Memorable IPL ads. A whopping 7 blue elephants at the Kyoorius Creative Awards. 3 Cannes Lions. And millions of hearts won. Swiggy’s marketing team is a force to be reckoned with, and here’s the man who stands at the helm of it. In this interview, Srivats TS, VP – Marketing, speaks candidly about his journey as a Swiggster and much more.
Tell us a little bit about your time at Swiggy
When I joined Swiggy, I was looking to lead a brand that was young and had consumer traction. Swiggy gave me all that and more. That was three years ago, and I haven’t looked back since. The biggest pride aspect is that this is a brand that we built from the ground up, in India.
”The biggest pride aspect is that Swiggy is a brand that we built from the ground up, in India.”
There’s nothing like food and cricket that brings Indians together. How has the marketing team been leveraging this?
There’s a correlation between the consumption of food and entertainment. In India, sports would top that chart. We made Swiggy the natural third element in this equation, enabling the convenience aspect. With a large audience watching the IPL and having adopted the brand, the opportunity became a massive one, and Swiggy became a natural enabler of this sporting ritual.
From a creative lens, we have been able to smartly tap into the cricket camaraderie, showing very relatable slice-of-life situations, married beautifully with funny cricket commentary – all credit to the team and the creative agencies we work with for pulling this off.
“We made Swiggy the natural third element in this equation, enabling the convenience aspect”
So… what keeps you ticking outside of work?
I absolutely love devouring food and content. Any good meal and any good read – be it business, management or branding. Also, NBA is right up there when it comes to my interests; I can’t get enough of basketball. Oh and most people don’t know this – I have a flair for poker. In fact, I’ve vacationed for a few weeks in Vegas with one agenda: poker game after poker game!
”I have a flair for poker. In fact, I’ve spent a few weeks in Vegas with one agenda: poker game after poker game!”
If you were on an island and could carry only 3 things with you, what would they be, and why?
Number one, my phone. That would cover a lot of things I like doing – reading, consuming content, ordering food from Swiggy (laughs).
The second would be a powerbank that never runs out of charge. So then the phone would never die.
And last in the list would be a book. Nothing beats that.
What do you think it takes to be a Swiggster?
Passion, drive and the belief that you can make a difference in a customer’s life. For me, these are the real differentiators. Because what’s talent without the push of passion, right?
