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The best vacations are not just about where you go but about the memories you bring back. People are eager to celebrate and travel now more than ever, regardless of seasons or occasions. Travel has an undeniable emotional pull, but in a world where consumer choices are abundant, how does a hospitality brand ensure that its experience isn’t just another trip, but a cherished story? According to Pratik Mazumder, Chief Marketing Officer, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited (MHRIL), the key is to create experiences. He shares that customers always value experiences over products, regardless of the industry.
Travelers are seeking more than just destinations; they want unique, personalised and eco-friendly experiences. Additionally, digital discovery is shaping consumer decisions, AI is redefining engagement, and younger audiences are demanding authenticity from brands.
Mazumder divulges that Mahindra Holidays & Resorts focuses on digital campaigns, influencer marketing and personalised offers to capture this demand.
With almost three decades in the advertising, marketing and media industry and having worked across telecom, travel, OTT, and hospitality, Mazumder takes a customer-first approach with a focus on storytelling to help build connections, regardless of the industry.
He emphasises the importance of customer journey mapping and ROI-driven campaigns irrespective of platforms or channels while recommending a focus on blended cost of sale rather than channel-specific ROI. These insights shape his approach to leadership and decision-making as a CMO at the hospitality chain.
As part of Social Samosa’s 40 Under 40 jury, Mazumder shares his perspective on what it takes to build a brand that people trust, his experiences as a marketer, what shapes the campaigns at Mahindra Holidays & Resorts, challenges for the year and the future of hospitality marketing.
Edited Excerpts:
Pratik, with almost three decades in the advertising, marketing and media industry, how has your journey shaped your approach to leadership and decision-making as a CMO? How do you stay ahead of the most significant shifts in the landscape?
My journey has taught me the importance of staying adaptable and customer-focused. As the CMO of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd, my leadership revolves around empowering teams to think creatively and execute decisively. Staying ahead means closely observing industry trends, consumer behaviour, leveraging data, and embracing innovation to ensure our offerings meet evolving consumer expectations.
Having worked across telecom, travel, OTT, and hospitality, what transferable lessons have stood out to you, and how have they shaped your current approach to marketing at Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd.?
A core lesson is that customers always value experiences over products comes first, regardless of the industry. Brands need to marry customer expectations with the value proposition to derive maximum ROI and a strong brand. In hospitality, this translates into creating immersive and personalised family holiday experiences. Across these categories establishing a relationship with the customers is key. The marketers must view these as long-term relations and not transactional one-offs which help in driving and creating more engaged communications.
When transitioning across industries, what common principles or frameworks did you rely on when entering a new domain?
A customer-first approach and a focus on storytelling have always been my guiding principles. These help build connections, regardless of the industry. Frameworks like customer journey mapping and ROI-driven campaigns irrespective of platforms or channels and looking at blended cost of sale as compared to channel-wise ROI should be kept in mind.
In the hospitality industry, customer experience is often the brand’s most direct touchpoint. Can you share how you’ve leveraged this to differentiate Mahindra Holidays in a competitive market?
At Club Mahindra, customer experience is at the heart of everything we do. We differentiate ourselves by focusing on family-friendly vacations, creating experiences for them across stunning destinations, and incorporating sustainability into our practices. Through the creation of touch points like Happy Hub that provides experiences for family members is a unique space for our members.
With the wedding season and end-of-the-year travel being a significant business driver, what is the current consumer sentiment in the hospitality market? Could you share insights into expected spending behaviour and key trends anticipated during this period? What does your marketing strategy look like during this period?
People are eager to celebrate and travel now more than ever, irrespective of season or any occasion. Families are spending more on unique experiences and holidays that they can cherish for years to come. We have observed a rise in domestic travel, short vacations, drivable destinations, and a preference for eco-friendly and tech-driven services. Given these key trends, our strategy focuses on digital campaigns, influencer marketing, and personalised offers to capture this demand.
How do you balance creativity with analytics in campaigns to ensure they resonate emotionally while meeting measurable business goals?
