How digital marketing will revolutionise FMCG brands in 2021

• Raj Shamani, Founder of Shamani Industries writes how digital marketing will revolutionise FMCG this year.
• He pens down a few trends that would dominate the FMCG market and shares how digital marketing enables the marketeers to show personalised ads to their right audience, grab their attention and hit the bullseye.

1. Digital marketing will make ‘MORE’ the new normal
Digital Marketing stands for more. More information, more options, more problems, more solutions. People can explore more options before buying something, find out more information about the company, match the price with its direct competitors, figure out more ways to get a simple product which was earlier bought from a small store near one’s house.

In this world of more, customers want something more than just the product, because that’s one of the oldest and the best ways where Product A beats product B, by simply offering more.

In the digital space, brands need to offer more than just the product like: free samples with the product or other kind of freebies or mini versions of products, discounts on birthdays/anniversaries, exclusive offers for regular buyers, a free product on the purchase of a particular amount , enhancing the user experience or gamifying the entire process of buying / interacting with the brand. Until one offers more, one is going to have a hard time winning the FMCG game in the digital age, because MORE is the new normal.

2. Digital Marketing will revolutionize Lead generation:

Gone are the days when an individual had to travel to a different city or a town, enter a physical market to inquire, find and meet potential business distributors and take days of back and forth to finalize and finally start distribution of the products in the new city. The given pandemic has coerced everybody to realise that change is the only constant and in order to survive; the current age marketeers need to be “adept to adapt”.

The novel Covid-19 virus has exponentially accelerated the trends of ordering food, apparel as well as banking online. The current work from home scenario only adds cherry to the cake. With the world being an “internet-village’, it is imperative for the new-age marketers to get away with the traditional theories of marketing and drink the elixir of today’s marketing era- Digital Marketing has the potential to revolutionize lead generation, introduce transparency, target the right audience at the right time and at the right time. Fortunately, people have started finding ways through digital platforms to hit the right people; eliminate the clutter and organize leads systematically.

Lead generation through digital marketing is a blessing in disguise for small businesses who were not deeply pocketed because with just an ad on Facebook or Google with few thousand rupees; anyone can set up calls with hundreds of interested partners even from the remotest villages across the nation just by sitting at one place. Lead generation through digital is already transforming other industries, Moreover, it’s just a matter of time that it is going to revolutionize FMCG as well.

3. Digital marketing will make ‘ATTENTION’ the essential A:

Till now B-schools, C level executives in the FMCG sector and other industry stalwarts have been vouching and betting heavily on three golden A’s of FMCG business: Availability, Awareness and Access.

However, with the changing times and penetration of internet in our lives, ATTENTION is the new A and most importantly, a brand needs to comprehend that if one has the attention of a modern customer, one has won half the battle already. Because with the rise of global awareness, competition and available options, customers possess the attention of a butterfly and are adept to find their fit from the clutter of brands. Connecting with customers on a personal level, understanding their real as well as secret needs and providing a customer delight is the only way, a brand can stand out and create customer stickiness.

Retaining a customer is always cheaper than acquiring a new one. Brands, retailers, marketers need to understand the real and the opportunity cost of losing a customer. One wrong move and your customer is using your competitor’s product.

Effective digital marketing enables the marketeers to show personalised ads to their right audience, grab their attention and hit the bullseye!