Never underestimate the power of zero, it’s a great number to hop on: Bhavik Mehta

Adgully has been turning the spotlight on the entrepreneurs who fought against all odds to bring their dreams to fruition in our special series – START-UP STARS. We at Adgully wholeheartedly support the ‘Vocal for Local’ movement and have been featuring numerous local/ homegrown businesses, brands, and Apps in the country launched in the last few years.

Thinkin’ Birds is a full-service digital marketing platform which has been solving the business problems for brands since 2013, headquartered in Mumbai. The company is renowned for its strategic brand services, world-class creative work, and in-depth consumer research. They devise strategies to bring brands closer to consumers on digital, tell stories that captivate the millennial mindset, and acquire the sharpest combination of digital media assets to meet campaign objectives. The company has worked with more than 600 clients like Swiggy, Infosys, MasterSoft, IPL, Dinshaw’s, Center Point Hotel & Resorts, Headlands Brewing Co. (USA), Plate IQ (USA) etc., and has worked on 900+ projects till date.

In conversation with Adgully, Bhavik Mehta, Founder & Brand Chief, Thinkin’ Birds Communications, shares his entrepreneurial journey, the importance on being flexible, understanding the concept of branding, and more.

Please take us through your journey as an entrepreneur. What motivated you to establish Thinkin’ Birds?

I started my career as a marketing faculty, and the concept of branding had always fascinated me. Helping my old students with a marketing plan in their respective businesses and jobs made me realise the absence of creative branding solutions, which led to the incorporation of Thinkin’ Birds. I learned from my father that if you brand it, you will sell it. And that’s how I connected the dots. My first team comprised my students and now we are a team of 32 creative people. It all started by educating people about the concept of branding.

What was the need for Thinkin’ Birds from a consumer’s perspective? What is the core business proposition?

Over the years, our finding was that there was a gap between creativity, innovation, and delivery. And Thinkin’ Birds at its core delivers the amalgamation of these three to our clients. We are highly focused on providing a good value proposition, keeping in mind customer pain points and tension plots. And that’s exactly what we do at Thinkin’ Birds.

What have been your key learnings so far? How do you see the Thinkin’ Birds ecosystem progressing in 2023?

Flexibility is a key lesson. Creative agencies that adapt to new trends and technologies, succeed. This necessitates an openness to learning and experimenting with new approaches, as well as the ability to pivot quickly when necessary.

Another important lesson is the value of collaboration and partnership. Strong client, supplier, and agency relationships are essential to success. This requires a mindset of openness and cooperation, as well as a commitment to delivering value to all parties involved.

Looking ahead to 2023, there are a few trends that will likely shape the Thinkin’ Birds’ ecosystem’s development. The growing demand for sustainability and environmental responsibility is one of the most significant. Businesses that show a commitment to sustainability will succeed as consumers become more environmentally conscious.

Digital technologies, especially AI and VR, are growing. As these technologies get better and easier to use, they will give creative agencies new ways to come up with new ideas and give their clients unique experiences.

Overall, the ecosystem of Thinkin’ Birds is likely to evolve and grow in response to these and other trends. This fast-paced environment favors creative agencies that can adapt and stay ahead.

How is digital helping you further your business?

There are several leads available online that are accessible to anyone – a variety of prospects from different industries from different parts of the world. You can easily onboard clients via digital mediums, but for a long-term association with them, you need their trust. We are in an industry where clients’ trust is built based on concepts, creativity, innovation, and delivery, where our turnaround time is the key. Digitisation has enabled us to work anywhere, from anywhere also get business globally from anywhere. It has also helped in increasing our work efficiency multifold.

How did you identify your TG? Did you carry out any feasibility studies before starting your business?

Every business that believes in the concept of branding is my TG. Understanding the concept of branding is crucial for us as an agency and our prospective businesses. We always aim to onboard high-value brands, that’s our one aspirational goal. Not to forget, we also focus and aim at small businesses seeking to scale and how our services can help them achieve the same. We are always on the lookout for legacy brands, as we love revamping and rebranding. And to execute it efficiently and effectively we follow Operational and economic feasibility principles for a win-win collaboration.

What challenges did you face in your start-up journey and how did you overcome them?

I think finding the right mentor is and always has been a challenge. As a start-up founder, you are always working on something new and you need that one experienced mind to guide you and direct you on the right approach, and I am fortunate I found one within my family for that role. The second biggest challenge is developing a team of leaders. We worked on developing leadership intent in our team and the soft skills you need to bring your A-game on.

What would be your message for budding entrepreneurs?

Always start with the end in mind. When you do this you have clarity in your thoughts. Never underestimate the power of zero, it’s a great number to hop on. You just need a little clarity on where to put it and how to thrive, which you’ll develop once you start working on it. Also, having the right intention and a little sense of profitability is the real key and will take you a long way.