Ad land's Young Guns: Aman Mishra, Director - Strategy, Havas Media

To bring out what it actually takes up to be there in advertising, Adgully has introduced a new feature – ‘Ad Land’s Young Guns’, where the spotlight is on the brilliant young ad professionals who have been bringing tremendous value to their organisations and creating work that are being appreciated in various forums.

This week, we present Aman Mishra, Director - Strategy, Havas Media. A storyteller with a proven track record of building brands and taking their story forward across platforms, Mishra calls his entry into advertising “a cherished mistake”. He joined Havas Media in October 2014 and leads the strategic thinking and planning function there. Prior to that, he was with Ignitee, where he was Manager – Digital Strategy.

What it takes to climb up the ladder in advertising, here’s Aman Mishra in his own words…

What particular skill sets do you think you bring to the table?
Consumer insights (gathered through observation), coupled with data driven market and category insights and strategic planning.

The one campaign that you have worked on that you are particularly proud of? Please take us through the making of the campaign.
All my work is close to my heart. Among the better ones are Castrol, Hyundai, Emirates, Parle, Ranbaxy (now SunPharma, for their Revital and Volini portfolio) and Amway, to name a few. For Amway’s Artistry, we did a co-branded partnership with Vogue and co-created expert content on beauty and skincare, helping Artistry strengthen their positioning in the minds of the beauty conscious consumer.

While working on the creatives, how do you prepare yourself? What goes on in your mind?
There is no set method to madness. However, what’s important is to look everything from the consumer first angle. Will the consumer like it? Does it have enough hook for the consumer to get glued to it? Will the consumer talk about it to his wife and in their social circle; are some of the questions that must be answered.

Icons in advertising you look up to and how they have influenced you and your work?
Being a learner, I look up to everyone I work with. However, I have been fortunate enough to get great mentors in Karl Gomes and Mathew Belliraj at the start of my career. Their approach towards problems and how to address the brief has really played a great role in structuring my thinking. I have been really lucky to have gotten the opportunity to work under the guidance of Ranjoy, Atul, Tina, Mohit, Uday, Anita and each one of them have positively impacted my thinking and approach.

What are the five most productive things that you do in your everyday routine?
Waking up is the first thing I start my day with. I observe everything around and try to gather as much insights about human behaviour as possible. I make it a point to chat to my colleagues and get their perspectives on things. Writing the key pointers, insights, data points, challenges etc. whatever I gather during the day so that I could use it later.

Do you think a career in advertising is a viable one in the long term?
Absolutely!

What does it take to succeed in a career like advertising?
Focus, willingness to have fun under high pressure environments and above all is the love for storytelling.

What would be your advice to youngsters planning to enter this industry?
Have faith and take the plunge. It’s fun.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
Sitting in office, cracking briefs and having fun in the process.

Is there any agency/ organisation that you would like to work with in the future?
Wherever I get to learn and do good work. Names don’t matter.