How he turned his passion into a flourishing career
Advertising gets to the heart of a brand and tells their story. It appeals to the emotional quotient of consumers, assisting in creating a brand loyalty while building a brand image. Magnito Digital, led by Creative Director Kaushik De, is one of the largest advertising agencies of Bangladesh. With an illustrious career spanning over 20 years, Kaushik has been a driving force behind many advertising campaigns – unfolding the mysteries behind a brand to audiences.
Kaushik began his career in storytelling during his formative years. This passion propelled him to work for the events wing of a multinational advertising agency during his graduation. While completing his MBA at the prestigious Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM), Kaushik was further encouraged to pursue marketing.
Over time, he used his prowess for storytelling to bring out the hidden stories behind every brand. Kaushik worked with global brands and unearthed the various tales behind each of them. He connected these stories with the brand’s persona and communicated them to the target audience through creative channels. The creative director draws inspiration by reading and he often advises that, “Reading is something which opens the door to thinking. Read the original version of a book first rather than the translated ones. It gives you a better understanding of the written words itself. Be it about marketing or any other topic. Reading can keep your eyes open to the things happening around the world. Get out of your comfort zone and read all kinds of books.”
For Kaushik, the inspiration also comes from the young and vibrant employees at Magnito Digital Ltd. These young and talented individuals using their creativity to solve problems is a constant source of inspiration for him. He also draws inspiration by observing and talking to people on the streets, understanding and learning the relevancy of brands with each strata of life. Knowledge is necessary, Kaushik believes, to grow in any field.
As the advertising industry grows in Bangladesh, many newcomers are entering the market. Kaushik shared some of his wisdom for those who aspire to enter the advertising business, “Dream, but don’t day-dream”, he said. “Be ready to learn new things. Be ready to adapt, have the goal to be something in life and always work hard. No matter how talented you are, if you don’t work hard you won’t survive. Talk to people. In fact, talk to different types of people from different backgrounds. Be it drivers, rickshaw pullers, government job holders and so on. Talk to them. Learn more about them and the lives they lead, how they talk, what are their aspirations. Do not limit your mind.”
According to Kaushik, it is very important to research ways to solve a problem. “The real world has problems and they are continuously changing and evolving. Being in the know through research and keeping up with trends, can go a long way in bringing out a solution. As people working in advertising, our work is basically to provide solutions,” he concludes.