As part of an ongoing series highlighting young talent in the industry, Branding in Asia presents “One Under 30” – a special feature that focuses on up-and-coming talent in the ad world, one person at a time.
This time we talk to Trinolda Colaco, Brand Planning Director at FCB Ulka in Mumbai.
Over the course of our conversation, she talks about how she got her first break in the industry, what she loves about the work, what she doesn’t really like about it, and more.
The Basics
Name: Trinolda Colaco
Age: 30
Agency: FCB Ulka
Position: Brand Planning Director
Hometown: Vasai
Current Location: Mumbai
Education: Xavier Institute of Management & Research | Master of Management Studies (Marketing) | 2016. St. Xavier’s College | Bachelor of Mass Media | 2013
Seven Questions
How did you get your first break in the industry?
Advertising found me. While pursuing Mass Media as my undergraduate degree, I felt that this glamorous world of advertising, full of hustle and creativity was not for me. Since I was a typical nerdy kid who was more of an introvert, I thought I’d be a misfit in advertising.
When FCB Ulka came for campus recruitment, I thought to myself, why don’t I give it a shot? Little did I know that this industry loves misfits. I got picked up from campus and it has been seven years of a wonderful ride.
What is your personal mantra?
That it is okay to not know everything. Strategy is a discipline of curiosity. Only when one stands up and says, “I don’t know, but I will find out”, is when the learning begins. The biggest obstacle is when people start believing that they know it all. That’s when they stop learning.
From what person, place or thing have you drawn your greatest creative inspiration?
For the past ten years, I have spent 2-3 hours every day commuting in Mumbai’s local trains. They are a treasure trove of insights and inspiration. It is a moving human research library and I take great delight in silently observing and absorbing everything around me in the local trains.
“We are like chefs. One can’t rush a cake. It needs time to bake. Similarly, good thinking needs time.”
The conversations that people have, what they watch on their phones, how they dress, how they fight and argue, what they carry with them, what they buy in the train, what they eat, how they celebrate – there is endless stimuli which ranges from ordinary to intriguing to peculiar.
What do you love about the job?
That moment when I find something – a pattern, a behaviour, an insight, a data point
What about your job are you not so crazy about?
The trap that everything is urgent. Urgent trumps important, thereby affecting the quality of work. We are like chefs. One can’t rush a cake. It needs time to bake. Similarly, good thinking needs time.
What is some work you’ve done that you’re most proud of?
At FCB Ulka, I have been working on Tata Motors for seven years now.
Out of the all the work, I am most particularly proud of three campaigns. All three are close to my heart.
First is the launch campaign for the Tata Hexa.
Second is the ‘New Forever’ campaign that helped Tata Motors’ double its market share and as well as break into the top three automakers in the country.
The third piece of work I am really proud of is the launch of electric cars from Tata Motors. All the groundwork for it, from studying the category trajectory, global brand analysis to an in-depth consumer study to identify future trends in mobility, is something that has been immensely enriching for me.
All this fuels every communication piece that we create. One of the more prominent campaigns is the ‘Go.ev’ campaign that we worked on for the launch of the Tata Tiago EV.
If you had to choose another career what would it be?
I would choose a career in tourism. Perhaps even sustainable tourism. A part of me has always been fascinated with foreign lands, their cultures and history and I would love to find ways for people (and me) to explore the world without exploiting it.
