It’s not just 'Emily in Paris'—meet these real women leading digital spaces in India

Nostalgia is a bittersweet emotion, and many of us feel almost a sense of delirium when we stumble upon anything from the past—be it the concept of renting movie DVDs or the tiny phones with the Snake ’97 game. Today, our technological advancement is so ahead of what it used to be that if we time-travelled to the past, the 90s version of us would never believe the things we now do at the click of a button. Who knew you could connect with someone miles away over a video call? Who knew ‘living under a rock’ would go on to mean ‘living without social media’?

With digital media surging and how, shows like Emily in Paris have become more relevant and relatable (except for landing a job in Paris and meeting hot French men on the regular!), than ever. The dynamic life of a person working in the digital space and everything that comes with it—be it content strategy, having a deep understanding of the socio-cultural aspects of digital media and the occupational hazard of being constantly online—is portrayed through Lily’s journey in Paris.

Emily in Paris created quite a stir across the world and as its third season releases on December 21, 2022, we went looking for the Emilys of India. Here's what we found on speaking to real women who are on top of their digital game, carving a niche for themselves and making an impact, one digital strategy at a time.

Priyanka Sachdeva, Head of Marketing, Kiehl's India

As the head of marketing at Kiehls’ India, Sachdeva’s job is highly driven by engagement and curated experiences. “My day typically involves understanding our customers’ motivations and preferences; actively listening and analysing different platforms; studying macro and micro trends; seeking feedback from our customer care and store teams; and strategising content and budget to bring those experiences to life,” Sachdeva explains.

As a marketer, she recognises that social media has given the world a platform to tell stories in innovative ways, transcending borders, all within seconds! “The sheer vastness and depth of knowledge and learning opportunities that are available online, free of cost, is unparalleled. I love the avenues created by the virtual world and how seamlessly it has brought the world to our fingertips,” Sachdeva points out.

Having said that, she recommends people keep mindless scrolling in check and take everything with a pinch of salt. While Sachdeva is always on the go and connected, she believes in taking “timely breaks from things to stay fresh and efficient.”

How does she ensure she has enough downtime? “I try not to use my phone first and the last thing in the day–that helps a great deal in keeping unwanted distractions away and lets me stay with my own thoughts rather than somebody else’s thoughts from my feed,” Sachdeva reveals.

It’s not all work and no fun for Sachdeva though. As fast-paced as her job is, she does take the time to consume content for fun. “Because I work for a skincare brand, a lot of the content on my feed is related to beauty. Other than that, I love food, history, handlooms and home décor and my feed has an eclectic mix of content from these genres,” she says.

Shivani Krishan, Chief Content and Community Officer, Kool Kanya

A quick scroll through Krishan’s Instagram will give you a generous insight into who she is—a leader, a thinker and one who knows what engaging content is. “My fingers are scrolling through Instagram even before my eyelids fully open, even before my brain fully processes the content displayed,” she informs. While many of us can relate to that, only a few of us know that the early morning IG activity is rather a way of scouting for—and consuming—good content. “If I find something funny or interesting, I ‘save’ it or share it with my team as a reference…when everyone logs in, a lot of content has filtered through my brain. The rest of the day is usually spent in meetings, conversations, discussions, updates and planning,” Krishan adds, talking about her day as the chief content and community officer at Kool Kanya.

Krishan is almost always connected, “The only time I detox from the socials is on weekends, which means that’s when I share personal pictures or stories. The rest of the week, I am mainly sharing news, updates, topicals, social trends and memes on my stories—as I am on a steady diet of humour from Monday to Friday to get through the day (I am obsessed with corporate humour) as well as find inspiration for Kool Kanya’s Instagram (a significant part of our social media strategy is work humour).”

Having said that, even someone working in digital media needs a detox. Krishan says she does opt for a digital detox but due to the nature of her job, rather occasionally. However, she prefers to keep her phone aside when notifications can end up becoming a distraction. “If I am not available, I am working,” she points out.

While for someone who doesn’t work in the digital space, posting on social may seem like a joyride and purely based on one’s mood, for those who do, it’s “as much a science as an art,” says Krishan. “Our audience also loves humour and relatable content. So we ensure that Kool Kanya’s signature sass and wit shine through in at least 65 per cent of our content. Understanding who the audience is by tracking our comments, likes and shares has given us a fair picture of what they will relate with, and this insight informs our content calendar and strategy,” Krishan informs.

Sunchika Pandey, Social Media Consultant, Mumbai Police

Going by the name ‘Policewali’ Sunchika Pandey is the hero behind the Mumbai Police's social media pages. Her uber-cool taglines and content have created a unique camaraderie between the police and the public and we’re all for it. Pandey believes in the power of social media to bring about social reforms via meaningful communication and stresses the need of being a part of the system to change it for the larger good.

Her day is as busy as it can get: “I am online for most of my day, spending the majority of my time on social media and other communication platforms and that’s the beauty of this medium—highly dynamic, exciting and engaging.”

A former crime journalist, there hasn’t been a dull moment over the seven years she’s taken to social media. “It keeps you on your toes. It’s challenging each day and my entire content and design team will vouch for it—we have to do the same thing in different ways over and over again. It’s magic!” she says.

