Reinventing Digital Ads: Huella’s Prrincey Roy on Creative Excellence & Data-Led Growth

In today’s crowded digital landscape, where consumers are overwhelmed with ads across platforms like Hotstar, Instagram, and countless websites, brands face a pressing challenge: how to stand out meaningfully. In an exclusive conversation with Faiz Askari, Founder-Editor of SMEStreet, Ms Prrincey Roy, Co-Founder & CEO of Huella Services, opens up about tackling this challenge head-on with Huella’s creative-first adtech solutions.

From launching disruptive products like Nexad and AIgnite, to making digital advertising affordable and accessible even for MSMEs, Ms Roy shares how Huella is redefining ad engagement through innovation, data-rich platforms, and cost-effective strategies.

This exclusive conversation also highlights insights on creative adtech innovations, affordability in digital campaigns, and his entrepreneurial journey of building Huella into a fast-growing player in India’s digital advertising ecosystem.

Q: Today’s consumer has so many options when it comes to media and platforms. How does Huella Services approach advertising differently?

Prrincey Roy:
Absolutely. The biggest question we asked ourselves was—“How should an ad look?” Because today’s consumer is constantly switching across platforms—be it Jio Hotstar, Instagram, Facebook, or lifestyle websites.

At Huella, our focus is on creative excellence first, placement second. Our ethos is to make ads engaging, interactive, and immersive. For instance, Nexad, our CTV product, transforms a plain vanilla video ad into an interactive experience—where users can scan, replay, or engage directly. Similarly, our AI-powered product AIgnite takes a single brand asset and creates multiple high-quality variations—across video, display, or native formats.

We differentiate ourselves by ensuring your ad is not just placed but is seen beautifully and strategically. That’s our biggest USP.

Q: Affordability is often seen as a barrier for smaller businesses in mainstream advertising. How do you address this?

Prrincey Roy:
Digital advertising is far more affordable than many perceive. You can buy on CPMs as low as ₹80–₹100. With AIgnite, we’ve even launched cost-per-click (CPC) models starting at just ₹8 per click.

At Huella, we work with all kinds of clients—from Amazon and Flipkart to smaller entrepreneurs. The unit cost isn’t the barrier; it’s about aligning with the client’s budget. If someone has ₹1 lakh instead of ₹20 lakhs, we design packages around that. OTT and digital platforms make this flexibility possible.

Q: Which industry segments do you primarily focus on?

Prrincey Roy:
We don’t limit ourselves. Our clients come from BFSI, OTTs, handsets, consumer durables, hospitality, and many more. Since we’re a tech-driven ad product company—not a publisher—we can run campaigns for any category.

Whether it’s SBI, a spiritual brand, or a hospitality chain, we customize campaigns based on the audience cohort. Our flexibility and product-driven approach make us relevant across industries.

Q: Can you share your journey from Times Internet to founding Huella?

Prrincey Roy:
My 13 years at Times Internet shaped my foundation. I was part of launch teams for platforms like Ghana.com, Huffington Post India, and Business Insider India. I also created new revenue streams and GTM strategies there.

What I learned is that brands don’t care about your legacy—they care about relevance. Even with Times’ strong brand name, new products had to prove themselves. That realization, coupled with my knack for launching and scaling, inspired me to build Huella.

We began with credibility from my network—working with brands like Thread, Blinkit, and Zomato. Today, Huella runs on two strong engines:

1. AdTech Products – White-labeled, innovative solutions like Nexad and AIgnite.

2. Representation Business – Exclusive partnerships with platforms like Thread.

Both add credibility and value to our market presence.

Q: Data seems central to modern advertising. How do you see it shaping your offerings?

Prrincey Roy:
Data is non-negotiable. Brands today demand measurable insights—how many users, how often they visit, what they spend, etc. That’s why we consciously work with data-rich platforms like Blinkit, Zomato, and Thread.

Data-driven advertising ensures higher spending and stronger ROI for brands. Without it, campaigns become vague—measured only on reach or views. We aim to bridge that gap.

Q: How do you view digital campaigns in education and awareness sectors?

Prrincey Roy:
Education is a very performance-heavy sector. Most digital spends go into lead generation—like enrollments or brochure downloads. Content marketing (native articles, awareness campaigns) exists but forms only 5–7% of budgets.

Digital-first education campaigns remain highly ROI and performance focused.

Q: How big is the Huella team today, and what’s the growth outlook?

Prrincey Roy:
We’re currently a team of 28 people—growing steadily. Our philosophy is to expand only when revenues justify the growth. Right now, we’ve achieved 0–50 growth quickly, but the real challenge is scaling from 50 to 100. That’s our focus for the coming year.

Q: What’s your vision for Huella in the next few years?

Prrincey Roy:
Our vision is to become a full-funnel ad sales company—serving clients across the top, middle, and bottom funnels. Every year, we innovate: last year with Nexad, this year with AIgnite, and more products are in the pipeline.

The key is to stay constantly relevant. Advertising is often the first budget cut for companies, so we must continuously evolve. My belief is—there’s always room for new players and fresh ideas in this space.