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If you were going to launch a campaign designed to prompt

women to donate to a breast cancer charity, what color would you

use? If you thought pink, think again. Gender-neutral ads for the

same breast cancer cause generate double the results of women

targeted, pink-themed ads.

PaulWriter tries to capture some interesting beyond pink discussions

with some of the most powerful women in the marketing industry.

Profile: With more than 18 years of experience, Dharini is a strong believer in creating the right

balance of the science and art of communications. She heads the Dr. ‘edd s Group for Brand and

Corporate Communications. Earlier she headed The Suzlon Group Brand at Group Corporate

Communications for all its companies across the globe. Featured in the Campaign India A List

which recognizes the most influential professionals in marketing and communications in the

country, Dharini has also been honored by IBM as the top 50 futuristic CMOs in India for the use

of technology in marketing and also listed as the top most talented CMOs in India. Paul Writer a

leading global marketing consultancy also ranks Mishra among the top 20 women marketing and

communication professionals in the country. Recently, Dharini was awarded the Ma keti g

Professional of the year 2012 across Asia by CMO Asia and World Brand Congress and was invited

as a member of the CMO Hall of Fame for Indian Marketers. She has also been featured in the top

50 most talented CMOs in India and recognized as a Leading Corporate Leader in India for

Communications, 2012 by the Asian Confederation of Businesses.

Follow @DhariniMishra1

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Name: Dharini Mishra

Organization : Dr ‘edd s Group

Designation : Head of Global Brand and Corporate Communications

One book you recommend to all the marketers: No Logo by Naomi Klein, though it came out in

1999, it is even more relevant today. All marketers know marketing, but it is critical to get an

insight into the other side, the ethics debate and the shift to responsible business.

One campaign that remains your all-time favorite and why? The iconic Amul outdoor

campaign. I have grown up on it and that campaign triggered by passion for the business of

brands. Lately I absolutely loved the Google global campaign. Seamless, right on target and

terribly persuasive global messaging.

A mantra that you adhere to in your work-life: Each day is the first day of the rest of my life

both at work and otherwise

One thing that one will find on your work desk: An Apple

One gadget that you cannot do without @work : My iPad

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Profile: Minari is the Head of Corporate Communications at Tata Motors Limited. She comes with

diverse experience working across several leading categories. In the past she has worked with

HSBC India and has also held positions including Director, Corporate Communications, Asia-Pacific

at Dell.

Follow her @MinariShah

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Name: Minari Shah

Organization: Tata Motors Limited

Designation: Head (Sr. GM) Corporate Communications

One book you recommend to all the marketers: Black Swan

One campaign that remains your all time favorite and why: Dell s Take Your Own Path

campaign; as it was a 360 degree campaign across traditional and social media that really

reached its intended SMB TG and actually helped build a leadership market share from a

virtually negligible one. It was a campaign that originated in India but then became a global

campaign and was a great example of relevant customer endorsement rather than celeb

endorsement and was among the first ones to use real-life customers.

A mantra that you adhere to in your work-life: It s important to always prioritize and look at

the big picture to make an impact.

One thing that one will find on your work desk: laptop, notebook, pen

One gadget that you cannot do without @work: Cell phone

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Profile: Deepali Naair has two decades of experience behind her. She started her career with Tata

Motors followed by BPL Mobile. She has also worked in Advertising as a Strategic Planner at Draft

FCB-Ulka and then joined – Marico as Marketing Manager for Saffola and Mediker. She thereafter

spent 8 years in Financial Services with HSBC Global Asset Management India and at L&T

Insurance. In 2013, Deepali has been awarded the Leadi g Woman in I su a e Award by

International Women Leadership Forum for her innovative work in designing the brand and digital

strategy for L&T Insurance. In February 2013 she was recognized as the 50 Most Talented Brand

Leaders of I dia at the Brand Leadership Award instituted by The World Brand Congress. In 2012,

Deepali was recognized by Paul Writer as one of the top 50 CMOs for the prestigious Marketing &

IT Recognition (M.IT.R) program for using technology to enhance marketing. She is also the

recipient of Indira Super Achievers Award in September 2010. She has also been listed as one of

the Maha a is of Busi ess , a listing of top marketing women in the country, by Paul Writer.

