Adgully Exclusive | Rahul Mittra & Brandsmith: Harnessing the power of grand dreams

In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Mittra describes his thrilling career history and the events that led to the founding of his own organisation, Brandsmith.

Mittra begins by summarising Othello's anguished rant about reputation (Shakespeare makes Othello say, "Reputation reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself¦"). Mittra elucidates Othello's point by saying, "The only thing immortal about you is your reputation." Mittra firmly believes in the power of communication and reputation while building long-term relationships.

Because of Mittra's stewardship, Brandsmith, established in 2004, has grown into a reputable name in brand management, business advisory and India-entry strategy. It also offers expertise in corporate communication, niche events, product launches, star endorsements, and in-film advertising and promotions. The firm has organised the Statesman Vintage car rally with 140 cars (the largest event of the kind in India) and has partnered with national brands like Sahara, Zee, Indian Oil, among scores of others.

For Mittra, the son of an IAS officer, the journey towards achievement began in journalism. The Times of India gave him the first break. "When I started working as a journalist I knew in my heart that I would not be a journalist forever and that I had an edge that allows me to explore things and take risks in life," Mittra says. Indeed, as a journalist, he tried to cover a range of beats, from entertainment to politics and worked for only Rs3,200 per month. After about a year-and-a half, he quit journalism and joined Core Health Care, as PR manager at a salary of Rs17,000 per month.

From the health sector, Mittra jumped to a travel agency. In1997, the internet revolution was changing India. "We used to struggle to sell even a small package, but because of the internet, the turnover reached over Rs1.5 crore just one year," he says. But he did not linger long to savour the fruits of internet-induced travel boom; media life was calling him back. His second stint in journalism is described pithily by the Brandsmith website: "Rahul went on to start one of the most controversial initiatives in Indian media, Medianet, whereby editorial spaces of the Times of India city supplements went paid for individual & brand endorsements."

Soon, the restless achiever would be spurred to chase yet another bold dream, and Brandsmith was born. "Power is just the ability to follow your dreams, to transform your dreams into reality," Mittra says. Today, Brandsmith works closely with dream merchants: it has already driven the promotions of more than 22 films like Munnabhai, Black, and Saaya. Most recently, Brandsmith was responsible for the "Commonwealth Games 2010" series on Doordarshan.

"Currently, Brandsmith is hosting 130 websites, [and taking care of] their entire strategy and maintenance" Mittra says.