An Interview with Dhruv Goel, Founding father of Model Catapult

An Unique Interview with Dhruv Goel, Founder & Managing Companion of Model Catapult, one in every of India’s most dynamic 360° branding and advertising and marketing companies

We not too long ago interviewed Dhruv Goel, Founder & Managing Companion of Model Catapult, India’s dynamic 360° branding and advertising and marketing agency. He shared invaluable insights into navigating at this time’s evolving model panorama and strategic progress.

What impressed you to start out Model Catapult, and what was your imaginative and prescient for the company once you first launched it?

Dhruv Goel: In my early years, I used to be actively concerned in my household enterprise, working throughout a variety of industries and nations. Via this expertise, I found that my true curiosity all the time gravitated towards the advertising and marketing facets of those companies. 

I thrived at any time when I took the lead on advertising and marketing, and it grew to become clear that this was the place my ardour and strengths lay. 

What actually stood out to me was the dearth of devoted advertising and marketing help accessible to mid-tier companies on the time. 

Again then, digital advertising and marketing hadn’t gained important traction but; most advertising and marketing and promoting have been closely centered round giant corporations who might afford to work with the massive businesses. This left mid-sized companies underserved, with only a few choices for revolutionary and strategic advertising and marketing steerage. 

Seeing this hole, I made a decision to start out Model Catapult with the imaginative and prescient of bridging it. The company started as a advertising and marketing consulting agency centered on two foremost choices:

Id Design: We supplied branding help, serving to companies outline and develop their model identities.

Advertising and marketing Technique Assist: We labored intently with companies to grasp their distinctive wants, crafting advertising and marketing campaigns and techniques tailor-made for them to execute with their very own groups or sources.

Initially, our sole focus was on technique—we weren’t an execution company but. The purpose was to empower these mid-level companies with the appropriate insights and course, which they beforehand lacked, laying the muse for what Model Catapult would develop into.

Are you able to clarify what a 360° branding and advertising and marketing answer entails and the way it advantages your purchasers?

Dhruv Goel: Once we discuss 360° branding and advertising and marketing, what we’re actually speaking about is a full-service company mannequin. At Model Catapult, this implies offering end-to-end help throughout the complete spectrum of promoting and communications.

Advertising and marketing at this time is an enormous area, comprising many alternative verticals and specializations. A real full-service company is one which has the sources, experience, and infrastructure to deal with all of those seamlessly. For us, that course of begins from the very starting—constructing a model from scratch. We work on creating new model identities and all of the essential model property and touchpoints that go together with them.

We’ve our personal in-house tech group to develop property like web sites—whether or not that’s an e-commerce platform or a model’s flagship web site. On the digital entrance, our capabilities embrace social media advertising and marketing, media relations, influencer advertising and marketing, and efficiency advertising and marketing and so forth..

Offline, we handle the whole lot from occasions and activations to  promoting. Plus, we now have our personal in-house content material creation group dealing with manufacturing, pictures, and shoots.

So, the whole lot—from the preliminary model imagining, to growing technique, to content material, design, and eventually execution—occurs beneath one roof at Model Catapult. That’s what makes us a full-service company.

The most important profit for our purchasers is that we develop into a real one-stop store.
They don’t should juggle or coordinate between 5 completely different businesses or sources for his or her completely different necessities.

Inside Model Catapult, all the mandatory verticals exist and are led by specialised subject material specialists. This makes the method way more environment friendly, because the consumer solely wants to speak with one core group.

Inner coordination is fast and seamless, which not solely streamlines workflows but additionally ensures that each facet of their branding and advertising and marketing stays constant and synergized.

What developments do you at the moment see shaping the branding and advertising and marketing panorama in India, and the way is Model Catapult adapting to those modifications?

Dhruv Goel: Probably the most important developments I’m seeing within the branding and advertising and marketing panorama at this time is the rise of realism—the emphasis on being genuine, trustworthy, and true to your prospects.

Manufacturers that succeed now are those who don’t attempt to posture or over-sell; as a substitute, they’re humanising themselves, having actual conversations, and interesting in real storytelling.

Folks join greatest with manufacturers that replicate their precise values and experiences somewhat than simply projecting an idealised picture.

At Model Catapult, we’ve absolutely embraced this shift towards realism and, in reality, have been among the many early adopters of this method. Many of the manufacturers and campaigns we work on at this time are centred exactly round actual tales, genuine experiences, and trustworthy communication.

For instance, if you happen to take a look at our work with Japanico, we concentrate on showcasing the real expertise that prospects can count on. Reasonably than utilizing over-the-top graphics or empty slogans, we spotlight what really occurs on the retailers—the simplicity and the true providing.

Within the restaurant business particularly, the place it’s frequent to magnify or “beautify” actuality, we consciously keep away from that, selecting as a substitute to characterize issues simply as they’re.

The identical applies once we work with D2C manufacturers. As a substitute of counting on the standard flashy, ‘salesy’ content material, we intention to showcase actual feelings and join with shoppers on a human degree.

A fantastic instance is our work on occasions similar to Rasme’s Launch Occasion (a premium Indian sweets model): somewhat than fabricating glitzy promoting, we embedded the true essence of Indian weddings, tradition, and traditions proper into the model expertise.

