From Marketing and Communications Fraternity to the Director of The Marcom Avenue. The journey of Divanshi Gupta

On By anamitradIn InterviewsLeave a comment

1. Hi Divanshi, welcome to the interview session of Anamitra’s Blog. To start with, we would request you to tell us a few lines about yourself.

Divanshi Gupta is a young, far-sighted and zealous entrepreneur, who has taken up the leadership position of the Director at The Marcom Avenue. She has been working for the Marketing and Communications Fraternity for 8+ years and her experience in curating marketing strategies has helped brands bring meaningful experiences to life. Her motto to work with the brand as a growth partner and not just an agency has helped numerous brands in creating real value – whether it be leads, revenue, loyalty, or capitalization.

Q2. How did you get the idea of starting The Marcom Avenue?

Well, starting something of my own has always driven me. I have always believed in “If you have a dream, don’t just sit there. Gather the courage to believe that you can succeed and leave no stone unturned to make it a reality.” I did the same when I started The Marcom Avenue.

The idea of starting this organization was not new to me as I was a part of the media & marketing world for some time, but experiencing the changing trends of the industry and the thought of introducing new ones in the market inspired me to have my own integrated marketing agency.

Q3. Please tell us more about your journey of The Marcom Avenue from the beginning till now?

We started with providing digital marketing services but our experience in the industry helped us realize that today is the time of integrated marketing solution as brands want one agency to handle end to end online and offline marketing to ensure same brand theme, communication and brand tonality. Also the brands save cost, resources and manpower by doing the same. Hence we expanded to have a specialized and experienced team for integrated marketing and its various aspects. Last year The need from various cities mainly Bombay and Bangalore got us to expand to those regions last year in India.

Q4. What challenges did you face as a woman entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?

As a woman entrepreneur, I have not been very fortunate to have perfect or well-trained staff. I have faced my set of left-right and centers. I have faced troubles of being a female boss. Honestly, I have not been taken seriously and not respected because of my gender but it never made me give up my goals. Their behavior encouraged me to be better and be an achiever.

About solving the challenges I was very true to myself and our brand. I dedicatedly worked day and night creating and building the brand and serving our clients. Some of the remarks that were straight out-right. I handled with great calmness. My work and dedication to the company objective did the rest. I believe Gender doesn’t make a difference to achieving the goal the mindset does.

Q5. What is the USP for The Marcom Avenue?

The major USP of The Marcom Avenue is that it is an integrated marketing agency that offers end-to-end marketing services (both offline and online) to its esteemed clients. To establish and elevate the positioning of the brands that we work for, we analyse every aspect of the brand, work closely with the brand’s team to understand their goal and align the creative processes accordingly.

Q6. Name some of your success stories.

We have a trained team of professionals who thrive every day to solve problems and help businesses grow. We function not just as an agency but like a partner to our clients. Over the past years, we have gained deep expertise in 27 industries ranging from real estate, travel, hospitality, e-commerce, fashion, technology, education, food & beverages and many other industries. We have worked with some of the best brands and helped them build their brand identity. Our clientele includes Mahindra World City, Ambience Group, Sobha, Nestle, OYO, Sarovar Portico, Vertel Digital, DLF and many more. Some of the foreign clientele includes Queens of India(Bali), EADA University( Spain), ImpulseRadar (Sweden), Technostruct(California), TastyOOS( UAE) and many more.

Q7. What are your plans for The Marcom Avenue for the next 5 years?

Today, consumers understand on-the-face ads and so brands try to avoid them. With the increasing demand for creativity in every communication that goes out from a brand, media agencies are found to be in a fix and fight and are struggling through a competitive environment. The emergence and growth of big data, greater need for customization, latest technology, machine learning has lead to changing and growing customer/brand demands. Thus, these factors have forced the advertising sector to re-look at the existing model and develop innovative ideas for clients and consumers.

Nowadays, customers want specialists that drive strong, personalised and data-driven communication. My plan for The Marcom Avenue is to establish ourselves amongst the leading integrated marketing service providers in the country by curating more audience-specific strategies, developing content that is trendy, relatable and engaging for the customers.

Q8. Do you encourage other women entrepreneurs who make similar ventures? What tips do you have for them?

