Around 54% of Indians will be spending up to Rs 10,000 this festive season: InMobi Report

• InMobi's latest report tries to understand the festive shopper journey in the new normal.
• This year, Indians will spend Rs 15,000 on average, majority of whom plan to increase their budgets from last year.

Starting September, the 4-month Indian festive season is marked by celebrations, ceremonies, get-togethers, and of course, shopping! InMobi's report suggest that this year Indians will spend Rs 15,000 on average, the majority of whom plan to increase their budgets from last year. Despite the pandemic, this presents a tremendous opportunity for marketers to connect and engage with their existing and potential consumers.

87% of marketers will increase their investments on in-App advertising by up to 40%. Spends are slated to almost double on in-app advertising in the future.

But what makes the 2020 Festive Season different?

• The Festive Season sentiment remains positive despite the current crisis, with 54% of Indians will be spending up to Rs. 10,000 this shopping season.
• Most of the shopping will be unplanned, with 71% of Indians still undecided or yet to plan their shopping.
• The festive season shopping has just kick-started across India and will peak in the East in September, just before Diwali in the North, and rise significantly between Dussehra till November in the West. In the South, while the shopping will be consistent from August to November in the South with small peaks of heightened activity in September and then again, a month before Christmas.
• Mobile will rule the shopping journey. 63% of Indians will use their smartphones to learn and discover about products, 77% will rely on their mobile devices to research/ explore and 62% will use it to purchase.
• Of the 26% who still plan to go in-store to shop, sanitization standards and social distancing practices will be key to their in-store shopping experience.
• The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online shopping. 53% of Indians made their first purchase online in the last 6 months and 40% of them originate from Tier-2/3 towns.

Thus, understanding your audience, identifying them, and finally, engaging and acquiring them using mobile is the key for brands to win the Indian consumer this festive season. In an increasingly mobile-native economy like ours, marketers can effectively reach potential customers during the festive season through a comprehensive mobile marketing strategy. Brands must leverage mobile to reach and engage audiences using great content, target households and sports enthusiasts in a game-filled, indoor festive season, and capture intent using shoppable media.