Creativity is necessary when it comes to branding and marketing arena and the duo behind brandonama usher in creativity. Sandeep Dahiya completed his BBA and started his career working as a manager at lets intern career solutions. He gradually moved up the ladder becoming the head of client servicing. Vasundhara on the other hand has an advanced diploma in advertising and graphic design from Wigan and Leigh College, UK. She started her career as a graphic design.
Both of them came together with a vision to start a design and branding agency that can capitalize on their creative skills. Thus, brandonama was born in 2013. In the last couple of years of its incorporation, Brandonama has delivered 280+ projects successfully before time.
Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.
We at Brandonama create brands. Our concepts and designs define us- we like to come across as a young, chirpy and fresh brand, ready to instill simple, catchy and fresh ideas into the market by setting absolutely no boundaries.
A quick overview of our services;
1. Brand Identity, which includes forming a brand from scratch – the Brand Name, Brand Logo, Corporate Stationery, a detailed Brand Manual,
2. Event Branding
3. Responsive Website Design & Development,
4. Mobile App Design,
5. Packaging Design and
6. All other Creative Marketing Solutions,
7. Print Advertisements, 8. Digital Creatives.
What inspired you to build the above product/ service?
We are a bunch of young, creative enthusiasts, we enjoy Risk Advertising campaigns, Guerrilla Marketing, clean Branding work that is aesthetically sound and minimalistic excites us- and that’s something that isn’t prevalent at a big scale here in India.
Our aim is to instill our larger than life concepts, and out of the box ideas into the Creative space here in India.
What is your life mantra?
Work hard, but what’s more important is to work smart. Don’t become a part of the rat race, so much that you can’t look around and pick the most amazing things from what you see. Pause, slow down, breathe deep, do all things that you loved doing as a 5year old (be it gardening / bathroom singing), it is relaxing and it really works, helps you stay connected to the real you
What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?
We had no investment when Brandonama was founded, cash crunch and delayed payments are the major challenges on the logistics front.
On the creative front; the ride has been smooth (fingers crossed), we have been lucky to create some good work and that’s what keeps us going, but then what’s a journey without a few exciting bumpy rides. We have had clients in the past who are pretty unsure of what they are looking for and find it difficult to close the project, and such projects linger on for a bit, and that in turn shakes up finances and timelines.
How did you overcome those challenges?
- By taking on more projects, to be able to have a faster payment cycle. So, initially, instead of handling 4-5 clients at a time, we were handling 10-15.
- Adding a strict services contract has helped in the recent months.
- Slowing down in pace, doing quality work at better costs.
Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.
Have never been inclined towards getting an investment since we did not want any interference in the functioning of the company.
How do you protect yourself from the problem of Brain Drain?
From the beginning, we had a few things sorted in our minds. The first one being the interest of the person – we ensure that the person is cut out for the project he/she works on and doesn’t start getting bored in the case of the project lingering on. Our team has evolved by working on projects from different products & industries, which keeps them excited about work.
We believe in rewarding our team and have constantly tried out different ways of rewarding our team members. An off & on chat to understand what’s going on in their minds, being open to criticism, making sure you are flexible are some other things which have helped.
According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?
Hunger, passion, and introspection
Which online tools/ services/ apps do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?
Behance, Zomato :P, Facebook, LinkedIn (for business) & Instagram (for mental stimulation on the creative front – the previous version)
Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.
Being an insomniac was what I would have said a year back A strong coffee. Less milk. Less sugar. With an extra shot of passion.
On a more serious note, we as creatives are nocturnal by nature. We work best in the AM hours. It’s important to understand that it is alright to be flexible in terms of the timing, in order to have the team work in a productive and passionate manner. Drawing boundaries and rules only cuts down on the creativity.
Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.
Believing you can crack an insane amount of projects while keeping all clients happy – A Utopian situation – is a bit too exhausting. We wish to learn to be a little more realistic on that front and understand that there will always be people who love your work and some who have not been as happy, and that is alright till you keep a tab on that ratio.
Answer in less than 50 words
There are so many pseudo-passionate startups who spend days and months planning. It is annoying to see so much talk and no action.
Follow your passion and go all out. If your gut says yes, then don’t listen to anyone, but be ready to face the consequences if things don’t work out the way you planned them. And if you happen to fall, get yourself up, have a wide smile on your face and begin once again…
- One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:
A mistake which doesn’t have a U-turn. Mistakes help you learn.
A mistake of being still. There must be movement. Upwards. Downwards. Just don’t let there be no movement.
- One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:
Business is a marathon, not a sprint – Initially, one needs to accelerate hard, but once you catch the momentum, keep the pace steady. Don’t rush, pause, breathe, look around, keep your eyes and mind open and your mental horizon wide. Absorb as much as you can, learn from everybody, from your mentors to your interns. You never know who’s got what cooking in their minds, and what may ignite to next fire to create something huge.
What are your plans for next 3 years?
Slow sustainable growth
If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?
Save money & then start-up
What are your top three getaway destinations?
Goa, Mcleodganj & our hill home in Himachal
Share a quote that inspires you the most.
It’s better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.