Decoding India’s love for all things brands

Decoding India’s love for all things brands

Brands are a crucial component of how India shops for things and experiences. 86% of consumers spend more on a brand they love, with a 3x higher possibility to advocate for their favourite brands. Ahead of the festive season 2023, 19% of India planned to purchase directly from a brand's website, the ShareChat & Moj Festive Survey 2023 revealed. The findings further emphasised that brand preference was a major influencing factor for 28% of India.

Brands must constantly up their game to stay ahead of the curve to become consumers’ favourites. It requires a strong focus on spinning compelling stories to spark meaningful engagement across the purchase journey.

Consumers like to buy directly from brands

A 2023 study states that 65% of consumers in India have purchased products directly from a brand’s website across categories like F&B, clothing and accessories, electronics, beauty and personal care and home furnishing.

• Buying from the brands directly gives consumers more choices and better availability of stocks. It’s a factor for consumers making recurring purchases of their favourite products.
• Product authenticity is a considerable pull for those experimenting to find better options. These consumers put in the most effort to read about the brand and the product.
• Better services, delivery options and competitive prices are a plus for all online shoppers.

The factor that stands out the most is brand loyalty. 33% of Indian buyers purchase directly from the brand as they always use that brand in the category. Since the consumers are already loyal customers, the brands don’t have to convince them. Brands just have to ensure a continued good experience for consumers where they feel valued and satisfied. It also gives brands the option to introduce customers to newer products in the portfolio. It opens up a new world of opportunities for brands to drive awareness, top-of-mind recall and engagement.

Brands step up to meet consumer preferences

By 2025, India's direct-to-consumer e-commerce market will cross the $100 billion mark. It reflects India’s preference for buying branded products and an inclination to buy directly from the brand. 80% of Indian consumers prefer to shop from their smartphones, with consumers in non-metros leading the purchases. Brands, from fashion to grocery, are paying heed to the shift in the winds by enhancing products, communication and payment methods.

Communication in the regional languages consumers are most comfortable in is another crucial step brands take to communicate with them effectively. It is especially true during the festive season when purchase intent is high. During the 2022 festive season, 29% more brands tapped into ShareChat & Moj's innovative mobile-first ad formats with a language-first strategy than in 2021.

Next steps for marketers to tap into consumers’ brand love

Brands can leverage customer loyalty and brand love to drive sales by engaging customers with fun and meaningful experiences. Here are some ways brands can go beyond ‘selling’ and get it right.

Make the interactions fun: Brands can make it fun for consumers to interact with the campaign message by including Branded Hashtag Challenges and Lenses in the communication. The short-form video-led strategy facilitates massive user-generated content, increasing the brand’s reach, engagement and recall. For example, Pepsi was able to amass over 17 Billion views for #PepsiRiseUpBaby by getting the youth grooving to Pepsi’s 125-year celebratory anthem on Moj.

Build a community: If a brand comes off as one that only interacts with consumers when selling something, it may not get the desired results. Brands must put in the effort to craft campaigns where conversions flow more organically. One of the easiest ways to get started is to tap into the expertise of creators. With the help of creators, brands can seamlessly connect with consumers and build a community before pitching (and successfully selling) the product.

Consistent presence is key: To maximise reach and impact, brands must disseminate their campaign message across platforms, covering the country’s geographies and diverse demographics. With regular content creation across social media platforms, brands can significantly drive engagement and brand loyalty. To become a part of their consumers’ lives effectively, brands must be present on language-first platforms where they express themselves regularly and freely.

Contact our team today to drive high resonance among consumers with a language-first approach and innovative mobile-first ad campaigns!