The communication was simple, genuine, and relatable—constant throughout each touchpoint.

How do you method consumer relationships to make sure that you absolutely perceive their wants and ship efficient branding options?

Dhruv Goel: At Model Catapult, we’ve intentionally constructed the company to be the proper dimension—a dimension that strikes a steadiness between agility and professionalism.

We’re not so small that we now have to stretch throughout the whole lot ourselves, nor are we so giant that purchasers really feel misplaced in an countless sea of groups. This steadiness is key to how we handle consumer relationships.

In contrast to bigger organizations the place smaller purchasers may wrestle to know who precisely is dealing with their account, at Model Catapult, each consumer is personally identified by the core group. In reality, I make it some extent to personally meet each new consumer we onboard.

There isn’t any consumer we carry on board with out me having had a direct dialog with them. It is a essential a part of our course of as a result of we’re very selective about who we select to work with.

Our philosophy is obvious: we don’t chase enterprise only for the sake of it. We solely tackle initiatives and types the place we consider we will actually add worth, do excellent work, and the place there’s mutual belief. We would like to have the ability to absolutely embrace the model, stay the model, and genuinely consider in it.

What’s the artistic course of like at Model Catapult? How do you foster innovation and creativity inside your group?

Dhruv Goel: At Model Catapult, our artistic course of is deeply rooted in collaboration, consistency, and steady idea-sharing. We strongly consider that working collectively in a shared area fuels creativity—a lot in order that we hate work-from-home setups and are absolutely dedicated to working from our workplace daily.

This atmosphere encourages spontaneous conversations and brainstorming periods which might be important for innovation.

Our inner methods and processes are designed to maximise cross-team interplay. We’ve routine group discussions, checks, and balances the place we evaluation one another’s work—this ensures prime quality, fosters innovation, and retains everybody sharp and motivated.

We additionally keep numerous specialised teams and channels that allow ongoing concept change:

• Designers, entrepreneurs, and social media specialists usually share references, insights, and artistic sparks around the clock in devoted teams.
• Technique groups, model managers, and designers collaborate intently in teams the place related concepts and alternatives for every model are mentioned and captured in real-time.
• Even inside particular capabilities like design, there are a number of subgroups for suggestions and critique, making certain thorough evaluation and enchancment for each challenge.

This steady cycle of inner communication and collaboration retains our artistic vitality alive and aligns the complete group round shared objectives and recent considering.

In abstract, by fostering a collaborative tradition backed by structured interplay and open idea-sharing, we create an atmosphere the place creativity thrives — serving to us persistently ship revolutionary, related, and impactful branding options for our purchasers.

What are some frequent challenges that manufacturers face in at this time’s market, and the way does Model Catapult assist them overcome these obstacles?

Dhruv Goel: One of many largest challenges manufacturers face at this time is an excessive amount of noise available in the market. Irrespective of which business you take a look at—premium or mass market, style, meals, medical, authorized—competitors is intense throughout the board.

The sheer quantity of gamers vying for shopper consideration creates a extremely cluttered panorama.

Moreover, the rise of digitalization has made entry simpler for shoppers however concurrently elevated competitors exponentially as a result of discoverability is not restricted.

One other essential problem is the dearth of up to date information round advertising and marketing and communications. Many manufacturers that come to us are nice companies however are usually not absolutely conscious of the most recent developments, applied sciences, and processes shaping the business at this time.

Whereas the advertising and marketing world is shifting quickly with improvements like AI-driven options, many manufacturers are nonetheless attempting to catch up or are caught on outdated ideas—like merely “making a reel”—with no strategic method.

At Model Catapult, we deal with these challenges by robust collaborative communication and partnership. We guarantee our purchasers are continually walked by the methods and actions we deploy on their behalf in order that they really feel knowledgeable and assured within the course we take.

Our technique group is a serious power—they work diligently to grasp the market dynamics deeply, ideate artistic and efficient methods for manufacturers to face out, and craft tailor-made approaches that reduce by the noise.

In a aggressive atmosphere, it’s essential for us because the company companion to make sure our purchasers don’t simply get observed however stand out in the appropriate method, with messaging and positioning that align authentically with their model values and the realities of their audiences.

What recommendation would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs trying to enter the branding and advertising and marketing business in India?

Dhruv Goel: The branding and advertising and marketing business is an thrilling and vibrant area—actually lots of enjoyable to work in. Nonetheless, it’s essential to be clear that it’s not as glamorous because it usually seems from the skin.

Whereas it could appear straightforward to enter this discipline, the true problem lies in sustaining and rising in it over time.

In the event you’re severe about constructing a profession or enterprise right here, you should be ready to place in super quantities of laborious work, dedication, and grit.

Success doesn’t come in a single day, and the market may be unforgiving to those that aren’t persistent. It requires regularly studying, adapting, and pushing by obstacles.

Those that can mix ardour with self-discipline and resilience have the perfect probability not solely to outlive however actually flourish on this dynamic and aggressive area.

Dhruv Goel’s experience supplied a profound understanding of efficient branding. His imaginative and prescient affords essential takeaways for companies aiming for accelerated progress and a powerful market presence.

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