Vivek Bhargava (born 1977) is an Indian entrepreneur known for his significant contributions to the digital marketing and technology sectors. He is the co-founder of consumr.ai (powered by ProfitWheel), a SaaS startup specializing in deriving actionable insights from customer data. Bhargava has over two decades of experience in digital marketing and has played a notable role in shaping India's digital landscape.[1][2]
Vivek Bhargava | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Businessperson, Investor former CEO of iProspect & DAN Performance Group Founder of Communicate 2 Co-founder of consumr.ai (formerly Profitwheel) |
| Organization | consumr.ai (Powered by Profitwheel) |
| Awards | DMAI Knight of the Year at the DMAI Awards (2016)
Marketing Professional of the Year at the Indo-Lanka Customer Engagement Forum (2016) Marketer of the Year at the 5th Asian Customer Engagement Forum (2015) |
Early Life and Education
editVivek Bhargava was born in 1977 in India. Raised in a business-oriented family, he developed an interest in entrepreneurship from a young age, which influenced his later ventures in the digital domain.[2] He completed his education in Mumbai, where he laid the foundation for his career in digital marketing.[2]
Career
editBhargava began his entrepreneurial journey in 1997 by founding Communicate 2, one of India’s first digital marketing agencies. Under his leadership, Communicate 2 became a leading performance marketing agency in the country.[3]
In 2012, Communicate 2 was acquired by Dentsu International, and Bhargava was appointed as the Founder and Managing Director of iProspect Communicate 2, which was later rebranded as iProspect India.[4][5] In 2016, Bhargava was promoted to CEO of the Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) Performance Group, overseeing all digital performance agencies under Dentsu in India.[6] During his tenure, the group expanded its influence and continued to innovate in the digital marketing sector.[6]
In 2020, Bhargava co-founded consumr.ai, a SaaS platform designed to help brands convert customer data into actionable insights.[7][8] The platform aims to improve Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Average Cost Per Action (CPA), and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) by integrating adtech and martech solutions. The company's approach seeks to transform advertising and marketing expenses from the profit and loss account into an asset on the balance sheet, enhancing profitability for clients, particularly in the direct-to-consumer (D2C) sector.[8]
Key Achievements and Recognitions
edit- DMAI Knight of the Year at the DMAI Awards (2016)[9]
- Marketing Professional of the Year at the Indo-Lanka Customer Engagement Forum (2016)[9]
- Marketer of the Year at the 5th Asian Customer Engagement Forum (2015)[9]
- Co-chair of SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization)'s India chapter[10]
- Chairman of the IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India) Startup Committee, where he mentors and supports Indian startups[11]
Entrepreneurial Ventures
edit- Communicate 2 (1997 - 2012): Founded and scaled one of India’s first digital marketing agencies, leading to its acquisition by Dentsu International[3]
- iProspect India (2012 - 2016): Managed the company post-acquisition, establishing it as a leading digital performance agency in India[4][5]
- Dentsu Aegis Network (2016 - 2020): Served as CEO of the DAN Performance Group, overseeing multiple digital performance agencies in India[6]
- consumr.ai (2020 - Present): Co-founded consumr.ai, focusing on leveraging customer data to drive profitability through advanced marketing intelligence[7][8]
Speaking Engagements and Publications
editVivek Bhargava is a sought-after speaker and has delivered talks on various prestigious platforms, including Ad:Tech, TED, SES, SMX, and I-com.[12] He has also been invited to guest lecture at IIT Bombay, IIM Ahmedabad, and Harvard University.[2] Bhargava is also an author, and his upcoming book, "Happiness is a Muscle," explores his insights on the concept of happiness.[13]
Personal Life
editBhargava is passionate about sports and personal development. He is a national-level table tennis player, an avid chess player, and an amateur paragliding pilot.[2] He co-owns the Goa Challengers Table Tennis Team, which won the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Championship in 2023.[2]
Vision for Consumr.ai
editVivek Bhargava’s vision for consumr.aii is to revolutionize how brands leverage customer data to drive profitability. By focusing on the direct-to-consumer sector, consumr.ai aims to help brands identify their most profitable customers and scale their business by acquiring similar high-value customers. Bhargava believes in the philosophy that 20% of a brand's customers can drive 200% of its profits, and consumr.ai’s technology is designed to capitalize on this insight.
Bhargava’s goal with consumr.ai is to shift advertising expenses from the profit and loss account to the balance sheet, making marketing efforts directly contribute to a brand’s financial health. This innovative approach positions consumr.ai as a profit-as-a-service platform that aligns brand profitability with data-driven marketing strategies.
Quotes
edit"With consumr.ai, we are bridging the gap between adtech and martech to enhance efficiency. Our ultimate goal is to integrate advertising and marketing expenses into the balance sheet, transforming them from a cost to an asset. It’s a game-changing model for the startup ecosystem." - Vivek Bhargava
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Vivek Bhargava's LinkedIn Profile".
- ^ a b c d e f "From Family's Sitar Business to a SaaS Startup: Dentsu's Vivek Bhargava's Learning Outlook Keeps Him Going".
- ^ a b "Aegis Group Acquires Communicate 2".
- ^ a b "iProspect Communicate 2 Rebranded to iProspect India".
- ^ a b "Start-up to Leader: Vivek Bhargava Traces iProspect India's 20-yr Journey".
- ^ a b c "Vivek Bhargava Elevated as CEO, DAN Performance Group".
- ^ a b "Vivek Bhargava Exits Dentsu; Announces New SaaS Startup ProfitWheel".
- ^ a b c "SaaS Startup ProfitWheel Raises $3 Mn Seed Funding from Netcore Cloud and Angels".
- ^ a b c "iProspect India Welcomes 2016 Ceremoniously with Over 20 Industry Awards".
- ^ "SEMPO Ventures into Search Engine Business in India".
- ^ "IAMAI Debuts a Mentoring Programme for Indian Startups".
- ^ "iProspect's Vivek Bhargava Gives TEDx Talk on 'How Money Can Buy Happiness'".
- ^ "Vivek Bhargava Dons a Learner's Hat Amid the Lockdown".
External links
edit- Birthday bumps: iProspect India’s Vivek Bhargava at The Economic Times
- DAN Performance Group's Vivek Bhargava (Interview published in The Economic Times)
- How iProspect's Vivek Bhargava foresaw a digital future two decades ago at IndianTelevision
- Vivek Bhargava's Interview at The Financial Express
- Money can buy you Happiness | Vivek Bhargava | TEDxBhilwara
- Vivek Bhargava, Co-Founder, Profitwheel what are the key takeaways from the #PitchCMO Summit, Mumbai
- consumr.ai, Marketing Secrets & Entrepreneurship with Vivek Bhargava
- Happiness is a Muscle | Mr Vivek Bhargava | TEDxCoimbatore