Built by Anurag Lala

When I published my first book, I believed the biggest challenge was writing it. I thought if the content was good, people would naturally discover it. But after publishing ten books in the domain of marketing and advertising, I realized something important: writing a book is only half the work. Marketing the book is the real game. Over the years, through successes, mistakes, and experiments, I learned some powerful marketing lessons. These lessons are not just about selling books; they apply to marketing any product, service, or personal brand. Here are seven marketing lessons I learned after publishing ten books. 1. A Great Product Does Not Market Itself One of the biggest myths in marketing is that a good product will automatically find its audience. I believed this in the beginning. I focused heavily on writing valuable content but did not pay enough attention to promotion. The reality is simple: even the best products need visibility. Without marketing, people simply do not k...

For decades, brand management was about control . Control over messaging. Control over perception. Control over how a brand “shows up” in the market. That era is officially over. Today, brands don’t live in boardrooms or brand guideline PDFs. They live in algorithms, conversations, comment sections, AI outputs, and community screens . And the biggest shift in modern brand management is this: Brands are no longer managed. They are co-created. The Rise of AI-Shaped Brand Perception A consumer today might first “meet” your brand through: A ChatGPT response A Google AI Overview A Midjourney-generated visual A Reddit thread A WhatsApp forward None of these are fully under your control. AI systems are now interpreting, summarizing, and retelling your brand story based on: Online content Reviews Social conversations Website copy Public sentiment This has given rise to a new reality in brand management: If AI doesn’t understand your brand clearl...

Your personal brand already exists. The only question is— are you shaping it, or is the internet doing it for you? In the digital age, your name is no longer just an identity. It is a search result, a first impression, and often a deciding factor in opportunities—jobs, collaborations, speaking invites, clients, and credibility. Building a personal brand today is not about being famous. It is about being clear, consistent, and trusted . Let’s break down how you can intentionally create your personal brand in a world driven by algorithms, attention, and authenticity. 1. Start With Clarity, Not Content Most people make the mistake of starting with posting. The right place to start is positioning . Ask yourself: What do I want to be known for? Who do I want to help or influence? What problems can I genuinely solve? Your personal brand should sit at the intersection of: Your skills Your experiences Your interests Clarity comes before visibility. Without it, ...

Business Analytics has moved from being a “good-to-have” skill to a core business function across industries. Companies today are not just looking for people who can work with data—they want professionals who can translate data into business decisions. If you are aspiring to build a career in Business Analytics, your CV plays a critical role in getting shortlisted. Recruiters often spend less than 10 seconds scanning a resume. This makes it essential to present the right information, in the right structure, with business relevance. Here are the key elements every strong Business Analytics CV must include . 1. A Clear Professional Summary Start your CV with a short professional summary of 3–4 lines. This section should immediately answer three questions: Who are you? What analytics skills do you bring? What business problems can you solve? Avoid generic statements like “hardworking and passionate candidate.” Instead, focus on analytics and impact. Example: Business Ana...

In marketing, some of the best lessons don’t come from textbooks — they come from real stories . And those stories are captured beautifully in case studies. A good case study is like an X-ray of a brand’s strategy — it shows you what worked, what failed, and why. But here’s the catch: most students and professionals read case studies passively — like a story — instead of analytically , like a marketer. So, how should you read a marketing case study to truly learn from it? Let’s break it down step-by-step. 1. Start with the Context Before you jump into numbers and results, understand the background . Ask yourself: What industry is this brand in? What was happening in the market at that time? Who was their target audience? What problem were they trying to solve? Example: If you’re reading about Amul’s “India Runs on Amul” campaign, understand the social and economic mood of India during that time. The context explains why the campaign existed in the first place. 2...

When I first heard the news of Piyush Pandey’s passing , I felt a strange silence inside me — the kind that comes when you realize an era has truly ended. For me, and for so many marketers, he wasn’t just a creative genius; he was the soul of Indian advertising . Over the years, I’ve studied hundreds of campaigns, from global brands to local startups. But every time I think of what made Indian advertising truly Indian , one name stands out — Piyush Pandey . His work wasn’t about flashy visuals or celebrity endorsements. It was about people, emotions, and everyday life. It was about us . The Storyteller Who Spoke India’s Language Piyush Pandey’s magic lay in his ability to find stories in the simplest corners of life — the chai stall, the crowded bus, the festival laughter, the mother’s scolding. He didn’t just sell products; he celebrated people. Think about Fevicol’s “Bus Ad” — a bunch of villagers crammed together, yet no one falls off. Simple, humorous, unforgettable. That’s In...

As a marketer, Diwali has always been one of my favorite times of the year — not just for the lights, sweets, and celebration, but for the brilliance brands display in their campaigns. Every year, I watch how companies transform festive emotions into engaging stories, clever discounts, and unforgettable brand moments. Diwali is more than a festival — it’s a marketing goldmine where emotions meet economics, and creativity meets conversion. Here’s my take on some of the best marketing strategies brands adopt during Diwali, and what we, as marketers, can learn from them. 1. Emotional Storytelling that Connects The strongest Diwali campaigns aren’t about products — they’re about people . Brands like Tanishq , Surf Excel , and Coca-Cola have mastered the art of weaving emotions into their ads. One campaign I’ll never forget is Tanishq’s #WhenItRingsTrue — it wasn’t about gold, it was about relationships, trust, and genuine moments of togetherness. Similarly, Surf Excel’s “ Daag Achhe ...