Visionary marketers have long-term vision, clarity and ability to experiment: Ajay Gupte, Wavemaker

Media maven Ajay Gupte on what it takes to be innovative

By Aashrey Baliga

Published: Oct 17, 2023 10:42:24 AM IST

Updated: Oct 17, 2023 11:03:49 AM IST

The field of marketing and advertising is evolving at warp speed as disruptive technologies and platforms change how companies interact and connect with consumers. Image: Shutterstock

“Firstly a visionary marketer really needs to have in his or her mind a proper direction for the brand that he's directing. An end goal that he would like all the efforts to drive towards. That is an extremely important piece so that the ad-hocism is removed and that every effort is driving him to a particular direction,” said Ajay Gupte, CEO - South Asia, Wavemaker. He added, “This virtue is extremely important. And this is rather than moving from one project to the other. When that happens, the brand loses focus and suffers in the long run.”

“Things are changing dramatically in our world today. There are new areas that are gaining importance in our ability to communicate with consumers and through the brand. Therefore, the ability to experiment, the ability to constantly be on the lookout for what is new and different and therefore create learning which will then benefit the brand is extremely important. Have a vision, drive towards that. Don't make it ad hoc, moving from project to project. Having the ability to identify new trends and the ability to experiment to make sure that the brand is constantly learning and these learnings are then applied to make a difference and to make a marked difference are very important.”

The field of marketing and advertising is evolving at warp speed as disruptive technologies and platforms change how companies interact and connect with consumers. At the core of these transformational forces are people who are creating and harnessing new technologies and tools to drive industries forward. They are curious minds, thinkers, creators and doers fuelling the innovation that grows brands and businesses.

Also read: Visionaries build brands for life: Aditi Mishra, Lodestar UM

After the super success of YoungGuns, Storyboard18 and Network18 Group are launching The Visionaries. The three-city initiative will bring the focus on Visionaries from the world of brands and the commendable work they have been doing in establishing their organisations as leaders.

The Visionaries is an initiative that recognises the leading lights who have transformed our approach to media, marketing, and advertising. The marquee evening will take place at The Oberoi, Gurugram, on 27th October 2023.

Ahead of the Visionaries celebration, we asked advertising industry leaders to share their views on the impact visionary marketers have on brands, people and businesses as well as the necessary qualities a marketer needs to possess.

Gupte added, “Things are changing dramatically in our world today. There are new areas that are gaining importance in our ability to communicate with consumers and through the brand.

Therefore, the ability to experiment, the ability to constantly be on the lookout for what is new and different and therefore create learning which will then benefit the brand is extremely important. Have a vision, drive towards that. Don't make it ad hoc, moving from project to project.

Having the ability to identify new trends and the ability to experiment to make sure that the brand is constantly learning and these learnings are then applied to make a difference and to make a marked difference are very important.”

“To be able to do this, you also need the marketer to be extremely agile, listening to trends, listening to things happening around and being able to make decisions that will favourably impact the brand. There is also a lot of data overload today. To be able to structure this data, make sense out of it, and use it to drive our actions in the direction of the vision that you set for the brand is extremely important,” he further mentioned.

Also read: Visionary marketers believe in magic, not just logic: Josy Paul, BBDO

“Clarity of thought is extremely important. If I were to put it down simply, it is to have a level of vision or a direction for the brand. To be able to have the ability to look for new trends, experiment and create new rules for the brand. To be constantly agile and adapt to changes and requirements which are different and experiment where required are the key factors in today's world to be successful”

Gupte also shares what he thinks are the most important qualities and values a marketer should have and showcase.

“Clearly, the impact that a marketer of such character has is in making sure that the brand is constantly learning, evolving, is doing things which are relevant to the consumer and is therefore ahead of the pack.”

He also mentioned “Such a brand marketer has a much longer term impact on the brand because what they're doing is they're constantly evolving, picking up new trends, using data to be able to experiment and create a database of learning which can then be applied for better results. In the long run, the gap between a brand that has a visionary marketer and a brand that doesn't is just going to grow.”

“It's a long term difference that a visionary marketer can create. You may have short term gains that an ad hoc marketer would get. But from a long term perspective, I think a visionary marketer would create a brand that will really stand out and will have a lot more buzz than otherwise,” Gupte concluded.

About The Visionaries

Storyboard18’s Visionaries initiative recognises the women and men scripting some of the most exciting chapters in Indian marketing, media and advertising. They are marketing leaders with responsibility for a category, brand or innovation-led practice within their organisation. They also exhibit a purposeful approach to building sustainable businesses and enduring brands, using the new bottomline, People-Planet-Profits, as their guide. For more, visit: Storyboard18's Visionaries.