The next phase of e-commerce growth will come through personalisation, demand from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and the intelligent use of 1st party data. At the recently concluded HiveMinds E-commerce Conclave 2023, industry leaders from the e-commerce ecosystem in India came together to discuss what the consumers are looking for and how brands can deliver. The title sponsor of the event was Rocketium while the media partner was exchange4media Group (e4m).

In the panel on the ‘Importance of Data AI and tools in marketplaces’, Sripath Hariharan of Nivea India insisted that consumer trends cannot be overlooked. “In India, we will soon see the trends that are already prevalent in the global markets. Marketers should use the tools and Data AI to build campaigns and products for what tomorrow’s consumers will need”, he said.

Rocketium’s Karan Rao expressed that the consumers are now overloaded with information, so messages don’t register. He said the only way to get the message across is to personalise it and make it relevant for that user. He further added that data gives you the gift of time to study the trends and predict what will happen in the future.

In the other highly engaging debate on ‘Getting into the Mind of the Consumer’, Pooja Sahgal of Raymond Consumer Care said online marketplaces are a big brand-building opportunity. She opined that an integrated marketing strategy that intends to educate and engage a customer will go a long way in creating demand and fandom for online brands.

Rajeev Kohli, an e-commerce & marketing expert, mentioned how e-commerce platforms are now so important for fashion and beauty brands that marketers plan exclusive product launches exclusively for these platforms. “E-commerce can no longer be considered merely a platform to sell discounted products but rather a platform for learning about the future consumer”, Kohli said.

Abhishek Agrawal of Plum Goodness said that while the access and scalability of e-commerce marketplaces offer extended reach for a brand’s needs, for any brand, whether new or legacy, access to first-party data is paramount. It gives an insight into consumer and product feedback. Therefore, in his view, all CPG brands should focus primarily on their D2C website and m-sites. Brands’ digital assets are not only for selling but also for connecting with their users.

While discussing the impact of mega sales on e-commerce platforms on the panel ‘How to Get the Best Mileage from Online Sales’, CMOs of the leading appliance brands discussed the merits of launching innovative products during sale events.

Wonderchef’s Amit Tilekar pointed out that the data consumption per user has increased from 1GB per month per user to 13GB per month per user. “Continually exploring marketplaces is now a standard part of the user journey in buying appliances, so for brands heavily dependent on inventory planning, it makes sense to launch new products at least 45-60 days before sale events and observe consumer acceptance of products and cost. This way, such brands can better plan their inventory, sales targets, and marketing spends to maximise the impact during sale events”, Tilekar added.

However, e-commerce sales are not the answer to all scaling problems. Anand Dubey of Indkal Technologies noted that traffic on online platforms is significant during the festive season, and consumer intent to buy is even higher. Hence, the discovery-to-purchase journey becomes very short. He recommends that brands should invest during festive sales on e-commerce to convert users and build brand salience. He also reiterated the importance of inventory management: if a brand launches a new product during sales, predicting the demand and planning inventory becomes challenging.

Startup founders, marketing heads, and platform ad sales teams attended the event en masse. All delegates felt that the discussions, though very useful, were just conversation starters. There is a need for the industry to hold such debates more frequently to bring all stakeholders together to discuss and define the future of e-commerce in India.

Odisha as a state is not only renowned for its pristine nature and proud history but also for its long-standing tradition of craftsmanship. This culture of craftsmanship is best reflected in Odisha’s ancient name ‘Utkala’. Etymologically Utkala is known to be a land having an excellent opulence of artists. This rich and cultural artistic heritage is reflected across diverse arts and crafts, dance, and music traditions, and perhaps most vividly in the handlooms of Odisha.

Odisha is famous for its diverse handloom traditions like Sambalpuri Bandha of Sambalpur, Bomkai of Ganjam, Dhalapathar of Khordha to Habaspuri of Kalahandi. Thus, on the glorious occasion of Utkala Dibasa (Odisha Day), Tata Tea Premium pays homage to these diverse artforms, renowned world-over through a limited-edition pack collection inspired from the handlooms of Odisha. Nine different handlooms from different corners of Odisha have been tastefully adapted into this exquisite collection for the people of the state.  

To bring alive the story of the handlooms, the brand has also released a film conceived by Mullen Lintas, weaving together a whole 9 yard of visual extravaganza narrating the exquisite story of some of the famous handloom weaves of the state. The TVC is a musical in nature and has been sung by famous Odia celeb singer Rituraj Mohanty, which takes you through a Visual spectacle and a sing-song ride of local folk art and cultural cues that are intrinsic to the handloom styles. This campaign is further amplified by an on-ground exhibition in Bhubhaneswar on the eve of Odisha Day, to celebrate the weavers who have been instrumental in bringing alive the designs and the packs. 

