Creating outcomes
Hello there!
The last few weeks have flown by! I am having fun along the way with friends, but today's post is dedicated to an incredible Nielsen event that I was a part of yesterday.
A few weeks ago, I saw a poster in the office that was announcing Nielsen India's C360 event. Nielsen hosts its biggest and most influential client meeting in most of its markets around the world. It is called "Consumer 360"and the theme this year was "Creating Outcomes." This event is where we invite all of our clients, senior leadership, and the press to come hear about what we are working on and how our business continues to evolve. Endless planning goes into ensuring that C360 has an impact on our clients and that we grow as a Company. You can read about the event here: http://www.nielsen.com/in/en/events/consumer-360.html
Without hesitation I emailed the leader of our Client Service group in India and asked if there were an opportunities for me to volunteer with the event. C360 would be a great way for me to see how our clients work with Nielsen in India, and also what Nielsen is focusing on in the marketplace here. In my mind, and from my experience in developed markets, I was anticipating a response of "Sure, we could use some help at the check-in table."Little did I know that me raising my hand would land me the role of being the Nielsen press coordinator for the day, with the help of two external PR contractors, and under the oversight of our Marketing Communications leader.
We had practice event all day Thursday at the venue, The JW Marriott that overlooks Juhu Beach in Mumbai. It was exhilarating to see all of the moving pieces coming together. The stages were being assembled, speakers were practicing their presentations, and despite the stress everyone was smiling. My role was to welcome the journalists to C360 and to accompany them throughout the day. They were not to talk to any of our clients or our senior leaders without me coordinating to ensure that the interview was allowed. I felt a bit nervous going into Friday morning because my only previous journalism experience was my time as Editor-in-chief of The Lion's Roar in high school, but I did not let my nerves get the best of me.
C360 went smoothly and I had the incredible opportunity to spend most of it sitting next to the President of Nielsen India, Piyush Mathur, and Nielsen's Global President, John Lewis, throughout their interviews.
In the middle of the afternoon, everyone was invited for a special performance by a local children's drum group called Dharavi Rocks. These children are from the Dharavi, one of the largest slums in the world. Their instruments are made out of found goods and they are led by a volunteer instructor. Dharavi Rocks' performance to the room gave me chills. These children are drumming on recycled goods and shaking rice in water bottles, they live in the slums, and yet their happiness and smiles were contagious. I would highly recommend that you watch some of their performances here: https://www.facebook.com/dharavirocks
As the day went on, not only did I learn how to deal with the press, but I got a snapshot into what it is like to be the face of Nielsen to the media. I also learned that when a journalist says "This is the final question..."it usually means there are ten more questions and you have to cut them off. The leadership that Piyush and John displayed and their poise while answering hours of questions from endless publications only furthered my respect for them as leaders. They were patient with journalists and proud of what Nielsen does. Their conviction in each and every answer about our company and where we are headed was inspiring.
After the the last of many redundant interviews I walked Piyush back to the executive lounge. As we reached the room, I thanked him for the opportunity to be a part of this very important event, and he said something that I will never forget. He looked at me, smiled, and said "No, thank you for raising your hand to get involved." Even following endless hours of interviews, panels, speaking, and interacting with clients, he was still eager to thank me.
As much as I wanted to hop in a cab and go home after the event ended, I am glad that I stayed for the after party. Senior leadership organizes it each year for those involved in C360 as a thank you for a successful event. There were drinks, Indian appetizers, and Bollywood dancing! Never did I think when I woke up on Friday that I would be learning Bollywood dance moves from the President of Nielsen India.
I am continuously amazed by the opportunities that the Emerging Leaders Program has provided me, whether that means learning how a retail store audit works in a small store in India, or dancing to Bollywood with senior leaders. I will cherish this C360 event as one of the most memorable moments of my time at Nielsen.
Cheers,
Breanne
The press team for the day
Dharavi rocks during their performance
My friend Jaideep manning the Twitter stream, #C360 was trending!
With Sunita in the press room
One of our client demos of a retail audit
Photo booth fun with Rashmi and Pearl
Such a great day!