Shiven Singh : Hi Shyamala! Hi! What are we doing here?
Shyamala Ramanan: I thought I was supposed to question you?
Shiven Singh : I thought I was supposed to question you? Are you the guest?
Shyamala Ramanan: Not you?
Shiven Singh : Okay, okay...
Shyamala Ramanan: Does it matter?
Shiven Singh : Doesn't matter. So, let's start. Welcome to another episode of the Chatter Box, ladies and gentlemen! Get ready to see the powerhouse behind the scenes. She is the queen of all brands, the maverick of all brands, she is a fan of K-pop and she is also the heart of Mia - the one and only Shyamala.
Shyamala Ramanan: Yes, that's a fantastic introduction, thank you! K-pop, yes. Powerhouse, lovely. But I thought I was the one who was supposed to be doing this and hosting this, so I thought I'm going to introduce Shiven to you. The young, vibrant, energetic, dashing
Shiven Singh : Okay
Shyamala Ramanan: Brains behind the Fastrack brand and all the wearables out there. So come, let's begin to know a little about each other let's have a chatter and a banter.I think that's better,
Shiven Singh : So how do we do this? You want to go first and talk about yourself?
Shyamala Ramanan: So, you know, I was reading a bit about your profile on LinkedIn just before this show, and I thought you have a very interesting background, Shiven.
Shiven Singh : Okay, thank you!
Shyamala Ramanan: You want to take it off from there?
Shiven Singh : Well, I also checked your Instagram profile and what I saw was that you don't have one profile.You don't have two profiles. You have three profiles. One is you being you, there's something around travel, and there's something about food. And that got my attention. I think it's very interesting to see someone like you so active on social media and that is something very interesting.
Shyamala Ramanan: Now you're really making me sound old, Shiven!
Shiven Singh : No but that's that's what it is right? I mean, in today's time, digital has become a thing and it's quite interesting to know how you have done so many things. You are the boss lady but you also have a life where you are showing what you travel, where you travel, and what are the kinds of things you have done. So, why don't you give us some glimpse of what you are, who you are, and what Shyamala is all about?
Shyamala Ramanan: Okay, so I think I'm an 'Indian Born Confused Desi' okay so what I mean is my roots are in Palakkad, so sometimes I'm a Tamilian, sometimes I'm a Keralite…
Shiven Singh : Okay.
Shyamala Ramanan: It doesn't help matters that I was born in Kolkata, and I'm a fourth-generation Kolkatan. My father had a traveling job, which meant I was in multiple schools in my schooling life till I actually joined college. And so, I have soaked in various cultural nuances of the cities I was in and so that's that's a bit about me but at the heart of it all I have had a typical South Indian upbringing freezing cold water baths even in the Delhi winters, before going to school okay you know be it and and focus on study so I'm very fortunate in a way that I had parents who guided me and insisted I need to make a mark for myself and so studies was paramount importance and yeah so that's what makes me who I am, I guess. So, you know, one of the things that I think binds Gen X and Gen Z is the use of technology and digital.
Shiven Singh : Okay.
Shyamala Ramanan: Probably we were the first generation that started using it, so - have you heard of a pager or a Nokia 1100?
Shiven Singh : I've heard of a pager, and I have seen a Nokia 1100, but I never used or, you know, taken a pager in my hand so... Have you?
Shyamala Ramanan: Yes
Shiven Singh : Okay
Shyamala Ramanan: It was a leash, what did we call it in those days? It was something that we called as a you know, you know it was like a leash you know you had it on you
Shiven Singh : Okay
Shyamala Ramanan: And you were called whenever you people had people pinged you would actually ran to the nearest telephone booth to call people up so, yes I mean that's the generation I come from.You spoke about you, you said about Nokia, you asked me about a pager
Shiven Singh : Yeah
Shiven Singh : What was your first phone?
Shiven Singh : Okay, my first phone was a Moto Razr, a very fancy phone. I used to love flipping it, you know this was in class nine my parents didn't know that so
Shyamala Ramanan: Class nine
Shiven Singh : Sorry
Shyamala Ramanan: Class nine Seriously?
