What makes a good marketer?
A marketeer needs to have a view of the Consumer/ Customer at any given point of time. Today, a good marketeer is one who is able to sense change in her brand’s customer behavior and aligning strategies accordingly.
3 things you look for when you hire people?
• Attitude more than capability
• Agile with means but firm with intent
• Willingness to explore roads less travelled
Your favorite destination for business trips?
I have never been able to club travel with entertainment. For a vacation, I would definitely visit a new European country each year.
Your favorite book?
While I am not an avid book reader, Freakonomics by Stephan and Stevan is the one that I admire and recommend to most marketeers. It dispels most popular marketing myths with simple explanations and examples.I am also fond of reading books and articles on human psychology and would recommend all marketeers to do the same as it enhances one’s understanding of people’s behavior and reactions.
3 things would never do a meeting without?
An agenda, an open mind and turning my phone on silent
When did you decide that Marketing is what you wanted to do?
As a child, my preferences were very well defined. I liked one ‘brand’ from another for very specific reasons and questioned the rationale behind it. This compelled me to understand human behavior and responsive psychology in day to day life. While I took the marketing path much later after completing my engineering, I had the inclination early on.
Your favorite professional you follow on Twitter?
Ashok Lalla.
Your most memorable advertisement?
De Beers – A diamond is forever remains an all time favorite. Of the more recent ones, I have admired Airtel – Har ek friend zaroori hot hai for the idea, Blender’s Pride – Make the world a stylish place for the detail and execution, 5 Star – Ramesh Suresh for its clutter breaking humour and Bombay Times – Jab Style Maraa for the treatment!
Do you love data or hate data?
As a marketeer, I love the insights that one gets from relevant data and there is no other way to feel about it.
What are your marketing priorities for the year 2014/2015?
A clear focus on personalized content marketing, micro segmentation of customers.
A mantra that you adhere to in your work-life?
Not everyone you work with is as passionate and as swift as you would like them to be. Accept it. Channel your excitement and rigor into real work and less talk.
One thing that one will find on your work desk?
A book or a magazine – the latter more often than not
Parul Nagpal is the Vice President Offline Marketing at Bluestone.com, one of India’s prominent online jewellery stores. With a rich professional experience in marketing, brand communication and implementation supported with a Global Masters in retail marketing, Parul aim to contribute significantly to the retail industry in India
Follow her @NagpalParul
