Story
Bharath K Narayanan
Senior Brand Marketer  ·  Storyteller  ·  Growth Driver

Bharath
K Narayanan

"I've built marketing divisions from scratch that drove hundreds of crores in revenue. I've helped regional businesses go global. I've helped brands echo their stories outside of boardrooms and into the hearts of customers.

I take brands and help them mean something and travel beyond the geography they were born in.

I've done this across consumer technology, automotive and lifestyle goods.

If you're looking for someone who can scale your brand, then this could be the end of a hunt and the beginning of a ride.

Namaste, I'm Bharath. It's nice to meet you."
View My Work Download Resume Get in Touch
7+
Markets
India  ·  UAE  ·  US  ·  UK
Canada  ·  Australia  ·  New Zealand
7+
Years Experience
$2.4M+
PR Value Generated
$13M+
Directly Attributed Revenue
200M+
Campaign Impressions

Revenue figures represent directly attributed sales via tracked affiliate links, referral codes, and performance marketing channels — not total company revenue.

Bharath K Narayanan
About Me

For Founders, CMOs, and Hiring Managers

If you're looking for someone who understands consumer psychology, can write a brief and a media plan in the same hour, has built from zero and scaled to crores, and can explain exactly which rupee drove which result — read on.

Anybody can create logos and decks.
Few create brands.
Fewer create meaning.

I'm a Senior Brand Marketer with 7+ years of experience in building impactful brands.

I bring experience that turns opportunities into leverage. I've done the 0-1 grind multiple times across consumer tech, e-mobility, D2C, and lifestyle.

I understand not just how to build a brand, but how to make it travel across cultures and markets. I've planned and executed campaigns across India, the UAE, the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

I know what it feels like to have no playbook and still deliver. I've built offline divisions from scratch that drove ₹200 Cr in revenue. I've made a scooter walk a fashion runway and a smartphone launch stop global media in a room in Dubai.

I work best with teams that want the same — meaning, markets, and results.

Core Expertise
  • GTM Strategy & Brand Positioning
  • Influencer & Performance Marketing
  • Offline / BTL & Retail Branding
  • PR & Media Relations
  • Brand Storytelling & Content
  • Events & Experiential Marketing
MalayalamTamil KannadaHindi English
Mental Models

How I Think About Marketing

Consumer first, channel second
Every brief starts with one question: what does this person actually believe, fear, or want — not what they say they want. Stated preferences and revealed preferences are different datasets. I build on the second one.
Creative is a performance variable
The best creative insight I've had didn't come from a mood board. It came from watching which hook made someone stop scrolling and which made them buy. I treat creative as a testable hypothesis, not an aesthetic judgment.
Brand and performance are the same conversation
A brand that can't explain how its positioning reduces CAC is incomplete. A performance team that doesn't understand brand trust is leaving conversion on the table. I've sat at both tables.
Offline is not a backup plan
80% of EMotorad's ₹200 Cr revenue ran through channels I built without a digital dashboard. Retail confidence, distributor sell-through, and in-store experience are performance metrics too — they just don't show up in a Meta report.
Career

