In our series of interviews with “Women in Tech”, TECHx introduces inspiring women who have successfully gained a foothold in the IT industry. Today in focus: Soumya Prajna, Head of Marketing & Communications, Help AG. Soumya spoke to TECHx Executive Editor, Rabab Zehra about her journey in the technology industry.
Soumya: I am extremely intrigued by the logic presented by science, the innovation coming from technology, and the aesthetics and solace art brings. I always visualized myself pursuing a career that leverages a harmony of art and science. And I believe that is exactly what technology marketing brings to the table. Technology is ever-changing and extremely exciting – it is tough not to like technology once you have had a taste of it. I chose my passion as my profession when I took up marketing and communications in the technology sector.
So, here I am – part of a super cool team of people who inhale innovation and exhale excellence at Help AG. The core of my approach is built around data and customer-centricity. Following that approach, I have worked to transform the marketing and communications department at Help AG, aligning it closely with the business objectives. I believe in taking a relative contrarian approach to B2B marketing, in terms of striking a balance between short-term demand generation themed initiatives and longer-term brand positioning goals.
Soumya: Marketing and technology – both are domains where change happens at light speed, and as technology marketeers, I feel it is extremely essential for us to keep up with the pace, to ensure optimization of the results from our campaigns. As a brand, we have always focused on problem-solving, rather than a solution selling approach, and it is more important today than ever before.
I think the move from physical to virtual events was one of the biggest game-changers last year. While we did miss the great networking opportunities from meeting people in-person, it also meant that the time spent on digital screens was on an all-time high, and this proved extremely successful for us, as we used social media, virtual events and video to connect to our primary and secondary audience. This will continue in 2021 too. Targeted campaigns will be key, both in terms of the audience and the messaging. As events will gradually evolve towards becoming blended from being purely virtual, it is extremely crucial to maintain consistent quality of communication across all touchpoints.
Soumya: Being a reader and a keen observer goes a long way, and not being afraid to ask questions and have engaging discussions with diverse stakeholders helps. Having a thorough understanding of the business objectives and the technology landscape is crucial to formulating and executing the best marketing strategies. I like to keep myself up to date with not just what is happening in the world of marketing and communications, but also the latest in business and cybersecurity.
Soumya: Read, learn, inquire, and understand. Be creative and take initiative. Find what differentiates you, augment and amplify that. Don’t be shy of dreaming big. Instead of waiting for things to just happen, take ownership, think smart and hustle hard to make those dreams come true. Believe in yourself above everything else. And if anyone says you aren’t capable, stop listening to them and spend your time with people who push you ahead rather than who pull you down.
