Marketers Must Have A Longitudinal View- Ramesh Jude Thomas, EQUiTOR

I think fast, I talk fast, and I need you guys to act fast if you want to get out of this.’ – Winston Wolf, Pulp Fiction.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary thinking, measures, teams and leadership. This is particularly true for the time we are living in. Organisations have been tested at all levels but the ones that have been agile, flexible and open to new ways, have relatively come out better.

In our latest series of expert-driven conversations on the marketing and advertising industry, BW #MarketingWhispers, we were joined by Ramesh Jude Thomas, President & CEO, EQUITOR Value Advisory for the first episode. The session was jointly moderated by Dr. Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-In-Chief, BW Businessworld & exchange4media group & Noor Warsia, Group Editorial Director, BW Businessworld.

RJT, as he is known to most, set up EQUITOR, India's only ISO certified brand valuation & evaluation consultancy, almost 20 years ago to use brands & brand valuation as pivots for business transformation.

In 2001, EQUITOR partnered with Interbrand, the world's largest brand valuation consultancy, to bring in 30 years of worldwide expertise and thought leadership in leveraging brands as pure business assets.

Key Takeaways

Given that nearly everything has changed post-pandemic, especially the business equations, it is sure to bring some irreversible changes in the way organisations interact internally and externally. Asserting how marketers must look at it, Thomas says, “It is a time to reach out and be more engaged. Don't be conscious of this time. Be more brave and sensitive to your audience, because it is during a crisis, that all our senses get heightened. Typically, any meaningful engagement will work around this time. There is a physiological opportunity for marketers to make an impression on their audience. They must have a longitudinal view, instead of a transactional view.

Owing to his expertise and experience, he also offered his views about the many unicorns that have sprouted in the past 5-7 years, their valuation and their brand impact. “Beginning from the last 10-15 years, there has been a flavour of the month, first being real-estate. Then came retail, followed by eCommerce, fintech and now gaming. 

Eventually, each flavour gets tapered down, giving space to the next one. Typically, in the investment horizon, there will always be a flavour of the month and that will gain multiple in that month because everyone is fighting to be in that space. 

Also, some of these have come at the right time and made a difference, say Byju’s. Companies echoing brave ideas, utilizing technology to the optimum and their role in helping a larger bunch of people, will stay,” he believes.

Marketing, as we all know, has always been backed with art and science. Evidently, both of these have gone under tremendous change during this time. While the combination of sensitivity and bravery is better said than done, we asked Thomas if it is a good idea for marketers to stay quiet for a given time. He points, “Philosophically, a person stays quiet when he is disinterested or indifferent in the relationship. If you believe your brand relations are long-term and meaningful, you will continue them because both parties need it equally. Brands switch off when they only think transactional. When you have a longitudinal approach, you engage more. You can’t keep quiet in long-term relationships.”

He further poses a very strong question, “When we talk of marketing, we talk of CRM, advocacy, understanding and much more. If these are your core areas, why would a brand be quiet?"

Hence, for him, staying quiet is no option.

Last but not the least, he very candidly answers about the approach he takes while conversing with company heads. “I talk with all sorts of business heads. I generally split them into two segments. First, the young CEOs, who are clear that they want to set high standards and build deep relations. For them, the strategic approach hits better.

Second are individuals looking for purely transactional goals. For them, transactional advice makes more sense.”