Where I've Made
an Impact

Feb 2025 - Present
Sr. Manager, Marketing
Alcatel India  ·  Consumer Technology
  • Led Alcatel's India market launch, defined brand positioning and managed end-to-end GTM strategy
  • Orchestrated the V3 Series 5G international launch at Hyatt Deira, Dubai — landmark UAE press conference with 250+ attendees including global media, UAE business icons (co-founders of Malabar Gold and Fragrance World), and 40+ influencers; 150+ media coverages generated; received CEO appreciation letter for this landmark execution
  • Built digital presence from scratch, overseeing social media, influencer marketing, and creative assets
  • Coordinated with Flipkart across performance marketing, creatives, and promotions as exclusive partner
  • Personally owned and managed performance marketing strategy, affiliate channel setup, and trade marketing framework that drove $10M+ directly attributed revenue — managed execution with a 5-member team and partner agencies
  • Designed offline trade schemes including EMI plans with Bajaj Finance, TVS Credit, and Home Credit; structured promoter incentive programmes
  • Led distributor launches across key markets, onboarding channel partners and driving sell-through at retail
  • Managed a 5-member in-house team and partner agencies; worked closely with global HQ
  • Generated ₹8.58 Cr PR value; 1,123+ media stories; 100% positive media tonality
Brand LaunchGTMUAE LaunchFlipkart PartnershipPerformance MarketingPerformance Creative StrategyTrade MarketingPR
April 2024 - Feb 2025
Brand Manager
Rotimatic  ·  Consumer Tech / D2C
  • Grew social media following by +15% in 3 months through targeted content strategy
  • Sole owner of influencer strategy, creator selection, brief creation, and revenue attribution — personally managed end-to-end from creator identification to monthly revenue tracking; $110K/month average directly attributed, $230K peak
  • Managed referral marketing generating $175K/month average directly attributed referral revenue (Sep 2024 peak: $178,985)
  • Managed brand operations across global markets: USA, Europe, and ANZ, coordinating with regional teams and vendors
  • Managed a cross-functional team of 5, coordinating with agencies and vendors across geographies
D2CInfluencer MarketingPerformance Creative StrategyReferral MarketingGlobal OperationsORM
Feb 2023 - April 2024
Marketing Manager, Offline
EMotorad  ·  Electric Mobility
  • Built EMotorad's offline marketing division from zero — no team, no playbook, no precedent. First hire in offline marketing. Grew to 200+ MBO touchpoints, 8 EBOs, and drove 80% of ₹200 Cr revenue through offline channel with ₹1.2 Cr budget
  • Executed branding in 200+ multi-brand retail outlets (MBOs) across India
  • Launched 8+ Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs) across Delhi, Bengaluru, Kochi, and other cities
  • Drove offline segment accounting for 80% of brand's ₹200 Cr total revenue with ₹1.2 Cr budget
  • Conceptualised and executed the Festive "FestEVal of Joy" Campaign (₹50L)
Offline MarketingRetail BrandingEBO LaunchBTL
Dec 2021 - Nov 2022
Brand Marketing
The Man Company  ·  Premium Men's Grooming
  • Conceptualised campaigns: Hall of Gentleman (CSR), Father's Day, Valentine's Day, International Men's Day
  • Managed social channels with ~1M follower base; grew LinkedIn 30% organically in 2.5 months
  • Led PR (75+ features), Influencer (₹10L/month), Brand Ambassador (Bhuvan Bam)
  • Launched and managed The Gentleman Show, branded podcast with ₹50L budget
  • Conceptualised GentlemaNFTs — India's first NFT campaign in men's grooming, tied to a humanitarian cause.
Brand CampaignsPodcastPRInfluencer
Nov 2020 - Aug 2021 (Internships)
Planning & Servicing Intern
Ogilvy & Mather
  • Campaign planning for Pernod Ricard and Dabur Red; serviced Dabur Hair Oil portfolio
Consumer ResearchCampaign Planning
Aug 2019 - July 2020
New Business & Strategy
Dentsu International, WATConsult, Bangalore
  • South region business development; brought in ₹2 Cr annual business
  • Onboarded: 3M, Inbisco, TVS Credit, Exide Life, Cricbuzz, TVS Motor
Business DevelopmentStrategyClient Acquisition
Social Proof

LinkedIn Recommendations

What colleagues, managers, and collaborators have said about working with me.

