‘Restrictions in liquor industry advertising make you go more innovative’

The third edition of the e4m Red Carpet Experiential Marketing Summit 2024, held on December 27 in New Delhi, saw the coming together of business heads and leaders from the experiential marketing sphere. At the conference, Ramita Chaudhuri, marketing and start-up expert and ex-CMO (Mahou India), shared key insights on the topic ‘Beyond The Bottle: Crafting Immersive Experiences in the Liquor Industry’.

Chaudhuri shed light on how brands could elevate their presence beyond traditional marketing given that this industry is extremely restricted by rules and norms to advertise. “As the liquor industry is restricted in terms of advertising, your hands are tied and this makes you go more innovative in the way you wouldn't do activations or brand marketing,” Ramita noted.

During her keynote session, Ramita spoke about the difference between experiential marketing and immersive marketing, and said immersive has experiential but experiential need not be immersive, because immersive has a technology component added to it.

During her session, Ramita delved into the evolving consumer preferences in the liquor industry, where experiences now hold as much value as the product itself. She emphasised the importance of creating immersive and emotionally resonant experiences that connect with consumers on a deeper level, which helps building brand loyalty and engagement.

Drawing from her extensive industry experience, Ramita highlighted innovative strategies that blend storytelling, technology, and consumer interaction to redefine the liquor industry’s marketing landscape today. She highlighted the intense competition and overwhelming choices available to consumers and stressed the critical role of connection and engagement in ensuring brand recall.

“In today's world, consumers are completely confused with the variety of products in the market. So how do you remain top of mind? If you don't create those connections, those relations with proper storytelling that feeling that I am part of it and I'm engaged, your consumer will not stay because that's how cluttered the environment is”, she said emphasizing the need for compelling storytelling and authentic relationships that resonate deeply with consumers.

Adding further she said, “The more you do user generated things, the more you take customer’s opinion, the more personalized content you do, the chances are that you will be remembered and it will convert to a sale”.

Concluding her address, Ramita Chaudhuri outlined that experiential is becoming more immersive because one has to be immersive with the latest technology adoption like AI and VR. She said one has to be consistent at every touch point of the consumer to create experiences and drive innovation as innovation is the key.