Follow her @deepalinaair

Name: Deepali Naair

Organization: Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited

Designation: Chief Marketing Office.

Books you recommend to all the marketers:

Building Strong B a ds by David Aaker

Blue Ocean “t ateg by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim

One campaign that remains your all time favorite and why: There are some things money

a t buy. For everything else, the e s Maste Ca d campaign. I like this campaign for the

courage it would have taken for the client to acknowledge that there are things that it s

product cannot do, for the fact that the idea is timeless, that it has run over many years,

it has worked in all geographies and worked across media.

Likh ke doge Kya by L&T Insurance to resonate the idea that we put the money where

our mouth is.

A mantra that you adhere to in your work-life: Do t be afraid to say I do t k o

It is ok to experiment and fail if you can contain the experiment within 1% of your

budget

One thing that one will find on your work desk:

A to-do list

A bottle of tomato ketchup to spice up all food

One gadget that you cannot do without @work: iPhone 5s

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Profile: Darshana comes with over 17 years of experience in the retail and IT sector with some of

the most reputed companies. She has expertise in varied areas like operations, marketing, brand

building, private brands marketing, customer engagement, retail communications and enhancing

in-store shopping experience. She excels in connecting through loyalty programs and influential

communication strategies. She has worked with retail giants like “hoppe s Stop, Future Group

(Pantaloons and Big bazaar) & Reliance Value Retail. Darshana is passionate about traveling and

meeting different people across the globe and learning about their culture & heritage. She loves

dancing and is a certified Indian classical dancer (Bharatnatyam). An avid reader, she enjoys

reading fiction and also loves experimenting with continental cuisines in her spare time.

Follow her @darshana1212

Name: Darshana Shah

Organization: Hypercity (India) Retail Ltd

Designation: Senior Vice President – Marketing and Visual Merchandising

One book you recommend to all the marketers: Many books are there but amongst Indian

authors You can win by Shiv Khera and personally for everyone to read and practice The

Secret by Rhonda Bryne

One campaign that remains your all time favorite and why: Airtel - har ek friend zaroori hota

hai and Idea cellular – what an idea sirji!

A mantra that you adhere to in your work-life: Lose s wait for things to happen; Winners make

things happen!!

One thing that one will find on your work desk: Calendar and colour pens

One gadget that you cannot do without @work: My Laptop

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Profile: Namrita is an award winning digital and business leader with a strong track record of

creating next-gen business solutions that are at the intersection of digital, brand and

technology which deliver increasing revenues and profitability. She brings with her more than

15 years experience across diverse sectors including online travel, luxury & lifestyle, hospitality,

automotive retail, dotcom, technology and business services.

Follow her @NamritaSehgal

Name: Namrita Sehgal

Organization: Taj Group (Indian Hotels Company Limited)

Designation: Director of Internet Marketing

One book you recommend to all the marketers: The Cluetrain Manifesto changed the face of

marketing. The entire social movement came out of this book which described the world of

interconnectedness as we know it today. Besides this any of the Seth Godin books are a good

read for any modern day marketer

One campaign that remains your all time favorite and why? Like many other people of my

generation, I have grown up with the Amul campaign. This is maybe one of the few if not the

only ad campaign globally that has continued with the same theme and style over the last 50

years yet managed to remain relevant and engaging. It has captured the spirit of India and

showcased the many hues of the country, its people and matters close to their hearts in a very

charming and witty manner

A mantra that you adhere to in your work-life: Be happy & maintain a balance

One thing that one will find on your work desk: H2O

One gadget that you cannot do without @work: my mobile

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Profile : Tina Datta Nayak is the Head of Marketing at ZipDial, ZipDial is a marketing engagement

and analytics platform, especially designed for users and marketers in emerging markets. ZipDial

is listed as No.8 in Fast Co pa s Top 50 Most Innovative Companies list-2014.

Follow her @tinadatta23

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What makes a good marketer?

A good marketer is one who has the end consumer at the heart of all their marketing initiatives.

Everything else ill follo . “he u de sta ds that toda s e i o e t is d a i a d is ead to

embrace uncertainly and act quickly. She is also someone who is obsessed with metrics and is

focused on return on investment. She follows international trends closely and believes in the

power of simple ideas. Last but not the least, believes that marketing is for the long term and

the e s more to it than just marketing campaigns.