In the same breath, she goes on to speak about how the everyday challenge can go wrong if you’re unable to channel your energies mindfully. “The far and wide reach of social media is also something that makes you vulnerable to critique, responsible, aware, and empathetic.” We definitely agree.

Sonal Ved, Digital Editor, Harper’s Bazaar India, Cosmopolitan India & Brides Today

From written to multimedia content, Sonal Ved brings great insights to the table when it comes to digital content. As the digital editor of Harper’s Bazaar India, Cosmopolitan India and Brides Today, she breathes content and is always on the go. “My work day is a series of planning calendars for the website, social media schedules, working on growth and numbers,” says Ved.

When you’re in the digital space, like our Emily in Paris, you must be prepared—and rather enjoy—the fast pace of the virtual world. “The immediacy of things is exciting. However, I dislike that there is no such a thing as a weekend,” Ved expresses.

If you follow her on IG, it will become rather obvious to you that she is ahead of the curve, posting content that is relevant and engaging. What is the future of digital? “Video content over everything else,” she points out.

Ved also believes that if you're in a business that helps you buy, sell, and discover things via social media and if your industry is reciprocative to social media outreach, then being on social media is very important. 

As a digital editor, Ved uses her strong analytical skills to plan her content a few weeks in advance along with keeping ample room for new things to be added on the spur of the moment. 

And when she is not strategising and analysing content, she is consuming it. What does Ved have on her Insta feed? “A mix of fashion, food, pop culture and celebrity pages. Timothee Chalamet on top!” she reveals.

With such a dynamic job, social media fatigue is bound to kick in but Ved has her go-to antidote for it—frequent nariyal pani breaks and a walk in nature!

Tanima Khosla, Content Manager and Lead Stylist, Nykaa Fashion

From workout videos to her treks and travels, a stylist and content manager at Nykaa, Tanima Khosla’s Instagram is honest as honest can get. “I try to keep my personal Instagram very authentic and I put my real self out there. I don’t fall for going viral. I just post whatever makes me happy,” she says.

We love that her explore page is everything that screams Khosla—fashion, psychology, animals, hair and makeup inspirations, workout videos and food from around the world! And she applies the same rules to her work as a digital media professional—“I think every brand or person is working towards being more relevant digitally and everybody wants to leave a mark and at this point there is no guarantee of what goes viral and what doesn’t,” she says, “The virtual world is definitely not real, it's just an illusion of reality, my advice would be mindful of the content that you are consuming, be in touch with your real self, and if you are somebody who makes content, be authentic and be you instead of portraying a superficial life.” 

Her work involves constantly checking the insights on everything that is being put out there, understanding what’s working and working on future content accordingly. But it can be hard to get out of the constant digital loop—even for the best of them. “My profession is something that requires me to be on social media. I take small breaks like a break for a day or something but not more. And on the days when I take a break, I try and do things for myself, like reading, going for long runs, and cooking. Basically, things that make me spend more time with myself.” Hear Hear! 

Sonam Savlani, Co-founder of SALT52 and brand strategist for Masque, Araku Coffee, Sage & Saffron, and Seesaw Cafe 

“No two days are the same, so it’s always very exciting and often unpredictable. It starts with a modicum of control, cuddles with my cat Jordan, pots of coffee, scrolling through reels…and then it’s a whirlwind of meetings, making and re-making to-do lists and finding ways to execute ideas,” says brand strategist Sonam Savlani, whose Instagram bio reads ‘shaping…’ a whole dozen of restaurants. 

Amidst the constant chaos and highs that pass as quickly as the lows, Savlani is guided by what people around her are drawn towards. “It’s a mix of timeless and trendy. I’m guided by what people around me are drawn to at the moment, and the ideas they want to put forward. It usually meets one or more criteria on my checklist, I ask if it inspires, informs or entertains. Then I put some fun beats to it. It works,” she says. 

Although she’s taken by the ever-changing nature of social media and the challenges and ideas that it brings, on the days the fatigue hits, here’s what she does: “Scroll for four more hours while lying in bed. Then it's 3:00 am, and then I fall asleep, only to be woken up by my cat at 6:00 am. Rinse. Repeat. On a serious note, yes, when fatigue kicks in there’s no option but to rest it out or let your mind wander–something good does come from it. Focus on the most urgent tasks at hand, fall back on some deadlines and revisit them another day.” 

We also got the cat-lover to dole out some advice on whether individuals must have a strong digital footprint. She says, “Is it nice? Sure. Is it a prerequisite? No. You just need the willingness and ability to tell good stories around the brands and creators you work with, and that has little to do with your number of followers.”

Priyanka Sachdeva's outfit and accessories - Model's own; Shivani Krishan's outfit and accessories - Forest of Chintz; Sunchika Pandey's saree - Model's own, blazer - Forest of Chintz; Sonal Ved's outfit and accessories - Forest of Chintz; Tanima Khosla's outfit and accessories - Forest of Chintz; Sonam Savlani's outfit and accessories - Model's own

Compiled by Akanksha Narang and Maahi Shah