Elaborating on the initiative, Puneet Das, President, Packaged Beverages, India & South Asia, Tata Consumer Products Limited, said, “As part of our continued efforts to strengthen our brand connect with the people of Odisha, we are excited to celebrate the handloom culture of the state through our #UtkalaKiKala campaign on Utkala Dibasa. The array of handloom sarees from Odisha have been an integral part of the state’s cultural fabric. We have been able to bring alive these handloom traditions and capture their magical design in our limited-edition packs. We have further amplified this story beyond our packs into a beautiful film that can be seen by consumers across Odisha. Celebrating the rich culture of Odisha as well as driving this campaign to highlight the magic of these craftsmen, is at the core of our hyperlocal strategy to strengthen the connect with people of Odisha”.  

Arnab Chatterjee, co-founder Tree Design, who had conceived the thought and the pack design said, “To truly do justice to the brief we decided to go to the source of this rich cultural heritage. Traversing across the state of Odisha, we covered close to 1000 kms by road, over a period of 8 days, and located nine local artists who have been practicing their specific craft of handloom weaving for generations. Each of the nine artists was tasked to create a special saree for Odisha Day based on their rich and specific ethnic handloom culture. These sarees then became the base for the nine limited edition Odisha Day packs. These nine gems were then used to create a full campaign for Odisha Day ranging from a special edition tea book to outdoor to print to evoke a sense of local pride with the Tata Tea Premium consumers in Odisha”.  

Commenting on the genesis of the campaign and the idea, Hari Krishnan, CEO, Mullen Lintas said “Not every day you get to work on a campaign like this. While the brief to the team was to communicate about the 9-handloom inspired limited edition packs, the idea was always to celebrate the pride of Odisha on the occasion of Utkala Dibasa, through one of its popular art forms- its beautiful handlooms. The name of the state itself has ‘kala’ in, so we leveraged it to work in our favour and cracked the campaign #UtkalaKiKala, a celebration of the state and its handloom art. The way the film portrays the stories and inspiration behind each of the handlooms, brought alive through a mix of miniature art and slick animation, encaptivates the viewers while also landing the communication comprehensively.”

“Why is your tea tasting different today, Rachna Aunty?”, I asked my maternal aunt innocuously last week during my customary fortnightly visit to her house, “There’s a nice aroma too which I never noticed before. And it’s certainly not your favourite Taj Mahal tea this time - I’m pretty sure about that, Aunty”.

Rachna Aunty was visibly happy that I noticed the difference in the taste of tea and very proudly confirmed, “You’re right beta, it’s Wagh Bakri this time and I was waiting to see if you can figure out the change and tell me if you liked this one’s taste better”. I quickly added, “It’s wonderful Aunty, good choice. But I’m curious to know what forced you to make this big change in your tea-drinking habit. Because as far as I can recall, both you and Ramesh Uncle have been loyal Taj Mahal tea drinkers forever.”

“Oh it’s nothing, I had opened the Flipkart app to order my groceries just like you had taught me last month and as soon as I typed Tea to order Taj, I chanced upon Wagh Bakri tea there. I had heard about this name from friends and thought let me experiment with a small pack to see if it’s really that good. And I am happy that like us, you too liked the tea. I think we’d switch to Wagh Bakri now”.

I was happy to know that my digital-laggard, septuagenarian Rachna Aunty had made some progress in her app usage journey and managed to shop online on her own. That she felt empowered enough to order confidently and choose a new brand for herself was a source of added satisfaction for me. What I didn’t tell her of course was that she hadn’t exactly “chanced upon” the new brand Wagh Bakri accidentally. That it was all part of a carefully orchestrated campaign that the digital marketing team of Wagh Bakri had engineered behind the scenes with the Flipkart app, would perhaps have dispirited her. The fact of the matter is that my unsuspecting aunt had of course failed to notice the “Ad” tag in fine print next to Wagh Bakri when she started to look for tea and in effect, she ended up becoming a converted sales metric for the brand marketing team.

For me, this little exchange was not just an reaffirmation of the inexorable march of the e-commerce brigade in India, but also a reminder of the growing influence of the advanced audience targeting techniques of retail media advertising.

Welcome to the world of retail media advertising

As the media landscape continues to change and evolve, brands, companies, and online stores are restructuring their marketing approach and increasingly opting for retail media solutions. The goal of retail media advertising in simple terms is to reach consumers closer to the point of purchase (POP) and encourage them to buy a product or service – just as the POP material at the physical retail stores were meant to do, in the olden days.

