VIDULA DESAI

Go-to-market strategy and planning:

• Headed and managed B2B Education and Employability verticals.
• Development of go-to-market strategy and implementation of integrated marketing & communications plan for the verticals
• Organized contacts and orchestrated innovative marketing campaigns to boost awareness, engagement and sales
• Performed market segmentations, targeting and positioning for each product line

Content Management:

• Assessed marketing copy, art comps and final designs and compared with established specifications
• Created company brand messaging, collateral materials, customer events, promotional strategies and product commercialization

Team Management:

• Managed a team of two direct reports
• Managed workflow between staff, coordinating documents and creative material distribution

New Program Launch:

• Spearheaded launch of IIT Patna online programs - part of their B2C business - managed go-to-market strategy, marketing plans, content and implementation of plans

Go to market (GTM) strategy, planning and execution:

• Responsible for working on GTM strategy for all programs and qualifications, core marketing and communications plan and implementing those strategies and plans
• Performed market segmentations, targeting and positioning for each product line

New product launches:

• Adept in launching new programs, qualifications and assessments
• Spearheaded launch of Cambridge CEM (2019) and Cambridge Early Years program (2020) in South Asia and India respectively.

Event Management:

• Actively engaged in conceptualizing, planning, and executing offline and online events; events vary from large scale award functions of 800 people to medium scale workshops, panel discussions, and webinars

Public Relations:

• Worked closely with the PR agency on the PR strategy and its implementation, to improve perceptions about international education and was involved in creating briefing booklets, features, op-eds for the senior leadership team in the region

Content Creation and Management:

• This includes collaterals, factsheets, presentations, case-studies for sales tool kit and effective content to support customers

Social Media Management:

• Led creation of social media strategy and content creation for South Asia. Adept in conceptualizing and executing influencer marketing and social media campaigns

Budget Management:

• Efficiently managed an annual budget of GBP 200,000 budget

Line Management:

• Managed a team of two direct reports
• Worked with international marketing managers in a matrixed structure

Planning and Implementation:

• Devised and implemented the marketing plan for West India to increase uptake of APTIS – global English language diagnostic assessment developed by British Council
• Developed product marketing value proposition and messaging based on insights and data
• Prepared the marketing action plan within allocated budgets to achieve ROI objective which included channels like Public Relations, B2B Events
• Development of brochures, presentations for the sales toolkit

New Business Development:

• Developed a strong network of contacts in B2B and B2G segments to promote APTIS which led to creation of strong, continuous, and healthy pipeline of leads for the product
• Stakeholders included, Principal Secretary Education Department, Govt Of Gujarat, Directorate of Technical Education, Govt Of Gujarat and Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education, Govt Of Maharashtra
• Secured largest order for tests in West India – 3500 tests for Garware Institute of Career Education

Product Development:

• Actively supported product development team of APTIS to implement product trials of newly launched product variations
• Worked collaboratively with corporate training team to provide post-test delivery training solutions to complete the product life cycle for APTIS
• Provided feedback to product development team, UK for product improvisation, this included Aptis for Teachers, Aptis for Tablets, Aptis on Phones

Content Creation

New Business Development:

• Identified and developed a strong pipeline of billable clients such as UTV, Skoda, Colours TV etc

Client Servicing:

• Determined ways to improve productivity and efficiency to enhance client experience
• Efficiently managed the company’s largest accounts – Tata Motors, Fiat, Skoda which resulted in net billing of INR 1.5 crore within a year
• Executed brand awareness and lead generation campaigns for key clients using outdoor advertising, BTL activations in malls and corporate parks, retail branding, high-engagement, and impactful dealer events