In our December issue, Puneeth Bekal, EVP and CMO, HDFC Securities, spoke to us about the lessons he carried from Mastercard and Godrej, the creative bets that paid off, the new demands on modern marketers, and how he’s reshaping the company’s brand, platforms and cultural role in a fast-moving category.

Reflecting on his early learnings, Bekal said, “At Godrej, we realised something important: the brand was trusted, but it wasn’t seen as desirable.”

He explained that the challenge wasn’t credibility but aspiration. While consumers associated Godrej with reliability across categories like locks and cupboards, they didn’t necessarily see it as innovative. Shifting that perception required repeated, visible innovation and a clearer link between the master brand and individual product brands.

He pointed out how different categories demanded different brand cues. “People don’t even realise Goodknight is a Godrej brand, because the logo is barely visible. But in real estate, Godrej Properties puts the name front and centre because trust matters more.”

That insight led to a rare group-level campaign that unified eight product categories under one narrative, starring Aamir Khan, an effort that moved perception and delivered business impact.

At Mastercard, Bekal’s task was very different. “The brand was globally famous, but in India, there was no clear marketing framework,” he said.

He spoke about building that framework from scratch by tapping into cricket as a national passion, forging partnerships with the ICC, IPL and BCCI, and onboarding MS Dhoni.

Beyond visibility, the focus was on behaviour change, pushing contactless payments, small-ticket digital spends, and simpler online transactions.

He added, “Sponsorship became a powerful lever because Mastercard operates across B2B, B2C and B2B2C.”

By creating ‘priceless’ experiences for consumers, bank partners and internal sales teams alike, the brand energised the entire ecosystem, not just end users.

At HDFC Securities, Bekal sees a familiar but more complex challenge.

“Like many legacy organisations, we’re moving from being trusted and traditional to becoming a new-age fintech brand.”

He spoke about launching distinct offerings for different cohorts, HDFC Tru for ultra-HNIs, HDFC Sky for Gen Z and millennials, and a revamped InvestRight app. Early indicators, he said, show strong traction, especially in app performance and brand perception.

On creative risk in a traditionally conservative category, Bekal was clear, “You don’t need to act serious just because you’re in BFSI.”

He explained that the HDFC Sky campaign deliberately used wit and subtle humour to drive recall without diluting credibility. Lines like “Kya app asmaan se tapke?” (Have you fallen from the sky), cut through because they were sharp, memorable, and rooted in a clear product truth.

Each film, he said, solved one specific barrier: research access, pricing perception, app fatigue, or safe investing. He shared, “Because each brief was sharp, we could afford to be entertaining without losing the core message.”

Discussing the evolving role of marketers, Bekal noted, “Marketing today sits across brand, digital, martech and now AI.”

SEO is rapidly giving way to AEO, as consumers increasingly rely on AI-led answers. At the same time, AI is reshaping content creation. HDFC Securities now uses AI avatars of its research team to produce timely videos when speed is critical.

He also stressed the renewed importance of brand investment.

“Performance marketing plateaus without brand support. The two have to work together," Bekal remarked.

With consumer behaviour and PR consumption changing fast, marketers must understand both granular execution and macro shifts.

Looking ahead, Bekal believes connected TV will fundamentally reshape investing communication. He added, “The shift from TV to CTV is already happening. You can’t optimise just the top of the funnel anymore.”

Younger investors, he added, increasingly gravitate towards brands with purpose and strong digital experiences, making UX and UI central to loyalty.

Summing up the year, Bekal said the next challenge lies in scale. He shared, “Now it’s about building the brand with the right resources, infrastructure and ambition to handle the volumes we’re aiming for.”

For him, the direction is clear: relevance over rigidity, clarity over clutter, and creativity that works as hard as it entertains.

This conversation first appeared in our December issue. Click here to buy the copy and unlock the whole conversation.