3 things you look for when you hire people?

Attitude, good communication skills and humility (team player)

Your favorite destination for business trips?

None really.

Your favorite book?

Many, though u e tl I e i spi ed ith “he l “a d e g s ook Lea I . Bei g a working

mom, I keep going back to it to get inspired

3 things would never do a meeting without?

1. When I enter the room I always try to have a clear idea on what I expect to achieve at the

end of the meeting. Actionable and measureable as much as possible

2. My notepad of course

3. And hopefull so e fu a d hu o (u less it s a e ie eeti g)

When did you decide that Marketing is what you wanted to do?

Fortunately I was always clear with what I wanted to do. After my MBA, I started my career

with Sales with a planned transition into Advertising and then into Digital Marketing knowing

that I wanted to be on the Marketing side eventually. Thankfully it worked well and the journey

was exciting. I Love doing what I do.

Your favorite professional you follow on Twitter?

There are many I enjoy following. My personal favourites to name a few Guy Kawasaki, Avinash

Kaushik, TED, Sharell Cook, Valerie Wagoner, FastCompany, JeffBullas and many more. I thrive on

Twitter for my news updates ☺

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Your most memorable advertisement?

Cad u Kuch khaas hai zindagi mein (gi l u i g i to the i ket g ou d ith a az happ

dance) and there are many more.

Do you love data or hate data?

Love for data. As a marketer you just have to find a way to be in love with Mr.Data. You can never

k o hi ell e ough. Measu i g ou effo ts is as i po ta t a d pla i g it. The e s so u h to learn and Mr. Data continues to blow my mind.

What are your marketing priorities for the year 2014/2015?

Explore, Experiment and Learn with Content and everything digital. At Zipdial we understand the

power of good quality content. Being in the B2B business we strive to add value to not only our

usto e s ut the e d o su e too. It s he e that si ple i itiati es digital o othe ise a go a lo g a i eeti g ou o je ti es. We e a sta t up a d the eaut of it lies i the i a , e e g a d the a ilit to take ui k de isio s. I ot o sessed ith a a ds, ut I do elie e that if we do good customer driven work, recognition will follow.

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Profile: An Economics graduate, Lata has over 33 years of work experience across a range of

service related industries such as Hospitality, Civil Aviation, Advertising and Publishing. She has,

in her long career, worked with companies such as Jet Airways, East India Hotels, Lintas (now

Lowe) and Trikaya (now Grey). In her over three decades of working experience, Lata has

scripted the conceptualization and execution of several successes. Lata is known for her

prowess in business development, having added several large accounts such as Sony

Entertainment Television, Bayer, Max Touch, SmithKline Beecham, Siemens amongst others to

her portfolio when she was in Advertising. Lata is a voracious reader and loves to write when

time affords.

Name: Lata Subramanian

Organization: Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) Limited

Designation: Chief Marketing Officer

One book you recommend to all the marketers: - Nuts (Southwest Ai li es Crazy Recipe for

Business & Personal Success) by Jackie & Kevin Freiberg

One campaign that remains your all time favorite and why? Nike s Just Do It because the

campaign captured more than the insight that people needed that push to overcome their

inertia and exercise everyday – the campaign appealed to a core essence of the human spirit and

glamorized grit, determination and the high of conquering new summits. I am sure many

consumers interpreted the campaign as inspiring them to achieve in any arena of life and not

just sports.

A mantra that you adhere to in your work-life: The work should speak for itself!

One thing that one will find on your work desk: On my desktop (that s the desk these days),

One will find a jumble of work related and personal reminder sticky notes, work-in-progress files

And digging a little deeper into my iPad, The Economist, fiction and non-fiction books on my

Kindle, photo albums of people I care about and music!

One gadget that you cannot do without @work: The only gadget I cannot do without honestly

Is my God given brains:). That apart, I do love the ability to work remote and so, yes my laptop

(working on small screen gadgets is something I try and avoid).

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Profile: Vandana has spent more than a decade on leading growth focused marketing

assignments across diverse categories ranging from Hospitality to Consumer Products to

Healthcare. She has experience of delivering on challenging P&Ls, defining brand strategy and

architecture, building differentiated consumer proposition, leading cross functional projects &

teams and working with global multi-cultural teams in diverse international markets.