Recommendation – Karthikeyan T.
Recommendation – Viral Pandya
Recommendation – Sarthak Varshney
Recommendation – Rettwij Hastu
Recommendation – Trishala Santhanam
Recommendation – Vanshika Garg
Recommendation – Sarthak Baijal
Selected Work

Campaigns & Case
Studies

Alcatel India · Digital Performance · May-Jun 2025
V3 Series Launch: 200M+ Impressions, $10M+ Directly Attributed Revenue
Challenge: Launch an unestablished brand into a crowded smartphone market with no existing India consumer base — and make it pay for itself.
Multi-platform digital blitz (Google, YouTube, DV360, Meta, X) across Teaser, Launch, and Sales phases. Masthead takeovers, Demand Gen, Performance Max, all exceeded planned KPIs, driven by non-metro markets and the 25-34 male segment. Directly attributed $10M+ in revenue via performance marketing, affiliate channels, and trade marketing.
$10M+
Direct Revenue
200M+
Total Impressions
7.5M
Clicks
Strategic Thinking

The insight was that non-metro markets were underserved by premium positioning — most brands talked to metros. We went deeper into Tier 2 demand signals and built the media mix around where real adoption was happening, not where it was assumed to be.

The Numbers in Context
Company stage
India market re-entry, brand launch from zero
Channel ownership
Personally owned — Google, YouTube, DV360, Meta, X strategy and execution with agency partners
Budget managed
Multi-crore media spend across teaser, launch, and sales phases — details available on request
Attribution method
Performance marketing via tracked Flipkart affiliate links; trade revenue via distributor sell-through data; combined into total directly attributed figure
Team
5-member in-house team + 3 agency partners — Bharath as strategy lead and final approver on all creative and media decisions
Role clarity
End-to-end ownership — from positioning to media plan to creative brief to performance optimisation
Planned vs Delivered
Impressions65M → 76M (+17%)
Clicks1.4M → 2.5M (+79%)
Visits1.1M → 1.2M (+9%)
$10M+ Directly Attributed Revenue
Performance marketing + affiliate channels + trade execution (Bajaj Finance, TVS Credit, Home Credit EMI schemes) combined to drive $10M+ in directly attributed sales.
Platform Contribution Mix
Masthead
30%
Demand Gen
17%
Pmax
17%
DV360
13%
Meta / IG
10%
Campaign Performance Funnel
Alcatel India · 2025
India Brand Launch: End-to-End GTM
Challenge: Build Alcatel's entire India brand presence from zero — identity, digital, trade, and PR — simultaneously, with a launch deadline.
Defined brand positioning for Alcatel's India re-entry, built the entire digital presence from scratch, and managed the exclusive Flipkart partnership. Led 5-member team + agencies while coordinating with global HQ.
₹8.58Cr
PR Value
1,123+
Media Stories
100%
Positive Tonality
Strategic Thinking

Starting from zero meant every channel decision had compounding consequences. We prioritised Flipkart exclusivity not just for reach but for the editorial credibility it gave the brand — 120+ Flipkart features built trust faster than any paid placement could.

Alcatel India Launch With Technical Guruji at Alcatel India Launch
With Technical Guruji (Gaurav Chaudhary) at Alcatel India Launch
Bharath Presenting at Distributor Launch
GTM Execution Phases
Pre-Launch
Brand Identity · Positioning · Agency Onboarding
Teaser
65M impressions planned · Flipkart teaser integration
Launch
1,123+ stories · ₹8.58 Cr PR value · 100% positive tonality
Sales
6.3L+ Flipkart listing visits · 120+ Flipkart editorial features
PR Reach Funnel
Total Media Stories 1,123+
Digital + Print Coverage 545 + 578
Flipkart Listing Visits 6.3L+
Regional Amplification 2.5L+
Alcatel · UAE · Feb 2026
Alcatel V3 Series 5G: International Product Launch, Dubai
Challenge: Create international credibility for an India-market brand with no UAE presence, in a single event.
Orchestrated the V3 Series 5G launch at Hyatt Deira, Dubai: a milestone international press conference drawing global media houses, creators, and UAE business icons including co-founders of Malabar Gold and Fragrance World. Received CEO appreciation letter for this landmark execution.
250+
Total Attendees
70+
Global Media
150+
Media Coverages
Strategic Thinking

A global launch in a market with no prior brand presence required third-party credibility before first-party messaging. Leading with media and business icons in the room meant the brand's first impression came through trusted voices, not its own.

