Headline

Marketing Head @ Kongsi Tea Bar | Full-funnel F&B / QSR growth, from positioning to P&L | Brand, Performance, Franchise & Team Building

About

𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜. I read the numbers, find where growth is actually stuck, and design the strategy and the system to move it. I'm Naveen, and I lead marketing and growth at Kongsi Tea Bar, India's first authentic Thai bubble tea brand. What I bring isn't one channel done well, 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭'𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬. I work the full funnel, from brand and positioning through performance, franchise and store launches, to the P&L behind them. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 is where I do my strongest work. How I think and operate: • 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭. I decide what to build and why before anyone touches execution, so the work ladders up to a business outcome, not just activity. • 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐥𝐞𝐝. Every campaign, budget and target traces back to numbers, and I build the reporting to actually see them. • 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭. I would rather find the problem and build the fix than wait for a brief. • 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. I move into any system, learn it fast, and leave it better than I found it. • 𝐀 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫. I set up the in-house marketing function from scratch and run it to perform above target. Some of what that has looked like: • Rebuilt the brand's social presence and grew the community roughly 7x to a verified following. • Introduced the CRM, loyalty, reporting and project-management stack the team now runs on, and put AI to work across the function. • Led franchise and expansion marketing behind the brand's multi-city growth. • Built the sales and P&L visibility the leadership team reviews. The core of it, strategy, growth, performance, retention and P&L-led decisions, carries across 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐃𝟐𝐂 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥, well beyond F&B and QSR. If you're a founder or a team building a consumer brand and serious about growth, I'm always open to a conversation.

Location

Bengaluru

Work experience

Head of Marketing at Kongsi Tea Bar India, Apr 2025 - Present · 1 yr 7 mos, Bengaluru, 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Leading the marketing function at Kongsi Tea Bar, overseeing brand growth and customer engagement. • Driving market expansion through innovative digital marketing strategies and strong brand storytelling. • Developing strategic campaigns that align with the brand’s vision and maintain consistency across all touchpoints. • Managing marketing teams and agency relationships to execute successful campaigns and store launches. • Engaging with customers and potential franchise partners to expand the brand’s footprint in India.

GTM Associate at Lenity Health, Feb 2025 - Apr 2025 · 3 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Played a key role in the development and execution of go-to-market strategies for new health products. • Collaborated with product, sales, and marketing teams to optimize market positioning and identify new business opportunities. • Conducted detailed market research to analyze trends, consumer preferences, and competition, contributing to the GTM strategy. • Supported sales and marketing initiatives to enhance product adoption and customer engagement. • Assisted in the execution of marketing campaigns that helped grow the customer base and product visibility.

Senior Manager - Branding & Marketing at Kritunga Restaurants and Franchises, Oct 2024 - Jan 2025 · 4 mos, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Developed and executed branding and marketing strategies to drive brand awareness and sales for Kritunga Restaurants. • Led digital content creation efforts, ensuring alignment with the brand’s voice and message. • Managed cross-functional teams to develop and execute successful campaigns that resonated with the target audience. • Worked closely with the franchise team to develop marketing materials and campaigns to support franchise growth. • Enhanced customer engagement through innovative digital marketing and customer loyalty programs.

Merchant Account Specialist at DATMAN, Mar 2024 - Sep 2024 · 7 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Managed merchant accounts, ensuring seamless onboarding, KYC verification, and support throughout the relationship. • Delivered exceptional customer service, resolving client issues and improving satisfaction. • Conducted data analysis to identify trends and provide actionable insights for optimizing merchant accounts. • Worked closely with clients to ensure their needs were met and issues were resolved quicklyCollaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth operations and client satisfaction.

Senior Executive - Marketing & Customer Relations at Frozen Bottle, Apr 2023 - Feb 2024 · 11 mos, On-site, 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Managed customer relations, WhatsApp marketing campaigns, and influencer marketing strategies for Frozen Bottle. • Worked on campaigns that increased customer engagement and drove sales through targeted digital marketing efforts. • Implemented customer loyalty programs to drive repeat business and customer retention. • Collaborated with the franchise team to develop marketing strategies that supported franchisee growth and success. • Managed agency relationships to optimize marketing efforts and ensure consistency across all channels.

Executive - Marketing & Customer Relations at Frozen Bottle, Jul 2022 - Mar 2023 · 9 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Supported the marketing team in executing influencer marketing campaigns and franchise sales efforts. • Managed the execution of campaigns to drive customer engagement and brand awareness. • Optimized digital content and marketing materials to improve SEO performance and drive traffic to the brand’s online platforms. • Built and maintained strong relationships with clients, ensuring customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty. • Worked on sponsorship marketing campaigns and collaborations to expand the brand’s reach and influence.

Education

Bachelor's degree, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Rabindranath Tagore University

Diploma in Fashion Photography, Jd institute of fashion technology