It’s 2021 and everything around us is changing, growing, evolving at a breakneck pace. Marketing is right at the crux of this. Brands and marketers are scrambling to keep pace with the changing-by-the-minute updates, new techniques and success algorithms. Being aware of emerging trends and knowing the success formula is a vital part of staying on top of the game.

Avesh Sharma, a seasoned marketer and a brand partnership leader, talks about marketing and shares what needs to be done to become a successful marketer in 2021!

Q. How does your day-to-day life looks like?

My daily routine is the same as that of everyone else on the globe. Your job/objective/purpose /priority for the day defines or shapes the day, both professionally and personally. But I'd like to add that, while some external factors are beyond your control, how the day unfolds should be in your hands, and you should move accordingly.

Every hour has a different story or agenda. It's up to you how you take it, but one thing I've tried to do every day over the years is to never categorise a day as good, bad, or normal. You should just pull your socks up, calm it down, and go for it because tomorrow is a misnomer.

Q. For how long have you been involved in the field of marketing/brand partnerships?

It has been close to 13-14 years, wherein I have seen many transformations and disruptions across the agnostic consumer internet segment, and there’s a lot more exciting and relevant stuff on the cards.

Q. How’s the role of a marketer different in a startup than in a large company?

It depends on the stage of a startup, though I've never bought into the term "startup." A brand is a brand, whether it's solving an end-user problem, providing entertainment, or achieving any other goal that results in a bottom-line profit.

For a startup, it's the stages and journeys revolving around the product that defines a marketer's role, and for big brands, it's the stages/or various external/internal strategies ranging from competition, consumer uptake, product lifecycle, user retention, and a very deep funnel that shape up a marketer's role.

Q. When you transition to a more senior role, sometimes you might feel underwater. How did you deal with it?

The senior leadership role is a combination of a few key elements that likely reduce the underwater feeling. It is about focusing on long-term goals and strategies that are consistent with the organization's DNA.

Adding to the network grid and collaborating with industry leaders helps. Your team members are essential, and maintaining a balance ( pro- personnel ) improves overall productivity.

Giving your team members decision-making authority evokes intangible energy in them, allowing them to go about their work smoothly, with focus but under less pressure.

Understanding the dynamics of the organization, strategy, and team is important, as is communication flow from the top brass to you and your team in a very effective manner.

As a leader, I believe that gratitude + attitude is some of the relevant traits that a leader should have developed over time and should carry the mettle to bear the brunt during high-octane phases. Last but not least, I truly believe that it is now time for leaders to recognize that their team of colleagues or managers are commodity assets, but people & business are all about people at the end of the day.

Q. What Are the Biggest Marketing Trends to Prepare For in the Next Couple of Years?

Traditional marketing dictums or practices no longer hold true in today's consumer internet interconnected era. Marketers must arm themselves with the right tools and stay on top of emerging trends in order to remain relevant.

A few key trends that I believe will drive the marketing arena in the coming years are as follows:

• Data is the fuel: Understanding consumer behavior, which is changing by the minute, and utilizing the metrics of the behaviour and shaping up the canvas accordingly with subtle storytelling canvas is one of the major drivers, leveraging the latest marketing tools/ tech. It's as simple as this: 'you can't sell anything if you can't tell anything.' Focusing on the "Tell" piece with a thorough understanding of consumer metrics will be one of the most important factors.
• Handshake of cutting-edge technology and content-based intent generation: Creating a universe with technology such as Blockchain, AR/VR, and combining it with impactful content that triggers the intent for a brand or content in the mind of the end-user will be one of the key catalysts in the coming days to effectively imbibe the product/brand inside the end user's medulla.

Q. What’s The Secret Sauce in Marketing and Branding That Has Always Worked For You?

There is no such thing as a "fixed recipe" for a successful marketing campaign. The goal is to keep it simple, in line with the product/brand DNA, and to understand the TG to the bottom of the funnel. A mix of O-2-O is still relevant, as is understanding the cost-benefit analysis.

Still, in my limited experience, it's all about very subtle storytelling rather than slamming the product in the consumer's face. The simple recipe that works most of the time is to create a campaign using the latest marketing tools, but the entire marketing campaign/strategy should be soothing music to the ears, leaving a long-lasting impression.

Q. What are some of the most important non-marketing skills to succeed as a marketer in 2021?

Building and nurturing your network is the most important non-marketing skill that I believe in and will continue to believe in, not only for 2021 but for the rest of my life.

Q. What new, modern tactic, tool, or aspect of marketing should marketers pay more attention to?

To summarise the new tactics, it all comes back to the basics, but this time using the latest technology. Most importantly, and in my opinion, a prerequisite, is data analytics and how a marketer segregates, views, plans, and executes consumer behaviour analytics to continue to improve their brand positioning and relevancy in the market.

Understanding consumer consumption analytics and creating a personalized marketing campaign canvas is something I can attest to on any given day.

Q. What are the main mistakes marketers make early in their career?

To begin with, I am certain that during my learning curve over the years, which will always be ongoing, I would have been a part of the mistake group, as everyone is.

The most common strategy that we jump over to, which I believe is now done and dusted, is not completely gulping the "what user wants" but rather focusing on building a product and ecosystem and then burning cash to hard-sell push it to the user.

Well, it could work, but my limited knowledge tells me that the marketing canvas that one marketer is sketching out should begin with the end-user and flow back.

Q. Are there any books/courses/videos you would like to recommend to every marketer out there?

Without disparaging any of these sources, courses are effective, but I am more of a "people learner." Real-world problems, issues, or experiences provide better opportunities for learning. So, in my opinion, interaction and communication with people are more important.

Q. If you had a chance to tell something to your younger self, what would you say?

I wish I knew and probably had the corridor, guidance, or guts to at least do an introspection as to what road I want to travel, but having said that, I am satisfied with the journey thus far. Let's see what happens next.