5 Questions On Startup Culture With A Digital Marketing Veteran

As CEO of DAN Performance Group, Vivek Bhargava believes that the digital space is a brilliant marketing tool. His own experience in the digital space spans decades, so he’s considered somewhat of a corporate, digital marketing veteran. Vivek’s demeanour is friendly and patient, unlike those of the stoic corporates we see in films about Wall Street. His experience is also interestingly diverse— he was also on The Vault, a reality show that funds startups with innovative and disruptive business ideas.

Now, as a speaker for the United Nations Young Changemakers Conclave ‘18, Vivek sat down with Homegrown to discuss the overlap of technology, business, and society.

Homegrown: How do digital spaces shape society?

Vivek Bhargava: “Digital is the age we’re living in— it amplifies and creates a multiplier effect on every single facet of society and its enterprises. It can help you acquire new customers, understand consumer trends, upsell to existing customers, and with recruitment. Organisations now need to realise that digital can be a catalyst, and if they want to prosper and grow, they need to learn how to leverage digital.”

HG: Tell us one positive and one negative aspect of the relationship between society and digital spaces?

VB: “One positive is that digital has expanded the scope of the individual in society; it has amplified their reach and power. One negative about this relationship is it alienates us from family members because we end up spending more time with our devices. This has happened to me a lot of times too. My family has now set up rules— when we’re having dinner or going out, we will not access our phones.”

HG: So, India is in an age of startups. What do you feel these young companies bring to the table? Also, what’s the biggest mistake they make?

VB: “I think one great thing about digital is that it has created a democracy. If you’re a small company with a small budget, you can still reach your customers. So, it [digital] gives an equal playing field for young startups as compared to large enterprises. I think the biggest mistake startups make is that they measure digital with digital results. For example, if you’re trying to influence a person to buy a car, they’re going to go to a showroom to buy it. So, startups make a mistake of not looking at their digital marketing from a holistic point.”

HG: On the flip side: what can these startups teach established companies about digital?

VB: “Most startups use digital for every single facet of their organisation, whether its recruitment, brand building or understanding consumer trends. But, a lot of established companies focus on using digital only for marketing and, because of that, I think they lose out on the biggest benefits and opportunities that digital can create for their organisation.”

HG: Do you think there’s anything unique about the Indian digital marketing space or do you think we’re dependent on the west for how we function?

VB: “One thing unique about digital in India is that we’re mobile first, so most digital marketing is naturally mobile marketing. But, something I admire about the west is that a lot of small and medium scale businesses and enterprises use digital marketing very effectively. 50% of Google and Facebook’s revenue comes from digital marketing by small and medium enterprises. But, in India, most of the revenue comes from large enterprises. So, we need to learn how to use digital from those small businesses.”

This article is a part of the UN Young Changemakers Conclave ‘18, an event held in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre For India & Bhutan and X-Billion Labs on Oct. 27. To learn more about the intersection between society and digital, register for Vivek Bhargava’s talk here with guest code, ‘HOMEGROWN’.