When Tata Housing’s Sr. VP and Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, Sarthak Seth talks about his start in marketing, he goes back to one simple question: “How do brands influence behaviour and create value?” That curiosity led him to an MBA in Marketing and Finance and later to a career focused on people and stories.
“Marketing is about people,” he says. “Even when tools change, the work is about listening and shaping stories that matter.” That belief now guides campaigns for residential properties at Tata Housing.
Creativity plus measurement
Seth describes his edge as a combination of brand storytelling and clear goals. He does not chase awards. He looks for impact. At Tata Housing this means tying real estate marketing strategies to business outcomes. One small example: an Instagram-first push that grew the brand’s followers by 175 percent. It was creative. It was measurable. And it fed into lead generation.
He also stresses modern marketing strategies that balance intuition with data. Insights shape who to talk to and how. Creative ideas are then tested and scaled. The result is campaigns that feel human and perform well.
Learning fast, staying flexible
Early on, the hardest part was understanding how different buyers are across India. “One size does not fit all,” he says. Today, the layer of complexity is deeper. Consumers want personalization. New tools arrive fast. Expectations for seamless experiences are higher.
Tata Housing responded by building agile teams and investing in marketing technology. The company uses platforms such as Salesforce to track interactions and tailor communications. Training and a culture of continuous learning help the team adapt when market trends in india shift.
Technology that listens
Seth sees technology as a way to make marketing more precise. Analytics and AI allow teams to spot patterns and optimize campaigns in real time. But technology is a tool, not the goal. “We use systems to listen better and make our brand storytelling more relevant,” he says.
He is excited about the phygital model where online and offline experiences work together. Virtual tours and digital content help buyers explore, while human conversations build trust. For buyers of residential properties, that mix helps speed decisions without losing the personal touch.
Leading by trust
Seth’s leadership style is simple. He empowers people and keeps communication open. He looks for ownership. He rewards initiative. That approach paid off during a market slowdown when the marketing team shifted to empathy-led messaging instead of cutting back. The result was a 135 percent year-on-year increase in sales for the period they focused on. The effort also helped Tata Housing earn recognition among India’s purposeful brands in 2021.
Advice for founders and young marketers
His advice is practical. Know your audience. Solve a real problem. Use digital tools to scale, but keep your brand true to its purpose. Be agile and invest in people. For anyone building teams, he says, agility is not only speed. It is a mindset that makes it possible to respond to change.
Looking ahead
Seth expects hyper-personalization, immersive experiences, and better integration of analytics to shape the future of marketing. For a real estate developer, those shifts mean marketing must become part of the overall customer experience. His long-term goal is clear: make Tata Housing a leader in customer-centric innovation and keep building value for customers and communities.
If there is one thread through his career, it is this: listen, tell true stories, and use tools to serve people better. That is how a marketing leader turns ideas into lasting trust.
1. As a trailblazing marketing leader in the industry, take us to the beginning of your journey. What was your inspiration behind venturing into the marketing industry?
Every person comes with a story; every person is a story! Marketing has always fascinated me because of its ability to connect people, stories, and ideas. Even in the age of all things digital, marketing continues to be a people-driven pursuit, asking the questions to connect deeply with customers. For me, the journey began with a simple question, “how do brands influence behaviour and create value?” With this curiosity at heart, I pursued an MBA in Marketing and Finance, which gave me the foundation to understand both the creative and analytical sides of marketing.
What inspired me the most was the challenge of building something meaningful taking an idea, shaping it into a story, and watching it resonate with people. Over the years, my passion for storytelling, coupled with an ability to adapt to market dynamics, has driven my career forward.
2. What are the USPs that make you stand out as one of the most dynamic marketing leaders? What kind of modern services do you provide to your clients?
As a marketer, you can never rely too much on one skill set. You have to don many hats and play many roles, to ensure the results stand impeccable. But I believe what sets me apart is my ability to blend creativity with strategy. Ideas need execution and execution needs to be rooted in a customer-centric approach. Good ideas will only work, if you do. And so, while I am passionate about brand storytelling, I always ensure that every campaign aligns with broader business goals.
At Tata Realty, for instance, we’ve implemented data-driven strategies that help us understand our customers better and create meaningful connections. By using every touchpoint as an opportunity to understand our customers better, I have been able to contribute to shaping strategic business decisions with a data-centric approach.
And this approach is not held back by outdated insights but rooted in innovation. Whether it’s launching an Instagram-first strategy that grew our follower base by 175% or leveraging digital tools to engage consumers more effectively, I constantly along with me team look for ways to adapt and evolve. It’s about staying ahead of the curve and delivering value that goes beyond expectations.
3. Describe your marketing philosophy in a few words. What were the initial challenges after venturing into this sector, and considering the changing industry dynamics, what are the challenges now? How do you overcome them?
8 words: “Put your customer at the centre of everything.” Understand what customers want and align your strategy to deliver on those needs. Because I believe that customers are one such metric that guarantees success.
When you are in the real estate business, listening is a critical skill and a responsibility too. Homes are deeply personal, emotional investments, and understanding what your customers truly want is at the heart of creating spaces they will cherish.
In the early days, the biggest challenge was understanding the diversity of consumer behaviour across markets. Marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all—it requires adaptability and keen observation. Today, the challenge has extended on a greater scale. We have to consistently keep up with rapid technological advancements and consumer demands for personalization and ensure we do not compromise our work.
To overcome these challenges, I focus on building agile teams and fostering a culture of continuous learning. By staying curious and open to new ideas, we’ve been able to navigate shifts in the industry effectively.
