Meenal Abdulla is the marketing lead for some of the brands in the ready-to-drink portfolio at Distell.
What do you do at work each day?
I’m the marketing lead for half of the brands in the ready-to-drink portfolio at Distell: Hunter’s, Esprit and the newly [re]launched Vawter. Marketing is so interesting, no two days are the same. There is a perception that it’s just about the fun stuff, but there is a lot of “sausage” to work on behind the “sizzle”.
How did you end up in the advertising industry?
By pure luck. I did a joint honours in marketing and information systems at Rhodes University, and pictured life as a business analyst. Unilever had other plans, and after being part of their interactive business management course and completing psychometrics, thought that I would be a better fit in marketing, and the rest is history.
What’s the best way to keep up in the ever-changing advertising space?
I think reading and looking out for best practice in SA and globally, across both your own and other industries, is so important. I try to keep up with rapid digital innovation — both in the types of tools and platforms available and innovative ways of using them.
What changes would you like to see for women in the advertising industry?
I really believe in supporting and growing females everywhere — women bring so much to the table, and in many industries or companies they don’t always have a seat at the right tables and don’t get to bring in diversity of thought. Empowering women begins at all levels — not just in the C-suite, but at every level. Where we are fortunate enough to have some level of authority or empowerment ourselves, we need to ensure we use that power to help lift other women up.
Marketing is one area where women may outnumber men, but they are still not leading in droves, though I believe that’s changing.
How has lockdown affected the way you work?
Lockdown has been an interesting change for many, particularly those who have been able to work from home. I’ve been fortunate that my company, Distell, has been so flexible and has embraced the idea of working from home during peak Covid periods, and a hybrid model during lower lockdown levels.
This has meant a big shift to virtual meetings for me, and far more meetings, because we no longer have the opportunity to pop past a colleague’s desk to ask a quick question. It’s meant being more agile in terms of collaboration and ways of working.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I really wanted to be a doctor, and thought it was a good option until about grade 10, when I chatted to my fantastic family doctor about the ins and outs of his job, and realised if I couldn’t be the same kind of doctor he was to our family and his other patients, I wouldn’t do the profession any justice.
What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
- Don’t be so busy building a livelihood that you forget to build a life.
- Try to pretend you have to add your name to everything you do in life, and ask yourself if you’d be proud if others knew that was your work.
- The small things are the big things.
