Marketers on balancing long-term brand health with short-term growth

The marketing landscape's evolving dynamics have challenged professionals to constantly achieve more with fewer resources. This shifting environment demands a delicate balance between maintaining long-term brand health and driving short-term tactical growth. To delve into these complexities, Tushar Malhotra, Director of Sales & Marketing at Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd., moderated a session at The Marketing Pulse Summit by Social Samosa featuring:

• Anuja Trivedi, CMO of Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd.
• Mahip Dwivedi, VP & Head of Marketing at Pepperfry
• Karandeep Singh Kapany, Regional Marketing Director at Duolingo
• Vanda Ferrao, CMO of WOW Skin Science

The discussion explored the evolving roles of marketers and CMOs and how they navigate the current media landscape to thrive amidst these challenges.

Long-term brand health vs. Short-term tactical growth

Brands need to understand the importance of balancing long-term brand building while balancing with tactical growth in the short term, particularly in the context of direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands and startups. Vanda Ferraro stresses the necessity of maintaining a balance between these two strategies. "If you don't do both in conjunction, you'll have a downward spiral," said Vanda Ferraro.

Emphasising the critical balance between brand building and tactical marketing, Ferraro claimed how for direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, leveraging multiple channels and creating collaborative content can enhance brand equity without a substantial budget. "With D2C brands, we have the power of data," she added, highlighting the importance of real-time campaign assessment.

Whereas, Mahip Dwivedi highlighted the necessity of tactical marketing for daily operations. "For day-to-day things, you cannot ignore tactical marketing," he asserted.

"I think the biggest thing is unlearning a lot of things," Karandeep Singh Kapany asserted, sharing his experience transitioning from a larger company to a startup, emphasizing the need to unlearn and adapt. Adding to his response, Kapany highlighted the powerful impact of social media and content marketing that he discovered while working at the startup.

Additionally, Anuja Trivedi highlighted the shift in marketing dynamics, noting, "Today, results come as you run the campaigns." She compared this to a salesperson checking daily performance, emphasizing the need for traditional and digital marketing to coexist.

Understanding integrated marketing 

Malhotra discussed the importance of integrated marketing campaigns, particularly for reaching Gen Z, asking the panellists how the evolving media landscape aids marketers.

In response, Kapany explained the situation at Duolingo, noting how their viral campaigns are often created with minimal resources. "At Duolingo, we don't spend a lot of money on marketing, but the videos and campaigns that go viral are usually shot on an iPhone," he said.

Additionally, Ferrao highlighted the significance of two-way communication with Gen Z. "The most important thing that has happened today which wasn't there before is the two-way conversation," she added, stressing the need to strike a chord with this open-minded audience.

Out-of-the-Box marketing ideas

Moving further, the panellists were prompted to share creative marketing ideas that achieved significant impact with minimal resources.

While Ferrao recounted a campaign where Nancy Tyagi used their at the Cannes Film Festival, another campaign their team created for the Bangalore police also gained substantial traction. "Small viral things accrue to build your brand and make it bigger," she added.

"This is the power of quirky execution", Kapany added, sharing an example where a low-budget video at Duolingo went viral in Delhi showcasing the power of content.

Dwivedi discussed a hyperlocal campaign for BigBasket that achieved an 18.5% increase in organic engagement by using regional languages. Additionally, he also highlighted a Flipkart campaign where AI was employed to create personalized video messages, illustrating an effective mix of content and performance marketing.

Moving forward, Trivedi discussed a gamified campaign for 'Kundli Milan' that extended beyond the show, as well as a Gujarati content initiative that went viral with the help of micro-influencers.

Advice for Marketers

"Take more risks," was the advice given by Kapany, emphasizing that experimentation is essential for professional growth.

Whereas Dwivedi added, "Take risks and measure well," underscoring the importance of ensuring that marketing spend is effectively allocated.

Additionally, Trivedi concluded with three key points: "Keep your consumer at the centre of all your decisions, be honest and true, and think omnichannel in whatever you do."

The session concluded with Malhotra encapsulating the essence of the discussion: "Less can also be enough." This sentiment reinforces the idea that with strategic planning, creativity, and effective use of data, marketers can achieve substantial results even with limited resources. The emotional takeaway is clear: innovation, adaptability, and a consumer-centric approach are the keys to thriving in today’s marketing landscape.