Suraj Singhal

Work Description and Key Achievements

• Spear headed Strategic Collaborations with brands like Endstate (Sneakers), Lavie (Bags) Azorte (Retail), Coach (Luxury), Fizzy Goblet (Footwear), PAIO (Sustainable Footwear), Indya (Retail), Ranavat (Beauty), Joey & Pooh (Accessories), Macmerise (Merchandise), Urbn (Electronics), Marshalls (Home Décor), Sangeeta Boochra (Silver Jewelry), The Designers Class (Education) and other lifestyle brands to create and launch successful, profitable and commercially sustainable co-branded products and category extensions. This business contributes 10% of the overall company's revenue and 40% of the company's net margin.
• The collaboration with Azorte won the Best Brand Retailer Partnership Award at The Phygital Retail Convention 2024, competing with prominent brands like Godrej Nature's Basket, Cadbury's, Coca-Cola, and Reliance SMART. The collaboration with International Sneaker Brand – Endstate, was featured in Forbes, June’24.
• Created and developed the Ecommerce channel for the brand across prominent luxury marketplaces (Ajio Luxe, Myntra Luxe, Tata Cliq Luxury, Nykaa Fashion, etc.) and multi-brand online stores (Pernia’s Pop Up Shop, Aza, Ogaan, Aashni & Co., etc.) contributing 20% to the overall business in just 3 years.
• Grew the Payal Singhal exclusive online store by more than 100% in terms of Sales and 500% in terms of number of transactions (Current v 2019) contributing to 10% of the overall business.
• Scaled up the EBO channel from just 1 store in 2019 to 4 stores in 2023, increasing the EBO contribution to 30%.
• Set up the CRM and Direct Sales channel to ensure all inbound queries are being managed within KPIs and converted to sales. The Direct Sales channel now contributes to 5% of the overall revenue.
• Managed and executed the FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week showcase for the brand from 2019-2023, with successful collection launches every season.
• Secured and managed sponsorships from various brands (Lakme Salon, Corcal, Streax Professional, R-Elan, Caprese, Darwin Group of Companies, Knight Frank, Coach, etc.) for presenting new collections at prominent platforms like FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week, Bombay Times Fashion Week, and Brand Exclusive Showcases.
• Managed support agencies to deliver weekly, monthly, and annual objectives – PR, Performance Marketing, Social Media, Content, Ecommerce.
• Responsible for drive-to-store traffic and conversion campaigns for EBOs, Sales Events, Trunkshows, and Pop-ups.
• Influencer and Celebrity Marketing – Deal closures and coordination with various agencies, stylists, influencers, and celebrities for representing the brand for campaigns, new collection launches, events, content creation, etc. Worked with celebrities like Shibani Dandekar Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar, Alaya F, Athiya Shetty, Mouni Roy, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Vaani Kapoor, etc.
• Secured and managed influencer campaigns from brands like Ariel, Amazon Prime, Samsung, Dyson, Roku Gin, Kohler, Wella, Amex, etc.

Work Description & Key Achievements

• Custodian of the Marketing Budget for the Ecommerce Business – INR 120 crore per annum spent across media like ATL (Television, OOH, Cinema, Print), Digital (Platform Marketing, Social Media, Performance, Influencers, Content, Search, Blogs, etc.), PR, etc. based on the monthly and quarterly marketing plan.
• Driving sales growth objective for the ecommerce business with an annual turnover of INR 7,000 crore, growing at 18% p.a. (2018).
• Driving traffic and conversion targets for new product launches on ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Tata Cliq, Snap Deal, etc. to ensure product-based sales targets are achieved.
• Product Portfolio and Pricing planning for Ecommerce in conjunction with Samsung HQ in Korea, as well as key channel partners like Amazon, Flipkart, and Snapdeal.
• Custodian of the Marketing Calendar for the Ecommerce channel which includes monthly events/promotion planning with key channel partners.
• Planning and implementation of key annual sales and marketing events with channel partners – Amazon (Great Indian Sale) and Flipkart (Big Billion Days) which include model wise sales and pricing planning, stock planning, visibility, marketing and achieving sales targets.
• GTM planning and implementation for new online exclusive products.
• Ratings and reviews management and optimization on various ecommerce platforms.
• Celebrity Endorsement & Marketing – Launched campaigns for Online Exclusive models with Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon as the brand ambassadors across ATL, BTL, and Digital media.

