"We want to focus on getting an aviation brand on board": Glitch CEO, Pooja Jauhari

Quick chat with the recently elevated CEO of The Glitch, a digital agency.

The Glitch, a digital marketing and creative agency, known for rewarding its employees with quirky designations such as 'Right Brain' (co-founder Rohit Raj), 'Left Brain' (co-founder Varun Duggirala), 'Son of a Glitch' (senior-level producers) and 'Postmaster' (authority who heads post-production work), announced the elevation of Pooja Jauhari as chief executive officer a couple of days ago. She had been working as vice-president - client strategy, at the agency for over two years.

While 'chief executive officer' is something not very 'The Glitch', an elated Jauhari tells us, "Creative designations used to be the case when we were a small team of 20-30 people." As the organisation grew, and the structure of the teams evolved, titles had to wean themselves off the quirks. "But, the amazing culture of our company has not changed. (Rohit) Raj and (Varun) Duggirala have maintained it. At The Glitch, we still have fun, and at the same time, handle our responsibilities with sincerity. That motivates us to come back to work every day," she quickly adds.

Jauhari, who has been largely involved in the strategy and business side of things in her previous role, will now be taking on and running the entire company. She brings with her over 12 years of experience, having worked with companies such as Unilever, JWT, Contract Advertising, and World Wide Media. In her new role, she will oversee the agency's business on a national level and contribute to local, as well as international expansion in new markets. Jauhari will also focus on creating new services that will aid the adoption of digital as the preferred medium by clients.

To her, this is both exciting and challenging. "As one of the largest independent agencies, the range of clients that we work with is just amazing. It gives us scope to experiment. The biggest challenge posed by digital is to keep re-inventing, because even the challenges in this space are not constant," she says, adding that today, digital agencies are not mere idea machines running from one big idea to another. They script the entire digital journey for brands.

"Our solutions are about helping brands create impact in the market and interact with their consumers in real time. The power of digital is such that it gives you tangible and immediate results, and clients do realise the fact. Today, in many cases, digital is not just a part of the marketing mix; it leads the plan. This is very encouraging for the industry," shares Jauhari.

Founded in 2009 by Duggirala and Raj, The Glitch, with its offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, manages nearly 50 accounts including brands such as Netflix, Lakme, Whisper, Kurkure, Lifebuoy, Lay's, Pears, Cornetto, Magnum, TRESemmé and Set Wet. Currently, the agency employs around 200 people.

The team prides itself in the clientele it manages. Says Jauhari, "We are not a company that has been great with its PR. We don't enter awards. During the initial years, all the time and money had to be invested in creating new services. It was mostly word-of-mouth that gave us this amazing mix of clients from across different categories -- from FMCG and foods, to sports, OTT, and more. We now want to focus on getting on board an aviation brand."

She, however, clarifies that the agency has never underestimated media and awards. "As we grow, we will be more proactive on both fronts. Awards are not just an instant recognition, but also a great source of encouragement. Starting this year, we will pick and choose those awards that will boost the morale of our team."

Apart from aviation, start-ups are another focus area, informs Jauhari. In fact, the agency has a service called The Glitch Think Tank that offers strategic services, particularly to smaller/younger businesses.

While the agency also has international business interests, Jauhari agrees that the India market is still untapped, and hence, most important for them. "We are working on multiple brands in foreign markets including South East Asia, Africa, and Southern Europe. The change will be slow, but it will happen as we grow into a bigger and globally recognised agency," she asserts.

And, on acquiring a global identity, Jauhari believes that global alignments always work in favour of smaller agencies.