Women have been long undermined when it comes to entrepreneurship. But no more, I stand by every woman who is standing up to achieve her dreams. In my opinion, women’s contribution in the Indian start-up community is still to rise as they are yet to realise their full potential. Irrespective of gender bias, there are various challenges that a woman needs to overcome such as mustering up her confidence, fighting family paradoxes and whatnot.

I would like to advise every woman to believe in their dreams if they want to make it a reality. Be it your parents or your spouse you should have the willpower and the ability to convince them so that they should be part of your happiness, struggles and offer you seamless support and encouragement at every phase of your life.

I would also like to suggest some tips like:

  • Get feedback to elevate your performance.
  • Do not stop learning ever.
  • Build strong corporate connections
  • Be confident while making decisions
  • Failure is a part of success.

From Corporate to Entrepreneur The exclusive tale of GoStops by Pallavi Agarwal

On By anamitradIn Interviews, TravelLeave a comment

1. Hi Pallavi, welcome to the interview session of Anamitra’s Blog. To start with, we would request you to tell us a few lines about yourself.

I am the Co-Founder and CEO of goStops; one of India’s largest premium chain of youth hostels. With an intense passion for making social spaces for the youth, I opened the first goStops hostel in Varanasi. Since then, goStops has enlarged its presence to thirteen hostels all across India.  In 2003, I graduated in economics from Kamla Nehru college Delhi University and In 2004 I began my career as a consultant with ‘The Smart Cube’, learning Industrial and monetary services.

I did my Master’s program from an International Management Institute in 2007. I had worked with many reputed companies like Tata Capital as a sales manager in Rural Financial Marketing, Millward Brown as an account manager and Quantum Consumer Solutions as a senior manager.

After having years of wealthy expertise in MNCs, I founded goStops in 2014 with the vision of making social areas for the youth. Since then I am managing goStops like my child. Besides being the boss-lady, I am a mommy to 3 dogs and 4 cats. I am also fond of music and have a special place in my heart for old-Hindi songs.

2. What motivated you to start your company?

The idea of goStops took form when I along with my husband was backpacking across Europe, back in 2012. I was fascinated by the hostel culture there and wondered why a similar model didn’t exist in India for travelers who were looking for premium quality social accommodations at an affordable price.

In the Indian short-stay accommodation market, there was a void in quality-assured stays in the budget range of INR 400-800 per night. Such accommodations were mostly poorly maintained and were unpredictable in terms of quality and experience. In addition to this, there was no accommodation brand that was youth-friendly and which exclusively catered to their needs and aspirations in terms of quality, design, experience and budget. This youth population is 370 million strong. It is growing fast and is very aspirational in terms of lifestyle. We saw a clear white-space in the market. We spotted this problem and have been trying to solve this ever since the inception of the first goStops hostel in Varanasi.

3. Who are your biggest competitors and how do you differentiate yourself from them?

We don’t see anyone as our direct competitor as our business model is quite unique. goStops is a full-stack youth hostel company. We lease, manage, franchise real estate assets, which we design, transform, market, sell, and operate as youth hostels in locations where the youth travels for business or leisure. 

4. What is your USP?

Our hostels are designed exclusively for the young population, who are looking for quality stays at affordable prices, especially youngsters in the 18-30 years age group.  We want to cater to the aspirational lifestyle needs of the youth and keeping this in mind. We have designed the entire hostel experience around it. Hostels are hubs for socializing with travelers from all parts of the country and the world. One gets exposed to new nationalities, cultures, languages, and lifestyles. New bonds and friendships are born and one can meet people from all walks of life. Hence, one is bound to connect with like-minded individuals at a hostel. This is an experience that most young Indians aspire for and this is where goStops comes into picture, as a youth desired hotel brand that focuses on their aspirations, where travelers could be co-living and co-working.

We have CCTV cameras installed in all the alleys, common spaces and outdoor area of the hostels. There is a 24×7 security guard on-duty at all our hostels that ensure the safety of all our guests. Every guest has a spacious locker available (included in basic facilities) to keep his or her valuables safely.

5. As a woman entrepreneur, you must have had to overcome challenges. Please tell us about them?

The most difficult challenge was to maintain the quality, design and experience of the properties while scaling up to new locations. We overcame this challenge by using technological and creative solutions, with the help of a team that understood our vision and was involved with us since the inception. 

