Visionaries build brands for life: Aditi Mishra, Lodestar UM

A visionary marketer has a holistic approach to the brand or the portfolio of brands that they manage because they are not just looking at the short term of sales, they are really looking and building brands for life. Image: Shutterstock

“Visionary marketers themselves become icons of support for the industry, for the category, and therefore transform the culture of that particular business," says Aditi Mishra, chief executive officer of the IPG Mediabrands-owned Lodestar UM. The chief of one of India's leading media investments companies, says, "So in a way, it's an interesting thought as they become influencers in their own way, shaping not just the way the brands are for today, but also the way the brands are for the future.”

After the super success of YoungGuns, Storyboard18 and Network18 Group are launching The Visionaries. The three-city initiative will bring the focus on Visionaries from the world of brands and the commendable work they have been doing in establishing their organisations as leaders.

The Visionaries is an initiative that recognises the leading lights who have transformed our approach to media, marketing, and advertising. The marquee evening will take place at The Oberoi, Gurugram, on 27th October 2023.

Also read: Introducing 'The Visionaries': The highest honour for the brightest and most innovative marketing minds in India

Ahead of the Visionaries celebration, we asked advertising industry leaders to share their views on the impact visionary marketers have on brands, people and businesses as well as the necessary qualities a marketer needs to possess.

Mishra shares what she thinks are the most important qualities and values a marketer should have and showcase.

“Through the years that we have been working with a diverse set of clients, what we've observed is that visionary marketers are a very interesting fusion of creativity, adaptability and possess a very deep-rooted insight of their audience and the market. All that they do is based on these three things sort of colliding and coming together,” Mishra says.

Also read: How to fix the brand crisis of consumer internet companies

She also adds that, “Creativity fuels their ability to conceptualize beyond the existing paradigms in the category and the market. And the adaptability that they have allows them to navigate the ever changing world of the consumer. And because everything is rooted in a very deep understanding of the consumer and the market, whatever they design, be it the narrative or the story around their brands ensure relevance in both the messaging and the approach that they adopt. It’s this dynamic combination which sets visionary advertisers and marketers, apart from the rest of the people in the industry, because they are not just sort of staying or keeping faith, they are almost like the leaders, the cultural drivers of their industries.”

Mishra believes that the distinguishing factor of a visionary marketer is their holistic approach towards a particular brand or a portfolio of brands.

“What distinguishes a visionary marketer is their holistic approach to the brand or the portfolio of brands that they manage because they are not just looking at the short term of sales, they are really looking and building what we call brands for life. For that, you need to craft a narrative which really resonates with the values, the aspirations, the requirements of your consumers and not just of the end buyer, but pretty much the entire stakeholder chain.”

She further mentions, “Because of the changing consumer journeys, this approach actually transcends the traditional way of marketing. A visionary leader can actually influence the way culture is impacting his or her market, and is impacting his or her set of brands and products. So not only can they envision a different approach, they also inspire their own teams and ecosystems to think beyond their regular category brand paradigms. Reach out beyond the conventional, which then leads a transformation impact not just on themselves but on the entire industry or the category at large.”

About The Visionaries
Storyboard18’s Visionaries initiative recognises the women and men scripting some of the most exciting chapters in Indian marketing, media and advertising. They are marketing leaders with responsibility for a category, brand or innovation-led practice within their organisation. They also exhibit a purposeful approach to building sustainable businesses and enduring brands, using the new bottomline, People-Planet-Profits, as their guide. For more, visit: Storyboard18's Visionaries.