Ajit Narayan, Chief Marketing Officer at Socxo, has spent over two decades shaping brands across industries—from newspapers and cars to SaaS products and IT services. Known for building high‑impact marketing roadmaps, demand‑generation engines, and advocacy‑driven programs, he has transformed lean teams into powerhouse marketing units and created campaigns that deliver measurable business outcomes. In this conversation, he shares why fundamentals like trust and reputation remain timeless, how brand advocacy differs from influencer marketing, and why great ideas only matter when executed brilliantly.

 

You’ve worked across legacy agencies and emerging tech platforms. How has your idea of what builds a strong brand evolved over the years?

Contrary to expectations, what I believe in has not changed. Surprising, but true—because I believe in fundamentals. To build a strong multi‑storeyed building, you need a solid foundation. In business, that foundation is trust and reputation. In the world of brands, it is relatable imagery.

Faking it doesn’t work. Neither do woke, esoteric, or completely disconnected creative expressions. You need to stay true and consistent with your brand’s beliefs, and you must give consumers real reasons to believe in you—substantiated by both your product and your experience.

Nothing can rest in the air. Nobody will buy into your story simply because you’ve tucked a line in the fine print about standing for environmental causes—whether you sell detergent, soap, or computers.

What has changed, however, is the scale of “hit‑and‑run” behavior in business, and it’s increasingly visible. Scams unfold, and founder–scammers try to mask themselves with woke narratives. But consumers are waking up.

The fundamentals remain the essential requirement for any brand or business, and that won’t change—unless we evolve beyond being human.

 

Brand advocacy is often confused with influencer marketing. What, in your view, makes advocacy more credible and future-ready?

There are similarities. Both in concept and process. Which is why people think of it this way. But the similarities end, where you decide on who you choose to be your influencer. An outsider. Or an Insider.

That said, both are complementary practices and do not clash. And Brand Advocacy is better practiced by B2B companies. While Influencer Marketing works in every type of business

Your insiders are more believable and authentic voices. And therefore more believable. Big influencers are more like an advertising medium. And their content is “paid”. Which has gained awareness in consumers.

 

Socxo’s S.M.A.R.T. The model reframes how advocacy works. What problem is it solving, and how is it different from conventional brand-building tools?

Socxo is not a replacement for brand building at all. Far from it. It is a tool to leverage in your brand building journey. And more than that it is a media vehicle. A content distribution and tracking system. The SMART model only makes it easier and more efficient to execute Brand Advocacy programs.

 

From the US to India, how do cultural differences influence the way advocacy programs should be designed and implemented?

The nuances are different. More so, the weightage given to micro versus macro issues in advocacy. International markets tend to be more focused on macro issues, while the Indian market is far more micro‑oriented. Neither approach is entirely right or wrong, but this difference does influence the self‑serving purpose and impact of a strong brand advocacy program.

 

You’ve led award-winning campaigns by blending strategy and execution. What’s your personal formula for ideas that actually move the needle?

Great ideas are only as good as their execution. Without strong execution, they remain nothing more than good‑looking PowerPoint slides. Ideas are what truly move the needle, but to build and sustain brands, you need not only powerful ideas—you also need the ability to articulate and execute them well.

 

Looking ahead, where do you see brand advocacy heading—and what role will employee-led influence play in shaping modern marketing?

Too early to say. But so far, I can say that B2B organisations fit in perfectly with the concept. And it can deliver tremendous impact, provided they consistently create and execute strong ideas. Brand Advocacy has always been there and will be there. The process, systems, tools can change over the time.