Branding Beyond Aesthetics: Industry veteran inspires students through real-world insights

As an integral part of their Brand Management course, Apeejay School of Management (ASM), Dwarka recently organises a guest lecture for the PGDM Trimester IV students. The session featured Mr. Sanjay Shrotriya, a distinguished marketing professional with over two decades of expertise in advertising, branding, and strategic communication. His insights offered students a valuable real-world perspective on brand dynamics, enriching their academic understanding with practical industry knowledge.

Mr. Shrotriya has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry like Ogilvy & Mather and Lowe Lintas, where he helped build campaigns for brands like Surf, Lifebuoy, Coke, Vaseline, Britannia, and UNICEF. He also played a major role at Tata Teleservices, where he helped launch well-known brands like Tata Docomo and Virgin Mobile. Apart from his corporate experience, he is also a teacher, a creative writer, and a branding consultant for several growing businesses.

The session began with an interactive case activity where students were presented with a challenge — to design a branding strategy for a new health drink. Encouraged to share their initial ideas around naming, logo, and promotional pitch, students were soon led into a deeper exploration of what truly makes a brand memorable.

Mr. Shotriya then took the audience through a thoughtfully structured journey of brand building — starting with the power of storytelling, the role of authenticity, and the emotional depth that a strong brand identity must carry. He emphasised how elements like logos, taglines, and colors are tools to communicate the core story and connect with the audience on an emotional level.

Using relatable brand examples such as Patanjali, Zomato, and Haldiram, he explained how real brands create recall and loyalty by consistently reflecting their values and understanding their customers. In the end, students were asked to revisit their initial branding ideas, now with a renewed understanding of what branding really entails — beyond just visual aesthetics.

The session was highly interactive, insightful, and well-received by the students, who not only participated actively but also took back key lessons on how to build meaningful brands that resonate.

Atul Kumar highlights, “I thoroughly enjoyed today’s session. It helped me understand that while a logo is important in making a brand recognisable, it’s just one part of a much bigger picture. What truly sets a brand apart is its values, consistency, and emotional connection with people. The example of Two Brothers Organic Farm was especially inspiring — it made me think about building my own brand someday, rooted in a clear purpose and authentic identity.”

Mitanshi Khanna said, “she learned how storytelling lies at the heart of every successful brand, helping create emotional connections with the audience. From choosing specific colours to designing logos, he explained how brand identity is deeply rooted in psychology and consumer perception. Using examples like Zomato, he highlighted how brands communicate their values and personality through consistent narratives. The session offered valuable insights into how emotional resonance and authenticity are key to lasting brand success in today’s digital world.”

Sharing his thoughts, Shivang Sharma expressed, “The guest lecture was truly insightful and engaging! Breaking down complex branding concepts in such a simple, relatable way loved the real life examples. Looking forward to more sessions like this!”

Navya Rajpal mentioned, “It was a great and very interactive session, From Zomato’s quirky ads to the power of storytelling in branding — this session had it all! Loved how real examples showed that a brand’s identity lives in emotion, consistency, and connection — not just in its logo.”