Mumbai: Established in 2013, #ARM Worldwide is a renowned digital advertising & marketing communications enterprise that specializes in developing and implementing digital strategies across earned, paid, and owned media for clients. #ARM Worldwide provides comprehensive solutions that are infused with creativity, and backed with technology and analytics to ensure success.

#ARM Worldwide assists clients in transforming their businesses in this technologically advancing environment through extensive research and quality work that represents their brand. With a team of strategy experts & creative professionals leading the way, we excel at setting KPIs, goals, and executing innovative campaigns. As a digital transformation partner, we aim to define & create trending conversations for our partners, communicating their message well amongst the audience.

Talking about Manas, he is a seasoned professional who brings with him a wealth of experience garnered over years of working in the marketing & advertising industry. His expertise in Digital Strategy, Mobile Advertising, Advertising, Entrepreneurship, & Media Buying has helped him in launching digital journeys for various prominent brands such as Tata Docomo, Panasonic, Bajaj Finserv, Viacom18, Sony, Samsung, and many more.

Driven by his passion for delivering the utmost value to his clients, Manas is constantly on the lookout for innovative ways to build and promote brands through effective marketing strategies.

For Manas, lifelong learning is a way of life. He believes the biggest rewards come after years of unwavering perseverance, hard work, and diligence. His mantra in life is that one’s happiness index is the real measure of one’s success. An avid reader and book lover, Manas likes to unwind by reading, working out, sports, music, and spending quality time with his family.

Indiantelevision.com caught up with CEO ARM Worldwide Manas Gulati on a virtual chat on the completion of ten years, the challenges, the innovations and much more.

On completing 10 years in the industry, what made you start a digital marketing agency & what were the challenges you faced during your journey?

I began my career at Quasar Media and later joined Starcom, where both organizations provided valuable learning experiences.

During the early days, many organizations functioned solely as implementation or media partners. However, our vision was different right from the start. We aimed to adopt a business-centric approach, focusing on understanding the impact of marketing efforts on organizations. Rather than labeling ourselves as a traditional agency, we proudly identify as consultants as we undergo a comprehensive induction process, immersing ourselves in the intricacies of businesses and their marketing dynamics. Our goal is to create tangible business impact, collaborating closely with marketers on the brand side to ensure the achievement of their business objectives. Our scope extends beyond conventional brand awareness marketing. We are equally dedicated to performance marketing, recognizing its direct impact on businesses. By combining our expertise in both areas, we strive to deliver comprehensive solutions that drive meaningful results.

By seamlessly amalgamating machine-managed tools like Google, Facebook, and programmatic buying with backend CRM systems, we have facilitated an all-encompassing view of marketing endeavors, syncretizing online and offline data. This has paved the way for a data-driven methodology, facilitating the customization of marketing messages and their judicious distribution. Yet, our journey does not entail a one-size-fits-all approach; instead, it demands profound insights into the intricacies of the customer life cycle.

Our communication unit encompasses multifarious aspects, spanning brand building, creativity, social media, textual content, digital films, and TVCs. The conversion division undertakes media buying and planning, performance marketing, and search engine optimization. Additionally, we pride ourselves on the convergence of the digital journey through technology, fostering seamless integration.

Over the course of a decade, we curated a cadre of experienced leaders to spearhead each business pillar, constituting a cohesive and self-shining framework. This meticulous endeavour has borne fruit, shaping our current system into a harmonious symphony of excellence.

On the USP of #ARM Worldwide that makes you stand out in this crowded arena?

#ARM Worldwide stands out in the crowded arena due to its strong focus on automation and seamless online experiences for clients. Unlike other consultants, we have established a robust automated journey tied to various tools and platforms, including Hubspot, SAP. Additionally, we have direct partnerships with Google and Facebook, allowing us to leverage their beta products. Our agency goes beyond being mere digital execution partners. We function as business consultants, partnering with brands to drive their growth objectives. With ample experience in diverse domains, particularly in finance, education, consumer durables, and FMCG, we possess in-depth knowledge of these industries.

With 10 years of experience, our agency has established itself as a prominent player in the finance sector. From crafting digital journeys to driving impactful marketing strategies, we have been at the forefront of delivering business results.

Education is another domain where our expertise shines. Collaborating with six to seven esteemed educational institutes and organizations, we have made a significant impact in this field. Our agency's global expansion has led us to work with five renowned brands, providing comprehensive marketing solutions worldwide. Our capabilities extend beyond media buying and planning, encompassing SEO and content creation on a global scale, establishing us as niche experts in the industry.

As trusted partners, we have forged successful collaborations with leading mobile phone companies, including Samsung, Sony, LG, Gionee (launched and worked for 5 years), Tecno, and Amazfit. Notably, our partnership with Amazfit since its launch has proven highly successful in the Indian market. Recognizing the growing needs of our FMCG brand clients, we have recently launched an in-house studio, enabling us to deliver exceptional product shoots and creative content tailored specifically for their requirements.