Alcatel V3 Dubai Launch CEO Appreciation Letter
Audience Footfall Breakdown
250+
36% Global Media
32% Retailers & Trade
16% Influencers
16% Industry Leaders
Event Highlights
Media Houses
70+
Influencers
40+
Biz Dignitaries
3
Media Coverages
150+
Rotimatic · D2C · Aug-Sep 2024 · 2-Month Campaign Snapshot
Brand Marketing: Influencer & Referral Revenue Engine
Challenge: Build a repeatable revenue attribution system for influencer and referral marketing in a niche D2C product targeting NRI diaspora globally.
Built and scaled a full influencer programme (NRI comedians, beauty/lifestyle creators) driving $110K/month average directly attributed influencer revenue (Sep 2024 peak: $230,934). Referral marketing generated $175K/month average directly attributed referral revenue (Sep 2024 peak: $178,985). 500% ROI on influencer spends. Managed across USA, Europe, and ANZ markets.
$110K
Avg Influencer Rev/Mo
$175K
Avg Referral Rev/Mo
500%
Influencer ROI
Strategic Thinking

The NRI diaspora audience doesn't respond to generic food nostalgia — it responds to specific cultural precision. Building the influencer programme around creators who understood that specificity, rather than pure reach, was what unlocked the ROI.

The Numbers in Context
Company stage
Series B funded, global expansion phase
Markets managed
USA, UK, Europe, ANZ
Team size
1 person — sole owner of influencer and referral marketing
Budget managed
Confidential — available on request
Attribution method
Tracked via unique referral codes and influencer-specific landing pages with UTM parameters; conversions verified against order data
Was growth repeatable
Yes — 8-month sustained programme with month-on-month tracking
Role clarity
Sole strategist and executor — no agency for influencer, no additional marketing hire
Month-on-Month Growth (Aug vs Sep '24)
Aug '24
Views115K
Conversions38
Revenue (USD)$69.3K
ROI4,862%
Sep '24
Views700K
Conversions134
Revenue (USD)$230.9K
ROI2,519%
Monthly Average (Directly Attributed)
$110K influencer  +  $175K referral
Featured Influencers
Ashwyn — Food Content Creator
Ashwyn
Sorabh Pant — NRI Comedian
Sorabh Pant
EMotorad · Festive Campaign · 2023
FestEVal of Joy: Pan-India Festive Offline Campaign
Challenge: Drive festive sell-through across offline retail in India with a ₹50L budget and no national media spend.
Conceptualised and executed a pan-India festive activation with engagement pavilions, scratch-card mechanics, and a ₹50 Lac lucky draw. Spanned 6 festivals, from Ganesh Chaturthi through Dhanteras, across all EBOs and partner outlets. Dealer primary sales doubled during the campaign period.
2x
Dealer Primary Sales
₹50L
Campaign Budget
6
Festivals Covered
Strategic Thinking

Festive campaigns in offline markets succeed when they give the retailer a reason to push, not just the consumer a reason to buy. The scratch card mechanic and lucky draw were designed as retailer activation tools first, consumer pull second.

FestEVal of Joy Campaign EMotorad EBO Store Arch Brand Ambassador Sunny Wayne
Campaign Phase Flow
1
SM Teasers
2
Activation
3
GWP Offers
4
Lucky Draw
Pan-India Festival Coverage
Ganesh Chaturthi
West India
Onam
South India
Durga Puja
East India
Navratri · Dussehra
North India
Dhanteras · Diwali · Peak Sales Period
Pan-India · Highest revenue contribution
Offline Sales Uplift: Festive vs Pre-Festive
Pre-Festive
Base
Festive Period
2.5x
80% of EMotorad's ₹200 Cr revenue driven through offline · ₹1.2 Cr marketing budget
EMotorad · Live Event · Bengaluru · 2023
India's First E-Cyclothon: Conceived, Permitted & Executed Solo
Challenge: Create a brand moment that positioned EMotorad as a movement — not just a product — with no event precedent to follow.
Conceptualised and single-handedly executed India's first-ever E-Cyclothon in Bengaluru, from securing government and traffic permissions to on-ground logistics, route planning, rider coordination, and execution day management. 300+ e-cycle riders participated in a landmark event that put EMotorad on the map as a movement, not just a brand.
300+
E-Cycle Riders
First
In India
Solo
End-to-End Execution
Strategic Thinking

