Technology Is Changing Every Hour

“I don’t have any specific milestone,” says Puneeth Bekal, Director, Area Marketing, Mastercard as he delves into certain values on which he has built his career. Bekal has travelled and worked in more than 40 cities and experienced India’s diversity in aspects like food, behaviour, language, cuisine etc. What also makes his experience holistic is that he has worked in different sectors such as FMCG, ancillary, retail, real estate and now in fintech.  

This has allowed him the opportunity to not only get consumer insights but also apply them.

He says that there is not any one major challenge as it comes in many forms. “There are challenges every day, in every job. So any challenge was not so great that I was not able to solve it,” he says.

Exciting Times Ahead

The marketing sector has the opportunity to transform itself. The technology in the outside world is changing every hour and consumers are also changing and adapting to it. Their behaviour and habits are also influenced due to this. This poses questions to the marketer whether the work they have done in the past is redundant or is on the verge of becoming so.

Bekal is of the opinion that in the future, marketing will not be just about brands but will also be about data insights, design and product services. Professionals who are capable of adapting to this change will find it exciting.

Sky Is The Limit

Bekal says that he would want to be on the list of the world’s top marketers. “My vision and goals keep changing. Five years back, I had a different vision but looking at the way things are changing, the world is changing, my focus is on different things now. If I talk about my personal goals, they would be very different from my professional goals but if I could marry personal and professional, then nothing like that,” says Bekal.

He is among the marketers who are conscious about environment, social and governance (ESG) as well. He cites reports that state that people will not be able to enjoy the life they are enjoying right now by 2050. Bekal’s vision and goals from this perspective are to contribute or bring about a change in the lives of the younger generation.