Creativity helps build emotional connections, while analytics ensures those efforts drive results. For example, at Club Mahindra, we analyse travel trends to create campaigns like #GiftOfHappiness, #MagicalMoments, #ExploreWithBliss that evoke nostalgia and excitement while driving brand engagement.
You manage brand, social, and customer experience at the company. Could you share how you leverage digital platforms to drive e-commerce revenue? What role does content play in influencing conversions?
Digital platforms allow us to engage travellers at every stage of their journey, from inspiration to booking. Content plays a critical role — we use engaging visuals, videos, and member reviews to showcase the unique experiences at our resorts to drive conversations. Collaboration with influencers across different verticals is something we actively pursue.
Given your expertise in understanding the youth market, how have you seen their media consumption and brand preferences evolve over the years? How should brands adapt to this dynamic?
The youth market today relies heavily on platforms like Instagram as their primary channel for discovering new destinations, resorts, and unique experiences. Visual storytelling through engaging, authentic, and shareable content is key to capturing their attention. At Club Mahindra, we recognise the importance of being present where our audience is.
By leveraging Instagram, we showcase the charm of our resorts and the experiences they offer, connecting with the youth in a language they resonate with. This includes collaborations with influencers and user-generated content that amplifies our reach. As this demographic seeks both inspiration and relatability, maintaining an active, visually captivating presence on such platforms has become indispensable for staying relevant and top-of-mind.
AI is becoming integral to marketing strategies across industries. How do you see AI shaping the hospitality sector’s marketing efforts, and how are you leveraging it? Additioanlly, how do you leverage AI to create more personalised experiences for customers without it feeling invasive?
AI is revolutionising the hospitality industry by enabling brands to deliver more personalised, engaging, and memorable experiences. At Mahindra Holidays, we have embraced AI to enhance our marketing efforts and deepen our connection with our audience. We have leveraged AI to create dynamic social-digital content, enhancing turnaround times and achieving significant cost efficiencies. One standout example is our #MeetTheRealSanta campaign, where we used AI to create customised video messages from Santa Claus to children. This initiative added a personal touch that resonated deeply with families, creating cherished memories and fostering stronger customer relationships.
Another innovative campaign we launched was centred around the last IPL season. We used AI to reimagine cricket legends as toddlers celebrating Holi. This AI-driven content captured the spirit of nostalgia and joy, significantly engaging our audience on social media. Additionally, we also unveiled an AI-powered video series that breathes life into our core philosophy of 'Respect For All.' This series showcases the inspiring stories of our unsung heroes — our employees — who play a crucial role in crafting experiences for our members.
How do you handle the pressure of constantly upskilling and integrating new AI technologies into your existing marketing frameworks?
In today’s fast-evolving marketing landscape, adaptability and the ability to continuously reinvent are crucial. I view upskilling as an exciting challenge rather than a pressure. Staying curious and investing in learning helps me stay ahead of the curve. At Club Mahindra, we prioritise fostering a culture where my team and I can seamlessly explore, test, and integrate new technologies, ensuring we remain agile and future-ready in a rapidly changing industry.
Looking back on your career, which campaign or initiative are you most proud of and why? How did it contribute to shaping your perspective as a marketing leader?
For an ad campaign, Airtel’s ‘Express Yourself’ is remarkable, successfully connecting with the masses; I also worked on it personally. Another initiative I am most proud of is Club Mahindra Junior Rising Stars — a nationwide platform that celebrates and nurtures young talent. Since our brand is deeply rooted in family values and the joy of children, we created this platform to allow kids to express their creative talent. This initiative not only showcased the creativity and potential of the next generation but also reinforced our mission of crafting experiences for families.
What advice would you give to aspiring marketers?
Stay customer-focused and adaptable. The ability to combine creativity with a data-driven approach will set you apart. Also, always stay curious and open to learning.
What challenges do you foresee for marketers in 2025, both in terms of external factors like market trends and internal organisational goals and the job role?
In 2025, marketers will face challenges from both external factors and internal goals. Externally, economic uncertainty, rapidly advancing technologies, and stricter data privacy regulations will impact how brands reach and engage customers. Internally, marketers will need to align their strategies with business objectives, manage tighter budgets, and collaborate effectively across departments.