A brand in the e-mobility space needed to demonstrate movement, not just claim it. An event that literally moved through the city — with 300 riders as visible proof — did more for brand positioning than any static activation could.

India's First E-Cyclothon
Event Execution Journey
1
Government & Traffic Permissions
Liaised with Bengaluru city authorities · traffic police NOCs · route approvals
2
Route Planning & Logistics
End-to-end Bengaluru city route · marshals · safety · pit stops
3
Rider Mobilisation & Community
300+ e-cycle riders registered · community outreach · brand activation on-route
4
India's First E-Cyclothon: Executed
Zero precedent · full solo ownership · landmark for EMotorad brand
Why It Mattered
No playbook existed. Every permission, every logistic, every rider, owned and delivered by one person. It positioned EMotorad not just as a product, but as a movement that people wanted to be part of.
The Man Company · Podcast · 2022
The Gentleman Show: Branded Podcast, ₹50L Budget
End-to-end launch and management of The Man Company's branded podcast, covering concept, guest acquisition, production workflow, content distribution, and social amplification. Hosted by actor and content creator Ankush Bahuguna.
₹50L
Production Budget
~1M
Follower Base Managed
75+
Media Features
Strategic Thinking

The Gentleman Show wasn't a marketing tactic — it was a positioning stake. By giving the brand a point of view on what modern masculinity looks like, every episode built brand equity that no paid campaign could replicate at the same cost.

The Gentleman Show Podcast
TMC Podcast with Bhuvan Bam With Nirmal Pillai With Sorabh Pant
Notable Guests Featured
Bhuvan Bam
Content Creator · 20M+ YouTube Subscribers
CA Sarthak Ahuja
Finance Influencer · Personal Finance & Wealth
Nirmal Pillai
Actor & Comedian · Mental Health Advocate
Nishant Tanwar
Poet & Storyteller · Spoken Word Artist
Sorabh Pant
Stand-up Comedian & Author
Scale & Impact
SM Followers
~1M
LinkedIn Growth
+30%
Media Features
75+
LML Electric · Brand Activations · Nov 2022 – Feb 2023
LML Electric: Brand Moments That Stopped Rooms
Joined LML during their EV relaunch in India. In a short tenure, delivered two brand moments nobody expected from a legacy brand making a comeback. Auto Expo 2023 executed end-to-end solo. Then the one nobody saw coming: a partnership with Gurgaon International Couture Week — an LML electric scooter walked the fashion runway alongside a collection by Sri Lankan designer Charni. No agency. No precedent. Just a clear belief that a brand's most memorable moments happen when it shows up somewhere unexpected.
Solo
Auto Expo 2023 Execution
First
EV Scooter on Runway
Intl.
Designer: Charni, Sri Lanka
Brand ActivationsEventsExperiential MarketingFashion × Mobility
Strategic Thinking

A legacy brand relaunching in a crowded EV market couldn't win on product alone. The couture week activation was a calculated category disruption — putting the product in a context so unexpected that the contrast itself became the story.

