Does your brand speak to your consumer?
The packaging industry, which stood at $32 billion in 2015, had grown at a CAGR of 15% in the last 5 years and is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 13-15% in coming years
Packaging has a profound impact on how we relate to particular products. Effective product packaging can shout from the shelves. The colours, textures, fonts, and compositions on the products we buy can really change how we feel, taste, and experience a brand.
A pleasure to the eyes!
Have you ever stopped to pick up a product and noticed that it did not really convey its message well? This is not a common sight these days. From packaged juices to sanitary napkins, brands are progressing towards building a first impression of their product for customers. Even in the age of social media, product packing and “shelf-presence” is still important for brands to get (and remain) in the consumer consciousness. From glittery boxes to eco-friendly packaging, brands have taken a leap in terms of design.
The first impression isn't the last anymore
Gone are the days when people use to believe in the concept of ‘First Impression is the last impression’. Brands these days continuously revamp their product’s look. Frooti is an example of such a change from the early 90’s to now. Remember the green coloured square shaped pack which used to be a 'thing' in the 90s? It has grown up with a new look. Since its launch in 1985, Frooti has been steeped in cues that have been instant hits with kids, forming both its legacy and its challenge. When launched, kids found its square pouch, manufactured by the company, Tetra Pak, a breeze to use compared to the glass bottles or plastic pouches available then. The soft drinks market became young adults-led from the 2000s onwards. The brand then revamped and formulated a new look right from rewriting the brand name to designing a new look. Somehow packaging has played an integral part in making the brand a massive hit among the masses.
People remember great designs and great stories
It’s not enough today for packaging to merely contain the product inside. Consumers are asking that packaging do so much more: It must excite, inform, create an experience and even save the planet. The packaging segment that has long been considered mundane or at the very least, the last priority for most businesses. With a slew of start-up and exciting verticals opening up, marketers and owners alike are warming up to ‘innovation in packaging’.
Speaking on how closely packaging agencies work with their clients Ashwini Deshpande, Co-founder and Director, Elephant Design, spoke about how brand teams and design teams integrate their work together in bringing out a ‘Wowsome’ effect.
“We believe brand teams and design teams have to work like blind people in the story of the elephant, where each one has to discover and bring an extremely valuable part of the larger picture that gets completed only when you put all the pieces together“, added Deshpande.
Comparing how MNCs or established companies with large portfolios of brands are quite aware of the design process rather than small startups, Deshpande said, “There are milestones and nuances in a packaging design journey. Companies with large portfolios of brands are well aware of the functionality of designing and packaging. Their project planning is far better, but their appetite for innovation is limited. Start-ups with minor exposure to various parts of brand building have a distance to cover when it comes to the technical and functional aspects of packaging, but they are genuinely keen to experiment and disrupt the categories they want to play in.”
Adding more to the client and agency relationship, Amitava Ray, Executive Director, Uflex Ltd. said, “We have to work very closely and virtually daily with our client. Increasing competition has made having two-way communication with our client an essential part of our business, both for existing and new prospects. It is very important to guide our clients by telling them about what we plan to do for their products’ packaging and attending to their needs, likes, and dislikes. We have to continuously work on new innovation and new features to keep us ahead in market share and in value addition.”
From the beginning of an era to an evolution
The history of packaging begins in ancient times when goods were sold in nameless glass jugs, wood crates, steel cans, and cloth bags. That’s all different now, of course. The modern packaging industry, rightly, is under huge pressure to constantly evolve, to meet new environmental standards and to create a product according to a customer’s need.
Talking about how the packaging industry has evolved over decades, Deshpande added, “It will be an understatement to say that packaging has evolved over the past decade. There was no question of noticing, reading, interacting with packaging when the purchase happened from a corner kirana shop. However, modern retail made it possible for consumers to interact with packaging. This change created an impact on the packaging design industry in a big way.”
“Substrates and shapes became important as they became the medium for communicating brand values. As packaging is the first moment of truth, it has a job to be done other than securing the contents inside it. In more recent times, online retail changed the concept of “brand facings” or “brand walls” on shelves. The iconic bottle shape and vibrancy of Coca Cola packaging is neither a fluke nor recent news. Progressive brands have always been aware of the power of good packaging design,” added Deshpande.
Speaking about how newer brands have become more aware of the importance of packaging, Saswata Das, Founder-Director, Almond Branding added a few points on how India has the scope to overcome the international parameters of the packaging industry. “People have now graduated to the feeling of the importance of packaging and the fact that it has become mandatory for brands. If the packaging is not done right, then definitely a brand is missing out on major traction in the market. For example, many brands acquire international customs and launch it in India but the question arises whether the same propositions are working in India.”
