In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping every facet of marketing, from hyper-personalized customer journeys to predictive analytics, staying relevant requires both strategy and sensitivity. Abhijeet Mukherjee, Head of Marketing at Crayon Software Experts India, shares how the company is leveraging AI to engage enterprises, SMBs, and partners with precision, while striking the right balance between automation and authenticity. In this conversation with Tech Achieve Media, he discusses real-world use cases, the importance of co-marketing, and the opportunities AI opens up for Crayon to move beyond being a service provider to becoming a true strategic advisor.
TAM: Crayon operates across enterprise, SMB and channel partner segments. How are you currently using AI or planning to personalize experiences for each of these audiences? Where do you draw the line between scale and relevance?
Abhijeet Mukherjee: We use AI to tailor engagement differently for enterprises, SMBs and channel partners. Enterprises get account-based marketing driven by predictive scoring to align with their priorities. SMB outreach uses dynamic website content, chatbots and trigger-based campaigns to deliver relevant messages at scale. For partners, machine learning analyses pipeline data and training activities to recommend enablement resources or co-funded campaigns. We draw the line between scale and relevance by lifetime value: deeper, more bespoke efforts for strategic accounts and partners, lighter rule-based personalization for the long tail to balance cost with impact.
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TAM: Could you share a recent example where predictive analytics or real-time personalization significantly improved lead conversion, partner engagement or customer retention?
Abhijeet Mukherjee: During an SMB cloud adoption campaign, we combined webinar attendance, readiness assessments and purchase history into a predictive model. Leads with high probability of conversion received a free migration consultation within hours instead of waiting for the next scheduled contact. This lifted conversion rates by more than a third and cut acquisition costs. On the partner side, we now flag early dips in activity and offer targeted enablement or marketing credits, which has improved portal usage and deal registrations significantly.
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TAM: Automation can save time but sometimes risks losing authenticity. What processes or guardrails do you use to ensure automation retains the ‘human touch’ in Crayon’s messaging and brand voice?
Abhijeet Mukherjee: Automation at Crayon is designed to free people for higher-value work rather than replace them. We maintain a clear tone and style guide for each segment and review all automated templates before deployment. High-stakes touchpoints still receive manual follow-ups, and we monitor sentiment, open rates and replies to refine messages. This approach keeps repetitive tasks automated but preserves empathy and context in our communications.
TAM: How important is co-marketing and co-innovation with partners in differentiating Crayon in the crowded IT services space?
Abhijeet Mukherjee: Co-marketing and co-innovation are central to our differentiation. Partnering with global technology leaders amplifies reach and trust, while joint development creates distinctive offerings beyond commodity services. These collaborations allow us to deliver tailored value propositions and make campaigns more compelling. They also let us pool content, budgets and events with partners, scaling impact without diluting quality.
TAM: India’s market is heterogeneous from large enterprises to SMBs to startups. How does your marketing approach differ across these segments?
Abhijeet Mukherjee: We treat India’s segments as distinct markets. Large enterprises get executive-level thought leadership, detailed ROI cases and high-touch account-based programs. SMB marketing is more digital, modular and offer-driven, emphasizing quick wins and easy onboarding. For startups we highlight agility, innovation and cost transparency, often through community events or accelerator partnerships. We also adjust channels: in-person roundtables work best for enterprises, while webinars, self-service content and social media drive SMB and startup engagement.
TAM: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the next wave of AI-enabled marketing? Where do you see the biggest opportunity for Crayon to lead?
Abhijeet Mukherjee: AI can now predict what information a prospect or partner needs before they ask and deliver it in the right format at the right time. For Crayon the biggest opportunity is combining our rich partner and customer data with ethical AI to create a feedback loop that improves every campaign. Done well, this can shorten sales cycles, reduce churn and elevate our role from service provider to strategic advisor.
About Crayon
Crayon, a global leader in IT and digital transformation services and the largest independent ‘cloud economics’ practice, strongly believes in the “Pay-per-usage” model – organizations must pay for the IT resources they actually need. Crayon is the most reliable and trusted technical advisor for many of the world’s leading organizations. Through unique people, tools, and systems, the company ensures the best ROI from complex technology investments. Crayon – specialized in software asset management (SAM), cloud and volume licensing and associated consulting services, is headquartered in Oslo, Norway with offices around the world.
