VOLUME 1 , ISSUE 1 , D EC -2016 PAGE 9
# InterView
Till a few months back digital marketing was only a buzzword and it began and ended for us at Google ad
-words and SEO . This was until Harsha came to teach us about Digital Marketing . From being complete Noobs to having a 360 degree level of understanding of what encompasses digital marketing ; Harsha was able to do it all . However , I felt there is still some more insights that can be learnt . So I caught up with him for a quick interview for DYNAMISM ( E ).
Shobith : What is your definition of Digital Marketing ?
SHOBITH SHETTY
Harsha : ‘ Digital ’ Marketing is a bit of a misnomer , more of an industry term borne out of repeated usage . I would define it more in the following way . A brand or an organization that has a marketing objective now has yet another channel by which it can achieve these objectives , namely the digital ( or online ) channel . The beauty of digital is that it itself , is comprised of several sub-channels such as owned media , earned media ( e . g . social channels ) and paid media ( e . g . online ads )
Shobith : How does one join a Digital Marketing Agency ?
PGDM 2015-17
Harsha : By applying for a position ! And clearly demonstrating a desire to become a practitioner of medium .
HARSHA D Founder , AdVerb Inc .
Shobith : What skills is an interviewer looking for in a potential candidate ?
Harsha : This depends on the level of the position that the candidate is being interviewed for . For any role , I would repeat , demonstrated keenness to be a digital marketer still makes a big difference to a recruiter . For more experienced hires , based on what department the candidate is interested in ( media , content , design , analytics ), the recruiter would look for a well-entrenched professional who has actually worked in that area and also knows what it takes to stay updated ( since this medium is evolving so rapidly ). For a medium that is relatively in its infancy , knowledge of theory helps but gives no major advantage .
Shobith : Is being creative a very important part for all roles in organization ?
Harsha : Yes it is and we all fall into the common fallacy of assuming that creativity is the domain of the people employed in the creative department . The reality is this : People work to solve someone else ’ s problem - a person , an organization , a brand . If the problem didn ’ t exist , then there would be no work at all . The person who finds the best way to solve that problem is the most employable . The finding of the best way is creativity . And ‘ best ’ can be ‘ more efficient ( process )’, ‘ nicer looking ( design )’ or ‘ lower battery consumption ( R & D )’.
Shobith : What do you enjoy most and dislike most about working in Digital Marketing ? Harsha : What I enjoy most is that unlike traditional marketing , Digital is comprised of so many sub-elements with so many different nuances . So as one learns more , one becomes more muti-faceted inherently . I can ’ t say I dislike anything about digital marketing ; it has a science , it has processes and it has creativity - I love it .
Shobith : How was your first Digital Marketing JOB ? and what has changed since then ? and what changes do you foresee ?
Harsha : ( On his First Digital Marketing Job ) My first digital marketing job was with a start-up in 2000 and it was interesting to try and fit my earlier media planning experience into this new uncontrolled animal called ‘ the web ’. But it worked out . ( On what has changed since he began ) Marketing on the Internet or the Web or New media or Online or Digital has taken more shape , become more malleable , more influenceable over the last 15 years and more multi-faceted , giving rise to an ecosphere of highly relevant skills . Because digital is so utility based ,. ( On what he foresees ) I foresee more attention being paid to technologies , processes and creative ideas that are aligned with how we actually behave and want things to behave .