Keeping it effective while marketing for India's celebratory season

Marketing opportunities abound when people celebrate during festive seasons and in this Spotlight India series on festive marketing, WARC India Editor Biprorshee Das finds out how brands and marketers prepare for and execute strategies on such important occasions.

Some time ago, while researching for this edition of Spotlight India, I came across this line – “baaro maash, tero paarbon”, a Bengali (one of the many hundred languages spoken in India) sentence that translates into “12 months, 13 festivals”. The Bengali in me nodded in agreement with this sentiment about my country being one where there is a cause for celebration every other day. We aren’t complaining about the number of bank holidays in a calendar year though.

There is, of course, the New Year to begin with and Holi in the first half of the year that is now quickly becoming quite the cultural phenomenon beyond Indian shores. However, it is the latter half of the year when the country truly comes into its own. Starting with local festivals in August and September, you soon have Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali from October to December, and the grand closing of the year with Christmas.

Our latest Spotlight India focuses on how to make the most of the opportunities that the festive season offers marketers.

With great celebrations come greater marketing activity

The great Indian festive season is rich in cultural significance and celebrated with great fervour. Needless to say, the enthusiasm is even greater in the marketing world as people loosen their purse strings for the festival shopping experience.

It is now well understood that marketers bank on the five months of the Indian festive season to boost sales and the frenzy reaches fever pitch. According to Redseer, in 2023, e-commerce platforms touched a GMV close to Rs 47,000 crores in just the first week of the season. And then when one accounts for the fact that the festive shopper is hybrid, the numbers get mindboggling.

A not very surprising yet important insight is that despite inflationary pressure, the festive time is one when consumers are more than happy to spend. An InMobi 2023 report found that 84% of Indian festive shoppers increased their budgets compared to the previous year.

Our consumer data report with this edition narrates a similar story. We found almost three in four (71%) Indians either spent more or planned to spend more on shopping during last year’s holiday season.

With the marketing space becoming increasingly crowded during the festivities each year, brands need to explore new strategies to stand out. By offering tailored products, services and meaningful interactions, brands can and must connect more deeply with their audience and create lasting impressions.

Making the most of the preparatory phase

The preparatory phase for the Indian festive season, which includes festivals like Diwali, Durga Puja and Eid, starts months in advance. This period is characterised by activities such as deep cleaning of homes, purchasing new clothes, personal grooming and planning festive meals. Consumers invest significant time and resources into these preparations, creating ample touchpoints for brands to engage with them.

There are both functional and emotional opportunities for brands to engage with consumers at this stage. Products and services specifically designed to ease the preparation process can be offered. For instance, home cleaning brands can promote deep cleaning services or DIY kits. Fashion brands can introduce festive collections early, allowing consumers to shop and plan their outfits well in advance.

Similarly, brands can tap into an emotional journey as families come together to plan and prepare for the festivals by offering content and services that resonate with sentiments. Storytelling through advertisements that highlight the joy of preparation, nostalgia and the anticipation of festivities can create a strong emotional connection. Brands can also offer personalised advice and services, helping consumers navigate their preparation journey with ease and emotional support.

Hence, brands can hit the ground running with this opportunity to engage with consumers at an initial stage, forge deeper connections and ensure a more solid relationship once the action actually begins. 

Author and seasoned brand strategist, Shaziya Khan, finds this to be a “fresh, uncrowded opportunity”.

“Preparing for the festive season is not for the faint-hearted. Brands have an excellent opportunity to provide the much-needed and early allyship and partnership, and support what the consumer seeks, thereby winning hearts, minds and pockets in fresh ways.”

The commercial aspects of the season

The festive period in India is also one when consumers are offered sales and discounts galore. Understandable! And it works perfectly too. The annual sales by Amazon (Great Indian Festival) and Flipkart (Big Billion Days) are successful examples.

However, could this be a short-term tactic to boost sales? Looking at how both Amazon and Flipkart have built their respective properties around the season, perhaps not. These annual sales are highly anticipated every year and have a sound recall in the minds of their audience. Hence, such initiatives will and should be an integral part of festive marketing strategy.

Ana Avasthi from Media.Monks India noted how Indian festive marketing is moving from tradition to commerce-led celebrations or “brand-created festivals”, as she calls these initiatives. She offers what perhaps could be seen as a contrarian view and yet very relevant one.

“There’s really no ‘festive season’ in India anymore – it spans across the year, considering what is relevant for your brand and audience. With a certain hygiene mandate that the October-November period warrants, it really only depends on how carefully you want to plan the marketing dollar distribution, considering it remains the same limited amount.”

As Avasthi noted, discounts today are a dime a dozen, irrespective of whether it is the festive season or not. But shouldn’t there be a better strategy to build long-term salience? Indian consumers are increasingly valuing brands that contribute positively to society and reflect ethical values. The Indian festive season is rich with cultural significance and emotional resonance, providing an excellent chance for brands to engage with consumers on a deeper level.

BBH India’s Ankit Sharma contributed to this edition with his thoughts on this idea.

