Varun Kandhari Of Mars Wrigley On Prioritising Strategy & Insights

Marketing is a growth centre, and according to Varun Kandhari, this has always been the case. The top marketer believes that marketing needs to align with and deliver on business objectives to remain relevant within a company and as an industry. “Marketing spends are viewed as investments in building relevance and connecting with audiences and consumers even during challenging times, and this goes to show that those who understand that marketing is an investment and not a cost, benefit from it,” says Kandhari.

Kandhari’s argument is supported by several examples in the last many years, especially in the face of global uncertainties and challenges. Evolved businesses understand this and more are joining this school of thought.

For him, it is an exciting time for marketers as several new trends are coming to the fore that are changing the way marketers engage with consumers. Some of these include the increasing use of data, personalised marketing, emerging technologies such as Generative AI (artificial intelligence) and the need to adapt to changing audience behaviour and attention spans. “There is so much to watch out for in the coming years,” says Kandhari, explaining that every challenge has come with new and exciting opportunities.

Solutions Driven

In the fast-evolving media landscape, Kandhari acknowledges audience fragmentation and the concern it can pose to marketers. This being said, unlike the era of mass marketing at one point, every media has a role to play and serves a specific purpose today.

There are also the likes of precision marketing, fuelled by data, coming into play. Kandhari stresses the importance of first-party data and its role beyond the top of the funnel. Marketers, he notes, needed to use data for targeting, retargeting and creating meaningful consumer experiences.

In context to the outlook for marketing budgets in FY24, Kandhari expresses optimism about India’s position despite the global headwinds. He highlights the growth trajectory across multiple industries and the increasing demand for various products and services. Kandhari firmly believes that ad spends in India will continue to rise, even if the situation faces some hurdles.

Be Curious

Kandhari’s advice to his peers and also to people looking at marketing as a career is to “just be curious”. He encourages young professionals to keep learning and remain adaptable to the evolving marketing landscape. Technology opens up many stimulating options but that should not distract young marketers from marketing principles. Marketing continues to be the only function that can understand a consumer’s needs, preference and changing behaviour.