Delivering consumer-centric solutions is key: PivotRoots’ Yogesh Khanchandani

“We were able to help a vast number of SMEs navigate the post-pandemic landscape with greater ease and confidence. Our templatized e-commerce solutions and consultation services proved to be a game-changer for many businesses looking to establish a robust online presence and capitalise on the vast potential of the digital market,” says Yogesh Khanchandani, Co-Founder & Chief Business Strategy Officer, PivotRoots.

PivotRoots, currently present in India and Dubai, is a data- and technology-led full-service digital agency offering services across strategy and consulting, digital media planning & buying, UI/IX, social & content, data & analytics, and custom solution building. The agency has worked with over 60 brands, like EmiratesNBD, National Bank of Kuwait, Amazon Prime Video, Upgrad, etc. 

PivotRoots recently expanded its martech solutions under PivotConsult to offer clients cutting-edge custom tech solutions that are tailored to their unique business needs. “To achieve this, we acquired DEEPFLUX, a tech company comprising software engineers who work closely with our brand strategists to develop custom infrastructures that drive efficiency and effectiveness,” says Yogesh Khanchandani in this interview with Adgully. Excerpts: 

In a competitive digital marketing industry, what sets PivotRoots apart from other agencies in the UAE, and how do you maintain your competitive edge?

In today’s industry, it is essential to possess talent, agility, and vision for the future in order to stay ahead of the curve. At our company, our unwavering focus has always been on designing and delivering consumer-centric solutions that are backed by an extensive, data-driven strategy. Over our seven-year journey of building PivotRoots, we have constantly evolved and innovated ourselves. Initially, we began as an end-to-end digital marketing agency, but we soon shifted our focus to become a martech-first digital agency. Today, as an integrated solutioning agency, we provide a more efficient and effective approach to problem-solving. Our commitment to our clients is to provide a comprehensive view of their business and deliver solutions that meet their unique needs.

Could you walk us through a successful campaign you’ve worked on, highlighting the challenges faced, solutions implemented, and results achieved?

One of our most successful campaigns was for Father's Day, which we executed for our client FnP last year. FnP, a global gifting brand, faced two significant challenges. Firstly, its audience were not aware that FnP offered more than just flowers as gift options, leading to a perception issue. Secondly, they faced slow growth resulting from the conventional gifting behaviour of the audience, where gifts were exchanged only during occasions, festivals, or personal and professional achievements.

To tackle these challenges, a comprehensive strategy was developed after conducting extensive research on market behaviour and human insights. The primary objective was to communicate that every moment could be made special with a gift, and one didn't need to wait for a special occasion. The campaign, #FathersTurnToReceive, was based on the insight that fathers, irrespective of nationality or socio-economic status, always believe in fulfilling the needs and desires of their loved ones. They are like gifts that keep on giving, and Father's Day was the perfect opportunity to make them feel the joy of receiving a gift as an expression of love, gratitude, and respect.

As a result of the campaign, the brand search volume for the word “FnP” increased by 50%, and there was a brand intent increase of up to 57% from the previous month. Furthermore, during the ten-day campaign period, close to 1000 purchases were made resulting in a major success for the brand!

With the pandemic shifting consumer behaviour and expectations, how has PivotRoots adapted its services to cater to changing market demands?

In the aftermath of the pandemic, the entire industry was grappling with the challenge of rapidly accelerating their digital transformation. Amidst this X5 digital acceleration, we stepped in and provided crucial support to numerous small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through our templatized quick e-commerce set-up and consultation services.

Our priority was to help these SMEs fast-track their digitization process and align with the evolving needs of today's consumers. By providing tailored consultation services, we enabled these businesses to adapt to the changing market dynamics and stay ahead of the curve.

We were able to help a vast number of SMEs navigate the post-pandemic landscape with greater ease and confidence. Our templatized e-commerce solutions and consultation services proved to be a game-changer for many businesses looking to establish a robust online presence and capitalize on the vast potential of the digital market.

