Raj Pudipeddi currently serves as the Chief Product and Marketing Officer for Align Technology, makers of Invisalign, and its Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region. Through his dual roles, Raj has global responsibility for product, marketing, strategy, and clinical teams, as well as for the market development and commercial execution of all Align Technology products and services in the Asia Pacific region. Raj is an engineer by training who spent nearly 22 years at Procter & Gamble after he received his MBA. Today, he considers himself an “accidental marketer” who gets his joy out of serving the business and believes that ordinary people can deliver extraordinary outcomes when they are empowered to do so.
In this episode, Raj and I discuss the first steps he took when he arrived at Align Technology and how he has transformed the organization to deliver on the brand purpose. Align Technology encompasses several brands (Align Tech, Invisalign, Itero, and Exocad) that combine to provide end-to-end service, from generating interest to helping doctors model and use their products. They operate in a two-sided market by serving consumers and doctors, but a common purpose of “transforming smiles and changing lives” brings the two together. Align Technology is creating a whole new market and modernizing a discipline that has been stationary for hundreds of years. By ensuring the seamless integration of their products, Align Technology is able to increase throughput, drive demand in the general population, and match it in the doctor’s office.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How seamless integrations are increasing throughput and driving demand
- How Align is creating a new market and modernizing a stationary discipline
- Where Raj learned his leadership style
Key Highlights:
- [01:50] Poker pro
- [02:45] From engineering to CMO
- [04:50] What brought Raj to Align?
- [06:30] The huge market opportunity
- [08:00] Wire-crossed lovers
- [09:15] The complexity of the system
- [11:40] Where did Raj start when he got to Align?
- [13:40] How does purpose make a difference?
- [11:25] The power of a smile
- [20:40] Lessons learned
- [23:30] How Align is keeping the brand authentic
- [25:00] The transformation needed to bring the vision to life
- [26:45] Consumer marketing vs. doctor marketing
- [29:45] Being a market maker
- [31:45] Personalization and seamless integration to create demand
- [33:00] Modernizing a stationary discipline
- [34:50] Measuring the effectiveness of marketing
- [37:50] Learning to make people feel respected and valued
- [41:05] Stop and smell the roses.
- [42:55] AI doesn’t preclude thinking.
- [44:30] Brands to watch
- [46:15] The pace of innovation is increasing.
Resources Mentioned:
- Raj Pudipeddi
- Align Technology
- Invisalign
- Campaign “Invis is”
- Bounty Paper Towels – More Life per Roll Campaign
- Corporate Social Responsibility & Operation Smile
- Prior career stops: P&G, Airtel (India)
- Brands mentioned: Apple, Nike
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Connect with the Guest:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-pudipeddi/
- https://twitter.com/AlignTechInc
- https://twitter.com/Invisalign
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Post-Production Credits:
Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.