Access to data has made marketing smarter but also more competitive: Vitasta Kaul

Not often does one meet people who have the hunger for upskilling and educating themselves after having an experience of more than 17 years and spending time in the industry across start-ups and businesses. Well, Vitasta Kaul is not your conventional CMO. The leader has had an interesting career journey, to say the least. 

Imagine crafting educational content with a twist–think animated characters teaching kids through graphic novels. That was Vitasta Kaul's baptism by fire in the ed-tech space, a time when the term itself was barely a murmur. Fast forward, and Kaul would go on to orchestrate brand strategy for high-growth start-ups.  

Now, at the helm of marketing at Hoopr.ai, a music licensing platform, Kaul is on a mission to revolutionise the music licensing landscape in India, leveraging her blend of strategic foresight and passion for music. 

Working for start-ups is not everyone’s cup of tea. In Kaul’s own words, “It's like walking blind folded on a busy street.” Kaul has had a fervour for building and scaling start-ups from scratch making them brands in their own right. 

In this interview with Social Samosa, Vitasta Kaul offers insights for professionals in Advertising and Marketing, revealing the nuances of scaling a brand from the ground up, the critical importance of staying ahead of industry trends, and the strategies that she employs to position Hoopr.ai as an emerging force in the burgeoning creator economy. She sheds light on what it takes to work at start-ups and how it differs from traditional MNCs and legacy brands as well as the evolved role of a CMO. 

Edited excerpts: 

Vitasta, you’ve held multiple roles over years across places, from brand strategist to creative consultant to heading marketing departments; from freelancing to full-time, you have had a lot of experience in the industry. Tell us about how has that journey been and what insights did you acquire from each role? 

My professional journey started in 2007. I have a master's degree, and my first job was with a startup in the edtech space. This was back in 2007 when edtech was not even a big buzzword in India. They were way ahead of their time and pioneers in their field. I worked there for about six years, primarily creating curricular content with innovative formats like animations and graphic novels for educating kids in schools. 

I then decided to take a break and upskill, completing a one-year executive program from IIM Calcutta. I did this because, after six years, I felt the need to acquire more functional and soft skills in a formal setup. During this time, I also ran my own venture in the food and beverages sector. We partnered with some of the largest events like Sunburn, NH7 Weekender, and Comic Con, curating and managing their food courts. I ran that business for about a year and a half to two years.

After that, I joined an early-stage startup in the used two-wheeler space as part of the founding team. I worked there for eight years, helping them expand to about 1850 employees and launch around 80 flagship showrooms. I crafted their go-to-market strategies, brand language, and brand consistency across platforms, both online and offline. 

After leaving that company in 2023, I did a one-year program from INSEAD, a France-based business school. Now, I'm working for Hoopr.ai. Throughout my career, whenever I took breaks, I always worked as a consultant on different projects. I love marketing and figuring out what's going on across different industries, as it keeps me on my toes.

Throughout your career, you have worked with startups and helped establish their brands. How did Hoopr.ai pique your interest considering you were on a year-long sabbatical?

Hoopr.ai checked three key boxes for me: it was an early-stage startup, it involved music (which I am passionate about and trained in), and it needed someone to help hyper-scale its presence and reach in the next two to three years. I also met Gaurav, the Founder of Hoopr.ai, through a close connection, which helped me understand and align with their vision for the company. It was a natural fit for me.

Could you explain briefly what a music licensing platform does?

Music licensing essentially means that you are paying the actual owner of the music or the tune, or whoever has written the lyrics, to use that music for monetary gain. For example, if a brand is making content or an ad and publishes it on social media, television, or live events, they need permission from the owner and must compensate them for using the music. 

Platforms like ours are crucial because the creator market in India is expanding rapidly, with millions of creators making content daily. When creators use music without proper licensing, they risk having their content taken down by platforms like YouTube or Instagram, which limits their ability to monetize their work. Hoopr.ai offers a vast catalogue of music that creators can use without worrying about copyright issues. They can pay a small subscription fee and use this music freely, enabling them to monetize their content without strikes or takedowns.

The concept of a music licensing platform is new in India. How do you plan to elevate and grow Hoopr.ai? Could you shed light on how your marketing strategy looks as of now? 

Our marketing strategy can be broken down into short-term and long-term goals. 

In the short term, we are focusing on building trust and reaching out to artists and creators. For artists, we aim to democratise the music industry, sourcing from diverse regions across India and commissioning music from them. For creators, we use performance marketing initiatives and advertising on platforms like Meta, Google, and Instagram. We also focus on educating creators about monetization, copyright, and licensing through masterclasses and webinars.

In the long term, we want to build a large ecosystem and marketplace where artists, creators, and brands can collaborate. Brands can commission music from our artists and amplify it through our network of creators, creating a mutually beneficial cycle. Our goal is to enrich and empower both the artist and creator communities while providing value to brands.

How does the payment model work for the artists? Is it dependent on the number of downloads or streams their music receives, or is it a fixed payout?

It's a fixed upfront payout that we give to the artists. We also monitor the trends to see which music is performing well and commission more music from those artists, ensuring a regular and lucrative income stream for them.

Hoopr.ai’s target customers presently seem to be creators and artists–which might be relatively small in number if one were to consider the sustenance of a venture that is looking to scale its operations. Are there plans to make the product palatable for general users on social media? 

Absolutely. Creators are normal people with a creative bent of mind who want to create content. Even if someone doesn't monetize their content, they can still use our music. However, as a startup with frugal budgets, we need to focus on the low-hanging fruit—those that will bring a higher ROI. While it's open to the general public, our current focus is on targeting artists and creators who can immediately benefit from our platform. But anyone can come to our platform to stream and enjoy music, just like other music streaming platforms.

