Brands have always left an indelible impact on us, through an intangible feeling that spans cultures, geographies and demographics !
Payal Shah, our next pathbreaker, Strategy Director & Head-Human Truths at Interbrand, leads a team of strategists and analysts, with the larger objective of shaping the new world of brands for the future.
Payal talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about her additional role as Host- Design Rendezvous, a global creative interview series in collaboration with Ecole Intuit Lab where she covers circular design, sustainable consumerism, ethical design, behavioral science and many other areas.
For students, brand building in today’s world is all about harnessing the power of research, strategy & design to drive purposeful innovations !
Payal, tell us about yourself !
Donning multiple hats – Passionate Educator, Brand Strategist and a Host, I have always believed in the power of storytelling and in purposeful innovation that harnesses behavioural data in order to amplify brand growth and value creation.
As a Strategy Director at Interbrand, I help brands rise to meaningful arenas for growth and sustainable iconic leadership. Possessing a multi-faceted personality and 12+ yrs. experience, I have been working across categories such as spirits, FMCG, technology and fashion; few of my clients include Pernod Ricard, Colgate and Gucci.
Beyond creating brands, I am also a Brand Mentor at multiple global universities and the Host of Design Rendezvous.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
I graduated from Rachana Sansad Academy of Arts and Craft in Applied Arts (Commercial arts –Advertising) and then went on to pursue my first Masters in Graphic Design from MIT Institute of Design. After that, I pursued my second Masters in Branding from the School of Visual Arts in New York.
What made you choose such an offbeat, unconventional and cool career?
I feel there were many factors involved in this choice. It was never that I knew it from the get-go that I wanted to work in the business of brands. If I go back in time, I was a very quiet yet observant kid who was fond of drawing and painting (yeah!, unfortunately or fortunately it all starts there). A drawing class every Sunday- used to be my solace amidst hundreds of school tests and exams. I was always inclined towards the creative end of studies rather than trigonometry and the likes, since I knew deep down in my heart, I would never use it in my life. It was my drawing teacher who saw some potential in me and encouraged me and my family to let me pursue Applied arts (Advertising). Though my parents were skeptical about this decision, they somehow (and thank god!) allowed me to explore this.
This became the turning point and the starting point of my career. Most importantly, I was passionate about exploring this since I was (kind of) good at it and imagined myself to be happy in the future. What gave me relief is that I was pursuing something I loved. This was my decision and mine alone. So even if I would fail in the future, I would take full responsibility for it.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path.
After my undergrad, my first job was in a renowned design agency at the time- Eureka Moments. Design as a discipline wasn’t as mature (this is 2008) as it is today, but I wanted to understand what truly happens in a design agency.
My tenure at EUMO inspired me to pursue post-graduation in graphic design. My thesis project was at DY Works in which I was fortunate to work on national brands and got an insight into the workings of it all. My mentors and leaders there had a huge influence on me. While I continued working there as a designer, I became curious about the business of brand building and the DNA of brands.
This led me to pursue Masters in Branding in New York, and to opportunities such as leading an innovation project of a rebrand of Seagram’s Gin and leading a cultural audit at Colgate Palmolive. My experience there transformed the way I looked at brands and the tools that I learned throughout my education journey. I was able to open my mind and question a lot of conventional stories and challenge them all. A world of opportunities opened up that spanned across consumer research to brand strategy to design. My multi-cultural experience became my wealth, and being curious and proactive became a stepping stone to the next chapter of my life.
I decided to move my base to Mumbai and was apprehensive about lucrative opportunities in the country given its nascency in brand strategy. However, a networking event and a super mentor introduced me to Happy Thinking People and I joined them within a month. In this role, I got an opportunity to lead consumer insights for global brands and decode behaviors that truly impact business.
After a couple of years, I moved to Interbrand, which gave me the opportunity to work at the intersection of research, strategy and design- all three that I was trained in and passionate about. My team and I worked on multiple brand projects ranging from creation of brand purpose to strategizing for new product categories for the biggest brands in India. Nothing of this was easy. It demanded hard work, discipline and resilience to hone myself and be better everyday.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
There have been several challenges; skill wise, attitude wise, culture wise, but the most crucial challenge that shaped my professional trajectory was my move to New York.
Along with a high intensity master’s program, the first experience of being in New York was a life changing experience. Right from understanding new cultures, new ways of working, different weather conditions and working late hours- I was on survival mode. But I had to learn to look at the positive side of things. The rich cultural diversity, design and artistic stimulus, the pragmatism, networking with the best organizations, life was opening up. Pushing through and having the belief in myself was the muscle that I was invited to build and flex. Because of this challenging time, I was able to discover myself and dream even bigger than I had ever before.
Where do you work now? Tell us about your current role.
Currently, I wear multiple hats- Brand Strategist, Educator, Host.
At Interbrand, I am grateful for the global opportunities to create the best brands in the world. I lead a fantastic team of strategists and analysts that help shape the new world of brands for the future. My additional responsibility as Head of Human Truths practice is dedicated to unearthing the universal truth that spans across different categories that help decode behaviors that impact the topline. I love that there isn’t a dull moment in this job. Everyday we have the opportunity to work on different brands from Fintech to FMCG to Luxury categories. It keeps me on my toes and constantly helps me uncover different skill sets, be it people management to leadership to negotiation.
Also, I teach and mentor at a couple of leading global design/creative universities. I’ve been passionate about being an educator for a decade and I truly believe that change will happen by the way our minds are shaped. Whether it is teaching at Ecole Intuit lab, FAD Institute of luxury & style or School of Branding and Advertising, I try to challenge my students to break away from the contemporary and define the new ways of the world.
I also have the great good fortune to Host- Design Rendezvous, a global creative interview series in collaboration with Ecole Intuit Lab. The areas that I cover are circular design, sustainable consumerism, ethical design, behavioral science, consumer psyche and the changing needs and desires.
I’m about to start shooting for Season 2 very soon!
Here is a glimpse of Season 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ZiqODiqdE&t=42s
Memorable work?
Purpose-driven work has always been memorable. A couple of years ago, my team and I worked on creating a purpose for a large realty developer in the country. As complexity rose, the task became even more challenging. The journey of explaining the objective of a purpose to the client became more memorable since I also started to discover that I was interested in more purpose-driven projects. The project eventually saw fruition with the global heads, and was a huge success.
Another most rewarding work has always been mentoring students in various universities. Being able to teach and mentor students who end up creating solutions for the betterment of the world, is a privilege.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
I would say three things.
- Be brave enough to be your true self in a world that is highly templated and insecure. Your uniqueness is your power.
- Please ask big questions. Please ask yourself if the path you choose can benefit the world. Money can’t be your only driving force. Focus on creating value, money will follow.
- Skills can be taught, attitude cannot. Focus on developing the right attitude towards learning.