The packaging industry and the Indian market
The packaging industry in India is very dynamic and influences all other industries directly or indirectly. The packaging industry, which stood at $32 billion in 2015, had grown at a compound annualized growth rate (CAGR) of 15 percent for the last five years and is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 13 to 15 percent in the coming years. According to the Packaging Industry Association of India, the Indian packaging industry was the fifth-largest in the world in 2016.
Flexible packaging is the fastest growing subsector of India’s packaging industry. Plastics dominate the Indian flexible packaging industry, as plastic is aesthetically attractive, cost-effective and sturdy. Furthermore, plastics improve the hygiene quotient and shelf life of products, especially foods and beverages. The flexible packaging segment is estimated to be growing at a rate of over 35 percent annually. The food processing sector is one of the biggest users of flexible packaging, accounting for more than 50 percent of total demand.
The challenges the industry is facing today include a lack of clarity in food packaging regulations, consumers’ opinions on sustainable packaging, and stress on eco-friendly packaging materials.
There are between 600 and 700 packaging machinery manufacturers in India, of which 85 to 90 percent are from small and midsize companies. Due to a growing demand for packaging, the industry is gearing itself to adopt scientific and functional packaging.
Discussing the current scenario of the packaging industry in India and the comparison between global and Indian packaging initiatives, Deshpande explained, “In my long career of 30 years of working with Indian as well as global brands, I have seen extremely conservative MNCs and remarkably progressive Indian brands. We really need to stop these discussions around Indian and global. All the design done in the developed world is not necessarily good. All the design done by Indian brands is not necessarily playing catch-up, nor is it an inferior or regressive.”
“We don’t have to emulate global brands to create something disruptive and desirable. Similarly, we have to keep the ability to appreciate global brands that align with every culture in the world. The world is flat and it resides on a screen in your palm, which is no different for a designer or consumer in Pune, London, New York or Hanoi”, added Deshpande.
When Team Elephant Design and Paper Boat met
Team Elephant is the brain behind the effective packaging of juice brand Paper Boat. In 2012, Paper Boat was placed silently across retail outlets in major metros, with no advertising or promotions. The packs disappeared so quickly, the client had to revise their capacity plans! The standee pouches with a look and feel like paper gave the feeling of squeezing a fruit straight into the mouth. The caps of the pouches were boat inspired, unique in their appearance. Explaining about how Paperboat builds its identity through packaging, Parvesh Debuka, Head of Marketing at Paper Boat (Hector Beverages) emphasized the importance of creativity and innovation in packaging.
“Packaging is the most crucial factor of Paper Boat’s identity. When we started out, we immediately drew attention by breaking clutter on the shelf and creating a desire in the consumers to pick us up. I would go on to say that packaging is still one of the most crucial factors of Paper Boat and it continues to drive love for the brand and trials in an ever new market we enter, added Debuka.”
He further added, “Elephant Design is our best friend and our partners in the true sense. They are the first people we think of when stuck with any problem and the discourse is always fascinating and inspiring. Let’s just say, there would never be a week that goes when we are not interacting with Elephant.”
Is India yet to see a disruption in the packaging industry?
FMCG brands like Mondelez, Amul and Nestle who have taken packaging to a different level make sure that they have different packaging concepts dedicated to different occasions. Cadbury never fails to surprise its consumers when it comes to attractive packaging. Whether it is a heart print ‘romantic’ design packaging for Valentine’s day or a festive one for Diwali, Cadbury provides a huge variety of different designs and concepts.
But the most important factor that strikes the mind is what could be the next big thing in this specific industry?
“There are two-way concept theories in the packaging industry. The first one is the safer side with minimal risks, the second one involves risk whether certain packaging of a certain brand would be a hit in the market. The bigger brand usually goes with the first option and they don’t take as much risk as possible. So if that way disruption has to happen, brands need to start taking more risks, brands need to explore more options. Now even when Coke is doing that they are putting up more investments, summed up Das.
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Social Beat wins SEO mandate of Tata CLiQ tag rss
The account was won after a multi-agency pitch
e4m e4m Social Beat has won the SEO mandate for Tata CLiQ, one of the fastest-growing omnichannel marketplace in India. Social Beat has been entrusted with optimizing existing content, as well as launching new, optimized category pages systematically on Tata CLiQ’s platform to scale monthly organic traffic by 2x over the next year. The account was won after a multi-agency pitch and will be serviced by Social Beat’s offices in Mumbai.
