From Fragrance to Fortune: How marketing drives profit!

This residency, our Batch 10 of the Executive MBA class of IIT Bombay – Washington University in St. Louis, had the distinct privilege of hosting Anup Kondakundi Global Head – Marketing Strategy & Brand Transformation from Ajmal Perfumes for an incredibly insightful session on reimagining marketing as a direct driver of business growth.

Anup’s session delved deep into how strategic marketing can be turned from a cost center into a profit powerhouse. One standout topic was the stark contrast between marketing landscapes in India and China, particularly how live-streaming has exploded into a billion-dollar industry in China, while in India, it's still in its early adoption phase.

He also highlighted how the perfume industry in India lags significantly behind the Gulf, where fragrance is deeply embedded in daily lifestyle. To put it in perspective, in Gulf countries, it's common for people to use 15–20 sprays of perfume multiple times a day, compared to India, where most people use it sparingly - once a day or less.

He also unpacked the "Marketing Funnel: The Untold Stories", walking us through the journey from awareness (via influencers, print media, and high impact launch events), to consideration (kiosks and mall branding), to conversion (through effective merchandising and well-trained store staff), and finally loyalty (enabled by robust loyalty programs). These layers helped us see how holistic, customer-focused strategies create lasting business impact.

Grateful to Anup for sharing a real-world playbook on how creativity, culture, and commerce intersect to create marketing magic.

Source: IIT Bombay-WashU EMBA Batch 10