‘Tis the season to be merry, meet friends and family (albeit following covid safety norms), eating sweetmeats, and of course, to launch a marketing blitzkrieg. In our series BE Lights, ETBrandEquity.com peeks into the minds of marketers and agency heads to understand their take on festive season marketing. In this installment, we present Akila Chandrasekhar, head- marketing, Organic India.
1. How has marketing during the festive times evolved over time?
The festive season has always been essential to the consumers in India, however, it has become even more so in the aftermath of the pandemic. Earlier, the marketers and brands used to capitalize only the major festivals like Diwali, Holi, Christmas, etc. for brand associations, campaigns, and offers but today, we get an opportunity to connect at a more personal/ cultural/ native level with the consumers. This has particularly played a key role in regional festivals. Festivals themselves have now been further segmented into 'days', religious festivals' and 'events' e.g. Mother's Day – Kisan Diwas, Earth Day, etc.
2. The most memorable festive marketing campaign you have done. Why?
The most memorable festival marketing campaign for us has been the one around Navratri where we promoted the win of good over evil on the lines of choosing organic over chemicals. The thought behind the campaign is very close to our beliefs and what the brand stands for and hence was relayed in a manner capturing the true essence of it all.
3. Do you feel festival marketing is losing its sheen in the era of online mega sales. If yes, then why? If no, then why not?
Festival marketing has not lost its sheen. It's a more cluttered space where Diwali and Navratri have traditionally been the 'high' decibel marketing festivals. The online mega sales have joined this bandwagon and added to the spending and offers during this period. Also, different categories have different channels through which they promote their festival campaign. Traditionally, consumer durables and automobiles have always used the Diwali/Dussehra festivities as a period to exhaust or liquidate the previous year's stock. It is also a major event for apparel and fashion brands since a lot of new clothes and furnishings are bought during this time.
Although, in the same space, most FMCG brands other than gifting ones, see a dip due to the shifting of monies to other spends.