“Beyond these deals and discounts, there are some simple yet effective building blocks for brands to be successful in festive marketing:

• Create a brand/festive property
• Annual themes to drive context and power storytelling
• Build identity elements for driving quick saliency
• Campaign structure to build anticipation and action.”

I had a chance to speak with the team at Coca-Cola India, a brand that over the years has owned the space of “joy” through its communication – an easy fit when one thinks of all that is associated with festivities. Coca-Cola could be a classic example of how a global brand has embraced the local culture in its entirety and it shows in its festive communication in India.

“Our preparation for the festive season starts months in advance, involving meticulous market research to understand evolving consumer preferences and cultural nuances. We then craft bespoke campaign strategies that resonate deeply with the festive ethos, reflecting the vibrancy of each festival. This dedicated approach allows us to make each festival not just as a moment of joy but a shared experience enriched by the presence of our Coca-Cola brand.”

Another shining example is McDonald’s India that over the years has worked on building a strong emotional connection with the consumer and the festive season gives the brand that added platform to build on it, said Arvind RP, chief marketing officer, McDonald’s India (West and South).

“We actively participate in the festive spirit by tailoring our offerings and in-store experiences, allowing us to connect more meaningfully with our diverse customer base. It is also the time when families often dine out more frequently and we introduce limited-time festive products and relevant thematic promotions. These initiatives help in strengthening our brand relevance and affinity around the most important cultural occasion in consumers’ lives”.

It would certainly not hurt the chances of a brand to invest in more long-term strategies than a flash-in-the-pan sale, as brand strategist Bonnie Michael explained.

“During the festive season, a brand’s ‘reason to buy’ often shifts from their USP (unique selling point) to BSP (best-selling price), where they treat all customers alike. This excessive discounting prioritises one-time shoppers making optimal use of the discounted rates, alienates loyal customers and turns off high-value customers looking for more than just deals. This affects the customer’s perception of a brand and erodes profitability and customer loyalty in the long run. Discounting cannot replace value-based marketing.”

Seizing the technological opportunity

The Indian festive season also presents a wealth of technological marketing opportunities for brands to enhance their reach and engagement. With the widespread adoption of smartphones and increasing internet penetration, digital platforms have become a primary avenue for festive marketing.

One such opportunity we see lies in the growing space of connected TV. CTV is fast emerging as a powerful tool to build reach and engagement in India and conversations with experts increasingly suggest this is a realm brands are looking at with a lot of interest.

A recent GroupM study suggested addressable TV audiences in India have reported household incomes 1.09 times higher than households watching free TV services. Capturing the attention of this affluent cohort could be an excellent chance at a time when consumer spends promise to be on the rise.

Wavemaker India’s Mansi Datta shared a focused perspective on how CTV is a key tool to reach the high-spending consumer during festive times.

“Festive periods bring out emotions and sentiments with consumers being more receptive. People are usually in a joyful and celebratory mood, which makes them more responsive to messages that resonate with their feelings. Advertisements or campaigns that can tap into these emotions can create a strong connection with the audience.

Affluent audiences tend to gravitate towards premium streaming services and high-quality content. By advertising on these platforms, your brand gains an aura of elegance and refinement, aligning with their tastes and contributing to the elevation of your brand's prestige. This scenario perfectly illustrates the classic advertising theory that the medium can also serve as the messenger.”

What also always remains key is content strategy. Contributors to the edition stressed the need to keep brand themes and communication relevant to and respectful of the season’s spirit and the land’s culture for greater and more sound consumer acceptance. Even slight deviations could be detrimental.

I spoke with Kartik Mahadev at ZEE for this edition. This Indian media brand finds itself with an incredible opportunity to connect deeply with its audience at both the local and national levels, a boon during the festive season. Needless to say, ZEE works hard to prepare for an effective period each year during the festivities.

“We see festivals as vehicles for rich storytelling, deepening relationships with viewers and therefore, we design our content to be native to the culture across India to tell authentic stories and make lasting connections.”

Thinking right in a polarised environment

Amid all things transactional, the heart must be in the right place. While being respectful of the culture through your content and communication is vital, it becomes very necessary for brands to be sensitive to the social scenario and deliver the right message.

At WARC, we champion inclusivity as a key component of effective marketing strategy. When talking specifically about something like festive marketing, there again lies a chance for brands to be wary, sensitive and do the right thing in a polarised environment.

Virtue Worldwide’s India strategy director, Saumya Baijal, who also actively comments on popular culture and gender studies, shared in her article for the edition that it is imperative this Diwali for goodness to reign over polarisation. Baijal is of the view that there is always a risk in having an inclusive conversation during festivals lest fringe groups are left offended. But it is necessary to have one.

“Rituals and languages change in India every few hundred kilometres and each space has its own unique take on Diwali. The merging of state rituals, understanding rituals beyond the north and going beyond just representation would enrich brand work and worlds, and create more relatable groups.”

There is a reason we chose this time to publish this edition on festive marketing even when the period is a while away. It is around now that discussions begin and strategies are drawn. Come August and we will be busy celebrating. Make most of the preparatory phase, like I mentioned before. Never a bad time to wish you fun, fruitful and happy celebrations though. Hope you find the edition to be a useful read.