Bhalla has made a comeback to the media industry after leaving HT Media with the launch of BrandsAbility on May 23 and the announcement of an unidentified project in July.
Rajan Bhalla has returned to India’s multicoloured media scene with not one, but two businesses. He’s a 32 years across industries in General Management, S&M and Brand Management, Contract Advertising, Whirlpool, PepsiCo, Ht Media. Last position was Group CCO and earlier Group CMO, Co-Founder of Brand Mint.
He took a break after his lengthy tenure as a member of the Hindustan Times’ core leadership team, during which he helped develop and foster the much-lauded Mint business journal.
In July, there will be a second startup. It’s too early to provide the specifics as the brand proposition and collaborations are still in the works, but it will be in the field of producing short films, adds Bhalla, who is happy to discuss the first endeavour, BrandsAbility.
As stated by Bhalla, “Surprisingly, it’s often a neglected area but key to long-term business success,” the goal of this new start-up is to assist B2C and B2B firms in building Brand Value. A focused brand marketing emphasis may be a great asset to any organisation in today’s business environment, where consumer tastes and market conditions are continuously changing.”
“A brand marketing partner can help businesses stay flexible, adapt their strategies to shifting market conditions, and provide insights on how to differentiate their brand from the competition,” claims Bhalla. He adds that while developing a strong brand identity and a clear strategy for building brand value is critical for all businesses, many are too short-term focused to give it the necessary attention.
Personalization, authenticity, omnichannel marketing, data-driven marketing, storytelling, customer experience, purpose-driven marketing, agility, and other crucial brand marketing competencies are some of the areas that BrandsAbility intends to concentrate on.
Bhalla believes that successful brands of the future will need to stay ahead of the curve, embrace new technologies and trends, and concentrate on developing strong relationships with consumers and customers based on trust, authenticity, and empathy. Bhalla draws this conclusion from his 32 years of experience working across prestige brands such as HT Media, Pepsico, Whirlpool, and others.
For a number of reasons, BrandsAbility intrigues me. First off, a company’s brand is its most important asset. As a result, successful brand consulting can significantly affect a company’s bottom line. A second reason is that brand consulting is a rapidly developing industry, according to Bhalla, with new trends, technology, and consumer preferences appearing on a regular basis.
“As a result, it is an innovative and demanding environment that always necessitates adaptability. Last but not least, brand consulting calls for a blend of creativity, analytical prowess, and business savvy, making it a lucrative prospect for marketers with a variety of interests and skill sets, he says.
Successful brand partners are able to use their in-depth expertise of consumer behaviour, market trends, and competitive environments to assist their clients in achieving their business goals.
BrandsAbility began operations on February 1, 2023, with a small number of starting clients, although it will be fully launched in May of that year.