4. Being an experienced leader, share with us your opinion on how technology is further transforming the marketing industry, and how your company is embracing the change. In today's digital age, how are you building and nurturing strong brand loyalty?
Technology is revolutionizing marketing by making it more precise and personalized. Data analytics and AI have given us the ability to predict trends, understand customer behaviour in real-time, and optimize campaigns for better results. Technology has allowed us to deeply associate with the marketing funnel and reach the customer at every touchpoint.
At Tata Realty, we’ve embraced these changes wholeheartedly. From creating immersive digital experiences to using analytics for better customer insights, we’re continuously innovating. For instance, we’ve integrated Salesforce to refine personalization strategies and enhance customer experience. This platform enables us to deliver tailored content, streamline communication, and provide seamless service, fostering meaningful connections that go beyond transactional interactions.
Also, our commitment to leveraging customer feedback to refine our offerings ensures that we’re always evolving alongside their needs. Building brand loyalty in today’s digital age is about consistency and trust. We focus on delivering what we promise and engaging with our customers on platforms where they feel heard and valued.
5. Your dynamic leadership style is often recognized as a driving force behind your company's achievements. Could you shed light on your approach to leadership and team building within the organization?
My approach relies on keeping things simple and direct. For me, leadership is about collaboration and empowerment. I believe in creating an environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to contribute. Open communication, mutual respect, and a shared vision are the pillars of my leadership style.
For me, leadership is as much about being reliant on the team as it is about leading them. It is a two-way street; backing my team means creating an atmosphere where mutual trust fosters innovation, and mutual growth becomes the norm.
To mirror these values at Tata Realty, I have built a culture of ownership where team members feel empowered to take initiative. Recognizing and celebrating individual contributions goes a long way in building a strong, cohesive team.
6. The workforce is the cornerstone of any successful organization. How does your company foster a culture of growth, skill development, and empowerment among its employees?
We believe in investing in our people. At Tata Realty, we offer training programs, workshops, and opportunities for employees to enhance their skills and grow within the organization. For instance, we actively encourage our team members to pursue advanced courses and certifications that not only contribute to their professional development but also keep them aligned with the latest industry trends. This proactive approach ensures that both our employees and the organization stay ahead of the curve, benefiting from continuous learning and innovation.
Empowerment, for us, is deeply intertwined with accountability. By giving our employees the freedom to take risks and innovate, we ensure they feel confident and motivated. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone feels they’re contributing to something meaningful.
7. How are marketing strategies crucial today, and what advancements can be expected in the future? What emerging marketing trends are you most excited about, and how are you incorporating them into your strategies?
Things are changing at a pace that makes it hard to adhere to a set of guidelines. But a resilient strategy can help thrive even in the most turbulent times. The keyword here is ‘resilient’. Adaptive marketing strategies are critical because they align business goals with customer needs. In today’s landscape, advancements like AI, AR/VR, and data-driven personalization are shaping the future.
I’m particularly excited about hyper-personalization and immersive experiences. Customers want brands to understand them on an individual level. At Tata Realty, we’re exploring these trends by integrating analytics and digital tools to create tailored campaigns that resonate deeply with our audience.
The future is “PHYGITAL”, especially, in a field as intimate and personal as real estate, where in-person interactions are being complemented by digital innovation.
8. As a leader in India's marketing sector, your company has likely faced its share of challenges. Could you share an instance where your team's resilience and ingenuity triumphed over adversity?
One memorable instance that I can recall was during a market slowdown. Instead of cutting back, we launched an innovative campaign focused on customer aspirations. The impact was driven by our emphasis on customer empathy. We found a problem worth solving and sought to collaborate with the customers living in the development projects that were affected by the slowdown. By understanding their concerns and aligning our messaging accordingly, we not only maintained sales but grew by 135% year-on-year.
This empathy and customer-centric approach also helped us during the pandemic and our initiatives to promote the brand in ways that look beyond the function of product or service helped us feature amongst Top 05 ‘India’s Most Purposeful Brands’ in the Non FMCG Category by Kantar in 2021.
This experience reinforced the importance of resilience, adaptability, and listening to customers even during challenging times.
9. Marketing is a way for Indian businesses to boost their economic potential and capacity. What would be your advice to other budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the startup space?
I believe that the best advice I can offer is something even I try to live by: “Focus on understanding your audience deeply.” Success only comes from solving real problems and creating value for your customers. Leverage digital tools to scale your reach but stay true to your brand’s purpose. Be adaptable, take calculated risks, and always prioritize building trust with your audience.
However, the most important advice to young entrepreneurs would be to stay agile in delivering results. The competition could always outpace you and the customer is seeking more. So, young entrepreneurs building their work, need to be agile. And agility is more than just speed. Being agile is more about being proactive and holding the customer at the helm of your strategy.
10. Looking to the future, what is your vision for your company? How do you aspire to continue making a significant impact on India's dynamic future marketing landscape?
The vision has always been to make Tata Realty, a leader in customer-centric innovation. By blending technology, creativity, and strategy, we aim to set benchmarks in the real estate sector.
I see a future where marketing becomes a seamless part of the customer experience, creating value not just for businesses but for the communities we serve. For me, it’s about creating impact and driving sustainable growth.
The future of marketing will demand a dynamic balance between data-driven analysis (DARS), strategic foresight, and agile innovation. This means not just anticipating trends but also responding to them in real-time with creative and impactful solutions.
However, as we innovate and grow, we recognize that every aspect of this growth must be rooted in the principles of Responsible Real Estate. The customer cares and so should you. The approach needs to integrate seamlessly with the future of marketing, as customers increasingly seek brands that align with their values.