Work Description

• Custodian of the Marketing Budget for the region, Approx. INR 35 crore per annum.
• Driving market share and growth objectives of the region with an annual turnover of INR 2,500 crore and market share of >50% (Oct' 2016).
• Planning and implementing the quarterly marketing plan which includes ATL campaigns (Print, Radio, OOH), Marketing/Retail Activation, Digital Marketing, Channel Relationship Programs, Revenue Generation Programs, Consumer Offers, Retail Marketing initiatives, Visibility Drives, etc.
• Creating and maintaining retail visibility objectives of >60% visibility share with in-store branding, POSM, and signage across the General Trade, Organized Trade, and Samsung EBOs, which covers 5,000 outlets in the region. Responsible for visual merchandising, retail planning, and execution across channels.
• Managing the sales promoter program across channels, which includes recruitment, agency management, training, performance monitoring, and rewards and recognition for the entire team of 1,300 sales promoters in the region delivering an annual turnover of INR 2,000 crore.
• Retail operations management to ensure retail health and hygiene across channels, with specific objectives for retail experience, driving footfalls, increasing outlet-wise productivity, and gaining counter share.

Key Achievements:

• No.1 performing Regional Marketing Team in the country in 2015 as per Regional Marketing Index (RMI) Dashboard.
• 19% gain in overall value market share in the region from Jan-15 to Sept-16, and a 40% gain in market share in the premium smartphone segment during the same period. Maintained leadership share in all price segments.
• Exited Nov 2016 with a 91% Retail Index Score, which is the 2nd highest among all regions.
• Consistently maintained a 100% On Time Campaign Deployment Score.
• One of the top few regions in terms of Marketing Activation profitability score of 91% in 2015.
• The first region, nationally, to use Digital Marketing as a key amplification medium for driving regional festive consumer offers. Effective use of Search, Mobile/Web Display, Hyperlocal, and Social to deliver cost-effective impressions, click-throughs, and conversions.
• Innovative marketing campaigns were implemented, which were centrally adapted across other regions and HO.
• Developed innovative and premium in-store visibility elements, such as In Store ACP shelf headers, Double Sided Lit Signages, Lit Shelf Talkers, etc., which were taken up as national projects.
• First region to associate with a telecom operator at a regional level for consumer campaigns.
• First region to create region-led affordability programs.
• First region to create local offers using the My Samsung Rewards app.
• No. 1 region in the country in terms of overall output score, averaging 72% in 2015. Output score includes Sales Target Achievement, Market Share Growth, Sales Productivity, and Exclusive Channel Growth.
• Successfully launched Samsung's biggest flagship and other brands of Smart Phones, Tablets, and Wearables in the region.
• No. 1 region in the country during Retail Execution audits for Flagship Products.

Key Achievements in the Prepaid Payments, Cards, and Wallet Space:

• Led the project team for Edenred's digital migration, which involved developing and launching a portfolio of prepaid products, including Gift Cards, Meal Cards, Expense Management Cards, and other products like mobile/email-based virtual prepaid wallets/instruments. These products were launched using the Mastercard network, along with Yes Bank as the Issuing Bank, using the Atos Worldline prepaid card processing platform.
• Represented Edenred on the panel of Prepaid International Forum, Prepaid India Forum, Payments Council of India and Global Prepaid Exchange in working with various stakeholders of the prepaid ecosystem (Issuers, Payment Schemes, Acquirers, Merchants, Regulators) to influence policies, create new product roadmaps, manage industry issues & representations supporting the growth of the prepaid ecosystem in India.
• Closely worked with the RBI (Regulator) in securing several product approvals in the prepaid payments instruments space. Keen knowledge about RBI’s Payments and Settlements Systems which govern the industry.
• Led the project team which was put in place to acquire a prepaid payments processing/issuing organization to further the overall strategic development roadmap for Edenred in the digital/electronic prepaid payments space.

