Rohan Ekbote joins Tata Croma after 7-year stint with Vi

A seasoned marketer with over 15 years of experience in the bag, Rohan speaks to Media4Growth on his appointment as Lead, Media & PR at Tata Croma and his vision for the future. 

How was your experience at Vi and what do you look forward to in your new role at Tata Croma?

My experience at Vi over the past seven years has been amazing because I have seen ups and downs and have had some memorable moments such as the launch of new brand identity in the midst of the pandemic. It has been an amazing journey with great learning. 

As for Croma, obviously there is a shift in product category from telecom so things like audience profiling will be completely different. From communicating with audiences from all segments at Vi to only targeting upmarket audiences at Croma, there are definitely a lot of challenge which I look forward to. 

How do you plan to utilise OOH in order to achieve Croma’s business goals?

I believe that for the electronics retail segment, there is a need for a lot of localization of communication. While there are other mediums that help in creating awareness and brand placement, OOH plays a significant role when it comes to store openings or even announcements for big festive campaigns. While there are national campaigns for Independence Day and Diwali, in the coming months, there are many regional festivals coming up such as Durga Puja in West Bengal, hence I believe that OOH helps localise our communication and establish a connect with the audience. 

As a player in the electronics segment, will you be pushing for more DOOH campaigns? 

When it comes to traditional static OOH, it is a great way to inform local audiences about store openings or offers that are happening, but I feel that DOOH is perhaps is a medium better suited to communicate about our premium range of products, but I look forward to exploring the medium and how we can leverage it in different ways.