By Vasuta Agarwal, Chief Business Officer, Consumer Platform Advertising, InMobi.
Famously known as the land of festivals, India has a reason to celebrate an auspicious occasion each
month of the calendar year. Yet it is when our calendars flip to the page of September that we
notice a marked shift, this is when the spirit of festivities truly fill the air as we all prepare for four
months of celebrations, feasting, and joyful reunions. When consumers rejoice, brands can never be
left far behind – this time period is especially critical for Indian advertisers, earning it the moniker of
the fifth quarter of our financial year, such is the potential that this period holds. And this year, with
the festival of lights and festival of cricket coinciding, brands are in for a bonanza, if they play their
cards right.
Over the last few years, the teams at InMobi and Glance have been studying consumer behavior
during this season to help brands seamlessly integrate into the fabric of festive celebrations. This
year we’ve found that advertisers are going to have to shed their pre-conceived notions about
budgets, personas, and buying behavior to capture attention and win hearts in this vibrant and
competitive landscape.
Illuminating Insights for The Festivities
With 84% of Indians planning to expand their budgets this festive season, understanding their evolving preferences is paramount. This increased appetite for spending is directly translating into significantly higher budgets as 66% of them plan to spend up to INR 50,000 – this is a dramatic increase from 2021 where the average spends stood merely at INR 21,230. Another a significant shift we’ve observed this year is that while the festive season is a period that focuses on family and relationships, consumers are prioritizing themselves as the key decision makers over parents, siblings and spouses for all their festive purchases this year. This trend is especially pronounced among women shoppers, who identify themselves as the primary decision-makers in festive shopping.
Women are also prioritizing themselves on top of their shopping list while making festive purchases. It is a significant cultural shift that sees self-love gaining importance. These significant changes in consumer behavior make it critical for brands to truly understand this year’s festive shoppers. In our report, ‘The Marketer’s Guide to The Festive Season 2023’, we identified three distinct shopper personas:
Unplanned Shoppers: They embark without a shopping roadmap and festivals act as catalysts for their shopping sprees. 58% of them prefer flocking to key festive sales in the run up to Dusshera and Diwali, while only 36% kick-start their shopping plans in September.
Category Explorers: Voyagers who set sail with products in mind but have yet to decide on
brands. They account for a sizeable 63% of total festive shoppers and claim to be less
conscious of prices.
Brand Lovers: They navigate the festivities having decided on both the brands and products
they to buy. Women, Gen X, and millennials stand out as brand lovers. Furthermore, 58 percent of
brand lovers are planning to spend Rs. 50,000 or higher.
Like Fireworks, Mobile Rises Above All
There are distinct motivations driving Indians to embrace both online and offline shopping experiences. Since the lockdown and post-lockdown periods that caused rapidly fluctuating online and offline shopping trends, a preference for hybrid shopping has unfolded among India’s dynamic shoppers. 54% of respondents said they preferred hybrid shopping while 44% stated they will not be shopping in offline retail spaces at all this year. On the other hand, with 78% of consumers planning to shop on their smartphones, mobile is the most crucial channel for brands this festive season, making it imperative for them to embrace a mobile-first approach in their marketing strategies. In our report, we also shed light on strategic marketing trends, including peak mobile usage hours and experiential expectations.
However, marketers are always on a quest to cut the clutter on our small screens. This is where smart lock screens like Glance have given brands a chance to tell their stories up front and center. The front page of mobile has enabled brands to shorten customer journeys from around eight clicks to only one.
Actionable Smart Lock Screen Strategies
As celebrations and smartphones intertwine, there are innovative approaches to harnessing mobile
platforms. Many brands have unlocked the dynamic universe of the smart lock screen and tailored it
for the festive season. Brands are looking beyond traditional digital advertisements to engage and excite the festive shopper.
The smart lock screen is not only the front page of mobile, but it’s also a gateway to a variety of personalized and immersive journeys. For example, Coca-Cola gave its iconic bottles a Diwali twist. The brand leveraged the smart lock screen by Glance to help consumers send personalized Diwali greetings to their friends and family.
As celebrations take on personalized meanings, understanding buyer personas ensures accurate targeting, building connections that spark connections in the festive journey. Leveraging the surge of hybrid shopping and the prominence of self-love can infuse marketing campaigns with the spirit of festivity balanced with individuality. With these insights, brands can craft unforgettable memories through seamless one-click discovery and engaging experiences on the lock screen.
While this was a brief glimpse into India's vibrant festive marketplace, there are more insights waiting to be explored. As the festive lights brighten our world, we eagerly anticipate witnessing more brands adopting innovative ways to captivate audiences in India’s ever-evolving festive arena.