Storyboard18 Visionaries - Bengaluru chapter: Blockbuster celebration of marketing brilliance
Over a hundred marketing leaders and CXOs gathered to celebrate leading marketing minds at the Bengaluru chapter of Storyboard18 Visionaries.
They say a lot of things about Bengaluru. The stories shift like the monsoon breeze. There's the rhythm of the rain, the endless stories of traffic, the frothy beers and the constant churn of tech ideas born in gridlock. But this Wednesday, a different kind of Bengaluru emerged.
In the sprawling ballroom at Taj West End in the heart of Bengaluru, chief marketing officers from across diverse brands and industries gathered to celebrate the leading minds in the industry and each other. There were brands that sold vehicles, brands that sold single malts, brands that sold biscuits, brands that sold malabar paratha and of course there were the tech geniuses too. They were all there to celebrate a new kind of marketing - one driven by purpose. Storyboard18's Bangalore Chapter of Visionaries had brought together the city's brightest marketing minds, echoing the success of its Delhi debut in 2023.
This night was about sharing visions for the future, and understanding the art and science of marketing in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA).
Through conversations and discussions what emerged were some shared mantras: Innovation, experimentation, disruption, and inclusivity.
However, many marketers, it seemed, took the word "disruption" with a grain of salt.
“Disruption for me is agility. It is innovation, it is breaking stereotype and barriers ,” said Ruchira Jaitly, chief marketing officer - Diageo India
"I have reservations about the word 'disruption' because it carries a negative connotation, as implying something untoward is happening, " said Shubhranshu Singh, chief marketing officer at Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles.
"In my view, a more fitting definition would be innovation that successfully scales and transforms the way we live, work, and conduct business,” he said.
From decades-old organizations to decade-old startups, leaders across a spectrum of companies and industries gathered at the Storyboard18 - Visionaries Bangalore edition on February 28.
Some of the leaders in attendance included Hina Nagarajan, managing director and CEO of Diageo India, Dr Rohini Srivathsa, chief technology officer, Microsoft India and South Asia and Britannia’s vice-chairman and managing director, Varun Berry, who presented Storyboard18’s Visionaries with the recognition.
The Visionaries who were felicitated included Sumit Virmani. Global CMO, Infosys, Ishita Grover, Director - Marketing, OnePlus, Ravi Desai, Director - Marketing, Amazon India, Ankit Taparia, Head Of Marketing from Yulu, Pranesh Urs, VP & Head of Marketing, Ather, Aniruddha Haldar, Senior Vice President (Marketing), TVS, Sai Narayan, CMO, Policybazaar, Ashish Mishra, EVP - Marketing, Acko Insurance, Santosh Hegde, VP Marketing, Licious.
The others were, Puneet Das, President, Packaged Beverages India & South Asia, Tata Consumer Products, Chandrika Jain, Director - Brand strategy and content, Lenovo, Minakshi Handa, VP Marketing - Fragrances, Skincare, Consumer Insights & D2C at ITC Ltd (Personal Care), ITC, Ramesh Srinivasan, Director & Head - Brand Marketing, Phonepe, Karthik Sathuragiri, Head of Marketing, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Anna Ohlin, Country marketing manager, IKEA, Roshini Das, GM- Marketing & Partner Scale – APAC and Japan, Intel, Mohua Das Gupta, Head - Marketing, Tata Cliq Luxury, Rahul Gandhi, CMO, iD Fresh Foods, Shubhranshu Singh, CMO - CVBU, Tata Motors, Mohit Rathi, VP - Customer Growth & Engagement, Porter, Anshul Khandelwal, chief growth and marketing officer, Ola Electric, Harsh Jain, co-founder and COO, Groww, Uzma Irfan, Marketing Director, Prestige Group. Nipun Sharma, Senior Director and CMO India-Salesforce, SalesForce.
Another important takeaway from the evening was how important purpose driven marketing is for brands across the board.
It's not only about toplines, said most leaders at the event.
“At Diageo, we strongly encourage our leaders and teams to find their purpose and then find ways to achieve their purpose everyday in everything they do both professionally and personally. When work becomes a platform for people to achieve their purpose and build a legacy, then they stretch to their potential and chase goals that they thought were impossible. And that’s when the magic happens,” said Diageo’s Nagarajan.
Stepping off the stage and onto the red carpet, the night wasn't just about marketing ideas, it was about expressing personal style. From flowing sarees to dapper suits and vibrant sneakers, the marketers didn't shy away from fashion.
We couldn't resist asking them about a specific trend they'd love to see return.
A wave of nostalgia washed over them, with desires for 70s fashion, suspenders on women, and a return of colourful shoes gracing the red carpet. Some even yearned for the tuxedo's return beyond formal events, and a few dreamt of reviving the classic Godfather style.
While the revival of these specific trends remains uncertain, one thing became clear, the journey towards an inclusive, impactful marketing future promised to be truly disruptive.
