At SPS, Ritu...
- Upped her digital game
- Explored the social media frontier
- Moved from traditional to interactive marketing
- Visited communications agencies throughout NYC
- Jumped on a hot job opportunity in Singapore
You worked in India at Y&R and Grey Group. What attracted you to SPS?
At Young & Rubicam and Gray Group in Kolkata, I had focused primarily on traditional advertising, such as TV and print. But I wanted to join the emerging digital and social media movement. When I started at SPS, I discovered that my true niche was indeed digital marketing.
What part of the curriculum was most helpful?
Two classes that really stood out for me were Navigating the Digital Frontier and The Evolving Industry. The former helped me understand how social and digital media impact the whole marketing landscape. It made me realize, ‘This is what I see myself doing long term.’
Where did your degree from SPS take you?
My first job was in Singapore. I didn’t expect to work outside of New York City, much less the U.S., but when an opportunity arose in Wunderman’s Singapore office, I jumped at the chance. A friend who worked there told me about the digital scene in Southeast Asia. Because of the density of the population, the kind of scale marketers get in Asia is unmatched anywhere. Digital penetration and the interest in mobile and social media are at an all-time high. The experience was wonderful.
What are you up to today?
I am a freelance marketing strategist at Sparks & Honey, and I work in both the Amsterdam and New York markets. We develop innovation and communication strategy based on research.
How do you see your future prospects?
I feel like there’s a gap in the market. There’s this sweet spot where you have startups with all these amazing ideas that can potentially attract millions of dollars. They need a strategic way to communicate their value, form their brand identity and sell themselves. I think that would be an exciting space to work in.
