Ad Landâ€™s Young Guns: Apoorv Bhatnagar, Co-Founder, The Plug Media

Apoorv Bhatnagar is a driven professional, passionate about brand partnerships and social media marketing. He is Co-Founder of The Plug Media and heads brand partnerships with Represent.

With 500+ brands and 1,800+ influencer campaigns in the timeline history, The Plug Media works to create the perfect sync between creators, brands, the audience, and the ‘influence’ that needs to be conveyed.

In conversation with Adgully, Apoorv Bhatnagar, Co-Founder, The Plug Media, speaks about his journey with his own venture, advice to youngsters, success mantra, future plans, and more.

Tell us about your venture The Plug Media.

A 360° fully inclusive talent management, The Plug Media is a name synonymous with all things digital. Established with the fundamental vision of making talent and brand partnership processes more efficient and effective, we encompass a wide gamut of services – Influencer Marketing, Talent Management and Video Production all under one roof.

With a driven, headstrong team bringing their expertise and experience to the table, within four years, we have amassed a clientele of over 275 world class brands and executed over 1,800 influencer campaigns through our enviable roster of exclusive talents.

With the leverage of being the pioneers in the field in more ways than one and having a strong foothold in the industry, we have constantly and consistently turned heads in the digital space in a short span.

What particular skillsets do you think you bring to the table to excel in your venture?

As someone who has always been interested in exploring new possibilities, I have been at the forefront of shaping the ever-changing entertainment landscape for over 7 years. From elevating Delhi’s nightlife to identifying a gap in live entertainment to establishing – The Plug Media is India’s one of first influencer management agencies.

So, whether it is crisis management, salesmanship, market understanding, consumer trends, or team building, I look at all the aspects to help the company grow.

What are the five most productive things that you do in your everyday routine?

Work out
I organise my day by scheduling my work the night before by making a list of all my meetings and tasks for the day ahead
I always have a fixed meal time that I never skip/ delay in order to keep my body energised for my overall health and well-being.
Fixed working hours to achieve work-life balance
Delegate what I can

Do you think a career in this field is a viable one in the long term?

Absolutely. There is no technology that can replace managing people’s businesses. The kind of help, solution, on-the-ground execution, dealings, and negotiation skills required to manage a talent, celebrity, artist, or creator – we will always need the right agent and managers in the business to run this industry. Although technology can be very useful in streamlining processes, the business will always be run by people. As a result, this career path is not going away.

What does it take to succeed in a career?

Action follows Intention. If you are not willing to put in the hard work, then you really need to ask yourself if you are on the right path.
Passion - you must love your job so much that you wake up every day excited for the new challenges that await you.
A desire to learn, gain knowledge, and develop skills in order to improve your performance.
Networking skills at offline events are essential for growing as a person, growing a business, and meeting new people, sharing ideas, gaining knowledge, and learning something new.
Workplace Ethics.

What would your advice be to youngsters planning to enter this industry?

My advice would be not to enter the industry out of FOMO or just because everyone’s doing it and it looks intriguing.

First, learn about the industry and its people. Meet them, talk to them, listen to different conversations, and learn about the talent category and the industry you want to work in.

Develop the necessary skillset before joining.

Be persistent - be prepared to face setbacks and failures in your early days and turn them into learning opportunities.

Where do you see yourself and your company in five years’ time?

I see myself and the company progressing to the point where we are not only managing creators, but are heavily invested in them as a brand, expanding various verticals such as their D2C businesses, academies, skills-based courses, running workshops, and so on.