'Respect time': HDFC Life CMO Vishal Subharwal's marketing mantras and life hacks

Vishal Subharwal, Chief Marketing Officer and Group Head - Strategy, HDFC Life, says that constant learning and working in new areas helps keep burnout at bay. “For example, on the technology side of marketing, you can stick to your domain and still keep experimenting with ideas... If you are into marketing, it's good to go out and get a couple of years of experience in sales, because that gets you closer to the customer. If you keep doing that, especially in your younger years, you'll be a well-rounded marketing professional by the time you’ve garnered about a decade of experience."

Edited excerpts

What are some of your favourite quotes about marketing and leadership?

From a leadership perspective, one of my favourite quotes is ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ While the strategic direction in which an organisation moves is really important, I think the culture and values essentially drive where an organisation and a brand is headed.

Apart from that, from a marketing standpoint, I'm a believer in research which is crucial before any action is taken on the brand.

So, from that point of view, another quote which comes to mind is Charlie Munger’s (former Vice Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway) famous, ‘invert, always invert,’ which means that when faced with a problem, always have an alternative hypothesis which is probably the polar opposite of what seems likely. That’s what I try and put to use at HDFC Life.

When it comes to our ads, another quote I try and abide by is that a good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself. A lot of our brand campaigns are about financial independence. For example, Sar Uthake Jio. The social context (of an ad) is very important for us, so the ad can sell the product without drawing attention to itself.

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

I consume content across multiple sources, a lot of which is publicly available. But a lot of the content which is forward-looking comes from our agencies, whether it's Leo Burnett on the brand side, Schbang on the digital side, or our tech partners, Google, Meta, and Adobe. There are also independent professionals who track the industry, and write about what's happening in marketing, adtech, and martech.

Then it's up to us to see what’s working and what’s not. Additionally, there are research and media planning agencies which give us inputs. Keeping an open mind is very important when you're consuming information, and it's good to have multiple sources of information so you have a holistic and balanced perspective.

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

The last five videos were heavy on Olympics. In the last couple of days, I’ve watched a short documentary about how Nike ran into trouble recently. I’ve also seen a small podcast on investing.

What’s your fitness routine?

I’m not very heavily into fitness but more into mindfulness, reading, a bit of yoga, and a bit of gyming.

What does your favourite weekend look like?

Favourite weekend would be travelling away from the hustle of the city. When that's not possible, maybe pick up a book and read or watch a movie with the family.

What are you watching this weekend?

The last thing I watched was a Tamil movie on Netflix, called Maharaja. It had the actor Vijay Sethupathi in the lead.

Any work or life hack you swear by?

I try to attend meetings on time. I think that's always a good life hack to follow as a professional, because respecting time is very important for me.

What are you reading?

Outlive: The Science of Art and Longevity, by Dr Peter Attia, on health and wellness. I recently read ‘A Shot At History,’ which is Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra’s autobiography. I’m also reading a book by Terry Smith called, ‘Investing For Growth.’

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

I've been a generalist and moved across roles, whether it's strategy, marketing, business planning, or finance. As long as you keep working in new areas, burnout can be avoided because you're learning something new every time. In marketing, let's say you're a young professional working on a brand today, be open to working on the performance marketing side as well as the adtech side.

For example, on the technology side of marketing, you can stick to your domain and still keep experimenting with ideas. Most large organisations have different products, different brands, and you can move across product categories.

If you are into marketing, it's good to go out and get a couple of years of experience in sales, because that gets you closer to the customer. If you keep doing that, especially in your younger years, you'll be a well-rounded marketing professional by the time you’ve garnered about a decade of experience.

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

A good mix of data and gut in decision-making is really important. So, back your instinct, but it's better if it's also backed by data.

What's the best advice you have got or heard on life?

We are old too soon and wise too late.

I heard this on a podcast by Muneesh Pabrai, who's an investor based in the US. He does a lot of charitable work in India through an organisation called the Dakshana Foundation.

He funds students in classes 9 to 12, and even helps them prep for their medical and engineering entrance exams. He believes in education, and the foundation can be a game changer for a lot of children from poor backgrounds.

The foundation provides schooling and hostel facilities. A lot of their students who crack medical and engineering entrance exams in turn give back to their schools.

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