Career chapter · 2021–2023
Rebranding a 25-year-old industrial OEM and building its marketing function from zero.
Two years as Corporate Communications and Marketing Head at a Pune-based industrial automation OEM. Generated leads worth approximately ₹48 crore (with conversion potential of ₹4.8 crore per year) for a company that had near-zero marketing function and relied heavily on referral sales. Directed complete rebranding from logo to trademarking. Increased LinkedIn followers from below 300 to over 15,000. Lifted brand mentions from fewer than 12 per month to 180+. Implemented Salesforce CRM for the sales team.
Challenge
The starting point
A stiff, legacy industrial company with twenty-five years of referral-driven sales and near-zero marketing investment. The owners knew marketing had to be built — and didn't yet know what built marketing actually looked like.
Approach
What I did
Complete rebranding
Directed and implemented the new brand from logo design to trademarking. Built all brand materials, publications and brand-outreach collateral.
Strategic product launches
Successfully directed the launch of multiple products — AP6, WP2/6, FP4 — achieving high market adoption and brand awareness.
Lead generation
Conducted extensive market research and customer-insight work that led to differentiated brand positioning and targeted strategies. Generated approximately 2,300 leads with a potential pipeline value of ₹48 crore.
Integrated campaigns
Led integrated campaigns across PR, email, website, LinkedIn, events and meetups. Email campaigns ran at 12-20% CTR while remaining within budget. Tools used: Google Analytics, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Emarsys, Zoho Campaigns. Implemented Salesforce CRM for the sales team.
Social media activation
Increased LinkedIn followers from less than 300 to 15,000+ via a mix of post types and content. Used influencers from ISA, MCCIA, ECIL, MCA and other industry bodies to amplify reach.
Performance optimisation
Monitored brand performance metrics for continuous optimisation. Brand mentions increased from below 12 per month to 180+. Tools used: Prowly, Brandwatch, ANI/PR releases.
Internal & external comms
Worked across internal teams to ensure cohesive brand messaging. Developed guidelines, collaterals and strategic content for leaders. Produced videos. Organised vendor training to improve corporate culture and brand-language adoption. Directed internal events including the Hiring Brand initiative for HR. Helped design policies for the employee journey from onboarding to off-boarding to develop a better people culture.
Lessons
What this chapter taught
Twenty-five-year-old industrial brands need rebrand discipline before campaign discipline. The trademark, the visual system and the brand voice have to be locked first.
Industrial associations are under-leveraged influence networks. ISA, MCCIA, ECIL — every category has equivalents — and they amplify content faster than paid social can.
12-20% email CTR is achievable in industrial marketing — when the audience targeting is calibrated to engineer-buyers, not procurement contacts.
Internal communications and employer branding are part of the same marketing function. The companies that separate them lose people faster than they win customers.
Recognise the pattern?
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