We also didn’t pay much attention to branding/marketing due to which we might have lost some growth opportunities, which could have been utilized to the advantage of the brand to make it popular among our target audience. In order to overcome this, we have created a strong team of   talented individuals who can push the brand forward.

6. Narrate some of your success stories.

Our ability to run goStops profitably as a bootstrapped organization for 5 years is the most interesting success story for us. These 5 years taught us how to run a business effectively without needing any external sources of funding and turned us into thoughtful and mindful investors of our limited funds. 

7. What plans do you have to scale your business operations?

We are planning to expand our presence across the country by doubling our bed capacity within the next 12 months. We are also planning to utilize recently raised funds to enhance our product offerings through investments in technology & training, add new revenue streams, strengthen our marketing and build a team to handle the next phase of growth. goStops is planning to cover all the metro cities in the next 12 months along with expanding our presence in North and West India including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Goa, and Jammu & Kashmir.

8. Your advice to those who wish to be an entrepreneur?

Strive on diligently. Consistent focus and dedication can overpower everything else even talent.

Website: https://gostops.com/

Insia brings exclusive Valentine’s jewellery collection with 20% discount

On By anamitradIn LifestyleLeave a comment

Insia.in has recently introduced the exclusive collection of western jewellery in view of Valentine’s Day. The collection simply reflects the token of love as all the jewel pieces are designed to perfection keeping in mind the importance of Valentine’s Day for the couples. The connection is not just there to add glamour to the appearance of the wearer but also to reflect their sense of style and statement they create. These jewel pieces are the best collection for those who are in search of western and fashion jewelry that provide then a perfect blend of bold and stylish touch.

The design and style patterns of this collection of valentine jewellery will surely not fail to impress the women. Unlike gold and diamond jewellery, these beautiful jewel pieces are not too much expensive. Therefore one can easily buy and gift these Valentine’s jewellery to their special one. It will be to reflect their immense love for their better half.

To make this collection more affordable for the jewellery lovers, insia.in also offers 20 per cent discount for the period from February 1 to February 15 so it is the right time for every men to grab this offer and give a special gift to their loved ones on this Valentine’s Day.

The best thing about this special collection is that women can also pair it with their daily outfits. No matter whether they want to pair it with their professional outfit or casual outfit, it will surely goes well with all kind of attires. Inspired by the romantic month of February, this exclusive collection of classy yet stylish jewellery is surely an ideal choice for women of modern time who want to flaunt their fashionable taste and look to carry an appealing appearance on all the occasion. 

About Insia

Insia.in, one of the most trusted online fashion jewelry, Designer Scarf and accessories portals, is highly admirable for its wide range of western jewellery, modern handbags, hair accessories and classy wrist watches ensuring distinctly innovative design language and high-end fashion sense. Fashion lovers who want to taste the touch of modern style and design can explore the portal.

Media Contact

Company Name- Insia

Contact Person- Ankit Bhardwaj

Email- info@insia.in

Website URL- https://www.insia.in/

Address- Gurgaon, Haryana, India

RockRush launches an exclusive jewellery collection for Valentine’s Day

On By anamitradIn LifestyleLeave a comment

RockRush – India’s trusted e-tailer service that brings diamond jewellery directly to your doorstep, introduces their Valentine’s Day collection. It’s that time of the year where huge bouquets of roses are set, heart-shaped gifts and teddy bears are ready on the shelf tops; mushy cards are printed, yummy chocolates in glittery boxes are waiting to be bought and exchanged. But why limit to that? Make your V-day brighter than a red rose, sweeter than chocolates and more poetic than a greeting card with RockRush’s new jewellery designs.

The RockRush Valentine’s Day jewellery collection is a forever bond that seals the relationship with love and care. Be it a special gift for your significant other, something special for your mom, or a memento for a deeply rooted friendship or gifting yourself some bling; set hearts aflutter with exquisite designs conceptualized for the modern women and men in mind, making them the perfect Valentine’s gift for husband and wife. Starting from a price range of 4,862 INR, these are perfect gifts for Valentine’s Day.

