Rasika Prashant, Chief Marketing Officer at Tata Consumer Soulfull, is a marketer shaped by evolution and driven by impact. At Tata Soulfull, Rasika channels her passion for ideas, processes, and talent into building brands that blend innovation with everyday relevance. In this conversation, she reflects on problem-solving as the true engine of marketing and how nurturing Soulfull has been about applying every lesson to craft a formula for lasting success.

Your journey spans PR, outdoor, BTL, and digital across geographies. How have  these cross-disciplinary and cross-market experiences shaped your approach to  building consumer brands?

At Tata Soulfull, we think big and execute smart. Today, building a brand isn’t about  finding the right channel, it’s about building the right system. Leading across PR,  BTL, digital, and outdoor in markets as diverse as India and the US has shaped my  belief that brand-building isn’t about playing in silos it’s about mastering leverage. 

Every decision from campaign strategy to product formats is anchored in one  question: what are we solving for? Is it penetration, frequency, awareness, or trust?  That clarity drives intent. We don’t see the consumer as a transaction. We see a  moment whether it is a mother picking up an after-school snack, or a teen trying a  breakfast hack. And our job is to design a brand that fits naturally into that moment,  again and again. That’s when brand love begins, not through one big burst but  through everyday relevance.

You transitioned from being a brand custodian to a brand creator. What mindset  shifts were most crucial in that evolution, and how did it redefine your relationship  with the consumer? 

When you’re a brand custodian, you’re operating within the frame, executing a  vision, delivering on a mandate, solving for a brief. But when you become a brand  creator, there is no playbook, you have to build it. At Tata Soulfull, that meant  defining who we are before the consumer ever met us and not just the product  story, but the cultural relevance, the tone, the gaps we’re here to fill, and the  behavior we’re here to change. 

At Tata Soulfull, this shift meant listening more and assuming less. We weren’t just  looking at data dashboards, but we were watching how a mom picks between two  boxes of cereal, or how kids engage with a mascot at an activation. You start to care  about the nuances like how a pack feels in the hand, how it lands in a lunchbox,  how it competes for attention on a shelf. That’s when you stop seeing consumers as  ‘TG’ and start seeing them as people whose lives your brand is trying to  meaningfully enter.

What convinced you of millets’ potential in the modern wellness space, and how do  you see their role evolving in the FMCG landscape?

At Tata Soulfull, we do not want to position millets as a niche “health food.” We want  to make them mainstream – in breakfast, snacks, and even chai-time staples. Today’s wellness consumer isn’t choosing between indulgence and nutrition, they  want both and they want it easy. That’s where millets shine, they are nutritious,  climate-resilient, deeply Indian, yet ready for a modern makeover. 

But the real unlock lies in reimagining their format and storytelling. Whether it’s our  “Desh Ke Millets” campaign that builds pride and mainstream relevance, or “Ragi  Bites No Maida Choco”, where 25% millets meet delicious indulgence, we’re  constantly pushing the boundaries of what millets can look and taste like. 

We want to make millets cool by putting them in familiar and accessible formats  that blend seamlessly into daily life. As FMCG increasingly shifts toward conscious  consumption, we see millets not just as a better-for-you alternative, but as a core  pillar of the modern wellness movement.

 

Your recent No Maida Rusk campaign reimagines chai-time through culturally  rooted storytelling. How do you turn such everyday insights into brand narratives,  and what role does emerging media like CTV play in amplifying them? 

Chai and rusk are an inseparable duo in Indian households, but most rusks still  contain maida, which doesn’t align with the wellness-conscious choices today’s  consumers are making. With Tata Soulfull No Maida Rusk, we saw an opportunity to  upgrade this everyday comfort without compromising on taste, crunch, or emotion.  The insight was simple: why should a daily comfort come with compromise? 

To bring this story to life, we collaborated with Manoj Bajpayee, not just as a  celebrity, but as someone who evokes authenticity, credibility, and relatability. His  voice and presence made the campaign feel like a real conversation, not just an ad.  The master TVC, anchored by the line “Har Chai ko Apni Chai Banaye”, was  supported by 3 digital shorties highlighting functional benefits like No Maida and  Low Crumble, making the communication both emotional and rational. 

To bring that feeling home, quite literally, we tapped into Connected TV. Not for  broad-stroke reach, but to meet families right in their living rooms, in the moments  they pause, connect, and unwind together.

Watch the campaign video here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAr-uODI40A

With wellness becoming both a buzzword and a business battleground, how do you  stay true to your purpose while ensuring your brand remains distinctive and  relevant?

Wellness may be trending, but for us, it’s always started with a simple truth that we  live in a country where taste comes first. We’ve never believed that taste and  nutrition need to be trade-offs. If a child won’t reach for it, it doesn’t matter how  healthy it is. And if a mom doesn’t trust it, it doesn’t matter how tasty it is. Our job is  to make both sides smile every single time! 

What keeps us distinctive is staying anchored to real consumer needs, not category  noise. We don’t chase every health halo but double down on what matters. Our filter  is simple – does it solve a real need and come in a format that fits seamlessly into  everyday life. It also means continuously upgrading our products. Like our latest  Ragi Bites No Maida Choco which now comes with 25% millets, a richer chocolatey  experience, no palm oil, and no maida. It’s our commitment to keeping pace with  evolving needs while staying true to our core.

You emphasize the value of ideas, processes, and talent. How do you balance  fostering creativity with maintaining structure in an environment that demands both  agility and long-term vision? 

I’ve always believed that great marketing comes from the intersection of chaos and  clarity. You need room for ideas to breathe, but also a system that lets them land. At  Tata Soulfull, that balance starts with staying deeply connected to our consumers, whether through regular field visits or partnering with media houses on cohort  studies that decode shifting preferences and behaviors. Add to that a strong team,  sharp processes, and a clear sense of purpose, and you create work that’s both  agile and enduring.  

At Tata Soulfull, we keep the environment open but focused. We ask a lot of  questions. We encourage debate. But once we decide, we move with speed and  discipline. And increasingly, we’re using AI to scale that agility by testing creatives in  real time, improving ROI, and building GenAI capabilities for hyper-personalized,  emotionally resonant experiences that bring “better-for-you” choices closer to  every consumer.