Ann Kurian is a passionate story teller and believes that every brand has a unique story to tell. Founder & Creative Director of Talking Tree Media, a Bangalore based Creative Agency & Script-To-Screen Production House, Ann observed that there was a lack of connect between the economics of a Brand, the Consumer Behaviour that a Brand depends on and also the Creativity required to showcase the story of the brand. Committed to bridging the gap, Ann has created a company that renders specialized services and works based on Brand Strategy. Talking Tree Media was nominated as a finalist for Film Campaign Category at the Pepper Awards, one of South India’s most prestigious advertising awards. She was also selected to be part of The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Program for Women Entrepreneurs, that is facilitated by IIM-Bangalore. She has completed a 3 month Program just recently.

Ann brings over 28 years of experience in the global Advertising and Marketing industry. However, her interest in the said industry had developed very early on in life. She chose Economics as her subject in Graduation owing to her interest in Consumer Behaviour. Ann then pursued an MBA, in Advertising & Marketing, as she wanted to foray into establishing her own business.

With the rising popularity of digital platforms, Ann feels she can communicate a brand’s story much better. The perceptive leader believes that digital platforms have become a huge boon for small and medium enterprises that need to be seen & heard.

The Women Entrepreneur team caught up with Ann for an in-depth conversation about her entrepreneurial journey and various facets of her life. Here are some snippets from the conversation.

Take us through your prior industry experience that you bring to the table. What motivated you to venture into establishing a firm that specializes in marketing & advertising? What are some critical business challenges that you face while leading the firm and how did you overcome them?

I started my career in the field of advertising in 1991. I have stayed true to this field for several years since. I have worked both in India and US for eight years. I started my career with Mudra Communications, in Client Servicing, where I handled the brand IBM. Handling a multinational giant like IBM, was a great experience for me. Then I shifted to the creative side of advertising as a Writer with Chaitra Leo Burnett. After this, I moved to US and worked for an advertising company called Scott Advertising which handled established brands like Pillsbury & McCain Foods. While I was there I developed an interest in video making in B2B advertising.

Upon my return to India, I observed that the advertising industry had completely changed. I joined a training company which was planning to go PAN India. This helped realign myself with the evolving trends of the Indian advertising landscape. I designed the entire website and brochures for the company. We expanded to Dubai and Maldives, countries with predominantly Muslim culture. So the way we advertised there had to be changed too. I was hooked to filmmaking by then. I spent 8 years in People Pro which was the company that helped me grow my expertise as an international branding strategist and writer. I honed my craft and became better at filmmaking.

After six years I wanted to come back to my true love, advertising. This led me to start my own company, Talking Tree Media. We did Film Production and ventured into Digital Marketing also, for 3 years. It’s been a great journey! But showcasing ourselves is something that I have never done. Also undercutting by freelancers is a huge challenge which we faced. Today we handle 9 brands of Tata Steelas well as big brands like Shell, Brigade Group etc which for me is a big achievement.

What are some of the most significant milestones achieved by you so far? What is your guiding leadership philosophy?

Talking Tree Media is an LLP Co. My husband is my Partner, but does not involve in the Business directly. In December 2018, just before the Pandemic, we took the decision to shut down the Digital Marketing arm. In 2019, I got the business into my own hands and decided to focus mainly on Filmmaking which is my passion. But due to the Pandemic, travel was restricted and all our Pan-India shoots stopped. We had to urgently innovate! We took up 2D animation which my team had never done. We started training and upskilled the entire team, who willingly stood with me. We created 16 animation films for our clients which earned us enough revenue for me to pay full salaries & retain the entire team through the Pandemic. This is an achievement in which I feel immense pride.

“We formed a pan India collaborative of 35 cinematographers during the pandemic and started shooting. This way, I provided employment to several unemployed youth in small towns, who did the most exquisite work for us”

I then started looking for people who could shoot on location. We formed a Pan India Collaborative of 35 cinematographers and started shooting. This way, I provided employment to several unemployed youth in small towns, who did the most exquisite work for us. In the year 2020, Talking Tree Media made its first profit since its inception. I also got selected for a Goldman Sachs 10K Women Entrepreneurs Program conducted by IIM Bangalore, which is a dream come true for me.

I am also a Feature Film Script Writer waiting for my first big film to happen, which has been delayed because of the pandemic. I have written a 6- episode Hindi Web Series which is awaiting release on OTT Platforms.

As a successful business leader what would your advice be to young women and girls aspiring to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

I will advise women to never compromise on their family life. I am a “Mom” preneur and my children are my top priority. I wanted the best of both worlds, and worked extra hard for this. I feel glad that I spent ample quality time with my children. I always explained my work to them and today as teenagers, they encourage me a lot.

If you are a business leader then take time to THINK. Give yourself some Me-Time. And lastly, surround yourself with people who believe in you. Do what makes you happy and you will do it well.

Ann Kurian, Founder & Creative Director, Talking Tree Media

Ann brings over 28 years of experience in the global Advertising and Marketing industry. However, her interest in the said industry had developed very early on in life. She chose Economics as her subject in Graduation owing to her interest in Consumer Behaviour. Ann then pursued an MBA, in Advertising & Marketing, as she wanted to foray into establishing her own business.