CEO Insights Magazine

Leadership is about getting results for your followers, if you get results, people will support you in your journey often without giving a second thought and without caring about how you got them; without results, all the style or charisma in the world won’t retain the support of your followers for long. This is true for the leader of a Scout troop, a sports team, a political party, a government department, and a business. Sulakshana Herekar, Founder & Managing Director, 3 Cheers Ads has been a wonderful entrepreneur who has been inspiring young minds with her remarkable journey so far. A commerce graduate who has worked on brands of multiple industries and developed a business mindset in the journey. Using her experience and creative thought process she brought 3Cheers Ads into existence which is doing exceptionally well in its field.

Sulakshana Herekar engages in an exclusive interaction with CEO Insights.

Take us through your educational and professional background? What inspired you to establish 3Cheers Advertising, and what motivates you today?

I pursued my graduation in Commerce (with Advertising as the ancillary subject) and I did my postgraduation in Advertising from the AAAI-Advertising Agencies Association of India. I have learnt from Ad Gurus like Larry Grant and Noorul Islam who gave me a solid foundation in the field, plus I am an ardent follower of David Ogilvy (the Father of Advertising). The knowledge and insights that I have received from these advertising experts have helped me make my mark in this business.

I have worked on brands in almost every industry, from finance and retail to FMCG and education and real estate. I have experienced the digital transformation of the industry by working with digital agencies like Urja and some websites. A transformative part of my career is also my experience as a journalist in MidDay and Asian Age, I was the editor of 'The Movie Age' as well.

Building and nurturing a brand excites me, understanding the consumer psyche and behaviour, and finding that value proposition in the brand that would trigger the key emotion in the consumer, prompting him to buy the product, this entire process from research to concept to execution is very much exciting. Though the last two decades have changed the face of advertising, the art of communication only gets more and more interesting with new innovations in outdoor, digital, and BTL.

Define 3Cheers Advertising as an organization and its current position in the industry?

Established in the year 2017, 3Cheers Ads is currently working for the biggest corporates like Reliance General Insurance, Tata AIG, Sterling and Wilson, Reliance Securities. It is not just these giants, we are also helping mid-sized brands to grow, brands like Kokan Bazar, Saviesa Modular Furniture, Osel Consulting, Marathon Trends, and many more.

Could you tell us about the unique services that are provided by 3Cheers Advertising that make it stand out from the rest in the market?

3Cheers Ads is a full-service agency providing 360 branding services, from Brand Positioning, to creative campaigns, from video marketing to media buying and selling, all under one roof. Our clients do not have to go anywhere else to get the best in Advertising, Branding, and Communication services. The thing that makes us different is the way we think and work, simplifying the objectives, identifying the brand promise, and going all out when it comes to creative thinking… we make advertising easy.

I am fortunate to have some of the best talents in the industry, they are the pillars of 3Cheers. I believe, you are only as good as your team, and so 3Cheers is not run by one person, but a bunch of passionate and committed professionals and I think that is what sets us apart.

What has been your constant success mantra? And also, being the MD, how do you plan to apply your exceptional under-standing of this domain into 3Cheers Advertising?

The success mantra for me is to pursue excellence, I believe if you are whole heartedly doing a job and putting up your best efforts, then success and money automatically follows.

Ideas are something that makes the field of Advertising so exciting, there is never a dull moment here. For 3Cheers the way to move ahead is to conceptualize new and innovative advertising strategies and creatives, that fetch higher ROI for our clients.

Based on your strong professional experience, what advice would you give to the upcoming entrepreneurs in the same industry?

Stay upbeat, observe and learn, and care for your client’s success, and just like for every other business venture, strengthen your financial backbone. Networking too is very important, to get around and to connect with the right people who will help you grow. The success of 3Cheers has really been the people I have connected with. Being part of a great networking group like BNI Stalwart, which helped me get my biggest clients, as well as trusted vendors, and talented employees was undoubtedly one of the best decisions of my life. For entrepreneurs, building strong relationships is the key to success, you cannot succeed or grow without your people–your family, your team members, your business friends, and your clients.

Sulakshana Herekar, Managing Director, 3Cheers Advertising

Sulakshana is a writer and an Advertising professional who has been in the industry for more than 20 years now. Having experience in Advertising, Branding, Digital, Journalism, and Film production industries, she is passionate about breaking the mold and creating something unique and memorable.

The Founder of 3Cheers! a 360-brand agency, with a focused division for video production, building a portfolio of strong brands like Reliance General Insurance, Tata AIA, and Sterling and Wilson. She is also the founder of Arsh Studios, along with her husband Khalil Herekar, through which they have made India’s first viral short film 'Ashamed' and award-winning short films like 'Attack'

•Hobbies: Reading fiction, music, and wandering.
•Favorite Cuisine: Konkan food
•Favorite Book: The Fountainhead
•Favorite Travel Destination: Himalayas
•Awards & Recognition: BNI Master Connector