Smita Khanna, an innovator, a strategist and a good cook personally, holds vast professional experience in the media and marcom realm. Having worked with Times of India group and the India Today group, Smita learned the nuances of media marketing and specialises in brand strategy, corporate image positioning, PR-strategy and execution, concept and content development, and celebrity management.
Spanning over 19 years of experience, her career boasts of endless vigor and commitment. She brings in a holistic perspective to brand communication. Her knack for looking into the obvious and the unobvious coupled with a thorough understanding of marketing and branding concept development has enabled umpteen number of clients attain the desired brand goals and business results.
On this women’s day, Squarefoot Story took a deep dive into the journey of Smita Khanna, Chief Operating Officer, Newton Consulting India Pvt. Ltd. to find out how luxury brands project themselves and if influencers are the right marketing channel for luxury brands. Excerpts from the interview:
How do you define a luxury brand in today’s market?
Luxury today is the ‘Economics of Significance over Scale.’ It isn’t defined by mass appeal, but by a brand’s ability to navigate the trenches of the Science of Thought, Behavior Patterns, and Influences at work. At Newton Consulting, we don’t just look at what people buy; we analyze the psychological patterning of “why do they desire”.
With India’s luxury market projected to reach $12.1 Billion by 2025 and nearly $19 Billion by 2034, luxury is now a predictive outcome; hence, a brand must anticipate a consumer’s need for status and self-affirmation before the consumer even articulates it.”
What are the three most important pillars of luxury brand communication?
- Trust Architecture: In an era where 63% of consumers feel the burden of data protection, luxury brands must lead with a privacy-first, ethical data strategy.
- Predictive Personalization: Moving from ‘Hi [Name]’ to ‘I know what you need next.’ Using behavioral data to predict outcomes ensures the brand remains a constant, proactive partner in the consumer’s life.
- The Aspiration Gap: Using high-impact storytelling to ensure the brand remains universally admired but intimately understood.
Do you believe influencers are the right marketing channel for luxury brands?
Only if the influence is quantifiable through behavior. Followers are a vanity metric, and we look for ‘Engagement Velocity.’ Data shows that Nano and Micro-influencers (1k-50k followers) often drive a 10.3% engagement rate, far outperforming mega-celebrities. For luxury, the ROI isn’t just with reach, but in the Prediction-Based Outcomes. If an influencer’s audience patterns align with the brand’s ‘Science of Thought’ profile, the conversion quality is significantly higher.”
How can luxury brands differentiate between genuine influence and paid visibility?
We use Sentiment and Decisioning Analytics. Paid visibility buys ‘scroll-past’ impressions. Genuine influence triggers ‘Micro-Moments’ where a user saves a post or initiates a voice search. In 2025, we’ve seen a 120% increase in intent-driven queries for premium categories. At Newton, we use these behavioral triggers to predict which ‘screen and moment’ will actually own the consumer.”
Lessons from Meow 104.8 FM & Newton Consulting
When you launched Meow 104.8 FM, how did you position it uniquely? And what can luxury brands learn?
“At Meow 104.8 FM, we didn’t sell airtime; we sold a Niche Psychological Space. In a market of generic contemporary Bollywood music, we focused on ‘Talk’ and ‘Women-First’ content. We owned a specific thought pattern.
Luxury brands can learn this Niche Positioning Strategy: Don’t try to win the ‘mass screen.’ Use data to identify the micro-niche where your brand’s philosophy is the only logical answer. At Newton Consulting India, we’ve taken this further by using the Science of Thought Behavior Patterns to predict outcomes. We move brands from ‘Reactive Campaigns’ to ‘Predictive Leadership’ where every marketing move is a calculated step toward a specific behavioral result.”
Purpose & Responsibility
Given your work with the Indian Cancer Society, do you believe luxury brands carry social responsibility?
Purpose is the ultimate luxury. My work with the Indian Cancer Society, the oldest registered NGO in India—has taught me that high-impact brands have a moral obligation to use their influence for social good.
In 2026, Sustainability and Social Ethics are the new Status Symbols. Luxury consumers are more informed than ever; 86% of them now expect explicit data privacy and ethical frameworks. Aligning with a cause like cancer awareness doesn’t dilute exclusivity; it adds a layer of ‘Ethical Rarity’ that today’s self-aware consumer demands.
In one sentence what defines powerful luxury branding today?
Powerful luxury branding is the seamless integration of Human Intuition and Predictive Data to create a legacy that is both emotionally resonant and scientifically sound.