Shiven Singh : And you know I studied in a boy's school and showing off was a thing so yeah I mean Moto Razr was one but cut to that I moved to a very cheap phone after that but yeah that was my fame to game sort of a thing
Shyamala Ramanan: But having said that what about you tell me a little about yourself I mean your LinkedIn did I did get a peek of it but I think there's a lot more to you let's see
Shiven Singh : Well yeah I mean for me my life has been a roller coaster journey for myself you know I was born brought up in Guwahati, Assam and I did my schooling there. Back in the day I was pretty focused on playing table tennis I have played table tennis for good 14 years and I used to represent the state; I used to be a Sports Authority of India cup player and a lot of things were happening around me and that is where I wanted to be you know be a player a table tennis player who represents the country but that changed you know and it just happened because I thought it's better that I put my energy somewhere where I can do more.
Shiven Singh : Then I thought I should join defense. I did my graduation and I also gave a CDS exam. it's a it's a written exam you have to do and I did that and I cleared that but I did not the next round didn't happen so I was like because thik hai chalo ye nahi hua because I was back in the mind I was always thinking you mujhe MBA karke marketer nahi bannahai know but today I am a marketeer.
Shyamala Ramanan: Ironic
Shiven Singh : So I thought why not so my sister is a journalist and I always look up to her and I thought let's do advertising because I was very keen on back in the day looking at Fevicol ads looking at TVS Chal Meri Luna ads of the past was very fascinating for me so I took advertising, and I did a course of advertising in post graduation and I got picked by Ogilvy which is country's biggest advertising company out there and that happened and it was a very interesting journey it's the the lifestyle of an advertising company is very different compared to a corporate job you know we used to wear half pants and nickers and slippers and go to work late hours stuff like that
Shiven Singh : And working there I also realized how consumers are and what people think and for me the biggest challenge was to work on the campaign for a very big political party and it was back in 2014 and it was an interesting affair I learned so many things and post that I thought you know what aage kya what happens on the other side of the table so I thought let's take a corporate job and it was funny I moved to a BFSI category and now working with Titan for since last one year has been a very interesting affair.
Shiven Singh : I mean initially when I joined Titan I was thinking it will be a job where I have to be on time, I have to wear formals, and you know stuff like that but it is not what it is you know. It's a company which lets you open your heart, put in your thoughts, give your heart and soul and you'll see results so I'm very glad I'm here and I believe like you have been here for so long I would also want to do that with Titan.
Shyamala Ramanan: Yeah, it's a love affair that never ends
Shiven Singh :Yeah totally
Shiven Singh : You know when I came in a lot of what you said resonates with the kind of work I've been doing so I just completed 20 years here
Shyamala Ramanan: Oh I completed one year
Shyamala Ramanan: Which is why I think it's a very interesting jugalbandi here so but in the 20 years I think I've had multiple exposures to multiple categories and I think what I what you spoke about customers is something which interests me in fact I want to know a lot more about the campaign you spoke about I think I know which one you're referring to but later off the record I guess so
Shiven Singh : Let's not give them footage
Shyamala Ramanan: Yes so what I think is understanding customers is something that delights me and I've had this opportunity to work with various consumer segments you know whether it is the young millennial with international brands like Tommy Hilfiger or in working with kids when we launched Zoop and I think understanding this culturally-rooted, progressive Indian woman when we crafted the brand identity for Taneira and now it's even more fun because it's a whole new world of understanding Gen Zs and figuring out their world and how it works for you know a brand like Mia
Shiven Singh : Yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: So, it's been a wonderful ride and I think I would call myself an entrepreneur and I like the fact that you said that Titan gives you this opportunity to think explore and do because I think that's what keeps me ticking here you know the fact that you can do your own jig you can do your own thing here without being judged allowed to fail you know celebrate the successes I think it's fantastic so I'm so glad you feel like that you know and as somebody in the system for a while it makes me very proud
Shiven Singh : But anyway I mean having said that I think you yourself have such an interesting Journey you know I mean you are so active on social media and the way you your Instagram game is I'm like bang on I like okay she knows how to put captions she knows how to put the right frame of photos and the right filters I'm like okay but tell me one thing when it comes to Mia as a brand you know you talk about Mia is a very young brand and but when it comes to the generation do they even relate to gold or do they relate to something which is more like an artificial jewelry
Shyamala Ramanan: Heavy question puch liya but I think the good thing about the heavy question is Mia is all about lightweight jewelry yeah and to your question I think the way we are positioned while we speak to the Gen Z because that's the language we like you know we stand for what the Gen Z stand for whether it is sustainability whether it is thrift shopping whether it is you know buying and expressing themselves and the fact that they are borderless yeah right it's all about the tribe that they prescribe to so that's what we are talking about and hence to me I think we have the act right so they're largely on a digital platform I suppose that is why I've also learned it in fact in my team I have a lot of youngsters and they mentor me on this
Shiven Singh : Oh is it
Shyamala Ramanan: So Instagram is something that I was always interested in I like being on top of the game of what's happening it's the who I am you know that's I told you right I mean focus always on winning and doing what you have to do and learn so I think that's why my social handle is the way it is but that helps me in understanding what my TG is doing you know
Shiven Singh : Absolutely
Shyamala Ramanan:And what and how it is and I think that's that that's what works for me in terms of understanding where they are doing what they do and bringing in those elements in in shaping the brand
Shiven Singh : Nice
Shyamala Ramanan: So that's how I do that part of it so for us I think nothing gives us more energy and learning than meeting consumers so when I started off with Mia I think I must have met over a 100 young people just trying to understand you know why they like Mia, getting humbled with the responses you know on what Mia makes them feel and I think meeting consumers face to face
Shiven Singh : Yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: Is something which is fantastic, and I don't know if data can really replace that because for me it's all about not just hearing what they say but also hearing the unsaid and then the data is so rich and layered that to actually distill out and take the essence for insight is what gives me kicks but having said that when I talk to my younger team members it's all about a Google form you know it's all about data mining it's all about you know things which which the digital world holds in store.Tell me, how does it work for you?