On brands effectively manage their messaging across diverse geographies and demographics in the era of digital surge, and what strategies can be employed to bring order to this dynamic landscape?

The key to effectively managing messaging across diverse geographies and demographics in the digital era lies in two crucial aspects. First, addressing the language barrier and leveraging hyper-personalization in the digital domain. This involves understanding the language preferences of individuals, their internet usage patterns, product preferences, and reading habits. Access to such information allows brands to tailor their messages and increase engagement rates with their entire audience.

For example, for our clients in the financial domain, targeting clients who primarily conduct searches in Marathi alongside English enables customized messaging that resonates with their preferences. The observation is that when brands communicate in the same language as the user, there is a significant boost in engagement rates for campaigns and brand awareness.

Automation tools like HubSpot provide valuable signals, such as knowing when a person opens an email, enabling timely follow-ups, such as receiving a customer care call immediately after opening the email. This level of integration can be both impressive and disconcerting, as users may have experienced instances where their conversations about a product led to relevant advertisements appearing in their digital ecosystem. While the system captures signals and delivers personalized messages accordingly, users always retain the option to decline such targeting. Tech-savvy individuals can clear their caches to prevent the identification of their IP addresses, maintaining their privacy if desired.

On addressing the regional brand messaging?

The digital ecosystem, encompassing platforms like Facebook and Google, provides specific targeting based on their language, location, and search behaviour. This seamless segmentation makes it easier for brands to identify and target specific audiences compared to traditional platforms like print media. Brands can leverage the machine-managed system's wealth of information to personalize their messaging effectively, resulting in successful outcomes.

To cater to the evolving landscape, we ensure our strategies are adaptable and customizable. The advent of Jio in 2017 marked a significant turning point, granting widespread access to smartphones and opening up various formats like video and audio to a broader audience. This accessibility revolutionized the penetration of tier two and tier three cities, expanding the reach of digital content.

New platforms such as ShareChat, Moj, Chingari, and Josh have also emerged, engaging users from tier two and tier three cities. Collaborating with local influencers on these platforms and implementing social media activities allows brands to activate their presence and connect with their target audience effectively. This expansion has widened the media mix, extending beyond larger platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Marketers now seek to tap into vernacular languages and regional content on alternate platforms to achieve greater reach, especially when targeting consumers in tier two and tier three cities where their products are in demand.

On organizations enhancing quality standards and foster workplace innovation to drive overall improvement?

In today's rapidly evolving work landscape, workplace innovations and productivity improvements are crucial for organizations to stay ahead. With a focus on leveraging automation and streamlining processes, our organization has made significant strides in enhancing efficiency and fostering innovation. We leverage automation through HubSpot for sales and marketing, streamlining the business processes. Basecamp, an internal productivity app, ensures seamless communication, improving focus and organization. Uknowva, our HR tool, simplifies tasks like leave tracking and timesheet management for optimal resource allocation. In a hybrid work environment, tools like Basecamp and HubSpot help us efficiently manage remote and in-office teams, ensuring seamless operations across the organization. To foster a positive work environment, we are currently working under the hybrid work model, and with the help of above mentioned tools, the process has become seamless.

Furthermore, we have dedicated our efforts to improving three essential tools within our arsenal: the financial ERP tool, Fido, the influencer marketing tool, and the media management tool BRIMAS. These tools were not merely developed for commercial purposes, but with the intention of empowering ourselves and optimizing our overall performance.

On the vision and mission? And, where do you see yourself 3 years from now?

At #ARM Worldwide, our vision and mission revolve around driving digital transformation and delivering exceptional results for our clients, both nationally and internationally. We strive to be at the forefront of the digital marketing industry, leveraging innovative strategies and cutting-edge technologies to create impactful campaigns. In addition to our well-established hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Pune, we are committed to expanding our horizons and forging partnerships with international brands. We have embarked on an exciting journey to collaborate with more and more global brands, with a particular focus on the EMEA regions.

By broadening our network of international partnerships, we aim to bring our expertise and services to a wider audience, fostering meaningful relationships and delivering exceptional results on a global scale. Our agency is dedicated to providing seamless support and creating impactful campaigns for brands across borders, solidifying our presence in key markets around the world.

Our vision is to establish ourselves as a globally recognized leader in the digital marketing space, renowned for our expertise, creativity, and ability to generate measurable business outcomes. Through our mission, we aim to empower brands by providing strategic guidance, data-driven insights, and customized solutions that drive brand growth, customer engagement, and revenue generation.

Looking ahead, three years from now, we see ourselves as a dominant force in the digital marketing landscape. We envision expanding our client base, forging strategic partnerships, and venturing into new markets. Our goal is to continuously push the boundaries of digital marketing, adopting emerging technologies and staying ahead of industry trends. By doing so, we will consistently deliver exceptional value and results for our clients, further solidifying our position as a trusted industry leader.