The fact that retail media is already the fourth-largest digital advertising media vertical -- estimated to be about 452 mn USD worth (approx. 3600 cr INR) – is ample proof that it’s a channel that’s headed for rapid growth. It more than doubled in size during 2019-2022, overtaking radio, OOH and cinema spends, according to a recent Dentsu Adex report.

With the rise of overall e-commerce business in India (estimated to reach approx. 100 bn USD sales by 2024) and the need to target “buying audiences” as opposed to just “planning to buy” audiences, retail media is becoming increasingly important.

So what exactly is Retail Media?
Put simply, retail media can be seen as the advertising space available for sale on e-commerce platforms – including websites, apps, and other digital spaces where products or services are also traded. But in reality, it’s more than that. Retail media (as opposed to e-commerce media) encompasses all the various formats of advertising on those platforms as well as ads purchased through retail media networks that may not appear on e-commerce sites or apps themselves. So, in effect, retail media advertising covers all techniques that allow you to optimize buyer outcomes by combining performance advertising and commerce audiences, across the entire world wide web.

Retail media solution specialists now offer the ultimate solution for achieving growth-oriented business via a fully integrated data-driven platform for media planning, buying and optimization with access to a multitude of shoppers. They are helping businesses to strategize and execute effective online campaigns that deliver through the funnel results and thereby maximise ROI.

Retail Media is the hottest marketing topic today
By and large, everyone knows that while Search is for targeting “intent” audiences and social media is used principally to target “interest” segments, retail media in comparison is meant to connect with the “actual shoppers”.

Retail media is a form of digital advertising that is best suited for reaching consumers who are actively amid the purchase journey. Because online retailers have access to a wealth of first-party data on consumer behaviour, they can deliver highly targeted and personalized ads to consumers across the web – outside of e-commerce platforms too – for example, on social media channels, and on mobile apps. Examples of retail media solution networks include Amazon's DSP, as also those from Flipkart, Snapdeal, Paytm, Criteo, Carousel and Shopback. So while advertising on retailer websites is not a new phenomenon but using it to collect important customer data is a relatively newer idea. This data is then being used to shape the entire sales funnel, from the top all the way through to conversions. This is a highly effective way to market to customers, but important to highlight that it can only be successful if brands and retailers develop a robust data-backed plan.

Understanding Retail Media advertising is becoming exceedingly important for brands, as it provides a new, highly effective way to reach the spending consumers. Put another way, here’s an opportunity for marketers to target actual paying buyers and thereby reduce the probability of wastage.

Why it should be part of your brand strategy
Investing in Retail Media advertising is an effective way for brands to craft personalized shopper experiences that stand out from the competition. By creating more contextualized ads, brands are able to generate deeper engagement and increase brand visibility with relevant audiences.

Here are 4 key benefits of adding retail media strategy to your advertising toolkit:
• Get in front of high-intent shoppers: Shoppers are actively seeking to buy something - they're in the research stage of their purchasing process. Brands can use this information to influence their customers' decisions by appealing directly
• Learn detailed consumer information (first-party data): Bands can gain access to retailer first-party data, which is valuable because it reaches the very shoppers that brands want to reach
• Measure and track customer journeys in real-time: Retail media enables direct attribution because of the retailer's ownership of digital assets. With this technology, numbers collected by website visit conversions become clearer for brands when it comes to analytics
• Increasing organic reach: Retail media campaigns can be used not only for paid advertising, but can lead to organic customer awareness as well

What next for Retail Media?
Retail media's recent boom is not going to slow down anytime soon. As online privacy regulations tighten and the cookie-less world becomes a reality, more and more marketing managers will shift digital advertising dollars and marketing efforts to platforms and marketing channels that centre on first-party customer data.
As Dr. Karsten Wildberger, CEO of the MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group and an authority on digital advertising says “Retail media will be the main driver of digital advertising growth; the pie is getting bigger and it‘s time to get a slice!”

Sure, Amazon Advertising is likely to dominate Retail Media in the near term. However, many other players – such as Flipkart, Paytm, Myntra, Big Basket as well as new challengers, are expected to force rapid innovation in the space.

No reason why you shouldn’t start a retail media campaign

The advantages of retail media advertising are obvious and early adopter brands are already incorporating them into their existing marketing measures. The argument in support of digital retail media campaigns – that they are based on first-party data and can actually help to convert online shoppers into real store visitors - is indisputable.

Bottom line: procrastinators needn’t sit on the fence any longer but instead look to jump on to the retail media bandwagon and start converting all Rachna Aunties and their ilk soon.

