Businesses in today's crowded marketplace require a personal touch to cut through the noise. Planning a holistic marketing campaign, thus, can be a good first step towards getting the brand out there. Designing the perfect holistic campaign, however, needs to take into account a plethora of parameters besides a business' immediate needs, expectations and goals including the micro-markets the business operates in and specific requirements for every channel the campaign will be active on. A new-age marketer should consider all business and market constraints and set quantifiable goals to manage expectations from a campaign.

In conversation with Reshmi Bhattacharjee, CMO, Think Reform Design Studios (TRD Studios), we learnt about her process behind helping clients navigate their businesses' marketing landscape. Reshmi, with her team, is a big proponent of keeping her clients aware of the process to be followed, the strategies employed at micro and macro levels and the growth of the campaign through periodic reports.

Tell us about TRD studios and the major facets about your expertise as a leader in the digital marketing sector?

The Reform Design Studios or TRD Studios is an end-to-end Lifecycle Management Studio with concentration in System and Service Design of businesses. In my current role as CMO of TRD Studios goes towards Market Planning, Multi-Level Marketing Strategy and Brand Growth Strategy. With most of our clients joining us right from the ideation phase, I take an 'outside-in' approach at every stage of marketing- right from Brand Design to Marketing Communication to Advertising. Right from planning the market to judging the product-market fit, we take the audience into account every step of the way. As a female leader, I am very passionate about creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive marketing communication for all our clients.

“Women are juggling many roles dictated by society already, and amidst this, if they are trying to make a mark of their own, i see that as a courageous and independent move”

Take us through your early education and priory industry experience. What factors led you towards the field of marketing?

I completed by B.Tech in Computer Science from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology and became a part of the Indian IT industry. After a stint with Tata Consultancy Services, I decided to go for my MBA and joined Babson College in Massachusetts, US. Babson College being a driving force in global business and entrepreneurship helped me look at the market from a creative, strategic and holistic viewpoint. In the US, I worked as a Strategy Consultanton projects that included Vertical Brand Building, Intercontinental Growth and Market Planning for organizations of various sizes.

My most recent stint (right before TRD Studios) was with iKeva, one of the leading co-working space providers. As the Marketing Head of iKeva, I was responsible for Brand Management, Customer Acquisition, Community Management and Strategic Partnerships.

My time at Babson College shaped my approach towards Marketing and it starts right from planning the right positioning for the brand, goes through creating brand recall through consistent brand communication to finally generating revenues through innovative strategies.

What are some of the most impactful trends developing in the industry currently?

The past few years have seen major shift in the Digital Marketing industry. The most impactful trends in the industry currently according to me would be-the move towards high quality, personal content, the acceptance and increased use of AR, VR and MR, and the adoption of convenient modes of interaction with brands, in the form of AI chatbots, social media messaging and others.

Throw some light on the approach you take while working on a new project or campaign

At TRD Studios, while working on a new project or campaign, we take a 5-step approach based on Design Thinking methodology. We start with understanding the business challenge, defining quantifiable goals, planning solutions that will help us reach goals, implementing and executing the plan and delivering the outcome.

Given the demanding nature of your role as a business leader and entrepreneur, how do you strike a balance between work and personal life?

I am an avid traveler. Being around nature helps me unwind and keeps my creative juices flowing. Since the pandemic put a long temporary stop to that, I brought nature to me during the lockdown. Now, I can proudly say that I have a balcony garden of my own. Engaging in constructive conversations with close friends and family around business and literature is another way I make sure I am balancing my time and energy right, besides the 'me' time I gift myself every now and then, between work and life!

What would your words of advice be for women aspiring to be foray into the field of digital marketing?

I would say hustling is an indispensable element of your professional life when you are a part of the Digital Landscape, but I would strongly advise women, specifically, to not be too harsh on themselves. Women are juggling many roles dictated by society already, and amidst this, if they are trying to make a mark of their own, I see that as a courageous and independent move. I would encourage them to understand that growth is inevitable when you are constantly giving 100 percent to your work with all the dedication and commitment, but let it happen at its own pace while you focus on quality.

Reshmi Bhattacharjee, CMO, Trd Studios

Reshmi is a B.Tech graduate from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology with her specialization in Computer Science and has got her MBA from Babson College with a triple concentration in Global Business Management, Entrepreneurship and Marketing. She has extensive experience in Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism, Consumer Goods, Impact Investing, and Consulting industries both in India and abroad. She is a Women Super Achiever Awardee ­ 2020 by CMO Global and an Iconic Women Leader Awardee- 2021 at the Asia GCC Awards.