered vehicle. A total of 72.5 per cent of people also found EVs to be more comfortable to ride than petrol-powered vehicles.

Participants cited operational challenges associated with owning an EV.

This survey also included participants who found EVs challenging to maintain. 40.2 per cent participants said they preferred to use petrol-powered vehicles due to operational challenges. The main obstacles include the lack of charging spots, low battery range, long charging times, and comparatively high maintenance costs.