Ad land’s Young Guns: Ferdinand D’Cruz, WATConsult

Ferdinand D’cruz, Group Analytics and ORM Manager, leads a team of data analysts and online reputation management specialists for the clients of WATConsult. His work involves leading a team of 17 members who are tracking, analysing and replying to social chatter in real time. He has worked with around 40+ brands and has 5 years of experience. He is certified in business analytics and data mining and has been working at WATConsult for the past three and a half years. 

What does it takes to climb up the ladder in advertising? Here’s Ferdinand D’Cruz in his own words... 

How did you get into the role you are serving?
Since a child, numbers always fascinated me; I think I was the only person in class who enjoyed Maths homework so much. This led me to study statistics at college and I got specialised in it during my degree. My goal has always been to be somewhere where I could play around with numbers and make sense out them, and I have been doing exactly that with WATConsult for the past three and a half years. 

What particular skill sets do you think you bring to the table?
I feel it is my ability of come up with one insight after going through a lot of data that can help companies make a business decision. Additionally, I have developed leadership skills in the past couple years and now lead a team of 17. 

One campaign that you have worked on that you are particularly proud of? Please take us through the making of the campaign.
The best campaign that I have worked on is for ‘Bigg Boss 9’. I still remember we worked 24x7 for 3 straight months. As we all know how popular ‘Bigg Boss’ is, our job was purely to increase user engagement. We set up a team of 10 members to track, respond and analyse all possible conversations related to the show. We learnt a whole bunch of things during the campaign, which helped us grow to what we are today. 

Icons in advertising you look up to and how they have influenced you and your work?
WATConsult CEO Rajiv Dingra is my icon. He has played an important role by reminding me that too much is never enough and pushed me to achieve more. 

What are the five most productive things that you do in your everyday routine?

• The first thing I do is read the newspaper
• After reaching work, make sure I take a lowdown of all the activities scheduled for the day
• Make sure I learn something new each day
• Make sure to crack some good and not so good jokes
• Play some Table Tennis
• Make sure I spend enough time with my fiancée and dad 

Do you think a career in advertising is a viable one in the long term?
Absolutely, since everything is moving towards digital, advertising is going to play a larger role in the coming years. There is a large amount of data that is generated from such activities and using such data for business strategies is vital. 

What does it take to succeed in a career like advertising?
Patience is a key element just like it is in any other field. Another is to keep learning as change is constant in the industry, especially in terms of technology. 

What would be your advice to youngsters planning to enter this industry?
My advice would be – not to be impatient to taste success. Hard work is rewarded with success, so put in the time and it will come to you. Despite the obstacles one faces, they should continue to persevere. 

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I would like to be leading a team of at least 50 analysts –  data as well as online reputation – providing key insights to brands for decision making. 

Is there any agency/ organisation that you would like to work with in the future?
None in particular, as long as I am doing what I love the most, which is working with numbers.