Storyboard18 | 'Shoppable livestream is the next big thing': SUGAR Cosmetics' Amrita Shinde

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 of the series, Amrita Shinde, head of brand marketing at homegrown beauty company SUGAR Cosmetics, shares marketing tips and tricks that she picked up during the pandemic, professional advice that she swears by, and more.

Define your job as a marketer?

Building long-lasting and valuable relationships with consumers, stakeholders, team members, media and the audience which is founded on trust.

What are the three skills that every marketer should possess?

Know your audience.

Second is to understand that every communication medium is different.

And third is to be super-relevant when it comes to your communication.

What are the three most overrated traits?

First is over-investing in the top-of-the funnel acquisition efforts but ignoring to track or optimise conversions.

Second is to market one-size-fits-all ideology.

And third is to push offers without communicating any values and insights of the product.

How has the role of a marketer changed post-pandemic?

Well, the marketers are now more invested and interested in learning more digital and social mediums.

An important lesson you learned in the past two years.

The important lesson that I picked up was not competing with your competitors but...the last best experience that your consumer had.

What’s the next best thing coming down the line for the marketing industry?

Well, shoppable livestream is something that I see to be the next big thing in the near future.

What’s a professional hack you swear by?

While making an important decision, always - and I mean always - back up your gut feeling with relevant data.

What’s the best advice you got on the job?

I'd say trying new things has way higher RoI (return on investment) than not trying things. What’s the worst that can happen you will fail? At least you will learn.

What’s the worst advice you got on the job?

To create a push for the product even if it was for a one-time buy.

What advice would you give to those entering the world of marketing?

Always work for a brand that you believe in, else you will not be able to do justice marketing the brand or its products.

Marketing Recoded is a Storyboard18 video series featuring modern marketers at some of India's buzziest brands.