GroupM is a leading media investment company in the world with nearly $60 billion in annual media investment. “We have moved from the digital era to a disruption era wherein consumer attention span has declined. In times like these, it is important for a marketing maverick to rise and redefine the business,” says Subhamoy Das, National Director, GroupM Media India (ESP).

“From a brand’s lens, marketing as a function would soon transit from being a ‘cost centre’ to a ‘semi-profit centre’ with efforts being made towards first-party data collection and management, having business linked key performance indicators for marketing campaigns and symbiotic partnerships being formed to drive business growth,” he says. 

Das believes that smaller, more intimate and vocal consumer cohorts are emerging who demand innovation and convenience (ie. the rise of direct-to-consumer brands). Technical skill as a market-entry barrier has dramatically decreased, creating more and more entrepreneurial ventures.

The High Points

After completing his engineering degree, Das landed a plush job at Siemens but decided to pursue further studies a year later. He views his stint with MICA (formerly Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad) beginning in 2008, as a key milestone both personally and professionally. 

Later he debuted in the business of sports marketing at a boutique agency, which he believes was another milestone in his career, that led him to the digital marketing company PMG and thence to GroupM ESP – the entertainment, esports and sports arm of GroupM –  where he began as a business manager.

Future Plans 

“I want to work towards making India a sporting nation. This involves both marketing the sport (industry) and using sports in the ‘marketing’ industry. In the coming two to three years, I see a massive amount of work happening in this space and I would like to be at the helm of it,” says Das, talking of his plans for the future. Battling climate change is another passion with him. 

He talks of his vision to make Mumbai greener with indigenous fruit-bearing trees, to be able to tackle both climate change and the availability of nutritious food for society at large. “I love my city, Mumbai. I am working towards dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s to commence the project and give back to my city in every little way I can,” he says.