Opportunities Lie In Reaching New Audiences: Gauri Malhotra
In the dynamic realm of marketing, authenticity, and innovation stand as guiding principles for brands aiming to make a lasting impact and Gauri Malhotra, Chief Marketing Officer at Bombay Shaving Company stands by it.
Continuing with our 'Marketing Maestros' series, we delve into a profound conversation with Malhotra, where she shares her perspectives on marketing, sustainability, AI, influencer partnerships, and navigating the ever-changing landscape of social media.
Excerpts:
What attracted you to the marketing landscape?
Growing up, I was always inquisitive about what made me as a consumer choose certain brands and products. I wanted to understand deeper how consumers made these decisions at large and how brands influenced them. As a novice, I thought it was all about advertising. I dabbled with advertising, PR, and research through internships and early work experience, before building a strong discipline in marketing through my MBA and joining the FMCG industry. Building new brands through addressing the real consumer need gaps is what I enjoy and at Bombay Shaving Company, our endeavour is to maximise the hair removal opportunity for both men and women.
What has been the turning point of your life in the marketing industry?
I feel fortunate to have built a strong fundamental through a sales stint at the beginning of my career, understand grass roots selling to me is fundamental to being a good marketer and businessperson. I was also fortunate to have my early marketing stints on launching NPDs, which set the solid marketing playbook foundation to then build and work on larger brands.
Sustainability is the buzzword in marketing. What is your take on brands for green messaging as well as attempting greenwashing to stay competent in the market?
Undoubtedly, sustainability holds significant importance in the present marketing environment. Within Bombay Shaving Company, our standpoint revolves around genuine and accountable environmentally-conscious communication. Our dedication involves incorporating sustainable methods across all aspects of our activities, ranging from sourcing to packaging. While certain brands may opt for greenwashing as a means to portray eco-friendliness without sincere endeavours, our emphasis lies on being open and taking substantial measures.
How do you envision generative AI's potential to enhance content creation and storytelling strategies?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming the manner in which content creation and storytelling strategies are advancing. Through harnessing its capabilities, we visualise an optimised content production process that generates tailored and captivating narratives, enhancing the rapport with our target audience. Given the aptitude of generative AI to scrutinise data and patterns, it stands ready to empower us in shaping relevant and up-to-the-minute content, thereby amplifying customer engagement and allegiance.
How do you ensure authenticity and transparency in purpose-driven marketing, particularly while addressing sensitive issues?
Genuine authenticity and transparency serve as the foundational principles for catalysing a significant influence, especially among younger audiences that Bombay Shaving Company and Bombae speak to. I believe being authentic and being bold go hand in hand, and one needs to be prepared to have a polar response to a certain extent. As long as empathy and authenticity are fused, I feel consumers today are mature enough to embrace points of view from brands and content – though being empathetic is hugely critical.
How do you balance creative freedom for influencers and maintaining brand guidelines to maintain brand consistency and messaging alignment?
Striking a balance between creative freedom for influencers and adhering to brand guidelines is integral to maintaining brand consistency and messaging alignment. Our commitment to consumer-centric innovation forms the cornerstone of this balance. One must give prior attention to understanding customer needs, personalisation, enhancing customer experience, and being agile should be in the ethos. In essence, we, at Bombay Shaving Company empower influencers to creatively engage while upholding our brand's values through consumer-centric innovation.
What opportunities and challenges do you anticipate in the future of social media marketing and how do you plan to navigate them to stay ahead in the ever-changing landscape?
We recognise the arrival of new social media platforms brings both opportunities and challenges. The opportunities lie in reaching new audiences, leveraging innovative features, and diversifying our marketing mix. I think communication will evolve as the platform does, but it's important to identify certain early trends, bet big on them, and then benefit from the scale that it gathers. Also, social media is a distribution platform in my view, as long as brands can be consistent & clear about ‘what to say’ adapting to ‘where to stay’ is a simpler means.
