12 years in, Team Pumpkin eyes global markets, puts sustainability and AI in the spotlight

The brand’s key takeaway is that every strategy must be customised to its unique needs and timing, says co-founder Swati Nathani.

Team Pumpkin, a 360-degree integrated marketing agency, recently celebrated 12 years in the industry, evolving from its roots as a social media marketing firm and gaining valuable insights along the way.

Swati Nathani, co-founder, Team Pumpkin, highlights that a key learning for the company in these 12 years was that there’s no “cookie-cutter” approach in this industry. A cookie-cutter approach refers to a method or strategy that is uniform and applied in the same way to different situations, without taking into account individual differences or specific needs.

“When we started, we naively thought we could create one strategy and just tweak it for different clients. But over time, we realised that every client, every timeline, and every challenge is unique. The trends that work today might not be relevant tomorrow. So, the biggest learning has been to recognise that every strategy needs to be tailored specifically for each brand and moment,” she says.

With time, Team Pumpkin opened other verticals ranging from strategic consultation and creative strategy development to performance marketing, SEO, tech solutions such as website and app development, AI integrations, and more. The agency also has dedicated teams for its D2C clients, PR, influencer marketing, and offline work like video production and events.

Nathani says that, as of now, Team Pumpkin is actively working with over 300 clients across multiple industries, FMCG being one of its key sectors, where it works with brands such as ITC, Unicharm, and Mankind Pharma. BFSI is another sector, where the agency works with Kotak Securities, Axis Bank, IDFC Bank, and Paytm Money.

According to Nathani, the company has also built expertise in healthcare, working with Apollo Hospitals. “Among these, a sector that stood out for us is the home building and improvement category. We work with brands such as APL Apollo, Dalmia Cement, and Shalimar Paints. While these are the dominant industries, we have a wide range of clients across various sectors. We have recently signed up with an e-waste company as well,” she adds.

Global expansion

In June 2024, Team Pumpkin announced its expansion into North America with an office in Canada. The Canada office is the central hub for its North American operations, focussing on delivering a comprehensive suite of integrated marketing and tech solutions tailored to international brands.

Nathani reveals that the agency currently serves approximately 10-12 clients in Canada. She notes that global expansion has always been part of the plan, and securing funding in January 2024 has facilitated international growth.

She explains that the expansion into Canada was driven by a gap in North America for tech-driven agencies. Tech brands needed agencies with specialised expertise in the technology sector.

“While we already have some clients there, we realised there was a trust issue with potential clients who did not know us. Opening an office in Canada gave us a physical presence and helped build trust and gain more clients. We are also exploring other countries in Asia, Europe, and more,” she says.

Festive season

Coming back to the Indian market, with the upcoming festive season, brands and agencies have already started crafting their marketing campaigns, eager to tap into the festive cheer. Nathani says that the festive season is always a busy time for agencies.

Team Pumpkin is focussing on organising roadshows for its clients to showcase the latest trends and demonstrate how to integrate AI into their campaigns. The roadshows will also review insights from other players' previous festive season strategies.

Nathani highlights a strong emphasis on integrating offline activations with digital campaigns. The company is seizing opportunities such as branding at festive pandals during Ganesh Puja, Durga Puja, and Kali Puja to enhance client visibility.

“For some categories like paints, the festive season has already started, and we’re rolling out exciting campaigns for them. Clients are very bullish this year, especially with no lingering COVID concerns, and are planning large-scale campaigns with substantial media spends. Many clients are looking for hybrid campaigns that combine online AI-driven elements with offline activations. Influencers remain a key part of campaigns, although the focus is shifting towards more credible and authentic influencers,” Nathani comments.

Future Plans

Team Pumpkin is charting an ambitious future, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and global expansion. The agency plans to integrate eco-friendly practices into its operations and client offerings. Nathani asserts that sustainability is a growing priority, not just a buzzword.

“Sustainability is a major focus for us. Not only are we looking to work with clients in the sustainability space, but we are also exploring ways to embed it into the business processes and communication strategies of our existing clients,” she notes.

In addition to its sustainability goals, the agency is pursuing global expansion and deeper integration of AI. Nathani highlights that AI will play a crucial role in both marketing and optimising business processes.

“We will also be broadening our offline services, venturing into event management, video production, and client activations,” she states.