Storyboard18 | Be ready to learn, unlearn and relearn: BYJU’s Atit Mehta

Atit Mehta, head of marketing, BYJU'S, on Storyboard18's Marketing Recoded.

Marketing Recoded by Storyboard18 is a series of interviews with marketing heads at some of India’s buzziest brands. How these marketers define their jobs, which skills they value most and which they feel are overrated are among the questions we ask, to get fast and sharp insights into their minds.

In this episode, Atit Mehta, head of marketing, BYJU'S, talks about the power of listening, the importance of being agile, how gaming and e-sports are the next big thing in the country and more.

Define your job as a marketer.

Marketing is all about spending the money to get the consumers to buy our products.

What according to you are the three important skills every modern marketer should possess?

Be nimble-footed, be agile, see, and most importantly, be ready to learn, unlearn and relearn.

What are the most overrated traits in a marketer?

When you speak to any marketer, most of them end up saying 'I know my consumer very well'. Yes, you know your consumer very well but it will take a lifetime to understand what your consumer actually wants. So I think people talking about knowing their consumer or consumer segmentation is overrated and it will take years and years of experience and understanding to really know your consumer.

How has the role of a marketer changed after the pandemic hit?

I don’t think the role of a marketer has significantly changed. But there are two things that I believe have happened; one, is people have become more and more prudent and second, people have started having a Plan B, so whatever might be the situation, as long as you are prudent and measured in your approach and you have a Plan B, then more often than not you will come out successful.

Tell us about a professional lesson that you have learnt during the pandemic.

One valuable thing which I learnt during the pandemic is that as marketers we end up talking a lot and we end up doing so many things but we seldom end up listening. Listening to our consumers, listening to things that are happening in our environment. Listening carefully is helping me have a much clearer thought process. So one important lesson for me is to listen well. If you listen, you will do well.

What according to you is the next big thing coming down the line for the marketing industry?

Next big thing for me personally is all about gaming. While e-sports and e-gaming are at a nascent stage in India but if you look at Southeast Asia the prize money is bigger than the IPL prize money. So it’s just a matter of time and we are looking forward to the e-gaming and e-sport space.