Leaders

Building a company is challenging, there is no quick fix to creating a successful business. However, business is also free of bias. It makes no difference who or where you begin your journey. You will succeed if you are competent. Even though it sometimes takes years to get to a place you're proud of. Oorna Datta is one such exemplary women entrepreneur who demonstrates this. A creative professional passionate about building holistic brand experiences, established ODD, The Oorna Datta Designs website, an independent design, and communications agency working with some of the world's best-loved brands. She firmly believes in creating work that speaks for itself. The kind that makes brands not just stand out but shout out and stand apart.

Oorna says, "We call ourselves ODD because our work explores platforms, media, communication, and design opportunities that are likely to be overlooked, underutilized, or unseen. We help brands stand apart in ways that are surprising, engaging, and long-lasting. When we take on a client, we become their champions, considering design and communication explorations in response to presented briefs, as well as design solutions that come to us as a natural progression from discovering more about the brand". Oorna gives an exclusive interview to Women Entrepreneur Magazine, in which she enlightens us more about ODD and her professional journey.

Take us through your early educational journey and the prior industry experience that you bring to the table.

Growing up, we lived across various cities and changed school squite often. My 12th year was the most impactful for me sincemy mother got in an accident and injured both of her legs with multiple fractures, necessitating a move of cities yet again. It also required me to change all of my subjects and routines, as well as learn a new language and write long letters to my mother. She wrote to me in one of her letters about being adaptable and making the best of circumstances which left a deep impact onme. Following that, I studied Fine Arts at Stella Maris College and started working before graduating. Back in 2000, my first job was with Midas Technologies, a pioneer in the Indian search engine/mail space.

Working at Euro RSCG, Ogilvy, and Lintas introduced me to some of my favorite individuals and exposed me to a variety of work cultures and approaches. I started being inspired by aesthetics and awards, but as time passed, I came to realize what it means to develop campaigns that are as hardworking as they are beautiful, and that are game changers for the client's businesses.

Starting up ODD allowed me to appreciate the challenges of operating a profitable business. It also resulted in a Goldman Sachs fellowship at ISB in 2012. While my partner had a significant impact on my journey as an entrepreneur and businessperson, my experiences at ISB reinforced  my skills and vision for the future.

What motivated you to establish ODD? Tell us about the underlying idea behind the venture and some of its most unique features.

It was happenstance. I had just lost my mother and needed a break. I had been offered a sabbatical and had another job offer, but somehow it didn't feel right. We went on a month-long holiday, and when we returned, a customer I met through a friend approached me about doing a branding project. I realized that I enjoyed creat-ing an identity with my client partners the most, as well as working with them and witnessing the brands break the clutter, engage, question, and interact with their audiences. ODD is a modest business, but we've had the opportunity and good fortune to work with some of the world's biggest companies as well as startups, many of whom became and continue to be friends and have greatly influenced our journey.

"We've had the opportunity and good fortune to work with some of the world's biggest companies as well as start-ups, many of whom became and continue to be friends and have greatly influenced our journey"

What are your current focus areas as the founder in terms of leading ODD?

ODD was started as a boutique design firm that addressed niche design requirements tailored for cor-porate clients including branding, packaging and communication. While our core business has been working with clients to create branding, packaging, and communication solutions, we are now focusing on creating independent in-house design assets, and we are developing a range of fabrics and wallpapers.

What changes do you see in the Indian marketing and communications business in the near future? Which industrial trends, in your opinion, will be the most impactful in the future?

Personalized marketing and authentic content will never go out of fashion. AI is a game changer and being open and adaptable to growing as a designer and marketer, as well as being able to maximize existing resources, will be the way forward. I'm also a big champion of #workfromhome, and if it saves my team four hours of commuting time each day while they deliver immaculate work, I want it here to stay and I have every intention of facilitating it.

Drawing from your experience as a business leader, what would your advice be to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

Education does indeed give you an advantage getting started. Make the most of it. Having said that, you can learn anything you set your mind to, and you don't need a formal education to do it. The experts I know and admire have become masters via practice rather than rote study. The two most valuable traits are enthusiasm and passion.

So essentially, I'd say make the most of the resources you have at hand, and plan towards or plan around the ones that you don't.

Oorna Datta, Founder, Designer & Creative Director, ODD

Design thinker with a passion for building holistic brand experiences, Oorna has always been drawn to roles that allow her to learn, create, contribute and impact. As a creative professional, she is keenly interested in the influence the brand has in its interaction with its various stakeholders, and how this can result in creating an offering that is endearing, profitable, and sustainable.