Interview with Rayhan Perera, Founder at OneDash: Helping Brands Monetise Content

OneDash provides brands with the tools to make any kind of media interactive – helping them to monetise their content in the moment. Our interactive technology creates a direct route from interest to purchase, bringing greater convenience, connection, and engagement to the online shopping experience. In one click, consumers can instantly buy products that catch their interest; without leaving the content they came to view.

As well as providing instant gratification for consumers, this drives many benefits for brands and retailers. Not only is monetisation of digital media assets easy, but they can also fuel higher returns. This is because shorter paths to purchase and higher interactivity increase the likelihood of sales and long-term loyalty, while reducing the chances of drop-offs. 
 
 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 
OneDash actually evolved from a failure. Enticed by the retail sector’s diverse and fast-growing opportunities, I originally launched a fashion company – but I quickly realised how tough it can be to gain market share amid such fierce competition. When this venture eventually failed, I started to think about how digital technology could be used to overcome hurdles, and I started building a solution that would help smaller brands break through the industry “noise” and give them an edge over large corporations – especially those just starting out. The result was OneDash.

OneDash was established to help brands power immediate, measurable results and make digital video work harder. Initially used by fashion brands for show content and live streams, our ‘shoppable’ hotspots are gaining broader popularity with multiple organisations looking to dial up the interactivity and performance of their campaigns, across various different sectors – whether education, charity, or recruitment. For us, the biggest achievement isn’t just that we’ve closed the gap between inspiration and transaction; it’s the way this allows emerging brands to gain ground and thrive.
 

What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

 
Successfully developing any business requires consistent focus on three key factors. Firstly, never take your team for granted. As this tumultuous year has illustrated, it’s critical not to overlook the value of ensuring teams are connected and motivated. To get the best out of their team and keep them, businesses must pay close attention to meeting employee needs and recognising their talent.

Secondly, always listen to your customers. Obvious as that might sound, this is about more than sending out feedback forms and surveys. Persistently monitoring how customers are behaving — and the changes or trends likely to affect them — is critical to inform current strategy and guide more profitable, efficient media activity in the future.

Finally, digital evolution should be embraced rather than feared. While it may seem confusing, the ever-rising volume of online consumer touchpoints and advanced platforms opens up endless possibilities for emerging companies. From the bigger conglomerates to the niche specialists, there are many experts keen to assist organisations in finding the right tech to realise core goals and maximise revenue. Take advantage of their support and capabilities.
 

What can we hope to see from OneDash in the future?

 
Having added deeper immersion and interactivity to digital video, we’re now setting our sights on changing the way marketing stories are told through real-time branching. The latest OneDash module will enable organisations to present consumers with the option of many different narratives in a single video, delivered across any online channel.

This new segmentation tool will significantly enhance both creative capacity and consumer engagement. With the ability to select from varied pathways and decide how they want to connect with content, audience experiences will be more personal and impactful. Moreover, it’s multi-faceted scope also means companies can save time and marketing resources while still offering huge choice; including their full product portfolio in one creative and leaving it up to consumers to choose their preferred story.

Of course, this isn’t all we have planned for next year or beyond. OneDash is constantly exploring new frontiers for internal development and even better interactivity. In addition to plans for further improving organisation-wide idea sharing, projects centred on augmented reality (AR) are moving with the next phase of advertising development. Watch this space for much more innovation to come.