Purpose
To help create a
sustainable world
Can the world thrive without harming the planet?
Can we help people want what they need?
And only want as much as they need?
Can brands be built without huge budgets?
Does marketing have a role to play in all this?
Suman Srivastava is the Founder of Marketing Unplugged and the author of two books - Marketing Unplugged and Don’t Beg. Inspire.
Suman studied economics in SRCC, Delhi, and management at IIM, Ahmedabad & IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland. He spent 24 years in the advertising industry, while his consultancy, Marketing Unplugged, recently celebrated its eleventh anniversary.
Suman has a track record of changing jobs only in the years when India has hosted the 50 overs cricket world cup. He got his first job in 1987, his second in 1996 and his third (Marketing Unplugged) in 2011.
Suman has been the CEO of Euro RSCG India for 5 years and also Chief Strategy Officer for Euro RSCG Asia Pacific. He was the Chairman of Euro RSCG's emerging markets planning council and a member of the global management committee. Lastly, he was Vice Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer of FCB Ulka Group in India.
Suman believes that he was put on earth to be a teacher. He loves teaching and has taught at IIMs in Ahmedabad & Bangalore, ISB Hyderabad, IITs at Bombay & Kharagpur, MICA and several other management institutes across the country. He is currently part of the faculty at the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM). He has also run workshops for clients like Microsoft, Intel, Reckitt Benckiser, Max New York Life, Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Petroleum. And for social sector organisations like UnLtd India, Smile Foundation, India Leaders for the Social Sector (ILSS), United Way Mumbai and Give India.
Brand building is a passion for Suman. He has been closely associated with brands from India’s leading companies including Hindustan Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, Intel, Microsoft, IBM, Dell, HDFC Bank, Bharat Petroleum, Reliance, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Auto and Philips.
He is active in the voluntary sector where he works on causes that range from schooling for slum children to child sexual abuse to rural tourism to skill development. He is one of the trustees of the NGO, Apnalaya, a director of the social impact consulting firm, Samhita, and a key member of iVolunteer’s Whiteboard initiative.
Suman has run the half marathon three times and loves to make creative cocktails.