Rahul Mittra Brandsmith, Founder, Brandsmith

Winner Client Testimonial Award MPEC 2009

 Rahul spoke of his beginning saying “While with The Times of India group, heading medianet, the inhouse PR/positioning agency, I wrote my name from right to left, which read as LUHAR, thus came the idea of a hammer and someone who could carve out brands from it. Maybe I was intended to do that, I thought. I wanted to start something that could assist & aid global businesses vis-à-vis positioning, media management, events & business consulting. An organization which was in between a lot of spaces, but all relevant for the propagation of promotions & whatever it entailed. So, I put in my papers and got cracking, literally from my home garage.”

Brandsmith offers it services to anyone who wants to strengthen their standing. We asked him who stood to benefit and he answered “Well, from individuals to organizations cutting across MNC,s, SME,s, lifestyle brands, media houses, film production companies, high net worth individuals. All have benefited from us. In a profession like mine, I end up interacting with a lot of people by way of advice that may or may not lead to business. But nothing gets wasted in the jungle...all these relationships across diverse fields & networking as a passion are some of my key strengths today.”

Their success depends on the success of their clients, leading one to picture a symbiotic relationship. He says “Thinking on behalf of the client...we are like your neighborhood chemist that you trust and prefer taking medicines from rather than a doctor. Hence customization, passionate commitment & strategic solutions...all form part of our work ethos.”

Rahul has an eye on the distant future but his focus is on building what is at hand. “At the moment, I am busy consolidating my key contact base, with an eye on synergy. We are in no hurry…scaling of business is a natural process, provided you love & live your work. There are some very exciting things on the anvil but its slightly premature talking about it.” says our Young Entrepreneur.

Despites the mysticism surrounding his entrepreneurial beginnings his motivations were about maximum output. He says “I felt I could work more and make a difference around if let free. Though I advise a lot of young professionals to tread their path carefully and not leave in a hurry, I don’t repent my decision to quit a job that was seen as a very well sought after assignment.”

Trusting individuals upfront was a snag that had Rahul harried. He learnt better thought and says “Over the years, I think I’ve become a better judge of people.”

Brandsmith has a established roster of professionals. Rahul was candid about his company’s strengths and said “As mentioned earlier, we have a strong network of associates & vendors. For me, small is big as Team Brandsmith is all about multi-tasking, synergy & customization. Sometimes, I feel I’m overstaffed.”

The recognition and publicity surrounding Brandsmith is considerable. It is a desirable element for Rahul who accepts the recognition that he deserves.

He says “The success of every event, campaign, positioning strategy or media advisory is an achievement. And it feels good when print & electronic media covers us actively and with a lot of interest, month after month, year after year. We are also very active on the internet and feature in top searches. Eg. Lookup “brand management companies in India” & “film promotion companies in India” and see what you get at number one in Google.”

“Yes, we have been written a lot about in the media. I am also the branding resource person & speaker at few government & private institutions-CAPART, ministry of rural development & Xcellon Business School, Ahmedabad to name a few.” 

In the beginning when Brandsmith and Rahul were not as recognizable, there was a certain amount of trepidation in him. He shares his inner thoughts and says “Yes, initially when it would take people longer to follow my ideas. I think it was that general sense of apathy towards my mindshare, but that’s a natural process. People & clients take time in trusting you, especially when you do not like to be called a “vendor” but a partner in progress.” 

The initial struggle is now long over for him, and Rahul now has less demons to conquer. He is still channeled into his entrepreneurial vision and owes it to “A great sense of fulfillment, coupled with recognition for your work. It also gives me immense pleasure to learn that Brandsmith is a fairly known brand today.”

The Entrepreneur in Rahul has fully emerged and he advises to those who have not yet seen the signs or embarked on their entrepreneurial quest saying “Do not lose sight of human relations as it’s the biggest asset that you may acquire. It’s not easy to have hundreds of people working for you or under you, if that human touch & charisma is missing and do it genuinely.”

Brandsmith and its Founder Rahul Mittra, are all set to change the kismet of their clients. As they continue their journey, Yourstory wishes them good fortune and victory over all their challenges.