About me

I’m a fractional CMO and ex-founder with 17+ years of experience in marketing. I previously ran the award-winning communications consultancy Brandlogist and then founded the tech startup Cupidly, which was later acquired. (PS — it's weird talking about me like this 😊, so if you want to read a third-person perspective, 🧠 jump here: https://outstandingspeakersbureau.in/speakers/saurabh-parmar/ or if you want to know more about my skills, check 🧠 "About" on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/saurabhparmar/. Otherwise, onto a self-celebratory but honest professional bio...) Known for my ability to connect the dots between business strategy, brand marketing, digital media, growth hacking, and AI, I’ve helped legacy brands, fast-growing startups, and global teams unlock ROI across India, Southeast Asia, and the US. My expertise spans brand positioning, GTM (go-to-market) strategy, product-led growth (PLG), vibe marketing, and automation. 🎯 I have consulted for: Retell (AI, US-based startup), a Sam Altman–funded startup, Zoko (UK-based startup), College Board (SAT etc.), Kodak, a marijuana tech company (Thailand), Sova Health India, and a bunch of startups and businesses in India and SE Asia. (complete list below) I previously worked as the Digital Lead at Ogilvy Delhi and the Social Media Head for Webchutney Delhi. As a marketer, I bring both the skills a full-fledged CMO should possess and, by virtue of running businesses and my interest in good business strategy, insights that really help startups: before you decide where to allocate your marketing budget to increase ROI, you need to know if marketing is the best way — are there more effective, scalable ways, etc. Thanks to my experience as a digital nomad, I also understand different cultural nuances. 🧠 🎯 My Future of Work predictions are known for their accuracy — forecasts I made about D2C in India, startups, remote working, and NVIDIA-driven growth have come true. https://altstrategy.substack.com/p/d2c-predictions-2023 https://altstrategy.substack.com/p/startup-predictions-the-winners-and https://altstrategy.substack.com/p/we-predicted-nvidia-fall-and-nuclear I’ve been consulting and teaching AI to businesses and college students. As a guest writer and keynote speaker, I have written and spoken on creativity and marketing, crisis communication, AI, and startups in India. I’ve been guest faculty and a corporate trainer for over 10 years at prestigious institutes including IIMC, XIC, ISB Hyderabad, Delhi School of Economics,as well as for corporates such as HCL, IFFCO, UNICEF, Microsoft APAC, and various government bodies (both state and central). In the non-profit space I started and ran Candid Conversations, which focused on mental health. I’ve also worked with UNICEF on their major ‘Right to Education’ campaign, Awaaz Do. I was the youngest member of a select UN panel on the ‘Depiction of Women in Advertising’. My work has won Gold (Airtel) and Silver (Zee) at major creative awards, and my writing has been featured in publications including Mint, The Drum, Economic Times, Afaqs, Exchange4Media, and The Morning Context. Here's a more detailed list of businesses I have consulted in my career (not comprehensive but what I could remember): 🚗 Automobile and transportation: Honda, British Airways, an airline brand in Southeast Asia. 💻 Digital businesses: Cupidly (wedding industry), dating applications, Jabong, OfficeYes, Rocket Internet, MakeMyTrip, Zoomtra. 👗 Fashion and beauty: Blackberry Menswear, Peperone, BAGIT Today, Jabong, Intimate Street, Jafra Cosmetics, VLCC Salon. 🎬 Media & entertainment: And Pictures (Zee Group), Zee TV, Star News, ESPN. 🍽️ Hospitality, food and beverage, FMCG: Oberoi Hotels, Sahara Star, Aamby Valley, Chi Kitchen, KFC, Gatorade, Coke Burn, RC Cola. 🎮 Electronics, gaming & sports: Skullcandy, Hitwicket (cricket strategy app), Xbox, Adidas, Spice Mobiles. 🖥️ Technology and B2B: Microsoft, Lenovo, HCL, a digital storage business, Skymet Weather, OfficeYes. 📡 Telecom: Airtel (both mobile and data), Aircel, Tata. 🏦 BFSI: American Express, GE-SBI Cards, Apollo DKV, Max New York Life Insurance. 🛍️ Other B2C brands: JK Papers, a feminist merchandising brand, UNICEF.