Judge of the Day: Tara Kapur, market lead, India – Duolingo English Test at Duolingo

Meet the judges of The Drum Awards. We celebrate the best in brand-building and creative strategy, and our Judge of the Day series gives you a closer look at the experts behind our prestigious panels. Get to know the industry leaders who recognize excellence in marketing.

Today we feature Tara Kapur, market lead, India – Duolingo English Test at Duolingo and judge for The Drum Awards APAC. With more than 15 years of experience across media, entertainment, and consumer tech, Tara has built brands that make culture, not just campaigns. She has held leadership roles at Netflix, Vice Media, and now Duolingo, where she oversees business and marketing for one of the world’s fastest-growing English proficiency tests in India. She is also the co-founder of Vitamin Stree, a digital platform dedicated to feminist storytelling that’s won acclaim and industry awards alike.

As a CMO, what is the most important challenge you face today?

As a marketing head in Asia, the biggest challenge is navigating the fast-evolving digital landscape while catering to a highly diverse audience. This involves adapting to shifting consumer behaviors across regions, addressing cultural differences and language localization in various markets, standing out and driving awareness in large, competitive markets, and effectively utilizing emerging technologies to become more efficient. Balancing these elements requires constant innovation and deep market understanding.

What is the biggest challenge of maintaining a consistent brand across multiple markets?

Maintaining a consistent brand across multiple markets can be really challenging because each market has its own unique cultural nuances and consumer preferences. The key is to strike the right balance between staying true to the core brand identity while adapting messages and strategies to resonate locally. It’s about finding that sweet spot where your brand feels both global and deeply relevant to each individual market. Brands like Nike and Netflix do a great job of this.

What excites and/or concerns you about how the role of the CMO is evolving?

The nature of marketing itself is to continuously evolve, you don’t get into a career like this expecting things to be the same and for formulaic campaigns to work. You need to adapt with cultural changes, leverage new technologies and drive innovation to enhance customer experiences, which is a fun and exciting space to operate in.

However, what is also concerning currently is we are in an environment where marketing budgets are continuing to tighten and businesses demand quicker results. There’s often less importance given for the long-term value of brand building. Great brands are crafted over time, and the challenge is demonstrating the worth of strategic brand investments that aren’t always immediately trackable. Balancing the need for short-term impact with the patience required for meaningful brand development is a tough but essential part of the role.

How can marketers better demonstrate their value at C-suite level?

For companies that want to build 100 year old brands, marketing and brand love is an essential part of that journey. Marketing heads should focus on how their strategies align with the company’s big-picture goals. By clearly linking marketing efforts to tangible results like revenue growth and customer acquisition, and using data to back it up, they can make a strong case. It’s also important to highlight the long-term benefits of brand building and how it supports sustainable success. Essentially, it’s about demonstrating how marketing drives real business value and contributes to the company’s overall success.

In your business sector, what do you feel is the key to creating a brand that stands out?

In the education sector, especially with high-stakes testing, the key to creating a standout brand is building trust and credibility. Since word-of-mouth recommendations are crucial, focusing on delivering exceptional results and supporting students and educators effectively can really set a brand apart. Authentic testimonials and a track record of success go a long way in establishing a strong reputation and encouraging positive referrals. We also have the advantage of the brand halo effect of our parent company Duolingo, which helps our awareness and visibility.

What emerging trends or technologies do you believe will have the most significant impact on marketing in the next five years?

This is probably going to be pretty standard as an answer, but the two things that will continue to create a significant impact on marketing in the next 5 years will be AR and AI. Augmented reality will help brands create immersive experiences that engage customers in new ways, and we will continue to see advancement and innovation in this space. AI generated content will help create personalized content at scale at significantly lower costs for brands.

If you could only spend your budget on one media channel/platform, what would it be and why?

Even though Tik Tok is probably the post ‘buzzy’ platform right now, I would still pick YouTube as my platform of choice if I could only pick one. It offers a broad reach and diverse content formats, making it ideal for engaging a wide audience through educational videos, tutorials, and testimonials. It has powerful targeting options and data analytical tools, the influencers and creators have strong fandoms; and as a platform itself it has less regulatory challenges. For instance, Tik Tok after phenomenal growth in India, was banned a few years later, as a marketer I wouldn’t want to take that level of risk with all my budget.

How do you anticipate the growth of AI-driven marketing solutions will change what you do as a marketer in the future?

As mentioned above, AI will help create a massive amount of content at a lower cost for brands and allow for more personalized messaging. However, the downside is that there will be so much clutter, and brands will need to work even harder to develop breakthrough ideas that stand out. It’s going to become a major quality versus quantity game, and figuring out the right balance will be key for marketers going forward.

Be part of what’s next at The Drum Awards

The Drum Awards celebrate the boldest ideas, smartest strategies and most effective campaigns from around the globe. Enter your work for a chance to have it reviewed by industry leaders like Tara Kapur and earn recognition that moves the industry forward. Submissions close August 6, 2025.

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