Appearing at SXSW Sydney this year, Rohit Bhargava is on a mission to inspire more non-obvious thinking in the world. He is the #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 10 books on marketing, trends and how to create a more inclusive world, including Non-Obvious Megatrends & The Future Normal. Rohit has been invited to deliver “non-boring” keynote events in 32 countries around the world and writes a monthly column on non-obvious ideas and books for Inc magazine.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Bhargava spent 12 years working in the advertising industry and was a part of the world-renowned team at Ogilvy that pioneered new storytelling models for global brands based on behavioural psychology. Rohit is a dual citizen of the US and Australia and spent 5 years living and working in Sydney.
With SXSW Sydney right around the corner and a slew of new speakers announced just yesterday, B&T had the pleasure of speaking with Bhargava about his new book, which promises to revolutionise how marketers approach creativity and consumer engagement and how he plans to implement these concepts in his appearance at the festival.
Having long held a relationship with SXSW, Bhargava told B&T of his excitement at being included in the festival’s first year in Australia last year. “I knew the organisers from my time in Austin, and when I heard they were bringing the show to Sydney, I was very excited. They invited me, and I quickly said yes because it was such an exciting opportunity. My involvement started as a speaker early on, and I also gave some suggestions for other speakers. The team has been fabulous to work with”.
Bhargava’s involvement this year will be all the more special as it coincides with the launch of his latest book, Non-Obvious Thinking: How to See What Others Miss, just a few weeks prior. “SXSW Sydney will be the first international event I’m doing to promote the book. I’ll have a bunch of new stories and a brand-new talk. We’ll also be collaborating on a few episodes of my podcast from the stage and hosting some other events, including our signature non-obvious seven-minute meetup, which is all about making new connections”.
This concept of non-obvious thinking, Bhargava told B&T, is all about thinking outside of the box and pulling away from the obvious and often mainstream ways of thinking to think more creatively and innovatively. “Many of us are good at what we do, but we often get stuck in our routines. We focus on improving within our industry and forget to pay attention to other things happening in the world. ‘Non Obvious Thinking’ is about being more observant and noticing the details we usually overlook. It’s about training ourselves to see what others might miss and getting new ideas from those observations. It’s not easy, but with the right habits, anyone can develop this mindset”.
As Bhargava explained, this mindset is an incredibly important skill for marketing professionals to master. “Marketers are often hired for their creative and strategic thinking. We need to understand consumer behaviour deeply, and non-obvious thinking helps us better understand why people do what they do and what they believe. This understanding is crucial for persuasion and effective marketing”.
In the modern marketing landscape, the biggest trend emerging is trust—or rather, the lack of it. According to Bhargava, non-obvious thinking is the key to making messages stand out as truthful and relatable. “Consumers are sceptical and don’t know what to believe. This makes it hard to reach them. Marketers need to find authentic ways to connect with their audience. Authenticity and humanity in marketing are more important than ever.”
“I see a lot of small businesses that are effective at leaning into their unique stories and authenticity. They share their personal journeys, launch on platforms like Kickstarter, and create products that resonate with people. These brands stand out because they feel real and relatable, unlike commodity brands that people buy out of habit”.
“There’s a heightened search for authenticity because technology can create a lot of noise. People are looking for what they can trust. Despite the advancements, the fundamentals of marketing remain: word of mouth and personal recommendations are still the most powerful. Technology will continue to challenge and refine how we find and maintain authenticity in marketing,” explained Bhargava.
Catch Bhargava along with a huge blockbuster lineup of guests at SXSW Sydney from October 14th – 20th. “I’m very excited about SXSW Sydney. I think it’s going to be even bigger and better than last year. I’m looking forward to sharing “Non Obvious Thinking” with a global audience and helping marketers bring more creativity and authenticity into their work”.
