Don’t misbehave with my team: Pragati Rana to a CMO

It takes guts to leave your job at an established place and launch a start-up. Pragati Rana did it last year when she left her job as an executive creative director at Dentsu to founding partner of  TGHTR, which went on to win a Glass Lions in less than 12 months of its inception.

But being courageous isn’t something new for her. Didn’t you read the headline? Now, that takes guts. For more about her cool life and experiences, read on. 

What is the most Not Safe for Work (NSFW) thing you’ve done or seen in your career?

I’ve witnessed quite a few. 

Secret after-hours office parties where colleagues danced on desks, transforming the office floor into an impromptu dance floor. A clandestine Diwali celebration complete with alcohol, lively music, and intense games of rummy, all tucked away in the office’s best soundproof boardroom.

When was that time you thought, “Oh no, I’m getting fired today”?

When I told a CMO on a personal phone call to not misbehave with my team. To my surprise, he listened, never complained to my manager, and actually changed his behaviour.

What is the worst stinker email you’ve ever received?

“We need grey hair in the meeting!” A start-up client escalated to me once.

On the face of it, it’s an idiotic ask. On closer examination, it’s deeply discomforting. The founder of the start-up believed in talking to only people whose experience reflected in their hair. I’m grateful that most of the clients don’t share this outlook and respect talent more than hair colour.

What is the best feedback someone has ever given you?

The best feedback that I’ve ever been given was that I presented so badly to the client that I de-sold the idea we were pitching to them.

It came from my manager after a meeting. Though she told me very gently, the feedback was brutal and honest. That’s what I loved about it. And the first thing I asked her was to tell me exactly what was wrong. I realised that in the nervous hurry to finish the presentation, I didn’t spend enough time on the major points.

I was so shaken after that I bought books on presenting well; I studied TED speakers to imitate them. That feedback changed me. Just this year, when I presented to the Glass jury for a work that won later, I found myself more excited than nervous. If it weren’t for that feedback, it would take me many years to evolve to my better version.

Have you ever asked a client for a discount on their product or service?

Yeah, a number of times. Unabashedly. Often, working on brands makes you fall in love with it. 

Sony Pictures always gave us merch for the movies we were working on. IFB and Asus were pleased to help us with their partner discounts. Reckitt even gave us a welcome gift hamper with different Reckitt products. 

What are the top two social media websites you use?

Instagram and LinkedIn.

Do you still read, or has watching videos taken over this habit?

I do. In fact, over the last few years, my reading has gone up.

A few content/screenwriting books that I recently read are Blake Snyder’s Back to the Movies, David Mamet’s On Directing Films, and Stephen King’s On Writing.

Horror Genre—Ruskin Bond’s Horror Short Stories, Hari Kumar’s India’s Most Haunted.

Mythology Genre—Devdutt Patnaik’s Sati Savitri.

The ones on my upcoming reading list are Donald Spoto’s The Art of Alfred Hitchcock and Brianna West’s The Mountain is You.

Smartphone, computer, or TV: where do you stream your content?

Smartphone and tab when I am on the go; tab when I’m at home but don’t have time; and TV when I am at home and have lots of time.

Are you a cord-cutter, or do you still subscribe to cable television?

When I am at home in Varanasi with my folks, who still watch TV, I watch TV—all cords attached. To them, and to the TV.

However, when I am in Mumbai, I watch content only on OTTs. But content on OTT works like a possession. It makes you lose track of time, your priorities, and your life if you aren’t careful and conscious about it. Therefore, most of the time, I am particular about what I watch depending on the mood and time to spare that I have. Comedy and something light, horror and something intense, or drama and something emotional, the choice depends on mood and time.

At other times? Well, it’s a possession. 

Have you ever fallen for advertising’s lures and bought something you shouldn’t have or that was incredibly expensive?

Yes, I bought into the whole idea of advertising, and it cost me my career in marketing. My joining advertising has to be the most expensive decision impacted by advertising.