Follow her @VandanaChamaria

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Name: Vandana Chamaria

Organization: Yum Restaurants India Pvt. Ltd

Designation: Director Marketing – Taco Bell

One book you recommend to all the marketers: Positioning by Al Ries a d Ja k T out. It s the heart of all great marketing. As true today as it was when published 20 years ago, this classic

lays out the basics of finding where our product fits in the larger picture of what people want

a d hat o petitio is doi g. Best Quote: Positio i g is ot hat ou do to the p odu t. Positio i g is hat ou do to the i d of the p ospe t

One campaign that remains your all time favorite and why? Dove Real Beauty campaign

launched by Ogilvy & Mather in September 2004. This campaign started a global conversation

a out the eed fo a ide defi itio of eaut . It as ased o a eal i sight of o e i all shapes, sizes, look are still beautiful so lets stop idolizing the the fake and start living in the

eal o ld; let s e happ ith hat e look like. Wo e o e ted ith this i sight because they already felt that way, but were just glad that someone was finally saying it. Even

afte al ost a de ade of its lau h, i its a ious fo s o e the ea s, it akes ou thi k…..it moves you because it is based on a true insight. Most campaigns today do not evoke any clear

emotion, they just communicate a particular product or service benefit. This one resonates

and connects emotionally, thus creating a clear position for the brand in the minds of its

prospects.

A mantra that you adhere to in your work-life: Nothing will work unless you do so I believe in

giving every moment 200%.

One thing that one will find on your work desk: Post-it notes to jot down thoughts & ideas

One gadget that you cannot do without @work: My smart phone which helps me stay

connected.

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Profile: Parul Nagpal is the Vice President Offline Marketing at Bluestone.com, one of I dia s

prominent online jewellery stores. With a rich professional experience in marketing, brand

communication and implementation supported with a Global Masters in retail marketing, Parul

aim to contribute significantly to the retail industry in India.

Follow her @NagpalParul

What makes a good marketer?

A marketeer needs to have a view of the Consumer/ Customer at any given point of time. Today,

a good marketeer is o e ho is a le to se se ha ge i he a d s usto e eha io and

aligning strategies accordingly.

3 things you look for when you hire people?

• Attitude o e tha apa ilit

• Agile ith ea s ut fi ith i te t

• Willi g ess to e plo e oads less travelled

Your favorite destination for business trips?

I have never been able to club travel with entertainment. For a vacation, I would definitely visit a

new European country each year.

Your favorite book?

While I am not an avid book reader, Freakonomics by Stephan and Stevan is the one that I

admire and recommend to most marketeers. It dispels most popular marketing myths with

simple explanations and examples.I am also fond of reading books and articles on human

psychology and would recommend all marketeers to do the same as it enhances o e s

understanding of people s eha io a d ea tio s.

3 things would never do a meeting without?

An agenda, an open mind and turning my phone on silent

When did you decide that Marketing is what you wanted to do?

As a hild, p efe e es e e e ell defi ed. I liked o e a d f o a othe fo e

specific reasons and questioned the rationale behind it. This compelled me to understand

human behavior and responsive psychology in day to day life. While I took the marketing path

much later after completing my engineering, I had the inclination early on.

Your favorite professional you follow on Twitter? Ashok Lalla.

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Your most memorable advertisement?

De Beers – A diamond is forever remains an all time favorite. Of the more recent ones, I have

admired Airtel – Har ek friend zaroori hot hai fo the idea, Ble de s P ide – Make the world a

stylish place for the detail and execution, 5 Star – Ramesh Suresh for its clutter breaking

humour and Bombay Times – Jab Style Maraa for the treatment!

Do you love data or hate data?

As a marketeer, I love the insights that one gets from relevant data and there is no other way

to feel about it.

What are your marketing priorities for the year 2014/2015?

A clear focus on personalized content marketing, micro segmentation of customers.

A mantra that you adhere to in your work-life?

Not everyone you work with is as passionate and as swift as you would like them to be.

Accept it. Channel your excitement and rigor into real work and less talk.

One thing that one will find on your work desk?

A book or a magazine – the latter more often than not.