In recent times, entrepreneurship has experienced its fair share of success with many new-age entrepreneurs diving into the industry and starting their entrepreneurial journey by founding their brainchilds. However, these next-gen entrepreneurs are drawing inspiration and following the footsteps of numerous seasoned entrepreneurs who marked their presence long ago with their genius mindset and entrepreneurial prowess. One such entrepreneur and leader standing tall and strong is Swati Vedvyas, Business Director and Owner of Cosmo Advertising Gifts LLC. A trailblazer in the advertising and marketing industry, Swati has built a successful agency known for its innovative solutions, cost-effective offers, and reliable services. Her company offers a variety of services including Brand Design, Illustration, Video Editing, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design, Corporate Events, Copywriting, Event Planning, and more.
In this interview, Swati briefly talks about her professional journey, her core aims and ideals, her company, its offerings, long-term objectives, current projects, her success mantra, her source of inspiration, the obstacles she overcame, the achievements she won, and more.
Can you share a brief overview of your professional journey and how you started in your field?
After earning my degree in liberal arts and hotel management, I began my career in hospitality, working across hotel departments and building a foundation in the industry. Seeking growth, I moved to Dubai and joined Accor Group of Hotels as an Executive, quickly advancing to Sales Manager. Eventually, I pursued self-employment, founding Cosmo Advertising, my own advertising and gifts supply agency in 1997. With a strong network and a vision, we capitalized on the first-ever Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), offering branding materials to clients. This journey since then has been both humbling and rewarding, allowing me to combine creativity with entrepreneurship. As I advanced in my career, I began to see opportunities where I could combine my passion for creativity with my entrepreneurial spirit. Whether launching new campaigns, managing events, or leading teams, I discovered that success comes from balancing vision with execution. It was not just about having a great idea, but it was more about listening to the feedback, learning from failures, and constantly refining the approach.
Entrepreneurship, in particular, has been an eye-opening experience. It’s one thing to generate creative concepts for clients, but it’s another to build and sustain a brand of my own. The challenges of scaling a business, managing resources, and ensuring customer satisfaction have kept me grounded, teaching me resilience and adaptability. At the same time, every small victory whether it’s a satisfied client, a successful event, or a breakthrough campaign—has been a reminder of why I chose this path.
Ultimately, combining creativity with entrepreneurship has allowed me to craft a deeply fulfilling career. It has been humbling to realize that while ideas may come easily, the real reward lies in bringing them to life, collaborating with talented teams, and making an impact in a meaningful way.
As both an individual and a professional, what core aims and ideals do you prioritize that shape your decision-making and work approach?
My guiding philosophy is rooted in the principle of delivering genuine value. At Cosmo Advertising, we focus on crafting campaigns that not only stand out but also resonate authentically with our client’s target audiences. We prioritize understanding what makes a brand unique, allowing us to create relatable, quality-driven, and affordable solutions. This approach has solidified our reputation and enabled us to adapt to evolving market trends. As we embrace digital capabilities, our commitment remains the same: to uphold our quality standards while staying ahead of industry shifts, ensuring our clients’ continued confidence in our work.
What sets you apart from your competitors in the industry? How do you differentiate your approach to create a unique value for your clients?
Usually, the advertising industry professionals focus either on creative output or strategic business goals, but I bridge the two. I approach each project with a deep understanding of the client’s business challenges while pushing creative boundaries to develop unique, impactful solutions.
Beyond that, I’m committed to a hands-on, personalized approach with each client. I don’t believe in cookie-cutter strategies. Instead, I work closely with clients to truly understand their vision and goals, ensuring that the branding or advertising that we create together reflects their unique identity in an authentic way, reaches out smartly and stays on effectively for long.
Additionally, my background in hospitality marketing, and event branding, gives me a fresh perspective. I bring insights from different industries to create more dynamic and experiential branding strategies. This allows me to offer clients not just typical marketing solutions, but campaigns that engage audiences in a memorable, meaningful way.
Cosmo Advertising stands out due to its dedication to creating authentic campaigns rooted in client needs. We emphasize understanding what makes each brand unique, allowing us to develop innovative strategies that resonate with target audiences. Our approach combines affordable quality with quick turnaround times, thanks to our in-house production capabilities. This blend of speed, cost-effectiveness, and creative excellence enables us to build lasting client relationships.
Could you highlight the top-notch offerings of your company that clients find most compelling?