LML Scooter at Gurgaon International Couture Week
LML Electric scooter on the runway at GICW — first in India
LML at Auto Expo 2023 Bharath at LML Auto Expo
Auto Expo 2023 — end-to-end solo execution
The Belief Behind It
A brand's most memorable moments happen when it shows up somewhere unexpected. The scooter walked a fashion runway. It stopped the room.
Brands That Made Headlines
Economic Times · Mint · Business Standard · Financial Express · Hindustan Times · Times of India · BusinessLine · Deccan Herald · NDTV Profit · MoneyControl · YourStory · Inc42 · Gadgets360 · 91Mobiles · The Hindu · GizmoTimes · Digit · Khaleej Times · Gulf News · Economic Times · Mint · Business Standard · Financial Express · Hindustan Times · Times of India · BusinessLine · Deccan Herald · NDTV Profit · MoneyControl · YourStory · Inc42 · Gadgets360 · 91Mobiles · The Hindu · GizmoTimes · Digit · Khaleej Times · Gulf News · 
Academics & Credentials

Education &
Certifications

Education

Post-Graduate Diploma in Communication
The Delhi School of Communication
2020 - 2022
2nd Rank Holder · Digi-Maverick Awardee
Level 4 Diploma in Marketing
Chartered Institute of Marketing, London
2019 · Distinction
Entrepreneurship Diploma
Jain University
2019 · Distinction
BBA in Marketing
Jain University, Center for Management Studies
2016 - 2019 · First Class
Admin & Sponsorship Head · Selected for UAE Merit Trip (1 of 70 from 1,000 students) · TEDx Organiser · Toastmasters Member

Certifications

Consumer Neuromarketing Certification
Copenhagen Business School
Programmatic Advertising Foundations
LinkedIn Learning
Fundamentals of Online Marketing
Google
Creative Certification
Google
What's Next

Looking for the Brand
Ready to Scale

I've done the 0-1 grind — multiple times, across categories and geographies. What I'm looking for now is a brand ready to scale — whether that means taking India to the world, or an already-global brand looking to go deeper into emerging markets.

The kind of company with an ambitious team where marketing has a genuine seat at the table, and the budget to match the vision.

If you're building that — from India, the UAE, or anywhere — I'd like to talk.

Email Me View LinkedIn
The Person Behind the Portfolio

Beyond the Brief

Mridangam
I've been learning mridangam since 6th standard. Every city I've lived in, Trivandrum, Bengaluru, Gurugram, I find a teacher and I continue. Not because someone asked me to. Because I believe classical artforms survive only when ordinary people decide to keep practicing. If people like me stop, the form gets a little smaller. I don't want to be the generation that let it slip.
Bharath playing mridangam
Music Without Borders
Grew up surrounded by Carnatic music — concerts, bhajans, weekends with a soundtrack. That's still home. But somewhere along the way, Qawwalis got in. Then Ghazals. Then Shayaris. Music that crosses cultural lines has always made more sense to me than music that stays in one. Maybe that's also why I've been able to work across markets without feeling like a guest.
Music Without Borders
Ayalur, Palakkad
There's a village in Palakkad, Kerala I've been telling people I want to retire to. I'm in my late 20s. The place is called Ayalur. Paddy fields, a family temple, festivals where the whole village becomes one room. Every time I go back, within 24 hours the city brain switches off. The urgency that follows me everywhere else just doesn't come. I've had more clarity in that village than in any strategy session I've sat in.
Ayalur, Palakkad
On Two Wheels
Started on my dad's RX100. There's something about a two-stroke engine that teaches you patience — it demands your full attention or it punishes you. Now I ride my own Royal Enfield Meteor. Different machine, same lesson: some things are worth doing slowly, with full presence. Some of my clearest thinking has happened on that bike — two wheels, open road, no agenda.
RX100 Royal Enfield Meteor
The Fester
Organised and competed in inter-collegiate management and cultural fests across Bengaluru. Won more than I expected. What I didn't expect was how much it would teach me about reading a room, building momentum under pressure, and making strangers trust you in a short window of time. Eight years later, I still use every one of those skills — just in boardrooms and distributor meets instead of auditoriums.
Inter-collegiate fest awards
Let's Connect

Open to the right
conversation.

Based in Gurugram, India

If you're building something real and need a marketer who can go from strategy to on-ground — let's talk.

LinkedIn Email Me +91 97425 19988