How do you ensure that your team stays up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the digital marketing landscape, and how do you encourage innovation within the company?

At our company, we take pride in our strict in-house protocol for training and certifications, which plays a pivotal role in managing the upskilling of our talented workforce. We firmly believe that investing in our employees’ development and nurturing their skill sets is key to driving our growth and success.

Our comprehensive training and certification programmes are carefully tailored to the specific needs of our employees, and we closely link them to promotions and bonuses. This approach not only ensures that our employees are equipped with the latest industry knowledge and skills but also incentivizes them to pursue excellence and strive for growth within the organisation.

Additionally, we maintain and encourage Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with all our media partners. Our JBPs focus on fostering innovation, exploring out-of-the-box solutions, and delivering exceptional value to our clients. Through these partnerships, we aim to stay at the forefront of the rapidly evolving media landscape and leverage the latest trends and technologies to drive impactful outcomes for our clients.

What metrics do you use to measure the success of a campaign, and how do you ensure that your clients’ ROI is maximised?

At our company, we understand that each client has unique goals that are closely tied to their business objectives. For this reason, we always take a bespoke approach and tailor our media solutions to meet the specific needs of our clients.

For example, for a retail furniture store, our focus would be on driving measurable footfall into their stores, which can be achieved through targeted and impactful media campaigns. Similarly, for D2C clients, we prioritise increasing their month-on-month revenue by leveraging a range of media channels and optimising campaigns for maximum ROI.

For FMCG brands, our objective would be to improve their brand metrics through effective communication and targeting. This could involve developing engaging content, leveraging social media influencers, and utilising data-driven insights to target the right audience segments.

Overall, our approach is driven by a deep understanding of our clients' unique goals and KPIs, and we work closely with them to develop customised media solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes. By aligning our strategies with our clients’ business objectives, we are able to drive meaningful results and help them achieve long-term success.

What are your future plans for expansion or diversification of its services, and what new technologies or trends are you most excited about?

At our company, we recognise that technology is rapidly transforming the marketing landscape, and we are committed to staying ahead of the curve. That’s why we recently expanded our martech solutions under PivotConsult to offer our clients cutting-edge custom tech solutions that are tailored to their unique business needs.

To achieve this, we acquired DEEPFLUX, a tech company comprising software engineers who work closely with our brand strategists to develop custom infrastructures that drive efficiency and effectiveness. With a strong focus on data and technology, we are aggressively scaling up our verticals in areas such as ML/AI, CDP, audiences, and anomaly detection.

Our approach is driven by a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses and the unique challenges they face in today's rapidly evolving marketing landscape. By combining our strategic expertise with the latest in cutting-edge technology, we are able to develop innovative solutions that drive real business outcomes for our clients.

Overall, our expansion into martech solutions under PivotConsult reflects our commitment to staying at the forefront of the industry and providing our clients with the best possible solutions to meet their business needs. We are excited to continue driving innovation and delivering value to our clients through the power of data and technology.

What, according to you, are the effective marketing strategies for SMEs in the UAE? How conducive is the UAE environment for SMEs?

My recommendation for SMEs would be to prioritise a consumer-centric marketing strategy, a fundamental and effective approach for businesses to adopt. It involves putting the customer at the centre of all marketing efforts and focusing on understanding their needs, preferences, and behaviours in order to deliver personalised and relevant experiences.

By adopting a consumer-centric approach, businesses can improve customer satisfaction, increase customer loyalty, and ultimately drive revenue growth. This approach allows businesses to build stronger relationships with their customers by providing them with personalised experiences that are tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

To achieve this, it is important to gather and analyse customer data in order to gain insights into their behaviour and preferences. This data can then be used to inform marketing campaigns and strategies that are designed to resonate with customers and drive engagement.

In today’s highly competitive marketplace, a consumer-centric approach can give businesses a significant competitive advantage. By placing the needs and preferences of their customers at the forefront of their marketing efforts, businesses can build stronger, more meaningful relationships with their customers and drive long-term success.