What the Indian festive market will look like in COVID-19

• Maddie Amrutkar – Founder, Glad U Came (PR & Influencer Marketing agency) writes how the marketing and advertising landscape is going to change during the festive season.
• He predicts that the festive playground is going to be bustling with newer and greater possibilities, shares how.

If you aren’t creating a stir over the festive season then you need a serious reality check. It’s almost that time of the year where brands, agencies, and consumers go completely gaga over the ‘festive season’ and the Indian Festive Market seems to have a blast of its own. Although we’re going through an unprecedented phase that has sent shockwaves across the global economy -- from large businesses to smaller ones -- COVID-19 has spared no one.

So, how does a brand place itself in the festive scenario with an effective festive marketing plan amidst the pandemic? The ideal way would be understanding what the consumers need, what do they connect with the most and how can we as entrepreneurs deliver that with precision and value. Businesses can stay relevant to this festive season-cum pandemic era, despite the situation if they can leverage consumer’s demands and current trends strategically.

First, let us understand how the landscape of the Indian festive market will look like in the COVID-19 era.

Shifting to online shopping

The biggest theme of festive season is ‘value shopping.’ Since most of the consumers are unable to step outside their house, online shopping is set to take a permanent seat in our lives for a while. Consumers are looking for new ways of engagement through technology. The e-commerce sector has found a collective affinity from such consumers. This is why businesses are considering all these aspects and have made the online shopping experience more accessible and safe.

Adding a virtual personal touch

This year we won’t be able to celebrate festivals like usual but one can always have a small and personal virtual get together. Brands should realign messaging around “new” core consumer values – safety, security, comfort, and health. A great example of how brands can leverage cultural aspects and consumer’s sentiments is by introducing a campaign that resonates with the audience personally.

Go local, make a better impact

If you want to really connect to the audience and organically join in the festive celebrations, it’s essential to bring out the homely touch by opting for more homegrown brands. There are multiple amazing and innovative clothing, beauty, FMCG brands, and more that need to be known to the audience, and given the situation, it is now possible that consumers will be buying more homegrown brands.

Introducing a new product line

The festive playground is going to be bustling with newer and greater possibilities. Spanning from Fashion to technology, businesses’ only motive is to stay relevant in the market and one such way is by introducing a new product or service. One such example would be that fashion labels stepping into the facemask line or food chains opening a ‘cloud kitchen’ - delivery-only restaurant. This way brands can still generate revenue and stay strong in business.

Sales and discounts will be more influential

While there’s only a whiff of festive spirit in the air right now, it will be interesting to witness what brands and agencies have in store for the consumers. One such step would be offering sales and discounts, coupon code, and much more exciting offers. It is a great step for brands to do more of such engaging activities.

Considering user’s sentiments and current ongoing pandemic this festive season will definitely bring a shift in the market structure but businesses will definitely find a way to cope up with it.