(The views expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com)

Campa Cola, the soft drink recently re-launched by Reliance Consumer Products Limited, is yet to announce its brand ambassador despite having entered partnership with three IPL teams - Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings.

Despite the big-ticket tournament just days away, market sources inform that the cola brand, which wants to tap into the younger generation, will at least take six months to start flow-blown marketing since they want to focus on the distribution first. 

At the time of the launch, the RCPL spokesperson said: “While older family members will have fond memories of the original Campa and cherish the nostalgia associated with the brand, younger consumers will love the crisp refreshing taste.” So, what strategies should the brand rope in to achieve this target, given the beverage space is already cluttered and the talk among the GenZ is to switch to healthier options?

Ramanujam Sridhar, Founder CEO, Brand - comm public relations, says, “I think it a good move as the Indian consumer is always looking for a choice and Campa Cola at one point in time was a fairly successful brand. We talk about a healthy lifestyle but when it comes to actual usage, I am not really sure how many of us are actually conscious of it. India is not a big cola market, despite many big brands entering the market and spending thousands of crores on marketing and getting celebrities. It’s not a big market, so any new entrant will create some impact.”

Sharing a different perspective was N. Chandramouli, CEO of TRA Research, “While there are two major players in the aerated beverages market, there are many regional players that rule in a specific region, and Pepsi and Coke have not been able to break into their stronghold. It leaves Campa Cola with an opportunity to start off by positioning itself as an alternative. The sales may also take off in the Reliance Smart and Smart Point points, where Campa Cola will get ample yet cheap shelf space. This year, the aerated beverages market is likely to be nearly $2 billion and if Campa Cola manages to capture a 5% market share in the first two years, it is still $100mn or upwards of Rs 800 crore.”

Speaking from the urban-rural population’s POV was Nisha Sampath, Brand Consultant, and Founder, of Bright Angles Consulting, “The healthy lifestyle is becoming a buzzword, more and more people are getting into it but what you see is that a lot of brands that talk to the younger generation don’t fit into the healthy lifestyle. While we talk about the GenZ cohort it can be very different in the urban setting compared to a GenZ in a rural set-up. A lot of categories like quick fashion, premium beauty, and fast food are very aspirational in the smaller towns. I think they are pushing into that segment, the competition is there but in Mass India when a brand is present then residual recall will be a strength for them. The strategy will be not only bet on the urban audience but on the rural audience as well.”

Campa Cola had a great presence in the market back in the day with actors like Salman Khan being part of their advertising campaigns. Since the company is also banking on nostalgia to push the product into the market, we spoke to advertising maestro Agnello Dias. “Nostalgia, at its best, is a novelty gift item. It rarely sustains beyond the first curious flush of interest. So as a mind opener, that is fine but the building sustained brand equity on nostalgia for the cola category is a downward journey according to me.” Dias noted.

Speaking on the possible strategies the brand should adhere to, Sampath said, “Legacy is a very powerful thing in the Indian market. Even the GenZ respects legacy. It is in our culture to respect things from the past. So Campa Cola has to smartly balance its legacy with something which is modern now. They should go with very smart pricing that really puts you on an advantage versus the competition. Sharply identifying the audience and playing on the Indian heritage is the most powerful and the most appealing thing for the Indian audiences and the younger generation too.”

The celebrity ambassador appeal is very huge when it comes to the beverage category - right from soft drinks to hot beverages like tea or coffee. Brands love to attach themselves with a celebrity. We asked experts who should possibly be the face of Campa Cola, since they are reinventing themselves. As for Dias, “The original beverage category was a pioneer in bringing celebrity brand endorsements to the fore in an emerging India. Today the concept of brand ambassadors itself is a saturated field. I think the custodians should push the bravery they have shown in reviving the brand by going ahead and standing apart by not using a brand ambassador or at least making a completely left-field choice in that regard.”

On the other hand, Chandramouli said, “GenZ has dreams, is aspirational, and prefers very different icons than those chosen by Coke and Pepsi. They follow influencers rather than actors. A dramatically different approach of using big influencers to be brand endorsers may give the brand a fillip.”

Sampath thinks that Ranbir Kapoor will be a possible right fit since he comes from a legacy family. However, she advises the brand to make a conscious choice. “I would tell Campa Cola not to run and choose the popular young celebrity just because they want to capitalize on GenZ but rather to look at their values and make a more careful choice.”

Beverage brand Pepsi has unveiled a new logo. This is the company’s first rebranding exercise since 2008. The new logo will be rolled out in the North American markets this year and the rest of the world in 2024.