For startups that are trying their hands at something new, it becomes essential to educate the audience while at the same time maintaining creative uniqueness to stand out and leave an impression. Considering that earlier you were working for a startup offering a similar one-of-its-kind proposition, how do you navigate the challenges that arise with such propositions and design a marketing strategy that ticks all the boxes? 

Before deciding what you're going to do and who you're going to talk to, you must be very clear about what you want to tell them. It's very important for a brand and a marketer to decide on a few key messages and consistently communicate those for an extended period. This standard marketing principle, called frequency, involves repeating the same message so that it sticks in the consumer's mind. For example, Maggie is known for its two-minute noodles, and this repetition has made it memorable.

As a brand, you need to identify one or two key pieces of communication to hammer into your consumer's mind. Once you've done that, you can critically analyse your target audience. For example, if you're targeting artists, determine the type of music they create, their location, and their output. Similarly, analyse creators to understand their background and growth potential. Once you've identified your audience, you can define your marketing channels, budgets, activities, KPIs, and ROI. We followed this approach in CredR, which operated in the unorganised two-wheeler market in India. We spent years educating consumers on the benefits of buying from a company like CredR instead of a roadside dealer. Similarly, in Hoopr.ai, we educate creators on the risks of using copyrighted music and the importance of avoiding it to prevent channel takedowns and reduced monetization ability. The fear factor can be effective in emphasising the importance of adhering to these guidelines. So, a comprehensive analysis of your message, audience, channels, budget, and KPIs is crucial to navigating the entire process.

You mentioned the need to educate the customer. Nowadays, with so much content and low attention spans, is a purely educational approach sufficient, or does one need to do something more to attract attention?

You need multiple approaches. While education is crucial, it can't be the sole strategy. When speaking to creators, we use education through tutorials, master classes, and webinars on using copyright-free music effectively. We also instil a sense of community by creating reward programs and hosting meet-and-greet events. This builds a support system and brand stickiness. Additionally, we disguise direct marketing efforts within these formats. For instance, we offer brand deals in exchange for using our platform. This multi-faceted approach, combining education with community-building and subtle marketing, is essential. It's similar to strategy courses promoted on Instagram; education is just one way to sell the product, complemented by other channels.

What channels are you looking to leverage to amplify your marketing efforts and reach your intended audience? 

For performance marketing and customer acquisition, we're using Meta and Google. We're also creating interesting content, especially from the creator's perspective, and running UGC campaigns on Meta and our platform. Offline, we host intimate meetups with artists and creators, promoting their work on social media. For example, we recently released a song called ‘Tora,’ which performed well with significant online and press coverage. We also created an IP called ‘Know Your Creator,’ highlighting creators using our music. 

We're planning a lot of engaging content for YouTube and Instagram, focusing on trends like regional music. One of the trends that we are observing is that Haryanvi, Telugu, like regional music, has suddenly picked up in a big way. So one of the efforts in the coming quarter will be to leverage, create and commission music that is in this space and then leverage that for our creator community on social media. For talent acquisition and industry insights, we use platforms like Quora, Reddit, and LinkedIn for soft marketing and positioning, in addition to performance marketing.

As a marketing professional, how different is working for a startup different from an established business? 

In a startup, it's like walking blindfolded on a busy street. You need to be agile, quick, and resourceful. Unlike established companies with structured processes, startups require a more hands-on, hack-it mentality. Your role is fluid, allowing you to explore different areas and upskill. In contrast, established brands have defined roles and stringent processes, making them less nimble. In a startup, you're prepared for unanticipated challenges and must be frugal. If you prefer a comfortable, process-driven environment, an MNC might be a better fit.

Based on your experience in the industry, how do you think the role of a CMO has changed?  

Massively. When I started in 2007, social media was limited to platforms like Orkut and Facebook, with minimal monetisation. Sales were primarily offline, and the digital ecosystem was undeveloped. The startup ecosystem and venture capital landscape were also nascent. Now, working as a CMO for a startup is highly respected. The adoption of technology has transformed business operations and marketing, making campaigns more trackable and measurable. This access to data has made marketing smarter but also more competitive, as every brand now leverages these tools. The number of brands has increased, making it challenging to stand out. The key changes include respect for startup roles, technological advancements, and increased competition.

Women in the workforce often find it hard to return to work after taking a break given the nature of social structures and the demands of personal and professional lives. How did you navigate your break and return to work, that too in such a crucial position? 

My break was different as I took it to upskill and explore new career avenues. I didn't face resistance when returning to work. I used the time to earn a degree from INSEAD, travel, and enhance my soft skills through leadership coaching. This approach added value and made me a stronger candidate. Although I get what you are saying. A lot of my colleagues and friends have gone through a similar situation wherein taking a break has made it difficult for them to return to work and put them out of the market.  

However, I am sensing a change in the industry, especially among startups in the way women are looked at. Companies now recognize the value of diverse experiences and networks. Founders look for functional skills, balanced temperament, and a strong professional network. If you bring these qualities, gender doesn't matter. What matters is your fit for the role and your ability to add value and fit culturally with the organisation.

What are your long-term and short-term marketing goals? 

Short-term, our focus is on artist and creator acquisition to scale the platform in the next six to eight months. Achieving these milestones will help us raise our next round of funding. Long-term, we aim to create a platform-led ecosystem for artists, creators, and brands, functioning as a marketplace. We want artists to sell their compositions to brands, and brands to commission directly from artists. We aim to amplify brand content through our creator community. Our ultimate goal is to have some of the world's biggest musicians on Hoopr's roster, with their music exclusively listed on our platform. That's our North Star.