Notes From a Veteran in the Age of Martech Mayhem

You don’t spend 45 years in the communications trenches without learning a few things.

Like how to read a room before a word is spoken. How to calm a nervous CEO before a crisis interview. How to turn a chaotic situation into a compelling story. And how to be funny when the only other alternative is a heartburn tablet.

I’ve worked with brands on the edge of transformation, in boardrooms brimming with pressure, and in newsrooms where deadlines bit harder than editors. I’ve taught in institutions where curious young minds wanted more than just frameworks: they wanted fire, stories, scars, and real-world shortcuts.

Some call me a perception strategist, others a media relations expert but at heart, I’m a problem-solver. A writer. A storyteller. An educator. When required, a street-smart negotiator who knows that a journalist’s silence is often louder than their headlines.

I may not have written a bestselling book, but I’ve written stories that stayed in people’s heads longer than most blog posts.

You know what beats SEO? Sincerity. You know what makes a lasting impression? A line that cuts through corporate jargon like a hot knife through PowerPoint.

I still get calls from ex-MBA students who say, “Sir, I handled my first media crisis today exactly how you taught us in class.”
That, my friends, is ROI.

Sure, the landscape has changed. The vocabulary has become flashier. What we once called “making your case” is now called a GTM strategy. Engagement has been sliced into metrics. Storytelling? It’s been compressed into reels, retargeted through ads, and dropped into dashboards.

However here’s the thing: The fundamentals haven't changed. Trust still matters. Credibility still counts and someone still needs to know how to write that one line that lands not just in inboxes, but in hearts and headlines.

I may not be a guru in Social CRM or Martech integration or whatever jargon storm’s brewing next week but I know how perception shapes reality. I know what to say when a brand stumbles. I know when to push, when to pause, and when to say nothing at all.

No, I haven’t published a book (yet) but I’ve authored strategies that turned businesses around. I’ve written speeches that steadied trembling voices and I’ve mentored people who now run the very systems that once baffled me.

So where do I stand in this shimmering, algorithm-driven age of branding, digital transformation, and customer journeys with more steps than a Kathak performance?

I stand at the edge of experience and relevance. Watching. Contributing.

Challenging the buzzwords and sometimes translating them into plain English because when the dashboards crash, or the AI tool says something tone-deaf, guess who still gets called?

Not the one with 10,000 followers. The one with 10,000 hours of doing the real thing.

Yes, I ask uncomfortable questions. Yes, I still care about commas and clarity. Yes, I sometimes raise an eyebrow at pitch decks filled with lofty promises and fluff.

I also know how to pull teams together when there’s a PR crisis at midnight. I know what journalists don’t say on social media but whisper at press clubs. I know the difference between a brand story and brand noise.

I know that in the long run, it’s not the tech that builds brands.

It’s the trust.

It’s the tone.

It’s the truth.

That’s where I stand. With the benefit of experience, the clarity of perspective, and the confidence to cut through the noise. Not chasing trends, but shaping narratives. Not looking back, but leaning forward; always ready to bring meaning, strategy, and a little wit to the business of building brands.

 

In a world of scrolls, swipes, and split-second impressions, I still believe in the long arc of trust, truth, and a well-told story. If you ever need someone to bring clarity to clutter, humour to horror, or humanity to hashtags: call me.

Just don’t ask me to explain your bounce rate.