Shiven Singh : Well, for us recently we did a campaign for Fastrack and we launched the brand Fastrack Smart. Our one pain point was Fastrack, as a brand, is always seen, you know, as an analog fashion accessory - the OG Cool brand - but the tech part was not coming out very clearly. At the side, we also had an app because we have been selling smart watches since 2017. We had an app and we keep on going back to the app because it gives us a lot of information. When I say data, it's not about how many watches we have sold, how many numbers we have made or how many people are interacting with what features. What are they actually looking at, with a smartwatch? You know, while we were working on it, we realized watch faces are a thing because it changes the entire look and feel of the watch, so that was one interesting data which came up.
Shiven Singh : We also realized you know that this consumer which we are talking to they are active on social media and they're only active in the late hours from 9:00PM to 12:00AM or in the early hours of 6:00AM to 9:00AM also so what does it tell you that so basis all these pointers we decided you know not to do a big ass campaign of TVC and launch it on TV traditional media we went all out on social media we released the film through Ranveer Singh's handle on, I'll come to Ranveer Singh also,
Shyamala Ramanan: Oh yeah, yeah; more about that later
Shiven Singh :On on around 9:00AM in the morning and it gave us massive traction organically and that only helped us because because we knew what we were doing in terms of when to put out the video in terms of what to show in the video in terms of and all those data points came because we went back to our books we saw what the consumers are looking for and not just through the app but how are they consuming content on social media because like I said you know it's very important to show a life insight to this consumer which we are trying to tap on not in a way ki app you talk about something which is missing in your life and you have it but blending it in a way where you fit in their entire narrative in their entire storyline so it was very interesting
Shyamala Ramanan: You know actually it's quite interesting when you say how the app can be used maybe I need to go back and check yeah because we also launched Mia app recently and I think now probably we have enough traction yeah to actually understand no wonder my team members keep talking about data mining
Shiven Singh :Yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: So yeah maybe I do belong to history like for us also you know on the app we have few things like music sleep music we have articles so we have seen a lot of people going to those sections also using sleep music to maybe for to sleep so basically you're being an actually a helpful partner to the consumer who's there for fulfilling his or her needs so I think that's great you know actually data or consumer insights are fantastic I remember since you were talking about ranveer a little while ago you know I still remember the most iconic 'Yes Sir' campaign which I think shook up a lot in the advertising world it became one of the most iconic campaigns for the youngsters
Shiven Singh : Yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: In those days probably what… about 15-20 years back maybe yeah that's around the time I joined so you know from Ranveer - from Yes Sir to Ranveer Baba yeah tell me more about Ranveer's campaign.
