Bhuvana Subramanyan - Consumer Centric Marketing and Use of Technology Has Helped Marketing Pick Up a Fast Pace (Chief Marketing Officer at Randstad India Private Ltd, India)

LinkedIn - @Bhuvana Subramanyan

1. Tell us more about your journey and background.

I am the CMO of Randstad India and the journey to this position has been an amazing one. The journey started when I was in my 11th grade when I developed a passion for sales & marketing. While I pursued Botany in my undergrad, I took up MBA in marketing later. 

I also took up sales jobs right after my college. In the beginning I focussed on learning different roles and understanding the organisation as a whole. I learnt most of what I know on the job. I was lucky to have mangers and bosses who trusted me and my ability. 

They always took chances with me and I worked very hard too. After pursuing roles in PR and communication, I shifted back to marketing.


2. How according to you has marketing evolved over the years?

Marketing has evolved and has come a long way especially in the past decade. Marketing as a function has undergone a major transformation. With the mainstreaming of the internet and social media, the ubiquity of technology, and the world becoming a more connected place, marketing is no longer restricted to traditional methods.

Consumer centric marketing and use of technology has helped Marketing pick up a fast pace. Data driven marketing has been ruling in the last few years and that has helped with the customization and personalization of the outreach. Macro and micro targeting have played a key role in being able to get your products and services to the right audience at the right time. 

Moreover, marketers have learnt to go where the customer is and not the other way around. This means the consumer doesn’t have to go looking for anything, but is targeted where he is. With this evolution the function is also gotten closer to the business and is more a revenue function than a cost function. 

The skilling requirement is also very specific in today’s marketing world. Constant learning is a necessity to keep up with martech or with the latest in inbound and outbound marketing. ABM’s are a part of every marketing person’s strategy. Video marketing, social marketing, mobile marketing are part of the day to day strategy for the function. 

With more and more technology including AI and data being infused into marketing I see marketing turning into a holistic approach as we move forward.


3. Where do most of your marketing budgets go, traditional or digital?

In todays more than 90% virtual world, the budgets go towards digital. The mix includes sponsorships, memberships, SEO, SEA, social and digital platforms


4. How can one reach the top echelons in marketing?

Through networking on social and digital platforms. By being part of select but niche communication and marketing networking groups. By attending 3rd party events and connecting with them post the event. By interning or seeking coaching from them.


5. How will marketing change in the next decade or so?

It will be led by technology and a predictive approach. Personalized experience that will be more tech and touch will rule marketing. This means using AR VR and other advanced technologies to create a wow experience. 

Mobile, in-app and other hand held devices, gamification will continue to play a huge role. It will be an amalgamation of technology, concepts, creativity and data.

6. Which is your favourite book and why?

Two books - My all-time favourite is One minute nonsense by Anthony De Mello

In this wonderful collection of stories and nuggets of wisdom the teachings come from the "Master." What I love about it is that the master is not a single person, it could be any body. It was recommended that I read only one nugget per day, internalise it and understand it better. Its not an easy path to follow but set you thinking and also brings in different perspectives. These teachings are evergreen and apply in any given situation.

Book by Paul Dupuis, MD & CEO, Randstad India - 'The Rule of 5: Leadership & The E5 Movement'.

It’s a fresh approach to leadership, and brings out the first-hand experience of the author and has relatable concepts and showcases game-changing leaders from the world of business, sports and politics. What I like about the book is that it’s not a philosophy or Gyan as they say in India. 

It's practical and something one could put to practice on a day to day basis. It takes you through the 5 Es: envision, express, excite, enable and execute. The framework provides structure to the way I think. Has given me a step by step approach to what I do, and it doesn’t have to do with only the workplace. I love that there is an emphasis on 'execute' and that’s something that I believe in.

There are many golden nuggets in the room that I put to practice.

Some that I took away:

• listen carefully, the answers are in the room
• leading outstanding execution requires consistency, grit, passion and optimism. Start each day with optimism and the rest will fall into place
• the past is where you learned the lesson. The future is where you apply the lesson