On the eve of International Women’s Day a Dialogue with multifaceted and multitalented Niyati Vora, Vice President – Brand Activation, Wizcraft International !
With over 17 years of experience executing mega scale events for the biggest brands across industries the most multifaceted and multitalented Niyati Vora, Vice President – Brand Activation, Wizcraft International, has inspired and set trends in taking Wizcraft to a stage when they are Celebrating 30 Glorious Years of Happening Events and Achievements.
She has been the lead kindly light for team Wizcraft. Niyati Vora or Wiz Niyati as she is called is the driving force behind India’s Leading Event Management / Experiential agency – Wizcraft.
As Vice President – Brand Activation, Wiz Niyati has spearheaded and managed several mega corporate events for the company, as well as lending her strategic foresight for some of the biggest brand launches and events such as Microsoft, Tata Group, Standard Chartered, Google, Twitter, YPO amongst several others.
The multifaceted, Wiz Niyati Vora has a dual role heading the Corporate and Brand Activation business while also being the communication custodian of Brand Wizcraft as a whole.
In her spare time, she loves to unwind by listening to music across genres from 80’s pop rock to the latest Bollywood chart busters.
In an all consuming and no holds bar dialogue Niyati Vora comes across with interesting inputs and trivia which kept her growing in her journey & experience along with Wizcraft.
1) So Niyati as we begin what is the role of Brand Activation in today’s time ?
Brand Activation is a very important & crucial part of building a positive perception for a brand. It drives the consumer to act through brand interaction and experiences. Brand Activation is all about bringing brands to life through live experiences thus getting the consumer to form long-term emotional connections. While Brand Activation obviously helps in sales for a brand, it also triggers other aspects like creating awareness, brand loyalty, switching from one brand to the other etc. While advertising & PR are great in what they do, it is only Brand Activation that allows the consumer to touch and feel a brand. It gives people/consumers a chance to try a product, ask questions about it and participate in a way that actually makes them feel like they are part of the brand.
2 ) What according to you has been Wizcraft’s USP & your role in shaping it up to what it stands for today ?
Wizcraft today is one of India’s leading communication & entertainment companies, integrating strategy, creativity and technology to provide unique experiences. With over 30 years of in depth expertise in experiential marketing, we can truly say we have done it all in the events space. From getting Michael Jackson and Coldplay to India, to delivering some of the grandest opening ceremonies the world has seen, from activating the biggest brands in the world to creating the biggest IP’s, Wizcraft has been the pioneer. It’s our staunch belief at Wizcraft that an event may be forgotten, but an experience will last a lifetime. Wizcraft has been instrumental in shaping the event management industry in India to what it is today.
I started my career with Wizcraft as a young enthusiastic MBA who wanted to explore and enhance the various management skills I had learnt. Over the years, I have helped redefine Wizcraft from being just an event agency to a corporate conglomerate, through my initiatives in Business, HR, Corporate Strategy, Corporate Communication and Marketing. Now 19 years later, I lead the Brand Activation Western Region and manage the Corporate Communications & Marketing for Wizcraft.
3) When you talk about success, what according to you is the formula for success ?
This might sound clichéd but there honestly is no shortcut to success. There are various aspects to climbing the ladder of success. You might be born with great talent however until you put some effort into making use of that talent it is just wasted potential. Effort & hardwork is key to achieving anything in life. Channelizing your effort with a proper vision and self-discipline & determination is another very crucial art required to stay the course. Developing effective teamwork in an organization where everyone feels motivated and like part of the team helps everyone enjoy great success. Certain key points one must keep in mind to be successful is standing by your belief even if circumstances around you are otherwise. Do all your work with honestly, integrity and transparency. And if you wish to be remembered as a truly successful person, do not forget your humble beginnings and all those who helped you to get to the top of that hill.
4 ) In competitive time when work is a plenty but choice is not yours than how are you able to make difference with what you have on hand ?
These are definitely competitive times, but we tend to be one step ahead of the game but out-thinking our competition. We are agile and always ready for action. The many years of experience that we have in the industry gives us the ammunition and edge to re-strategize and make our pitch. We also hold a very special relationship with our clients who keep coming back to us no matter what as they like our level of commitment, team expertise, professionalism, creativity, operational excellence and most important consistency of delivery.
5) How do you go about handling your clients, Corporates, Brands, Stars, Celebs for Wizcraft ?
Handling of each person whether it is a client, celebrity, partner or even my team requires a certain amount of tact & sensitivity. Juggling so many multiple personalities can be very challenging but you need to keep your calm and essentially listen to their point of view. Remember conflict and difficulty will always be part of the problem while dealing with so many people, however your action & reaction to the situation is what will impact your future relationships and how they pan out.
6 ) Brand Activation is all about activating Brands for consumer engagement so what according to you are the best examples of Branding and Imaging as a result ?
Branding and imaging primarily is the perception of the brand in the mind of the customer. Each consumer perceives every brand differently. To get some sort of consistency to this perception branding & imaging is a very important tool. Red bull is a great example of this.
7) When we speak about Wizcraft and speak about it in retrospect since 2000 when IIFA was launched at the same time FICCI FRAMES got started and I have been observant of their growth and today Wizcraft is growing by leaps and bounds with Brand activation, Properties like GIMA , EEMA and clients both on National and International level … How does it feel to be part of Wizcraft and one of the leading torch bearers ?
Wizcraft for me is family. I feel blessed to be such an integral part of Wizcraft’s growth story over the past 19 years that I have been part of it . It is a great working environment that gives you the freedom to follow your path and grow exponentially. Everyone works as team wherein employees feel involved and appreciated. At Wizcraft, we believe that our Wizzes (employees) are our greatest strength and we get to work with some of the brightest and best in the industry. I look forward to many wonderful years ahead.
8 ) When we talk of Women Empowerment there can’t be a better example than this because in your chosen space you are not only leading but setting trends of sorts in Brand Activation & Consolidation so how do you see it and what have you to say about it ?
Empowerment of women in the workforce according to me means allowing women to have more control over their lives. It means giving them the freedom to make their own schedules, learn new skills and gain self-reliance. Empowerment is created when the strengths that women already bring to the company are recognized and utilized to the optimum. At Wizcraft we strongly believe and practice this. We make sure are female employees are comfortable in their roles and enjoy a flexible work approach. Whether it is flexibility with timings, regular counselling sessions, no pay discrepancy, job roles that suit their current life best, it is all a part of being a female employee at Wizcraft. And we make sure we keep improving/find ways to make life easier at the workplace. I also personally believe that supporting other women, building them up helps create a better overall work environment. As women, we should strive to surround ourselves by other confident & strong women to push forward the path for equality.
9)Finally What is your mantra for leading in Brand Activation and tips for success for your readers and the budding aspirants ?
We are already the leaders in the Brand Activation space so my wish and hope is that we continue on this path and see continued growth & success. Making a business succeed is never an easy venture but with the right attitude and people with you, nothing is impossible!
My advice for readers and budding aspirants is always follow your passion. Find something you love and do it so well that the world takes notice of you. Cause if you enjoy work then it’s no longer work!
