With over a decade of experience in marketing and technology, Baradhwaj R (aka Brad) is the Director of Marketing at MoEngage, a global leader in martech for Consumer Brands.
At MoEngage, he helps consumer brands identify the right tech to transform marketing automation, customer engagement, and retention to drive their overall business growth.
He is a regular contributor of articles for e27 (you can read his thought leadership articles here).
In this candid interview, he talks about his personal and professional life.
How would you explain what you do to a five-year-old?
I do marketing. I help companies find and use special tools on the computer to make their work easier and more efficient.
Like in your school, you meet new kids with whom you study, play, eat lunch, and some of them become your best friends. In the same way, I help companies find friends (they call them customers) to be happy and be best friends forever.
What has been the biggest highlight/challenge of your career so far?
Consistency is the key, be it marketing or anything in life. When someone is consistent in their actions and words, they are more likely to be seen as dependable and trustworthy. So just having a day as your highlight doesn’t cut it. I recommend and vouch for ensuring you sustain and keep achieving goals consistently. Hence, every day is a highlight.
Also Read: We can no longer adopt a cookie-cutter approach to marketing: Gunalan Ram of CINNOX
People are the most challenging part because they have unique personalities, backgrounds, beliefs, likes, dislikes, and emotions. So one must understand and respond to their needs, motivations, and expectations.
The best part is that it constantly evolves, so something that works with one person may not work with others or the same person in a different environment.
How do you envision the next five years of your career?
In the next five years of my career, I plan to continue growing and developing my skills and expertise. I see myself taking on more challenging and complex projects.
Additionally, taking on more mentoring and leadership roles, helping to guide and support the development of the next generation of professionals in my field. I plan to use my experience and knowledge to inspire and empower others to reach their full potential. I want to impact the industry and those around me positively.
What are some of your favourite work tools?
HubSpot: a B2B marketing automation platform. Now the platform has evolved beyond marketing with the addition of sales and customer service software. It offers a range of tools and functionalities to help businesses attract, engage, and delight customers. These include but are not limited to features for email marketing, social media marketing, content management, search engine optimisation, CMS, etc.
OneNote: a digital note-taking and organisation application from Microsoft. It allows users to create, edit, and share notes, including text, images, audio, and other media. You can also organise notes into different notebooks and sections, as well as the ability to collaborate with others on notes.
MoEngage: a customer engagement platform that helps consumer brands increase customer retention and loyalty. It allows marketers and product owners to personalise marketing campaigns, analyse customer behaviour, and improve the customer experience. It also enables users with actionable insights, real-time analytics, AI-powered recommendations, etc.
Slack: a collaboration platform that allows teams to communicate and share information in real time. One can send instant messaging, share files, and integrate with other tools and services. Apart from internal communications, it is used widely by several global communities and helps you connect and network via Slack.
What’s something about you or your job that would surprise us?
Sometimes people assume that I would say no, but often I don’t and instead encourage people to decide things independently or ask them why. Having a healthy debate helps gain different perspectives than blindly executing things.
Often this helps generate ideas, expand the horizons, and find better ways to solve problems rather than repeatedly doing the same thing.
Also Read: What makes Desmond Yong thrive in ambiguous situations
Do you prefer WFH or WFO, or hybrid?
It depends on the situation and the individual’s preferences. Some people prefer working from home (WFH) because it allows for flexibility and a comfortable working environment. Others may prefer working from the office (WFO) because they enjoy the social interaction and the structure of a traditional work setting.
My preference would be a hybrid approach, which can also be beneficial as it allows for a balance between the two. Meeting people in person helps one forge stronger relationships. While WFH has its own set of merits, the one problem I see is the lack of non-verbal cues, which is essential for effective communication. Often people won’t turn their cameras on, making it difficult to gauge the audience, and you can force them to do so.
What would you tell your younger self?
I would tell my younger self nothing. It is all about experiences; the lessons you learn from them and how you incorporate them matter. I am here today because of my choices and experiences, so I wouldn’t do anything to change it. Perpahs, I might talk about everything in the universe or watch anime together.
Can you describe yourself in three words?
Responsible, driven and trusted.
What are you most likely to be doing if not working?
I play Settlers of Catan with my friends and family when I’m not working and practice Lesmills body combat — an MMA (mixed martial art) inspired non-contact exercise.
What are you currently reading/listening to/watching?
I just wrapped up Wednesday on Netflix. Currently watching Naruto, one of the animes on my watch list from back in the day, and listening to the audiobook DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online by Russell Brunson on audible.
—
Join the e27 contributor community of thought leaders and share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.
The post Consistency is key in life: Baradhwaj R of MoEngage appeared first on e27.