Meet Monica Gupta, an experienced entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience in corporate management and leadership roles. After her focused stints in sales, marketing, software development, web hosting solutions, and advertising, Monica found her true passion in Brand Communication. Having been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, she established Interactive Bees, a holistic Brand Communication Agency that focuses on providing a complete package of solutions from brand identity creation, giving it an archetype, brand positioning, and overall media management.
Monica is a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from JIMS and is certified in Digital Strategies from Kellogg’s School of Management. It was Monica who quickly understood the changing market dynamics and the need for brands to move beyond their traditional marketing strategies as the internet started reaching common people. Her grasp on the market pulse and experience working with various brands made her think beyond the usual and take the road less traveled.
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I was sure I could make it possible,” says Monica. “As a child, I struggled with dyslexia, but with determination and meditation, I overcame all mental blocks and rose above the challenges,”
About Interactive Bees
Established in December 2008, when the world was going through the worst economic crisis, Interactive Bees came into existence. A Brand Communication Agency that rose against all odds and focuses on providing an entire suite of solutions starting from identity creation, brand positioning, and overall media management. The agency also works on online public relations for various brand leaders. From Offline (Brand Identity Creation, Communication Style, and Design Creation, Print Designs, Films) to BTL (events, designs, etc.) to Digital Marketing (owned, social, marketplace, bought and earned media), Interactive Bees has a diverse service portfolio and an equally diverse list of brands that it caters too.
It caters to diverse clients, including startups, service and hospitality businesses, manufacturing companies, government entities, MNCs, and non-government entities. Interactive Bees excels in B2C communication and has mastered the art of brand positioning in the B2B segment, which helps it fly high even in such a fiercely competitive business landscape.
“Interactive Bees has gradually built a niche as the ultimate destination for overall brand communication. I am happy to say that in fourteen years, we have created a buzz amongst the who’s who of the Brand Advertising world and have been the proud recipient of numerous titles and awards in this field,” Monica smiles.
Leveraging Emerging Technologies
In a world where skepticism often shrouds the role of AI in creativity, Monica firmly believes that AI is a potent force that empowers one to create more. Drawing from her rich experience both as an employee and employer, Monica sees AI as the catalyst that will eventually help organizations evolve better in productivity and creation. She firmly believes that AI enables better, faster, and smarter solutions. In Monica’s eyes, AI is not a barrier to creativity; it’s a key that unlocks true potential, whether it is the written word, the visual creative, or web applications; the power of AI can help give excellent deliverables to clients and add more flavor to brand communication.
“I strongly emphasize that technologies like AI and Machine Learning, cloud computing, react, python, etc. have transformed clients’ expectations from Brand Communication Agencies like Interactive Bees, just the way the internet changed the marketing game. The way we witness Digital Marketing become an essential certification for marketing professionals, concepts like Prompt Engineering will become industry essentials within a short time. At Interactive Bees, modern technology is a playground to enhance creativity. My team believes that the constructive interweaving of these two can lead to tremendous success,”– explains Monica.
Biggest Challenges for Women in Business
Monica believes irrespective of gender, if someone is determined to achieve something, they will overcome all hiccups. However, she acknowledges the stark reality that women in the workforce face several challenges from societal and familial expectations. These expectations dictate that a woman must put an equal amount of work at home after working 8-9 hours in the office. The struggle is real, and Monica believes women must set the precedent themselves. While it is not the same for every industry, the issue of lesser remuneration for women exists across sectors. In such cases, Monica advocates that women must raise their voices and demand what they rightfully deserve.
“I have seen many young girls who have a flying start in their career and then take a backseat once they enter marital life. It is a choice, of course, but sometimes the pressure is more social and from the family,” she explains.
Fostering Creativity and Innovation
The Interactive Bees team is extremely dynamic and buzzes with creative energy. Recognizing that creative minds thrive on new ideas and perspectives, the firm organizes different activities every third Saturday of the month. These activities can encompass a variety of engagements. They might involve a talk about the latest industry trends, a team challenge to showcase creative spirits or discussions about road trips and learnings from visits to other countries.
“I have recently challenged my team to come up with the idea of a new mascot for the company, and let me tell you, the creativity is not just limited to writers and designers; even account managers and our tech team bubble with energy when it comes to showing their creative side,” Monica says with a smile.
The Future
Monica’s vision for the future is to take Interactive Bees to new heights, both in terms of operations and offerings. With clear plans in mind, she aspires to position Interactive Bees as the preferred choice for brands across industries.
“Our journey has been long and had its fair share of challenges, and we have evolved through the years, growing steadily by focusing on delivering quality service to our clients. The future is technology, and I strongly encourage my team to adapt and innovate strategies according to the need of the hour,” explains a very determined Monica.