Alumni profile

Mohit Bhargava is one of Australia’s leading entertainment marketers. He inspires families and couples to take ‘the great Aussie holiday’ as the General Manager of Sales and Marketing for BIG4 Holiday Parks.

 

Customers have always come first for La Trobe alumnus Mohit Bhargava. Indeed, it was while working as a bartender at La Trobe’s Eagle Bar that he launched his 15-year strong marketing career, all thanks to a chance customer encounter.

“One Thursday afternoon, I poured a drink that would change the course of my career. I served the then marketing director of bourbon company Jim Beam, who was visiting campuses around Australia to explore the viability of campus marketing programs,” Mohit says.

“I happened to work at a bar, understood campus life very well and had served as president of the Menzies College student club in 2004. We had a good conversation and he gave me his card. I called him a few weeks later, then spent the next three years building one of Australia’s largest campus marketing programs for a global beverage company. I could very easily have just poured a drink and not interacted with that customer, but it taught me that showing genuine interest in people can lead to unimaginable outcomes.”

Yet Mohit wasn’t always certain his career would work out well in Australia. As a young graduate, a mentor gave him some bleak advice, which has stuck with him.

“We were contemplating my future and having discussions about what I should do next. His advice was very clear: ‘Pack your bags and return to India’. He believed that, at that time in Australia, someone like me wouldn’t be able to realise my full potential. To be fair, he meant well.”

Thankfully, Mohit ignored that advice. Fifteen years on, he’s built an exceptional career working for some of Australia’s foremost entertainment and media brands, such as Nova Entertainment and Village Roadshow. Throughout his career, he’s developed a deep understanding of Australia’s cultural diversity, allowing him to readily connect brands and products with diverse audiences. He sees marketing as vital to depicting a socially inclusive Australia.

“We need to ensure our brands are forward-looking and reflect an inclusive Australia. At the same time, from a commercial standpoint, brands can maximise opportunity by being inclusive and not alienating customer segments,” he says.

“You don’t consume a product unless you see people like you consuming it. So, we have to get smarter and move beyond casting, which can be tokenistic, to having full story arcs and inclusive marketing strategies that truly connect with multicultural Australia. This isn't just the right thing to do, it's also smart business.”

Today, in his role as General Manager of Marketing and Sales for BIG4 Holiday Parks, Mohit encourages all Australians to get out and explore their country. The iconic Australian brand is a market leader in a $2 billion industry, offering much-loved caravan, camping and glamping sites alongside modern self-contained cabins through a nation-wide network.

For Mohit, working with brands that are quintessentially Australian and offer avenues for people to unwind and enjoy themselves – be it in media, entertainment, or tourism – is what he loves most about his career so far.

“As someone who’s chosen to call Australia home, the opportunity to work on refining and future-proofing iconic Australian brands for what is today a very diverse Australia is a real honour.”

Mohit’s achievements are certainly catching the eye of industry. In 2017, he became one of the youngest executives to be recognised among the Top 50 most innovative marketers in Australia. The following year, he made the Top 10 Marketing Leaders list in the CMO Australia Rankings. 

In addition to his role at Big4 Holiday Parks, Mohit offers counsel as a board member and keynote speaker to a range of Australian businesses. He’s also writing a book that will share insights into how to help international students in Australia thrive.

So, what guidance would he offer young alumni embarking on careers today? Advice that directly challenges that which he received all those years ago.

“We live in one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world. So, I urge you to take comfort in knowing you’re all more than enough and you have what it takes. Just back yourself. And most importantly, never let another person’s perspective of you, or your capability, become your reality.”

International Business and commerce

Last updated: 2nd October 2019