The new design reflects the company’s evolving identity and will be featured across digital and physical properties of the brand, including packaging, fountain and cooling equipment, fleet, fashion and dining. The revamped design bears a striking resemblance to the brand’s 1987-1997 logo.

However, the recent iteration has a different font, colour and a new border to mark it differently from its 90s logo. The new emblem departs from its 2008 version with the usage of upper case fonts, and bolder and brighter colours. The brand’s use of black font and black border is a reference to Pepsi Zero’s black can. The can also sports a distinct silhouette.

The revamped design also aligns with the beverage brand’s aim to embrace its zero sugar proposition. “Zero is going to be the centre of the strategy for the Pepsi brand,” said CEO Ramon Laguarta during an analyst call. 

KBM Spices is on an expansion spree. The company today announced the appointment of Bollywood star Parineeti Chopra as its brand ambassador. After carving a niche in Delhi-NCR markets, KBM Spices plans to aggressively foray into the entire North Indian region and other parts of the country with its extensive product range and strong marketing networks. The company is also focusing on increasing its market share with omnichannel marketing and sales models. 

Speaking about the association, Mr. Rupesh Aggrawal the CMO and co-owner of KBM Foods Pvt. Ltd. which owns the brand KBM spices said, "We are extremely delighted to have Parineeti Chopra onboard as our brand ambassador. She resonates with our brand values and is loved by millions across the country. We are confident that her energy and passion for life will bring a fresh perspective to our brand and help us connect with a larger audience."

KBM spices have always been dedicated to providing the best quality spices to their customers, and with this new initiative- partnership with Ms. Chopra, they are ready to take their brand to new heights. Parineeti Chopra, known for her bold and vibrant personality, is the perfect fit for KBM spices as they aim to introduce a new look to their brand.

The new collaboration with Parineeti Chopra comes at an exciting time for KBM spices, as they gear up to expand their product line and reach out to a wider customer base. With the introduction of their new look, KBM spices is all set to embark on a new journey with quality products and a new brand image. 

Parineeti Chopra expressed her excitement about the partnership, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of the KBM spices family. I understand the importance of good quality spices in cooking, and KBM spices are known for their superior quality and taste. I look forward to representing a brand that is committed to providing the best to its customers."

With KBM spices' commitment to quality and Parineeti Chopra's vibrant persona, this partnership is set to create waves in the industry. 

Lee Cooper has launched its Summer Campaign for 2023, with the theme "Life Is Out There". To promote the campaign, Lee Cooper has launched a series of digital and social media activities, including a video campaign, influencer collaborations, and a hashtag campaign #LifeIsOutThere. 

The campaign encourages people to step out of their comfort zones, embrace new experiences, and live their lives to the fullest. The film captures the essence perfectly as it shows a group of friends on a road trip in a yellow vintage Microbus. The treatment of the video brings alive the core theme of ‘Life Is Out There’ effectively. The carefree yet smooth vibe grows on the viewer. The wanderlust is reflected through their journey as they head to a variety of outdoors like beach, forest & lake side; basically highlighting the theme of the campaign “Life Is Out There". 

The "Life Is Out There" campaign features a range of stylish and comfortable summer wear, including denim shorts, printed t-shirts, and breathable dresses, all designed to help people stay cool and stylish in the summer heat. The collection is available online and in Lee Cooper stores and Ajio. 

The brand is also planning to host a series of Airport activities in collaboration with Vistara and Indigo, summer events, including campaigning activities, beach parties, and outdoor concerts, in select cities pan India. 

Conceptualized by Makani Creatives Executive Creative Director Copy - Anant Medepalli says” Lee Cooper was the go to denim brand for rockstars. Rebellion and experimentation are woven into the brand. We have given rebellion a fresh spin. With a vibrant campaign and film that exude energy. There are no directions in life. As the song goes, live for the flow and your heart shows the way. Life’s out there. It’s about exploring new places. It’s also about leaving your comfort zone and embracing all that life offers” 

Neville Suraliwal, Servicing Head, Makani Creatives said, “The campaign believes that life is all about taking risks, trying new things, and living in the moment. Our Summer Campaign, 'Life Is Out There', is all about inspiring people to do just that. Whether you're exploring a new city, hitting the beach, or just hanging out with friends, we want you to feel confident and stylish in your Lee Cooper gear and enjoy all moments of because #LifeIsOutThere” 

Jayesh Sali, Head of Marketing, Fashion & Lifestyle, Reliance Retail, said, "We want to inspire people to embrace the spirit of adventure and explore all the exciting things the world has to offer. This Film also talks about how a group of friends are going on a road trip, hitting the beach, or just enjoying a day out with friends, we want to help you look and feel your best."