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Kim Desai
Managing Director at Propaganda Headquarters
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TWITTER INTERVIEW WITH KIM DESAI
Managing Director at Propaganda Headquarters
September 24, 2009
@groupY Tell us your name and official title
@thechaosmanager Kim Desai Managing Director at Propaganda Headquarters (PHQ) Brand Consultancy
Before Propaganda what other companies and projects were you involved in?
I was in the Auto industry for 8 years in Sales and Marketing for DaimlerChrysler. Some of my favorite projects were the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Jeep Wrangler Launches. Can you say “Test Track?”
How did you segue into being the PHQ headmistress?
I saw that the US Auto Industry was headed for some serious challenges, and that it was time for a change. Job opportunities in Marketing were declining, so I decided to help out at PHQ (which is owned by my husband, Vipe) while I looked for a permanent position. I’d been helping him out on and off for 6 years anyhow. It worked out so well, that we decided I should just stay. Six months later, Vipe got hired to work full time at Monster. He fired himself from PHQ and hired me as Managing Director.
What does your daily routine look like? Take us through it.
Routine? “@thechaosmanager” is not accidental, or even ironic. Vipe calls me the CEO, “Chief Everything Officer.” There are few constants:
Wake up, run with dog, coffee, feed dog, breaky with husband. From there, anything can happen. Take your pick: PHQ staff meeting, project updates, client meeting, partner with new client (yay!),video and/or photo shoot, oversee video/photo editing and production, lunch with Liz from group Y (yay again!), project BLUE meeting at ASR, skate/snow/surf contest, charity gala committee meeting, charity golf tournament, charity gala, rock concert (It’s a hard job, but someone’s got to do it), party at the Fantasy Factory, party at ASR. Bed.
How many people are on the staff and what are their roles?
Although Vipe isn’t involved day to day at PHQ, he is still our Resident Brand Strategist @vipedesai. Ty Smith is our Creative Director. Geoff James and Cyd Castillo work in our creative department. Although he is not on staff, we consider our media specialist, Bill Byrne of BBPR, @thedoubleb part of the PHQ family.
What was the idea/story/mission behind Propaganda HQ from the beginning?
PHQ actually started when Vipe owned H2O Surf in Sunset Beach . Reps, athletes, industry guys (Wooly, Charlie Anderson, BK and Chad DiNenna to name a few) either worked, sold to, were sponsored by or hung out at H2O. Vipe was always giving out advice on marketing, management and sponsorship. One day, someone said, “You really should be charging for this.” So, one day after he’d decided to close H2O, he started PHQ in his living room. We’ve been around for 9 years since. Not in the living room, though.
What are some of the projects and clients Propaganda has worked on over the years?
Bank of the West Beach Games, Brand Strategy for Dr. Pepper, H2O Winter Classic Surf and Snowboard Contest, BRA Summit, Taylor Steele’s Campaign 2 premier with Jeep, project BLUE, Twin Fin Wine Launch, The Op Makahiki Festival, Waterman’s Ball, Liquid Nation Ball, Surf Industry Brand Strategy for FedEx, the Red Bull activation at the US Open of Surfing, Warner Bros. Supergirl Party, On The Grill with Ball Park Franks in Transworld. Oh! And group Y’s Action Sports Conference at ESPN’s X Games.
Which one(s) are you most proud of?
That’s like asking to pick your favorite child or favorite gelato flavor.
Tell us about Project Blue.
project BLUE @betruetoblue is a pretty cool initiative where 7 leading brands in surf have come together with a collaborative product line, with a portion of the proceeds going towards the non-profit Surfrider Foundation. The guys involved are Billabong, DAKINE, Electric, Famous Wax, Nixon, O’Neill and Reef. The products are cool too, ranging from packs and shorts made from recycled PET bottles to great sunglasses.
Basically, we’re taking cause marketing to the surf industry in a way that’s really easy for surfers and beach lovers to plug into.
What is the process you go through in helping a brand understand the action sports market?
We always stress authenticity, credibility and loyalty. This industry can tell a fake from a mile away, and it takes the right experience, passion and connections to really become a part of Action Sports. Brands also have to be loyal to the industry if they expect the industry to be loyal to them. Strategies have to be long term. One-offs don’t work.
You and your husband Vipe Desai (Director of Marketing at Monster), are an action sports power couple. How do you balance your work and personal lives?
It’s actually easier now that we are in the same industry. We go to the same events for the same reasons. We know a lot of the same people on both professional and personal levels. We can even divide and conquer if there are multiple events or meetings we need to attend. Every night at our house is like a board meeting and strategy session, only there’s TiVo involved and possibly ice cream.
What are some of the perks of your job?
Wow. The first thing that came to my head is, “The job IS a perk.”
What type of music do you listen to?
We always have music playing in the office. Rock: U2, Coldplay, Linkin Park, Green Day, Pearl Jam. Classic: Aerosmith, Clapton, MJ (Yeah. I said it.) I’m also a big fan of “Hip Hop Friday.”
With your current position, do you travel much? If so where?
Some. I love to travel, so unless I’m on a plane for 5+ hours, I don’t really consider it “travel.” This year it’s been LA, San Diego, Monterey, Las Vegas. Cabo for Surf Summit 12 is coming up.
What do you like and don’t like about working with the action sports industry?
It’s honest. The people are very honest. Like it or not, what you see is what you get.
What’s the best advice you have been given?
“Take care of him,” Dick Baker re: Vipe Desai
What do you most like about group Y and it’s events?
It’s a meeting of the minds. You have people from all different companies coming together to share ideas, success stories and what they learned from their experiences, both positive and negative.
Questions from @groupY Followers:
@cgeorge110: What do you see as being the next “big thing” in terms of marketing? Is it still social, or mobile, or even location based?
There is not one medium that will ever be the silver bullet. What more and more companies are realizing is that it’s the message that is important. In a word: Branding. Determine who you are and what identity your company has. That’s step one. Whatever media you use, it’s the content that is key. A consistent identity and brand message communicated across the board. The rapid evolution of technology presents new communication channels faster than it every has before. That said, it’s important to become a student of media and communication trends and what media your audience is using.
What are your thoughts on print marketing? Is it dead or still essential for a fully rounded campaign?
Your choice of communication channel entirely depends upon who you’re communicating with. What are the behaviors of your audience? Who are they? What do they read, do, watch, believe in and support? Most campaigns require multiple channels based on audience behavior and preferences, and that may or may not include print.
What value can an outside agency resource bring to an action sports brand?
We are specialists. The master of one. We make it our job to know youth culture and youth trends, particularly as they pertain to action sports. We can offer an outside perspective through the eyes of today’s youth. You also might find that our solutions are more cost effective than internal advertising and marketing expense.
Where do you see the most potential for action sports brands in terms of marketing?
A lot of great action sports brands know their audience are social and mobile media junkies. They are embracing new media and creating their own content (or working with certain well versed Brand Consultancies to do it for them.) By creating and pushing out their own content through new social media channels, they are able to control the brand message. The evolution of social media allows us to push content, and therefore, Brand Message out faster than ever before.
Any parting words to the Twitter universe?
Everyone has a plan. Sometimes plans change. Go with it.
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