RockRush brings a collection that abundant with varied understated designs that speak volumes. This jewellery is ideal for those who want to see the elegance of white gold and the glitter of diamonds on their ladylove’s finger. We have rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, nose-pins, charms, mangalsutra, cufflinks and more for daily, office, party and wedding occasion. These designs have the contemporary, religious, modern and traditional look and feel to them and are utterly romantic pieces that you will be reaching for again and again. It can’t get dreamier than this with the heart-shaped, ruby and diamond-studded jewellery pieces that showcase the everlasting circle of love. Depending on the taste of your beloved, you can choose from our classic gold pieces or opt for contemporary diamond ornaments as the Valentine best gift for wife. You will be giving them a gift of jewellery that spells love and splendour. RockRush offers some of the best online Valentine’s Day gifts for him. RockRush is offering a discount of up to 25% on diamond prices.

About RockRush:

At RockRush, the main aim is to make diamonds and diamond jewellery affordable and accessible to all. The material is sourced so that you have access to a wider variety of designs and styles than anywhere else. Customer satisfaction and feedback are also of utmost importance to RockRush, and they ensure the same through a dedicated and fully-equipped helpline. RockRush jewellery is designed for the woman of today – bold, uninhibited and unafraid to take risks. Recognizing the evolution of the digital era, they deliver the same with their products.

Media Contact

Company Name: Rockrush Online Private Limited

Contact Person: Sumeet Rewari

Email: contact@rockrush.com

Country: India

Website: https://www.rockrush.com/

Twirl

From an Engineer to a Entrepreneur The unique tale of Twirl Store by Sujata Chatterjee

On By anamitradIn InterviewsLeave a comment
  1. Hi Sujata, Welcome to the interview session of Anamitra’s Blog. To start with, we would request you to tell us a few lines about yourself.

I am Sujata Chatterjee, the founder of www.twirl.store. I am based in Kolkata and am an engineer with degrees in management and marketing too. I am also the mother of 2 lovely kids, Ranabir and Anaya.

2. How did you get the idea of starting Twirl?

We live in an age of a Retail boom where everything is so easily available to us that we shop throughout the year, leading to overflowing wardrobes for most of us. At the same time, in the slums and villages of India, many people struggle to find basic clothing and many talented women need a decent source of livelihood.

The idea of Twirl came to bridge the gap between these 2 ends of society and solve the problems on both sides. At Twirl.store, we encourage you to send your unwanted clothes to us. Customers get rewarded with points which they can redeem to buy new things from us. And with all the old clothes that Twirl receives, Twirl either donates it or up-scales it as a fabric to make new wonders. This work of up-cycling or reusing fabrics is done by women primarily rural women thus giving them a source of livelihood.

3. Please also describe your journey of Twirl from the beginning till now?

Twirl.store is an eCommerce site that works on a totally different business model which had not been done in India before. So starting something unique was obviously an uphill task but we are honored by all the love we have received from customers and corporates across the country. We are thrilled to have been covered by a range of media and received felicitation from prestigious platforms. But our greatest achievement is the smiles on the faces of those less-fortunate whose lives we have been able to touch.

4. What challenges did you face as a woman entrepreneur and How did you overcome them?

Being a lady entrepreneur from Kolkata and attempting to start a new business model, people were initially very skeptical about my ideas. But I think as an entrepreneur you need to have the mental strength to take criticism and pick yourself up from every setback.

5. What is your USP?

Twirl.store is the only platform providing an easy solution to your wardrobe worries while also benefiting society and environment. We offer free home pickup of your unwanted clothing and free delivery of our unique up-cycled products across the country. So its never been easier to keep rotating your wardrobe while also doing a good deed.

6. Narrate some of your success stories.

Twirl serves customers across the country and also works in partnership with organisations. We are part of Start Up India and selected in NASSCOM 10000StartUps program. We were awarded  Women on a Mission by Your Story, felicitated at the Tata Social Enterprise Challenge 2019 and recognized by DST, Govt of India and IIM Calcutta as one of the best ideas to transform India. Eastern Chamber of Commerce has also recognized our efforts and named us Swayam Siddha.

7. What are your future plans for Twirl?

We hope to get more and more people across the country involved in the Twirl circle and hope everyone joins our initiative to make fashion and retail a sustainable circle.

8. Your advice to those who wish to be an entrepreneur.

Believe in your dreams !