Shishir Kataria, Director - Marketing, Tata CLiQ, “Shoppers, e-commerce or otherwise, continue to heavily rely on search and discovery throughout their shopping journey, be it engaging with the latest fashion trends or hunting for the best buys. No wonder a platform's ability to be a part of this journey organically drives significant consideration for it amongst potential shoppers. We, at Tata Cliq, are confident that Social Beat will help us develop and optimise content that is highly discoverable to grow our engagement and revenue. Our goal continues to be to drive more and more shoppers to our platform with optimised and curated products and relevant content.”
Vikas Chawla, Co-Founder, Social Beat said, “We are thrilled to partner with Tata CLiQ in their growth journey. We aim to scale traffic to the Tata CLiQ platform manyfold over the next year. Our team of specialised SEO and Content strategists will be working closely to achieve this”
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ShareWill OOH dazzle this festive season?
As the celebrations begin, experts tell us the trends and challenges for the OOH sector this season
Be it the flower-clad taxis in Mumbai for Made in Heaven Season 2 promotion or Zomato’s ‘kheer mangoge kheer denge’ billboards, India's OOH advertising sector has undergone substantial transformation and expansion in the recent years. Even though the medium was severely hit during the pandemic years, it has now managed to rebuild its status. Now, with the onset of the festive season, elections and the cricket world cup, OOH is expected to see more and more advertisers come on board.
Amarjeet Hudda, Chief Operating Officer, Laqshya Media Group, believes most of the clients spend a lot of money during the festive season, especially for Durga Puja, Dussehra and Diwali, targeting their customers in a festive mood. The categories that spend heavily during these months are Auto, Consumer Durables, Real Estate, Organised retail, and E-commerce.
According to Dipankar Sanyal of Platinum Outdoor, there was a huge surge in the festive season last year, and he expects the same this year too. “Last four to five years have turbulent for outdoor. It was picking up in 2019, but then Covid came and everything went flat for two years,” he mentioned.
According to EY-FICCI’s M&E Report 2023, OOH media grew 86 percent in 2022 to Rs 37 billion. The value includes traditional, transit and digital media, but excludes untracked unorganised OOH media such as wall paintings, billboards, ambient media, storefronts, proxy advertising.
Sharing the brand’s perspective, Shivam Ranjan, Head of Marketing, Motorola-APAC, said, “We are going into this festive season with a strong mix of media, including OOH. Within OOH, we are focusing on digital OOH, due to its capability of programmatic serving, measurability, and near real-time insights that allow us to be agile with the communication and optimisation of our campaigns.”
With urbanisation, improved infrastructure, rising consumerism and an increased spending power, clients' expectations from OOH advertising too have evolved. “The clients expect better ROI on every investment, best in class innovations, tech-led planning and execution. Today, technology plays an important role starting from planning the campaign, to measuring metrics to ROI,” Singh explained.
Another trend that Sanyal has observed is that traditionally advertisers looked at spending on OOH nearly two weeks prior to the festivities, but now, most advertisers have now started advertising a week earlier so that they can get maximum eyeballs. Additionally, the digital OOH advertising (DOOH) has also emerged big. The digital OOH screens increased to around 100,000 and contributed eight percent of total segment revenues.
“Now with digital, there is more space for advertisers to come in one frame. Because of this, you can see it is getting more attractive. The innovations too are coming in at a much lower cost and creating a greater impact,” shared Sanyal.
The only challenge with the medium, according to Ranjan, is OOH being a fragmented industry with lack of measurability and agility. This becomes a serious issue for ROI-centric brands. However, the growth of DOOH, which is dynamic, agile and measurable, is giving marketers the confidence to invest in the medium backed by relevant data and outcomes.
Adding to this, Hudda highlighted that availability of good media spots is the biggest challenge in this season as media assets are limited and demand is very high. Due to the gap in the festive season, many clients are not able to fully optimise their campaigns. Rather sometimes, clients are even compelled to divert their budget which adversely impacts the industry, he shared.
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Banking on positive consumer sentiment: BFSI optimistic on doubling festive AdEx : Cache
Some categories within the sector, however, may spend more in the quarter that follows the festive season
The BFSI sector is expecting a surge in demand for loan during the festive season and is looking at increasing its ad spends to cash in on the celebration spirit. Industry leaders say they are hopeful of witnessing a good growth in the number of applications for auto loan, home loan, credit card and health insurance during October, November and December due to positive consumer sentiment this year. However, though most of the BFSI players are planning to double their advertising budget this time compared to the previous year, there are some who are not investing too heavily on marketing during the festivals as they plan to save the money for the fourth quarter.