Other Achievements:

• Responsible for creating and implementing the strategic sales, product & marketing plan to achieve awareness, reputation, growth, and market share objectives for the organization across businesses for all business stakeholders including clients, merchants and consumers.
• Managing the product portfolio with product enhancements, value-added services, driving deals, and offers from merchants. Responsible for monetizing merchant relationships, identifying, and creating new services for stakeholders.
• With a view to making the Edenred brand more aspirational in the eyes of its stakeholders, partnered with Great Place to Work® Institute to co-create a first-of-its-kind co-branded intellectual property - India’s Best Companies for Rewards and Recognition.
• Breaking away from the norms of the industry, took Edenred’s flagship brand - Ticket Restaurant® on television by creating an innovative IP called People’s Restaurant on FOOD FOOD Channel (Owned by Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor).
• Conceptualized and launched 'Art From the Heart' - a CSR initiative in association with SOS Children's Villages of India.
• Created the Alternate Channel Sales strategy and managed a business of INR 25 crore.
• Created and implemented the web and digital marketing strategy. Launched Edenred's social media initiatives on prominent social networks to engage consumers and drive value-added services.
• Launched a successful campaign during the IPL cricket season, which won recognition at the Promotion Marketing Awards for Asia for generating high response rates and delivering positive business impact.
• In line with Edenred’s Public Social Programs strategy, launched the ARK School Vouchers Program to demonstrate a feasible model for the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act to the Ministry of Education.
• Set up the Lead Generation Factory to bring about a paradigm shift in the quality of leads generated and boost the productivity of the existing telemarketing and sales teams.
• Launched new products: Ticket Medica – Health and Wellness Vouchers; Ticket Compliments Holiday - India's 1st multi-brand Holiday/Travel gift voucher, and Lakme Salon gift vouchers – Edenred India's 1st closed loop co-branded gift voucher.
• Spearheaded the planning and execution of the corporate brand change in India from Accor Services to 'Edenred' across a vast multimedia campaign, including Print, Outdoor, Web, BTL, and Corporate Communication.

Key Achievements

• Successfully launched the Deccan 360 brand across the country and in international markets.
• Set up the entire Brand Communication team, including recruitment of marketing agencies via multi-agency pitches for Advertising, BTL, Market Research, and Corporate Communication.
• Managed all media interactions for Captain Gopinath, resulting in extensive coverage in business channels, leading business dailies, and aviation journals.
• Planned and implemented the communication strategy for setting up the franchise network for Deccan 360 in more than 60 cities across the country.
• Set up the entire Telemarketing function for Lead Generation, Database Management, and Campaign Support.
• Worked with IT consultants like IBM and Wipro to provide Business Intelligence for IT applications for CRM, Campaign Management, Lead Generation, and Customer Automation and helped in their setup.
• Developed the 'i-can' philosophy as the driver for internal communication through a launch campaign, which was recognized by management guru Mr. Ram Charan and showcased at reputed International B-Schools.

Key Achievements

• Launched the FedEx Brand Campaign in India across ATL and BTL media.
• Launched FedEx Purple Club - The 1st Online Loyalty Program in the logistics industry in India.
• Assisted in developing and implementing the marketing plan that supported the overall company business plan.
• Developed and implemented direct marketing campaigns to generate sales leads and incremental business, on a national and local (tactical) level.
• Created Corporate campaign videos (Co-production with FX One – FedEx’s in house production house setup in Memphis, USA) which received international recognition.
• Worked closely with the National Accounts Team and provided support for major account presentations.
• Managed Advertising, BTL, and PR agencies supporting the FedEx account.
• Assisted the business analysis group with the implementation of new products. Prepared short-term volume and revenue forecasts for the same.

Key Achievements

• Set up the Telemarketing Function, a first of its kind in the express transportation industry in India.
• Launched Stripes Club – DHL's Customer Loyalty Program.
• Part of the Project Team to have conceptualized and developed Export Express – A new product for Commercial Shipments.
• Part of the Asia Pacific Revenue Generation Project Team to arrest revenue gap in 2004-05, working with product teams and agencies across Asia Pacific.
• Launched innovative D2C products like University Express and Mango Express.
• Conceptualized, rolled out, and managed 'Ship Once Win Twice' – DHL India's largest retail campaign, covering more than 150 retail outlets across the country.