Agency Feature: All you need to know about narrative

Who are we?

narrative is a branding and communication agency based in Bangalore. We focus on narrating powerful customer-centric stories that transform businesses. 

Our journey began in 2010 when our founder, Rohit Varma, quit his corporate job to pursue his passion for entrepreneurship and building powerful brands. He has previously held marketing leadership roles in companies like SanDisk, AMD, Kobian and Cyber Media. Our co-founder, Deepali Shetty, comes with 20 years of experience covering long-term stints at leading investment consulting firms. Her experience spans across sales and marketing strategy, product launches, customer acquisition and strategic alliances. Our team consists of people from varied backgrounds who love good stories and thrive on crafting unique narratives. 

Rohit and Deepali’s vision for narrative is an extension of their extensive experience and deep knowledge of industry. Since its inception, narrative has done extensive work on brand development, campaigns and communication, with a greater emphasis on the importance of storytelling. We brought the global festival Social Media Week to India, launching it for the first time in 2013 and running it successfully for the next 3 years. We also worked on campaign and communication strategy for the Govt. of Karnataka’s landmark investment event, ‘Global Investors Meet - Invest Karnataka 2022’ and for GOK at the Aero India Show, Asia’s largest air show. 

narrative’s IP, Nature inFocus Festival is an annual event which brings together the country’s most renowned wildlife photographers and filmmakers, researchers, conservationists and nature enthusiasts under one roof. In 2023, the festival had a footfall of 3K+ people. 

Today, our storybook includes narratives of global brands like AMD, DELL, Vestas, Acer, IBM and Indian brands like Ashirvad Pipes (now acquired by Aliaxis) and Gokaldas Exports, among other organisations. 

Our core offerings today include brand development, campaign and communication strategy, website development and films.

What's in the name?

You mean what’s the narrative? Our name is the result of some introspection about our core philosophy. What do we really do? – we harness the power of storytelling to build powerful brands. There are many stories out there, and we help create the right narrative. A good story and a powerful narrative can transform businesses. Hence, narrative. No other name could effectively communicate our ethos.

What we do?

Our core services include branding, campaign & communication strategy, website development and films. Our services cover brand strategy and development, campaign communication and execution, website design and development, brand films, corporate films, product and CSR films.

Why we do it?

Today, communication has become very transactional and we are no longer able to perceive a connection with the audience. We also see a decline in the quality of communication. Remember those good ol’ days when the jingles would just come to you when you were on the bus or in the middle of work? Do you see that happening now? In a world where communication is devoid of nuances, we are on a mission to bring back the charm of a good narrative.

How we evolve?

In an era where communication is constantly evolving, so are we. With a ‘digital-first’ approach, we are continually battling with depleting attention spans. Our strategies evolve to make the most of the few seconds we have to create impact. Our processes also ensure that we are always aligned with the latest industry and design trends.

Social responsibility in social media

While we are always in awe of the impact social media can have on people and brands, we also know that it is our utmost responsibility to share messages that are mindful of the audience’s sentiments. More than that, we believe in harnessing the power of social media to share pertinent messages. 

For the Nature inFocus Festival 2023, our main campaign objective was – ‘The Time For Change’, to enunciate the importance of conservation and climate change mitigation. We also worked on a campaign for Nature inFocus with leading wildlife photographer Jayanth Sharma to shine a spotlight on e-waste while promoting a brand that makes laptops with recycled materials.

While we love humor, we also never miss an opportunity to ensure our message will make a difference and encourage action. Beyond that, we are always mindful of the fact that the information we share comes from a reliable source. 

Need of the hour

Responsible content creation. The content churn is hard to comprehend, and somewhere in the midst of all the pressure to stay pertinent and go viral, we see a lot of misinformation and edgy content gaining traction. This really needs to change. 

They work with us

Vestas, AMD, Dell, Toyota Financial Services, Gokaldas Exports, Govt. of Karnataka, Ashirvad by Aliaxis, Emami Realty

Industry as we foresee

We envision a future where video content and immersive brand experiences will take the lead. Beyond transactional communications, audiences will find several avenues to experience their brands of interest and interact with them. Augmented and virtual reality will be an important aspect of that interaction. Webinars and podcasts will continue to gain popularity, widening the avenues where brands and consumers interact. 

A day without Internet

For Rohit, it would be a day in the jungle with his camera. For Deepali, it would be on a holiday where she has immersed herself in experiencing the culture of a new land. For others in the team, it varies between photography, reading, writing and watching movies or dreaming of making one.

Can you tell us a bit about your work culture and values that you believe in?

We are driven by passion and we encourage a work environment where ideas take center stage. We love to debate and exchange notes and we often take time to find that story that gets us hooked. Only then, can we move forward. 

Can you tell us a bit about your work?

From showcasing Karnataka’s prowess as India’s leading investment destination using impactful communication and creating a unique campaign for Wildcraft to building a thoughtful identity for Nature inFocus using keystone species like whales and elephants – our work is wide-ranging and, may we say, an interesting mix. Do stop by our website to know more.