Weaving Creativity and Strategy to Reinvigorate Diageo's Iconic Brands

Mohit Cherian, a marketing trailblazer at Diageo India, has built a career revitalizing iconic brands through a unique blend of creative flair and strategic acumen. His journey began in advertising at Ogilvy, where he learned “how brand briefs transform into great creative assets for the brand.” After an MBA, he pivoted to management consulting, a “complete shift between the left and right brain” that honed his analytical rigor, making him equally comfortable with creative storytelling and data-driven strategy.

Mohit’s journey with Diageo India began in mid-2020. “I’d always admired Diageo for its amazing brands and its strong code of marketing conduct,” he says. Joining the Innovation team just before COVID-19 lockdowns, he gained “great insight into how Diageo operates… and how we build brands in alcobev.” He contributed to early development for brands like Royal Challenge American Pride, learning to innovate at speed. Diageo’s people-first support during the pandemic, deeply impressed him: “It showed me Diageo truly walks the talk in putting people first.”

After innovation, Mohit took on a daunting mission: heading marketing for Royal Challenge (RC) whisky, an iconic brand facing a tough period. “Sales were dropping, brand equity was falling – everything that could be wrong was wrong,” he recalls. He launched an aggressive 3-month “Project Delhi” to reinvent RC with a smoother blend, new packaging, and localized strategies. This project led to a national renovation, boosting RC’s market share and reenergizing its communication, shifting ambassador Virat Kohli’s persona to a more vibrant one with the “Naya Sher” campaign.

Fresh off RC’s success, Mohit tackled McDowell’s No.1. Recognizing that “India was premiumizing, and there was a real possibility that McDowell’s might not be as relevant if we didn’t evolve,” his team envisioned it as a “House of Brands.” This included the limited-edition McDowell’s No.1 Single Malt, designed to “tap into the rise of Indian single malts,” and the McDowell’s No.1 X-Series, a range of new spirits. They also refreshed the brand’s “Yaari” (friendship) theme with experiential marketing like the successful Yaari Jam concert series. “We turned a decades-old property into something contemporary and relevant,” Mohit smiles, future-proofing an icon.

Five years into his Diageo journey, Mohit has grown alongside the brands. He now heads marketing for Diageo’s premium and international brands. “Each role here has leveraged my strengths and then stretched me in new ways,” he says, adding, “That’s the beauty of Diageo – so many brands, so many different consumer conversations.” He credits Diageo’s people and culture, noting, “It’s immensely fulfilling to watch each other grow.” He mentors young talent and values Diageo’s commitment to work-life balance, having taken three and a half months of paternity leave. “Not many companies offer that kind of support for new dads, and I’m grateful Diageo does,” he adds.

Mohit’s mantra for success is simple: take it one day at a time. “We work in a very tough, ever-changing environment. The key is not to get overwhelmed. Focus on solving the problem in front of you today, with an eye on the future.” This pragmatic optimism has seen him through high-pressure projects. As Mohit Cherian’s journey shows, building iconic brands is as much about passion and creativity as it is about strategy and resilience. He exemplifies the kind of leadership Diageo India prides itself on, always looking for “something new to do, a new way to raise the bar.”