Minash Bablani

Loughborough University may be one of the only universities that offer a Communications & Media studies / Mass media degree as a Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSc) and not Art (BA) which is what caught my interest first when I was looking at universities. I was certain about what I wanted to pursue, which was media and communications, however,  I wanted something  cutting edge and different, not only focusing on film making, practical hands on content producing media, but rather introspection into thought patterns and understanding how audiences absorb different mediums of communication and content. The social sciences degree offered a broad spectrum of modules from Psychology, to Discourse Analysis, Critical Viewings, to Semiotics, Persuasion & Communications, Media in the Global context, to name a few, which allowed me to pursue my career in branding and communications.

The course was heavily research & analysis driven, which really taught me the importance of critical thinking. In the real world, it’s not the content you learn and becoming a graduate from college which is your game changer, but rather the way you process information, filter & bifurcate the same to have strong, relevant content when communicating to larger audiences, which is what a Communications & media degree is all about.

During my time at Loughborough University, I was quite heavily involved in the Students’ Union & multiple societies, which offer a great exposure to life beyond lecture halls and nights out.  Loughborough University is probably one that offers the most variety of choice and inclusivity options for people of all faiths, cultures and walks of life. I strongly believe that the overall university experience is what shaped my personality to confidently be doing what I am. From starting out as just attending society get togethers, to applying to be part of committees, and then chairing  committees, organising events of multiple scales (Diwali, Women’s Day, Culture & Faith Day,  Welfare & Diversity Awards to name a few). Taking up these opportunities was one of the best decisions I made, as today I truly believe that its not just education that prepares you for graduate life, but your willingness to partake and accept and embrace challenges in various aspects of university life.

The course is incredibly well-thought of and excellently structured. Each module is planned and conducted to thoroughly  give you an all round idea about how the world of media works and the importance of effective communication, by studying different tools to ensure success at the same time.

After graduating in the summer of 2015, I moved to Mumbai, India from Loughborough to pursue my career here, due to a plethora of opportunities available and to be in a market I where I could easily connect with people’s thought processes and ideologies & communicate ideas more glocally. I started with an global advertising agency as an Executive in the Strategic Planning and Communications team, which is the department which quintessentially does all the ground work for a brand/ campaign and sets the theme of the same against a client brief ensuring to communicate the core information well. Within a few months, as much as I enjoyed the role, I wanted to do more with my education, which is when I went on to identify a gap in the Indian market. Being a busy woman hustling though the work-life balance, I always felt the woman of today ended up compromising on their own personal care rituals and routines in order to fulfil their multiple roles personally and professionally. Ellement Co., was then founded in 2016, with the aim to be a luxury lifestyle brand which curates Ergonomic Essentials for busy women. 3 years down the line, the brand is set up and after launching in 2017 we saw a great response towards our beauty section and look forward to enhancing the product line offered by the brand in the near future.

Currently, as we are in the phase of lifting ourselves from operating as a start-up to a more professional organizational culture; my job is ever so diverse. Everyday holds a new challenge, or may I say challenges. There is never a day where I walk into work and say, “Nope, I didn’t sign up for this” and I think that’s what I love about my job the most. The challenges are thrilling and rewarding and the ability to deal with difficulties just becomes easier each day, the desire for new and more is never satisfied, and constant innovation & improvement is my biggest job on my to-do list.

Absolutely everything. Looking over all departments, being in the know-how of product trends, marketing, finances, operations, inventory… a start up is truly a whirlwind of a journey emotionally and financially. Keeping the fine balance between growth and sustenance of the brand and the parent company is my biggest challenge and reward too when we are appreciated for our originality & attention to detail!

The ability to curate and create more products for our lovely customers. I would like to focus on marketing and strategies to make the brand grow successfully and worldwide, look at going offline to retail stores and also displaying and supplying our products at larger chain store networks such as Superdrug, Boots, Walmart, Sephora etc.

Being a very young brand, and having Forbes approach us to be part of their sustainable make up feature, was truly a moment of honour. The fact that the trends of cruelty-free, non-toxic beauty are being picked up and discussed in the market, and that we were one of the discussion starters for the nail section of the make-up category within India, was very humbling.