From a copywriter to the founder of a premier brand solutions firm – defining moments in Sandeep Iyer’s professional life as Chief Creative Explorer at three bags full

1. From a copywriter to the founder of a premier brand solutions firm, what have been the most defining points in your journey?

Essentially, three moments.

a) the day a colleague of mine said I could write.

b) the time I spent at Alok Nanda and Company, and my interactions with Alok. His take on advertising has probably shaped the way I approach the business. and

c) the time at the coffee shop when my partner, Akshay Menon, and I spoke about having an office with a different creative culture.

2. How would you differentiate the approach used at 3 Bags Full with its competitors offering similar brand solutions?

We’re suckers for simplicity. We hate to saddle our creatives with too much information.

3. Being a premier brand solutions firm, what specific aspects do you keep in mind while delivering any campaign ?

The feasibility of the entire campaign. Most times clients don’t realise a campaign is ​underfunded. Or often expect too much from the mediums they spend on. And then, the brand personality. We always evaluate whether our piece of communication helps build the larger​ personality of the brand.

4. How do you think technology will drive communication in the brand space?

Technology builds efficiency. And that’s just what it will do for our business.

5. With the push in digital platforms of advertising, do you think traditional advertising will lose its charisma?

Digital platform, like you mentioned, is only a platform. Whether traditional advertising will lose its charisma, is not even a question that bothers brand consultants.

​At the end of the day, we’re never in love with the medium, only the ideas.

6. In light of the recently concluded Cannes Lions 2018, do you think more campaigns need to come out from the APAC region?

The best ideas need to be celebrated. What region it comes from only affects the business of the award show, not the bottom lines for the region.

7. Having worked on renowned brands in the past, did you find any common thread linking their successful adoption within the targeted consumer groups?

Identifying the TG is important, but not everything. It’s the first step. And the foundation stone. Everything else is built on this. There are many factors, though,  that have to come together for a campaign to become successful. Timing. Scale. The creativity of the communication, itself. The media mix etc. ​

The success of a campaign is always a combination of many factors. TG, is just one.

8. What, in your opinion comprises a successful brand, one that will stay through generations?

One that identifies itself as a personality and not a brand.

9. What moment would you define as a breakthrough in your career ?

The day my partner agreed to three bags full. The last 4 years have been the most enriching years of my career.