According to Shailendra Singh, MD & CEO, BOB Financial, they witness incremental growth every year during the October-December quarter, and they anticipate an increase in consumer spending as well as new enrolments for cards this year too. “There remains a surge in customer demand for credit during the festive season,” said Singh.
Singh shared that the company is fully geared up for the launch of #FestiveShoppingRewards on all Bank of Baroda credit card variants under the theme ‘Reimagine Festivities’. They would kickstart festive offerings with the start of Navratri.
The festive season does not just see the demand for credit go up, but there is an increase in applications for health and motor insurance too during this time of the year.
Aabhinna Suresh Khare, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer, BajajCapital Ltd, shared that among insurance products, health insurance and motor insurance reign supreme during festivals. According to Khare, the demand for mutual funds and SIPs too sees a hike.
“Overall, the festive season presents an opportune moment to secure insurance coverage. A plethora of attractive products and services are on offer, with financial institutions extending special discounts and promotions to entice new customers,” said Khare.
The company launched #BlessMeGanesha campaign during Ganesh Chaturthi. “Our goal for this festive season is not only to provide financial solutions but also to create memorable experiences and deepen the connection with our customers,” said Khare.
Though all major sectors spend heavily on advertising during the festive season, within the BFSI sector, some categories spend more in the quarter that follows the festive season.
Explaining the trend, Samir Sethi, Head of Brand Marketing, Policybazaar.com, said that the festive season has varying impacts on the BFSI sector. In the banking sector, for instance, the demand for loans surges as many individuals purchase items and undertake home renovations. Conversely, in the insurance category, the festive season doesn't result in significant changes. Instead, the insurance industry experiences its peak season after the festive period, particularly during the fourth quarter of the financial year.
“As the festive season approaches, there is a noticeable increase in car sales though, leading to a surge in the demand for motor insurance. Consequently, we see a significant uptick in the requests for motor insurance policies. During the festive period, there is an upswing in demand for various categories, such as electronics. However, in the insurance sector, this period doesn't significantly affect us, so we don't run specific campaigns targeting festivals. Nevertheless, we do roll out multiple campaigns throughout the year, and some of them may coincide with the festive season,” said Sethi.
According to the TAM AdEx report on BFSI sector across media for H1, the advertising volume of the sector grew on TV, radio and digital, but declined in the print medium. The report indicated that ad impressions on digital saw 91% rise during Jan-Jun '23 over Jan-Jun’22. The increase was 32% for radio and 4% for TV. The ad space of the BFSI sector decreased by 7% in print.
Speaking on media mix, Singh shared that BOB Financial has a good mix of customer segments belonging to Tier I, II and III. So, understanding their needs and preferred form of media channels, the company will reach out to them through relevant media promotions. “For the easy discovery of our offers, we shall have a dedicated offers page with regular promotion of top offers on our social media and other digital channels,” said Singh. Without disclosing the figure, Singh shared that the company’s promotion budget has surely increased from last year and it will be visible through their multi-channel promotional activities.
According to the TAM report, in the BFSI sector, life insurance is the leading category on TV and radio whereas mutual funds is the top category on digital.
Khare highlighted that in recent times, Bajaj Capital has observed a significant growth in audiences on online platforms and the changing preferences of their clientele. “This observation led us to recalibrate our marketing approach, placing a heightened emphasis on digital avenues,” said Khare.
He further added, “Our promotional efforts are primarily digital-focused, accentuating areas like social media engagement, search engine outreach, content-driven marketing, and targeted online advertising. As we approach the festive season, we've fine-tuned our online approach. By harnessing the insights from data analytics, we aim to grasp our clients' needs and inclinations better, ensuring our content is both tailored and pertinent.”
Khare also mentioned that Baja Capital has doubled its advertising budget compared to the previous year.
“This increase in our ad spend signifies our confidence in the opportunities this festive season presents. This impressive surge in our budget allocation underscores our dedication to maximizing the potential of this festive season and driving significant expansion within our business. We firmly believe that this increased investment in advertising will not only elevate our brand presence but also lead to an exceptional uptick in customer engagement and sales.”
For Policybazaar.com, the media strategy primarily involves a blend of television and digital platforms, an approach that has remained consistent in recent years and is expected to continue in the foreseeable future.
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OMD appoints Dileep Raj Singh as Head of Digital for APAC
Singh will report to Charlotte Lee, CEO of OMD APAC
OMD has added a Head of Digital (HOD) to its Asia Pacific (APAC) regional leadership team with the hiring of Dileep Raj Singh.
Singh is a digital native and brings with him a wealth of experience across product, media agency and client side in APAC, North America and the United Kingdom. His last 10 years have been spent building diverse digital marketing teams covering areas like performance marketing, digital media planning, ad/martech, product marketing, branding and measurement.
