Digital has brought an over-emphasis on performance marketing: Arvind R P, McDonald’s India

According to McDonald’s India (W&S) CMO Arvind R P, the past decade has been all about digital, which has meant a proliferation of platforms and has helped marketers in more ways than one can imagine. But along with that has come an over-emphasis on performance marketing, which he cautions against.

Instead, he says, one should not forget the principles of successful brand marketing, for there’s simply no better way to build brands and businesses other than broad reach campaigns with emotion and rich storytelling. "This is the only long-term and sustainable way of building brands and businesses," he adds.

Arvind devotes a part of his weekends towards upgrading his knowledge of marketing. Apart from reading books and listening to podcasts over the weekend, Arvind also catches up on papers published by Australia’s Ehrenberg-Bass Institute.

“The others who I follow a lot and read regularly are Les Binet and Orlando Wood, who have written extensively on marketing and advertising,” Arvind said, during an interview with Storyboard 18.

Edited excerpts:

In your free time, what kind of marketing-related content do you consume?

I keep some time on Sundays to catch up on the latest in marketing. One of the areas I focus on is the work done by Australia’s Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. I try to catch up on the papers that they publish. I'm a big advocate of evidence-based, as opposed to theory-based, marketing.

The others who I follow a lot and read regularly are Les Binet and Orlando Wood, who have written extensively on marketing and advertising. For me, it’s a mix of reading books and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

Where do you get your social media fix from?

I largely get it from X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. I use X for news and to understand what's going on in the world. I depend on Instagram for interesting content from influencers, etc.

What were the last five videos you viewed on any social platform?

In the last few days, there are two songs in particular I have listened to. One is Tauba Tauba from the film Bad Newz. And a Tamil song called Kasu Panam.

I follow James Hoffmann, barista and YouTuber, for various coffee hacks. Hoffmann is a coffee expert and I catch up on how to brew the perfect coffee at home, how to best use a moka pot, etc.

I love ghazals and listen to them regularly, especially Jagjit Singh. Over the weekends, I try to watch content on YouTube from political thinkers like Pratap Bhanu Mehta, philosophers, etc.

Who are your favourite creators and what draws you to them?

When I was a kid, I used to watch a lot of Superman and characters from Marvel. Then I lost interest. But one creator and story I remained interested in was the whole world of Star Wars. The depth of the characters and the way the story is told makes it immensely watchable, regardless of age.

What is your sport or fitness routine all about?

Many years back, I used to walk every day. But for the past few years, it's been all about gyming. Even while traveling, I try to make it to the gym. When I'm doing cardio, I'm able to catch up on some audiobooks and podcasts.

What are your weekends like?

My weekends are full of lazing around. But my ideal weekend would be me and my family going out to either see a movie or dine at some restaurant that we’ve planned ahead for. Recently, my family and I were at Masque restaurant in Mumbai, and we really loved it.

My gym routine remains unbroken even on weekends. Then there’s streaming movies, serials, etc.

Any work or life hack you swear by?

For me, it's all about living your passion. As long as you're living your passion, that keeps you going. For example, one of my passions is formal learning for myself and my team. Sometimes I conduct a session, sometimes I get somebody from outside the firm to conduct one.

What are you reading? Any recommendations?

In the last few weeks, one of the most fascinating books I have read is The Tyranny of Merit, by Michael J. Sandel. He's a Professor of Philosophy at Harvard.

He's written many books on the tyranny of merit and how meritorious people have such hubris that they look down on those who are not as successful. One might feel one has arrived in life, but one should have empathy, treat people with respect.

I'm also reading a book on Buddhism, Dust on the Throne: The Search for Buddhism in Modern India, by Douglas Ober. He's written about the evolution of Buddhism in India over centuries, especially the last one.

The book I’ve just finished is Better Brand Health: Measure and Metrics for How Brands Grow Old, by Jenni Romaniuk, a Professor at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. Her book is on consumer research, how one typically does consumer research, what are the pitfalls, and how one can improve.

What's your advice to avoid personal and professional burnout?

Live your passions. At work, as long as you are able to identify your passions, what keeps you going, you should be fine.

A piece of professional wisdom you would like to share with next gen marketers?

In the past decade, everything has been about digital. And digital has helped marketers in more ways than one can imagine. Digital means a proliferation of various platforms.

But in digital, there's an over-emphasis on performance marketing, and my biggest advice to the new generation of marketers is not to forget the principles of successful brand marketing. There’s no better way to build brands and businesses other than broad reach campaigns with emotion and rich storytelling. This is the only long-term and sustainable way of building brands and businesses.

What's the best advice you have got in life?

I started my career at TVS Motor Company. My mentor there gave me two pieces of advice at different points in time and I still remember them. The first was on diversity. He always talked about how he's got different thought processes going on in his team, that he always got feedback from different perspectives, which he considered before making a decision.

I find that quite invaluable and try to replicate it. When one thinks of diversity, one just thinks of gender, but there’s also diversity in terms of people from different parts of India, or people with different skill sets. Someone thinks from an analytical perspective, someone thinks from a brand perspective, etc. Diversity of thought is crucial. It enriches discussions and helps one arrive at better decisions.

The second advice he gave was not to give up easily. That came at a different stage in my life, when I was going through challenging times.

Read More: You will never win by focusing on the rearview mirror: Lance Bennett, Mercedes-Benz India