SHAPING NARRATIVES, DRIVING OUTCOMES: THE NEW ERA OF MARKETING AT YOTTA

VIREN WADHWA
EVP & CMO, Yotta Data Services Pvt. Ltd.

When I began my journey, marketing was primarily about execution—ATL, BTL, field events, and tactical campaigns. The focus was on creating visibility and generating noise. Over time, however, the role has expanded into orchestrating multiple levers: digital campaigns, press engagement, partner ecosystems, government outreach, and thought leadership platforms, all tied together under one cohesive strategy.

The Expanding Role of Marketing

Today, marketing is not just about generating leads but also shaping how the company is perceived by regulators, enterprises, startups, and even academia. It’s no longer about asking which channel to use, but rather what position we want to hold in the future of the industry.

At Yotta, we measure marketing’s impact through four core levers: demand generation, revenue contribution, brand strength, and ecosystem influence. On the demand front, we focus on Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs), their conversion into Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs), and the share of pipeline sourced or influenced by campaigns, events, and content. Revenue impact is tracked through marketing-sourced and influenced revenue, ensuring clear accountability. Brand leadership is assessed through share of voice, brand recall, analyst coverage, media visibility, and engagement at flagship events. Digital performance is measured through campaign ROI, website growth, SEO success, social engagement, and content consumption.

Measuring Impact Through Ecosystem Influence

Ecosystem influence is equally critical. We track penetration into priority sectors, partner-led growth with technology leaders like Microsoft and NVIDIA, and customer advocacy through case studies and references. Loyalty metrics such as NPS further highlight the strength of these relationships. Together, these measures ensure marketing directly fuels growth, with the ultimate north star being the percentage of pipeline and revenue sourced or influenced by marketing.

Marketing also plays a central role in digital transformation. It is both storyteller and bridge, translating complex technologies into narratives that resonate across enterprises, government, and academia. More importantly, marketing provides feedback from every campaign, event, and interaction, shaping strategy and identifying opportunities. As AI and analytics mature, marketing will increasingly help anticipate customer needs, uncover patterns, and guide transformation efforts with precision.

I believe marketing sits at the very heart of innovation and growth. It connects technology, people, and partners, while building the trust and awareness that allow change to scale. Marketing is not on the sidelines—it is at the center of driving meaningful impact.