As HOD, he will accelerate OMD’s digital leadership agenda, rooted in helping clients address their business challenges and digital ambitions. He will be supporting OMD’s local teams in APAC on operational excellence, and digital transformation frameworks and roadmaps; and the development and implementation of our digital leadership agenda. He will also be working hand in hand with both our regional and global networks to initiate complementary workstreams for our clients in APAC.
“We will continue to invest and win in digital as part of our wider goal to be our clients’ most trusted business transformation partner,” said Charlotte Lee, CEO of OMD APAC.
“It is our global ambition to continue our leadership position in digital, data and technology. In line with this ambition, we are excited to have Singh come on board the OMD APAC leadership team. His background of agency, in-house and start-up experience position him perfectly to understand and address our clients’ business needs,” added Lee.
“Digital media and access to our audience, as we know it, is changing quite rapidly around us. This puts most of us in a delicate but remarkable position, a position from which we can shape and contribute to conversations about the next evolution of digital media. As we embark on this journey, I want to leverage the strength of the OMD network – people, technology, data, tools and platforms – to help our clients pivot and navigate through all the new and evolved possibilities in digital media. With this, I aim to position OMD as an unrivaled partner for our current and future clients; to dominate and succeed in this incredibly competitive and multifarious digital realm,” said Singh.
Singh will report to Lee, and work closely with the team including Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), David McCallen, and Chief Client Officer (CCO), Sadhan Mishra, to drive and support APAC local markets as well as regional clients on digital, data and technology needs.
Mishra was promoted to CCO of OMD APAC recently in June 2023. He will continue to be CEO of OMD Singapore, a position he was promoted into last August. Mishra has been with OMD for over 13 years and in his concurrent new role as CCO, he will focus on key client relationships, understanding their business needs and ensuring we remain a critical partner on their transformation journeys.
McCallen was elevated to the role of CSO of OMD APAC in April 2022, and was previously the CSO of OMD New Zealand for five years where he helped the agency to attain the top place in the market for new business, overall billings and award wins. Since starting in the APAC role, his focus has been on connecting and elevating strategic best practices across the region, building capabilities across a range of strategic outputs, and supporting new business growth both regionally and locally.
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Chandrayaan 3: Brands over the Moon
Some of the best moment marketing posts on India's crucial lunar mission
The nation is in a celebratory mood with its moon mission Chandrayaan 3 making its smooth landing on the lunar surface on the evening of August 23, 2023. The Pragyan rover is in pursuit of discovering water on the moon and is a vital feat for India's ambitious space research.
To celebrate this momentous episode in Indian space research history, netizens have taken to the internet to express their excitement, hopes and fears for the nation's lunar mission. Joining them are brands who have crafted creatives to mark the historic occasion and capture the emotions of the nation who have their eyes set on the moon. Here is our pick of some of the best Chandrayaan 3-moment marketing posts.
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BCCI rakes in Rs 4670 cr in Women's Premier League team auction: Jay Shah 26 Jan
WPL has broken the inaugural auction record of Men's IPL in 2008, tweeted Shah
As expected, Wednesday turned out to be another historic day in Indian women's cricket with BCCI having a windfall gain of Rs 4,600 crores by auctioning five team franchises for the first season, a higher sum compared to what men’s IPL franchises offered to the cricket body during the launch in 2008.
Adani, IndiaWin Sports, Royal Challengers, GSW- GMR cricket and Capri Global have won the bid, BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted.
Shah shared in a series of tweets, “Today is a historic day in cricket as the bidding for teams of inaugural #WPL broke the records of the inaugural Men's IPL in 2008! Congratulations to the winners as we garnered Rs.4669.99 Cr in total bid.”
“This marks the beginning of a revolution in women's cricket and paves the way for a transformative journey ahead not only for our women cricketers but for the entire sports fraternity. The #WPL would bring necessary reforms in women's cricket and would ensure an all-encompassing ecosystem that benefits each and every stakeholder.”
“The @BCCI has named the league - Women's Premier League (WPL). Let the journey begin…”
The country's top corporates had bid aggressively for the league. Over 16 groups including IPL franchise owners, Adani group, Torrent and Haldiram were believed to be in the fray.
Given the popularity of IPL in India, the event is touted to be a big draw for all stakeholders involved.
The BCCI was reportedly expecting ₹4,000 crore gain through team auction.
It’s noteworthy that Viacom18 has won the Women's IPL media rights for Rs 951 crore for the next five years creating euphoria around the league whose first season will be held in March.
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