Pawan Jagnik, Head of Marketing – India, Pladis Global, is a strong believer that embracing technologies and its offerings can make a difference to our lives since most of the solutions to our problems are answered at the click of our fingertips.
In an email interaction with Storyboard18, Jagnik highlighted, “Prioritising clear communication, especially with stakeholders is crucial. Leveraging resources and technologies, like AI, will help keep the next gen up-to-date with the ever-evolving industry landscape.” He, however, cautions against letting technology become a distraction from real work.
Edited Excerpts
What are your favourite quotes from marketing and leadership?
Peter Drucker, the renowned author and management consultant who revolutionised modern management, once said, “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits them and sells itself.” This is timeless wisdom for marketers: customers are the cornerstone of any business, and creating customer value starts with a profound understanding of their needs and desires.
What is your sport/fitness/wellbeing routine?
Both exercise and diet are essential to maintaining fitness, which is why I make sure to strike a balance between the two. I make it a habit to include fruits or salads in at least one meal a day and set aside time after every meal to take a short walk. Whether it’s for 10 mins, 20 mins, or an hour would depend on my schedule, but I never skip the walk.
How does your routine weekend go and what does your favourite weekend look like?
My weekends are all about quality family time; I love unwinding and catching up with my family after a busy work week. We often indulge in our shared love for movies, making it a special part of our weekend routine. Moreover, as I am still new to Gurugram, weekends offer the perfect opportunity to explore the city.
Whether it’s discovering new restaurants or simply strolling around, I am now getting to know the city and its vibe. It’s important to me to find that perfect harmony between relaxing and taking advantage of the time off. With a week of new challenges and goals ahead, staying mentally and physically recharged is key to hitting the ground running.
In your free time, what marketing-related content do you consume?
Nikhil Kamath, who is the Co-Founder of Zerodha, hosts a podcast called “WTF is with Nikhil Kamath.” He often has industry experts on the show, and I find their conversations deeply intriguing and thought-provoking. I also make it a point to catch interviews with industry legends like Piyush Pandey and Kishore Biyani, who always share valuable insights and fascinating stories from their journeys.
Where do you get your social media fix?
Instagram is my go-to for visually-engaging content, especially around fashion and travel. When it comes to podcasts, memes, and entertainment, YouTube is where I get my dose of fun and inspiration.
What were the last five videos you viewed on any social platform?
I watch a lot of interviews and stand-ups, getting a mix of information and comedy from my online time. I recently watched a stand-up by Punit Pania, who is simply hilarious. On the more serious side, I caught some insightful interviews with Harsha Bhogle and Deepinder Goyal, as well as Nikhil Kamath’s interview with Nandan Nilekani – all experts who are making waves in their respective fields. The much-talked-about Kamala Harris and Donald Trump debate was another interesting video that I watched recently.
What are you watching or streaming this weekend?
I have been wanting to watch the latest season of Panchayat and Gullak; I’m hoping to make some time for both in the coming weekends. Because I am a huge cricket buff, I do end up consuming a lot of cricket-related content by Harsha Bhogle and pages like cricinfo. My wife and I are also big fans of the series ‘Suits’, which we binge-watch frequently during weekends.
Any work or life hack you swear by?
Technology has evolved to a point that solutions to a lot of our personal and professional problems are now at our fingertips. Embracing technology and all that it has to offer, I believe, is something that can drastically transform your life.
What are you reading?
I recently completed ‘A Bias for Action’ by Sumantra Ghoshal and Heike Bruch, which offers deep insights into managerial effectiveness and the various factors that impact it. Currently, I’m reading ‘Everybody Matters’ by Raj Sisodia and Bob Chapman, which promises to be equally thought-provoking.
What’s your advice to avoid personal and professional burnout?
Firstly, I think that it’s important to incorporate fun and health into your work life. Team lunches, Holi/Diwali parties and other get-togethers may seem trivial, but they play a crucial role in creating a healthy balance at work. Benefits like free gym memberships are a great way to encourage people to stay healthy even at work.
Secondly, one major cause of burnout at the leadership level is poor decision-making and non-alignment between stakeholders. To avoid this, my advice is to ensure that relevant stakeholders are regularly updated and consistently pushed for concrete decisions in every meeting.
A piece of professional wisdom you would like to share with next-gen marketers?
In today’s world, with countless media and platforms vying for our attention, it is easy to get distracted at work. I recommend that next-gen marketers minimise such distractions by structuring their work as effectively as possible.
Prioritising clear communication, especially with stakeholders is crucial. Leveraging resources and technologies, like AI, will help keep the next gen up-to-date with the ever-evolving industry landscape.
What’s the best advice you’ve got or heard on life?
Two key pieces of advice have guided me throughout my career: “Focus on your people, and the problem will take care of itself,” and “Use data to drive strategy and decisions.” These statements still remain highly relevant and have helped me stay focused and aligned in challenging circumstances.