Shiven Singh : Well he is one massive powerhouse character you know and getting him on board was a difficult task for us you know the day we joined the company like I said it's been one year we started working on the campaign and we had to go live in next 4 months which got stretched little bit four to five or six but this guy is very professional you know he is very much into in depth he would want to know why this script what kind of script why are we saying this why are we saying not that you know he's very he knows his game is what I'm trying to say and getting him on board was interesting because he brought in his inputs you know he when we spoke about the campaign is all about young audience out there he said you know I'll just change my look and I'll come with a new look
Shyamala Ramanan: Wow
Shiven Singh : And that will help the brand and it was so fascinating and while we were in the middle of all this bhasad jisko hum khete hai . One fine day we get a call from Ranveer's team that he wants to discuss and it was about 11:00PM in the night I said okay abhi no ,ek ghate baad then we were like okay now what do we do and me and my colleague we were like accha kya bat karenge it was too funny because we went on and we went little you know behygayein the sense you know he and be we a fan yeah and he was like you know what I'm very interested in this partnership karna kya hai jo bologe vo sb karenge but I have few points in mind and he gave some valid answers and valid reasons behind it so we agreed to that and you know at the end of the day when the campaign came out everybody was so happy
Shiven Singh : We did something which was which was very much needed and it was the ask of the hour
Shyamala Ramanan: I know no I'm sure it's amazing no pictures look at this oh my God this is rad I think you should show it around
Shiven Singh : That's Baba and Baba's friend
Shyamala Ramanan: What a hope this is totally delulu isn't that word
Shiven Singh : Yeah delulu is the solulu
Shyamala Ramanan: Yes so okay cool so you know you said you work late hours days and you're used to that culture of not really having a particular time frame so work from home would have been something which you would have really enjoyed right
Shiven Singh : Well it depends person to person to be very honest I don't want to talk about everybody here I want to talk about myself I don't like work from homes because I feel I lose my focus to other things during work from home
Shyamala Ramanan: Gaming
Shiven Singh : Gaming other things also okay but I prefer working from office because it give me gives me that environment which I want to you know work in and yeah late hours is fine I mean we shut shop by 700 p.m. and if there is work there is work so it's not like we slog every day but when it is required we make sure that we put our all the work efforts and 100 % which is required so yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: You know because at office the work just never seems to end but whereas if I work from home I'm able to take that few minutes off to just stare at the greenery in my balcony or you know have that 10 minutes of extra time with my dog
Shiven Singh : Yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: So in a way work from home energizes me and recharges me because I take those few minutes off and I can come back far more focused and concentrating on the work that I need to do and also I save that time which I should spend on commuting so I think I'm able to put that into better use and that makes me really happy so it is I guess what you would say now as part of the work life balance
Shiven Singh : Yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: Which of course in my time was a term I don't think existed you know if I just go back to when we started it was all about what I said a little while ago fire in the belly you know where you needed to prove yourself you needed to do things in fact for us what you said putting in later yes we do for us it was almost like away if somebody called you or your bosses said they need this information by tomorrow morning you ensured you worked overnight to get it
Shiven Singh : yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: You know you ensured that you had everything in place so that by 9:00 o clock you're ready with it which today seems to be...
Shiven Singh : I think today
Shyamala Ramanan: Different you know so what I'm trying to say is now when you think of fire in the belly when I asked HR I need somebody like that they said why would you want somebody with acidity problems that's what they understand it as so I think it's quite different so how is it really for you you were saying something I think when I was completing my
Shiven Singh : No I think what I was trying to say ke like you said you know if your boss is asking you to do something in the morning that has become like a trait for us you know okay yeah it is needed so it's no surprise we will get it done really so you know making sure it's not about being a jugadu sort of a guy but also it is a it's more about being hustler the Gen Z which we are talking about there are two phases to it it was pre-COVID and post-COVID you know we have become more matured in our thinking we think a lot about how to invest our money also I have sips I have mutual funds but yeah and that's something which I started off with 500 rupees now I have increased it a lot but having said that it's also important that
Shiven Singh : We understand what are our priorities like you know it's not just about making money or traveling it's also about taking care of our family it's also about making sure your parents are happy because for me especially I live in Bangalore my parents are in Jaipur so we talk daily there are often days when we don't talk but I make sure they are happy out there if there's anything which is needed I help them out so I think the generation is not only looking for recognition but it is also looking for a purpose that what exactly you know what change we are bringing in and if you if the person knows that it gives you that person will give you more than 100% is what I think so yeah I mean that is what we are