Nizami Khana- Food Review at Riwayat

On By anamitradIn #Food2 Comments

I have always loved food and I begin this new year with a food post. Happy New Year 2020. Being a Hyderabadi from birth I always wanted to explore the Nizam style of cuisine and I had the opportunity to visit Riwayat. This post is about my experience at Riwayat.

Ambiance of Riwayat

I liked the ambiance where the place is decorated with chandeliers, long curtains, decent seating arrangement and antique pieces. Not to forget they have exterior seating as well.

Delicious Starters

I had the opportunity to taste the vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters. In the vegetarian menu it was the Hariyali Kebab and Grilled Paneer. The vegetarian starters were my absolute favorite and I enjoyed eating it the most. Coming to the non vegetarian starters I had Chicken Tikka, Tangdi Kebab, Fish Tikka and Seekh Kebab. The Chicken Tikka was perfect in taste and apt. Hence in starters I would recommend Hariyali Kebab, Grilled Paneer and Chicken Tikka.

Delicious Main Course at Riwayat

In the main course there were quite a few items i.e. Dum Chicken, Mutton Roganjosh, Mutton Biriyani, Murg Lababdar, Dal Makhani, Paneer Butter Masala, Mushroom Masala and Jeera Rice.  Being allergic to mutton made me miss few dishes in main course but not to forget I managed to have the vegetarian and non vegetarian main course. I had the Chicken Biryani, Dum Chicken and Paneer Butter Masala. The Paneer Butter Masala was great in taste but it was bit oily. The Chicken Biryani and Dum Chicken was perfect in taste.

Desserts

Desserts still remain my favorite after the main course. In Desserts we were served Kaddu ki Kheer, Beetroot Halwa and Gulab Jamun. The Gulab Jamun was served hot and was good in taste but I felt it was little extra sweet. The Kaddu ki Kheer and Beet Root Halwa was absolute good in taste. Desserts is something which should not be missed here after the main course.

Final Verdict

If you love authentic Nizami Food then Riwayat is the best place where you should surely try and visit with your family and friends.

Rating: 4*/5

The Bhoj Company- A Probashi Bengali’s Experience

On By anamitradIn #Food2 Comments

Being a probashi bengali for over the years I never had the opportunity to explore and taste the bengali food. After roaming at the City Center malls whole day I was invited by my friend Tanmay for a tasting session to taste the authentic Bengali food.

The Bhoj Company Review

Ambiance

The ambiance just made me feel home. The restaurant has two floors which is very spacious. I personally fell in love with their seat arrangement added to that their wall paintings and traditional decorative items.

Food Review: A Probashi’s Perspective

Starters

I personally love eating starters whichever place I visit. As soon as I visited there within few minutes I was served Bhetki Fish Fry with French Fries and Mustard Chutney which was just amazing and delicious.

Diverse Main Courses, Different Presentation

As I went alone for the food tasting session I managed to eat their two special authentic Bengali and Dhakai Cuisine. I had Rice with Kachu Bhapa Chingri and Dhakai Morag Pulao. The Kachu Bhapa Chingri was prepared with fresh mustard paste but the spice blended with kochu shaak (spinach) and chingri (prawn). This particular dish is recommended with rice. The Dhakai Morag Pulao was with dry fruits and sweet. The Pulao was very tasty. The Chicken pieces and the egg was very soft. Both the dishes were well prepared and the food was delicious.

Desserts Love

No matter how much I am full I always have that space to eat sweets. After a wholesome delicious meal I had their Rasmalai and Baked Chom Chom. The Rasmalai looked more of rasgulla however the taste was different. It was made of nolen gur and it was absolutely mouth watering. I have been inclined towards other sweets from childhood but when I tried the Baked Chom Chom it tasted yum and delightful. After my visit to Kolkata I have fallen in love with the Bengali Sweets.

Final Verdict: Anamitra Debnath’s Experience

I hardly had experienced Bengali Food in my lifetime. After Bhojohori Manna I had it at The Bhoj Company The starter, main course and the sweets was just delicious. The service was prompt and I loved their hospitality. A big shout-out to Tanmay, Sankar and Gouranga for serving me the best Bengali and Dhakai Food.

Overall Rating: 5*/5

Hope you enjoyed my review. Please mention in the comments below or tweet to me on @anamitradebnath