BALRAM VENUGOPAL
Associate Vice President - Investments / Media Buying
Bangalore,KAR
Summary
Seasoned and versatile management professional with 15+ years of cross-functional experience acquired over the years in highly reputed business establishment with specialized skills in Offline and Online Media Marketing, New Product Launches, Key Accounts Management & Brand Building/ Management
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
8
8
years of post-secondary education
2
2
Certificates
5
5
Languages
Work History
Associate Vice President - Investments /Media Buyer
ESSENCE GLOBAL, GROUPM MEDIA INDIAPVT. LTD
Mumbai, Maharastra
08.2021 - Current
- Responsible for the overall investment P&L for the West region
- Responsible for meeting buying benchmarks and annual / bi-annual / quarterly investment commitments of clients
- Meeting clients to understand their advertising strategy and building up a picture about their target audience
- Maximizing trading / investment revenue through GroupM proprietary media
- Responsible for the offline pricing benchmarks for the West region
- Responsible for client reporting and budget management, including preparing costings for clients and producing spending updates throughout the campaign
- Integral part of the core pitch team responsible in getting new business Monitoring buying strategies also liaising and building relationships with clients and media sales companies
- Analyzing the effectiveness of the campaign and using this data to inform future campaigns
- Analyzing and researching the target audience's character, purchasing and media habits. Maintaining contacts with media owners, ensuring statistics, circulation and viewing figures are up to date.
Head - Media & Brand Partnerships
GREAT LEARNING
Bangalore, Karnataka
01.2021 - 08.2021
- Leading the media planning efforts for both offline and online media (TV, Print, OOH, Radio & Digital)
- Working closely with media agencies to plan, deliver and optimize media spends
- Managing strategic integrations with different publishers
- Identifying lucrative opportunities for driving high ROI marketing campaigns
- Exploring new and unique media for brand promotion campaigns from time to time
- Planning and managing the event calendar for the brand – identifying key
- Tracking and reporting the impact of all media spends based on agreed KPIs
- Building long term strategic partnerships that help the brand
Director - Investments / Media Buying
ESSENCE GLOBAL, GROUPM MEDIA INDIAPVT. LTD
Bangalore, Karnataka
08.2016 - 01.2021
- Making fact-based decisions regarding communication strategy to develop the name as a brand while designing effective and cost-efficient media planning
- Responsible for conceptualization, planning and implementation of innovative and cost-effective brand activation strategies, support brand development plan for entire brand portfolio
- Meeting clients to understand their advertising strategy and building up a picture about their target audience
- Communicating with media vendors to adjust media schedules in response to audience figures
- Booking individual advertising spots, e.g., pages, posters, internet banners and broadcast adverts
- Ensuring that the adverts run accurately so that the desired media message is seen and heard by consumers
- Monitoring buying strategies also liaising and building relationships with clients and media sales companies.
Manager - Media Marketing
FREECHARGE.COM
Bangalore, Karnataka
11.2014 - 08.2016
- Entrusted with the responsibility to provide a new direction and thought leadership to the company, developing & implementing strategies while managing overall profitability of the operations
- Liaised constantly with media owners, negotiated, and bought media space, which involved obtaining the best advertising rates that fit with the agreed media strategy
- Monitored and updated internal stakeholders on the effectiveness of campaigns
- Kept abreast of industry figures, including distribution and audience figures
- Monitored buying strategies also monitored and optimized effectiveness of campaigns
- Collected information about the different kinds of audiences that can be reached by the different media
- Worked with media sales workers employed by newspapers, magazines, cable services, and radio and television stations
- Responsible for managing the overall profitability of the unit and instrumental in formulating strategies, execution methodologies & operations for improving business performance
- Delivered excellent results in profitability, revenue, image building, boosting productivity, cutting costs, customer development, strategic planning and fostering operational efficiency of Business Operations
- Handling the entire gamut of activities related to the organization’s vision, values, and strategy, ensuring the revenue generation & increasing market share
- Planning & executing workable strategies which resulted in enhancing revenue & sales.
Associate Media Director
OMD (OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP)
Bangalore, Karnataka
07.2013 - 11.2014
- Advising clients on advertising and media promotions
- Developed ideas for marketing and media campaigns
- Supporting business growth and development through the preparation and execution of marketing and media objectives
- Providing advice in digital marketing strategies, SEO, Social Media marketing & analytics
- Analyzing data to develop marketing & media plans
- Understanding of all media and marketing channels
- Contribute to new business presentations and analysis through insights, marketing plans and innovations
- Managing client relationships and business development
- Analyzing data regarding consumer patterns and preferences
Head of Marketing
VIA.COM
Bangalore, Karnataka
03.2012 - 07.2013
- Conceptualized and implemented marketing plans with focus on advertisements and other promotional activities
- Spearheaded efforts across handling entire spectrum of functions pertaining to marketing operations, developed marketing strategies, studied the elements in a sales promotion plan & considered consumer preference also drove business volumes and ensured achievement of bottom line of the business
- Provided a new direction and thought leadership to the company, developed & implemented market development strategies while managed overall profitability of the operations
- Demonstrated expertise in sophisticated marketing models and vast knowledge of both the marketplace and the capabilities & complexities of products
- Actively involved in planning and implementing Strategies, Budgets and Business Solutions for meeting organizational requirements and growing business needs
- Responsible for driving entire marketing management operations with final accountability to realize revenue and profitability objectives; rolled out innovative strategies to capture and retain a respectable market share in competitive business scenario
- Managed existing client relationships for recurring business and high level of customer satisfaction.
Education
MBA - Management
Management & Entrepreneurial Development Academy
Bangalore 04.2004 - 07.2006
BBM - Business Management
SNR Sons College
Coimbatore 04.2001 - 03.2004
BMM -
Annamalai University
Coimbatore 06.2001 - 07.2004
Skills
Accounts Management & Brand Building/ Management
Media Buying and Planning
New Product Launches
Brand Building
Offline and Online Media Marketing
Advertising & campaign management
Media Strategy & ExecutionGoogle Certified in AdWords Fundamentals
Google Certified in Display Advertising
Certification
Google certified in AdWords Fundamentals
Timeline
Google Certified in Display Advertising
04-2022
Google certified in AdWords Fundamentals
03-2022
Associate Vice President - Investments /Media Buyer
ESSENCE GLOBAL, GROUPM MEDIA INDIAPVT. LTD
08.2021 - Current
Head - Media & Brand Partnerships
GREAT LEARNING
01.2021 - 08.2021
Director - Investments / Media Buying
ESSENCE GLOBAL, GROUPM MEDIA INDIAPVT. LTD
08.2016 - 01.2021
Manager - Media Marketing
FREECHARGE.COM
11.2014 - 08.2016
Associate Media Director
OMD (OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP)
07.2013 - 11.2014
Head of Marketing
VIA.COM
03.2012 - 07.2013
MBA - Management
Management & Entrepreneurial Development Academy
04.2004 - 07.2006
BMM -
Annamalai University
06.2001 - 07.2004
BBM - Business Management
SNR Sons College
04.2001 - 03.2004