Shyamala Ramanan: You know it's nice it's nice to hear that I guess I'm an outlier perhaps you know you speaking of money matters so I guess I've not been the one to invest though I think a lot of my friends and my peer probably do a very fine job of it so it's always been a little slow it's been more focused on things while a lot from my generation probably would have saved up a lot I haven't done that really so I I I'm more in terms of living in the moment
Shiven Singh : Okay
Shyamala Ramanan: And you know so I have a long distance marriage and and for a large part of my life we've been in different cities my husband and me so while work is paramount for me you know work is something that gives me the drive the passion you know the fire in the belly kind of an energy which I want to do something I also take time off so when you were talking that it's not about just travel and whatever else you mentioned for me it's all about travel okay that's my first love and what I do is we ensure that we take time off and we do things which we've been wanting to do so
Shyamala Ramanan: I have a bucket list of places like whether it is chasing the Aurora Borealis whether it is seeing you know Proboscis monkeys in the jungles of Borneo or walking a trail and having these tiger leeches plucked off from my leech socks you know in the Danum Valley which I did just recently so for me or skydiving I'm an adrenaline junkie or skydiving in Auckland you know when I was there some years back so for me it's all about Gathering experiences you know all about this kind of experience which is okay you work so that I work so that I can earn the money so that I can do these things but you know that's what gives me the kick and I guess that's why I work so tell me a little more I mean I'm sure there are things you do other than work as well
Shiven Singh : Yeah I mean I do socialize last night only I was socializing till 2:00AM
Shyamala Ramanan: Shows from the questions
Shiven Singh : But you know travel is something which which I think we have common and I'm really impressed I mean the things which you just mentioned and yes but for me I think I am a person who loves to explore the country first because I travel in the country like coming from Northeast there are so many things to do you know totally starting from a music festival in Nagaland which is the hills to doing something in Kerala or doing something in Kashmir or taking ride to Ladakh those are some of the things which I love doing you know I was part of a biking group one of
Shyamala Ramanan: Just going to ask you that when you said driving to Ladakh
Shiven Singh : Yeah so we were I was part of this Yamaha biking group and while I was studying in Ahmedabad and what we used to do I mean weekend trips toh hota tha but during one Independence Day we decided to go to India-Pakistan border on the Gujarat side which is Kutch, okay. So, we took all the permissions.My sister being the journalist she helped us and we did a very cool ride I mean like eight-nine bikers went from Ahmedabad to Kutch which was 1200KM, spent the night with the jawans there, the soldiers there, then we moved to the main border which is 200KM away I mean from the main base point so we met them we gave we gave them gifts, celebrated Independence Day, and it was a hell lot of an experience and till today I you know that was one ride which I always always go back to and that's one sweet memory.
Shyamala Ramanan: So, let's do something fun; let's do a round of Rapid Fire.
Shiven Singh : Nice, I also have a few questions.
Shyamala Ramanan:Jesus, you too? First me!
Shiven Singh : Okay go ahead.
Shyamala Ramanan: Okay, the first social media platform that you used?
Shiven Singh : Orkut! I liked, I loved scrapbooks!
Shyamala Ramanan: First email ID?
Shiven Singh : Whitegoth@gmail.com. Well, I was very much inclined towards rock music and got inspired by the West so yeah.
Shyamala Ramanan: And what about the first Titan ad you saw?
Shiven Singh : Remember the Aamir Khan ad where he was in his look of Mangal Pandey.
Shyamala Ramanan: Ah, nice, nice and the first app you downloaded on your phone?
Shiven Singh : I think it was Facebook
Shyamala Ramanan:Yeah?
Shiven Singh : Yeah, I think it was Facebook. Okay, I'll go!
Shyamala Ramanan: Yeah
Shiven Singh : Okay, tell me what is the latest Gen Z term which you have heard? Not the term, the slang you have heard?
Shyamala Ramanan: Delulu is the new solulu! And also the word which is there now rizz!
Shiven Singh : Rizz, okay okay, I don't know the word yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: Yeah.
Shiven Singh : Okay let's move to the next question: What was the first TV program that you binged?
Shyamala Ramanan: Ramayan!
Shiven Singh : Oh yeah
Shyamala Ramanan: And of course there was Sagan's Cosmos
Shiven Singh : Okay
Shyamala Ramanan: Which was my favourite serial actually and there was another serial which had come out then which I thought was very nice called Surabhi, which used to be actually having this two people who would - okay I know it's rapid fire but nonetheless - which used to be about talking about the various parts of India and nuances, you know? So I think that's when I really fell in love with my country.
Shiven Singh : Okay, what was the first phone that you used?
Shyamala Ramanan: Nokia 3310!
Shiven Singh : 3310! Okay, okay, I don't know which phone is that. What's the latest hand sign you have learned?
Shyamala Ramanan:Saranghae!
Shiven Singh : All right...
Shyamala Ramanan: So here's Saranghae to everybody out there. I hope you enjoyed the show.
Shiven Singh : All right guys, thank you so much. That is us!
