Moumita Das Roy, Marketing and Communications Professional
Moumita is a cross-industry marketer with experience in nonprofit, media, advertising, and telecom. She is an experienced digital marketer and a brand strategist. She is also a trained tertiary educator and industry faculty.
She has worked in some iconic brands such as Ogilvy and BBDO in Advertising, The Walt Disney Company in Media, Virgin Mobile in Telecom.
In her recent roles in New Zealand, she has managed the marketing and product function of a mid-sized telco and drives the communication strategy for a global, sustainable building materials brand.
Moumita is a keen LinkedIn enthusiast and a prolific content creator on the platform. She shares stories from her corporate world and her life in academia and presents them in a very real-world, relatable way.
Apart from work, she takes an avid interest in travel, volunteering, and diversity and inclusion conversations. Having worked in multi-cultural work environments and through her travels across seven continents, she has unique stories to tell.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
LinkedIn. LinkedIn is ‘the world’s largest water cooler’! It allows me to bring my whole self together. The balance between my professional and personal self. It makes me network with key decision-makers and, at the same time, see their human side. It helps create empathy, build relationships, and understand how they help others through their work.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I studied statistics in college, but the funny thing is, my first job was as a copywriter in an advertising agency! It was more than a decade back. That taught me left-brain-right brain tightrope walking. After advertising, I moved to telecom and then to media. I am a marketer and a tertiary educator by profession, and a traveller by passion.
In my last role, I managed the omnichannel marketing and product function of a mid-sized telco based in Auckland. I have recently started a new role and pivoted to an industry that gives me the opportunity to contribute more meaningfully to the environment and sustainability. It is my happy place: a purpose-driven organization, powered by technology, where I can truly combine my head-led skills and heart-led passions.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
I am a cross industry marketer; I enjoy understanding different product and service categories and how they operate in their respective markets. I like to study brands and their customers, what motivates people to choose one over the other. Having worked in dynamic industries like media and telecom, I get excited about fast turnarounds and new challenges.
Driving targeted campaigns to deliver planned returns on investments while creating memorable brand experiences is what I do in my day job. I love the journey of a story from a seed into a tree and how to craft powerful visual narratives, supported by numbers.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
There is plenty of good advice I have received in my journey. However, one that I hold very close to my heart is one from my Dad. He would always say, take one next step when you cannot see the end. You won’t even realise when you have reached.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
I am the genuinely curious type, a lifelong learner. I get excited about new challenges. Travel has opened my understanding of varied cultural dimensions and made me realise how similar we all are, even with our differences. I am a DEI advocate and champion the causes of multiculturalism and volunteering.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
My journey has taught me that life is about having a great relationship with gravity and getting back up. To take time out and heal. And when back up, to go out and show up, with kindness. No matter what, until people start taking notice again. I am proud of my resilience, for not giving up.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
I enjoy a good conversation over coffee and chocolates. Virtual or in person. I am a community builder and a connector. The best place to make an initial connection with me is on LinkedIn.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
I lead with kindness. I am a lifelong learner, and I am not afraid to try out new things. My work in multi-cultural work environments makes me adaptive and versatile. As a business leader, too, I am collaborative while strongly anchoring my team.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
If I could advise my younger self, I’d say go horizontal, not only vertical. Experience new things. Do not be scared to pivot or take a break for fresh learnings. There’s so much one learns beyond the traditional description of a workplace.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
I have a very long list, and it is always changing.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Apart from work, I take an avid interest in travel, volunteering and conversations around multiculturalism. I have touched down on all seven continents - including Antarctica and am back with a greater understanding of people and cultures.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
Both. There are definite changes at work, particularly in my teaching engagements. But more importantly, I am not able to visit family in India for more than two years. The positive that I feel is, it has taught me to be more in the present, be grateful for what I have and not focus on what I don’t.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
Yes, to both. And I think it is a continuous process.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
To be wide-eyed, continue to upskill, learn to craft engaging stories. Stories from numbers, visuals, experiences.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
People fail when their expectation does not meet reality, and they don’t remember to recalibrate. When they feel a pause means the end and not a time to rest and bounce back.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” - John Lennon.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Once again, there are so many. But I like simplicity in communication. Simple and a slice of life.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success can mean different things to different people. In fact, it can mean different things to the same person in different life stages. So, I would say celebrate the beautiful small wins while you stay focused on the big goals. Success for me now is being small enough to care and big enough to make a difference.