Cosmo offers a comprehensive suite of services, including brand development, media placement, digital marketing, and event management. We specialize in design services, like social media designs, exhibition booths, events, conferences, specialized events and 3D design, and offer unique products such as virtual reality experiences, specialized trophies, and high-quality printing. Clients value our ability to provide personalized, end-to-end solutions that are strategic and visually compelling.
What are the long-term objectives you have set for your company, and where do you envision the growth and evolution of your business in the coming years?
Looking ahead, Cosmo aims to strengthen its digital capabilities, invest in technology to streamline operations and expand our offerings with e-commerce for specialized gifts. As many of our clients are from the healthcare space, we plan to leverage our advertising expertise services to design and venture into branding for healthcare providers and more research-based and patient-centred communication. We plan to develop a consultancy niche, that will expand into healthcare by offering consultancy services that focus on the patient journey. Partnering with healthcare compliance experts and having leadership with public health know-how our consultancy services will ensure to offer solutions that adhere to industry standards and will also optimize the user experience with digital platforms, providing accessibility and ease of use for patients. We continue to focus on growing with our clients by introducing innovative services that meet post-pandemic marketing demands. Our goal is to remain a trusted, forward-thinking partner that evolves alongside industry advancements.
Can you provide insights into some of your ongoing projects? What makes these projects particularly exciting or challenging?
Our current projects include innovative award-winning exhibition booths and digital campaigns for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. We recently received accolades for our creative booth designs, which showcase our ability to capture a client’s vision in unique, engaging ways. These projects are exciting as they allow us to push creative boundaries while delivering tangible results that clients can see and experience firsthand.
Who in your life serves as a significant source of inspiration, and how have they influenced your career and personal development?
Travel has been a significant source of inspiration, allowing me to explore over sixty countries, meet diverse people, and gain new perspectives. Each journey reinvigorates my creativity and helps me adapt fresh ideas to Cosmo. Additionally, my family’s entrepreneurial spirit has profoundly influenced me, teaching me resilience, strategic thinking, and the importance of building strong, lasting relationships.
Share some notable recognitions and accreditations received by both yourself and your organization. How have these accolades contributed to your professional journey?
We have produced some award-winning exhibition booths. Most recently, we were awarded “Enthusiast” Booth at the 7th Emirates Family Medicine Congress 2024, 2nd Best Creative Exhibitor Stand award in 2024, Best Presentation Booth in 2023, Best Creative Booth 2nd in 2023, Best Innovative Exhibition Booth in 2022, Best Thematic Exhibition Booth 2nd in 2018 at the Dubai International Pharmaceutical and Technologies Conference and Exhibition – DUPHAT. We have been fortunate to receive awards in many of these aforesaid categories during the past few cycles of the conference. Over the years I have received recognition for CSR activities by local government bodies, and multiple nominations as an Emirates Businesswoman, and Maestro Business Leader, for being an inspiration to other women leaders.
Reflecting on your career, what have been the most formidable obstacles you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Transitioning from an employee to an entrepreneur was one of my biggest challenges. Starting a business in advertising, with limited resources and short experience in the industry, required me to adapt quickly and build a strong network. The key for me was embracing a mindset shift, so instead of seeing challenges as setbacks, I began viewing them as opportunities to grow. Being an entrepreneur allowed me to tap into my creativity more freely and take ownership of my work in ways that weren’t possible before. It wasn’t an easy transition, but it taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of believing in your vision. Through perseverance and the support of family and friends, I learned to navigate risks and leverage opportunities, ultimately leading to the success we enjoy today.
How do you define success in your career, and how long did it take for you to achieve what you consider a successful position in your field?
Success for me means creating a business that reflects my vision while positively impacting others. It took years of hard work and resilience to establish Cosmo Advertising as a trusted name. Success is about achieving personal growth, building meaningful relationships, and consistently delivering value to clients—qualities that have allowed Cosmo to thrive for over 27 years. Going forward, continue to evolve while building on what has worked well and thinking about succession planning, training future leaders from within and seeking external partnerships for implementing the long-term vision for Cosmo, to ensure its legacy continues to impact future generations.
What advice would you offer to the next generation of aspiring leaders, especially those looking to enter the construction and design industry?
For future leaders, I advise being open to feedback, staying flexible, and embracing a growth mindset. Entrepreneurship demands resilience and adaptability, so take time to celebrate small victories and learn from setbacks. Build a specific, realistic plan, and always maintain strong, respectful relationships within your industry. Most importantly, stay humble and committed to continuous learning.
