Arthotsav BTS: Marketing Department

It is that time of the year when there is generally one thing on the minds of young people: getting sponsorship for their college festivals. It's a challenging task but our Marketing team is more than up for the challenge.

There's an air of importance around the Marketing department; they mean business. They are on their phones, walking briskly and there's a no-nonsense aura.

The Mentor of the department, Safa, perks up when we talk about the interview, "it's basically our job to talk about the fest and we like it, so an interview is great!"

We start with the basic question. They are asked to tell, in their own words, what their department means to Arthotsav."We are the backbone of the festival, I think" Tanmay, one of the Department Heads says. There's no smugness here, it's a known fact that the Marketing department gets the monetary fuel to run the festival. Okay, maybe they are a little smug about it but hey, it's a well-deserved crown.

"We get the funds and come on, there would be no festival without it. So yes, we are kind of the literal backbone of the fest."

How does the Marketing department work, exactly? "With perfect coordination!" Chamndramaul is quick to answer. "Oh, you mean our job? We approach different firms, banks and companies." Tanmay adds, "we present our proposal to them, with different delivarables, giving them a chance to promote their business in exchange for funds. We are the market after all, and what could be a  better way to promote, than a festival for the youth?"

There is a general murmur of agreement.

"Google helps a lot!" Safa exclaims, "you know, to get basic contacts. Then we call the companies and reach out to their respective marketing departments to make sponsorship deals."

From what they elaborate, a lot of phone calls with various people of the offices happen before the deal is made. Tough work! 

One of the team members, Saishree has got a sponsorship from a local business. Is the deal fine even if the business is not well-known, she wants to know. "If we get the money, the sponsorship is fine!" is the answer and also the general rallying cry.

Fun banter ensues among themselves time and again, as they try to make deals, sometimes moving in circles with the call logs. "Just this morning, we had to call an office in Pune for a media partnership, where we got the number for their Mumbai office who directed us back to Pune" says Chandramaul, who's been assigned with media partnerships.

Approaches of sponsorships are are not always answered with affirmation though. But the team smiles through it; they are soon joking about a certain rejection from a coffee house as they move on to the next call.

It can teach you a lot, working in the Marketing department. Everyone is eager to tell what all they have learnt so far, by being a part of this team.

"How to convince different minds in the market? There are so many different people you need to talk to while working for marketing, and you have to revise your communication skills", Tanmay (aka the guy who got the biggest sponsorship for Arthotsav last year, single-handedly) says.

"Marketing taught me a great deal about speaking with confidence" Ketaki nods wisely. She is another Head of the department. "I was an introvert, shy to speak. But being in marketing teaches you a thing or two about self confidence."

Patience is another thing you learn. Chandramaul says, "you don't always get a direct contact to the people you want to talk to. You have to ask around for email addresses and numbers, sometimes within the same office."

Some juniors are shy, the seniors all agree on this statement. They settle well into the job later though, so that's cool.

Akansha is new to the team, she says, "I have learnt how to speak to people instantaneously. One has to make and receive calls without a schedule sometimes. So that, and handling rejection over deals."

Mrunmayee, another new member adds, "I essentially joined the Marketing to learn communication skills, that one can't learn in the classroom. No matter what job you do later, you need communication skills and working with Marketing helps a lot in the learning process, especially for introverts like us."

The Mentor adds a few words of wisdom, "You need to speak freely, don't put the other person on a pedestal, they are only humans like us, not gods."

There's a near-deafening, synchronized chorus of "apunich bhagwan hai!" in a reply to that statement. Everyone cheers at that and we come to the final question.

What would these guys like to rename their department as? 

The answers vary, but not much."Jugaad."
"Money-Traders."
"Optimistic People, or the Anti-rejection Squad."

Nothing sounds quite as impressive as the Marketing Department of Arthorsav saying that though, so we leave it at that.

Just as the meeting is about to dissolve, someone's phone rings. Guess who just scored a big sponsorship deal?

-The Marketing department in discussion with Prajakta G., SYBSc.