Emotional storytelling has become a key strategy for FMCG brands during festive: Somasree Bose Awasthi

For Marico, the festive season represents more than just a surge in sales, it’s a time to celebrate India’s rich cultural tapestry and foster deeper emotional connections with consumers. Somasree Bose Awasthi, Chief Marketing Officer at Marico Limited, underscores the value of blending tradition with contemporary values to craft enduring memories for consumers nationwide. 

She explains that Marico’s approach emphasises cultural relevance by acknowledging the emotional ties that shape consumer behaviour, a foundation that enables the brand to design campaigns that resonate across generations. For example, Nihar Naturals’ Durga Pujo campaign centres around themes of empowerment and preparation, while Saffola’s Onam campaign highlights family gatherings and cherished traditions, focusing on nostalgia, unity, and festive joy.

According to Awasthi, these evolving narratives allow Marico to merge tradition with innovation, fostering memorable connections that deepen engagement and loyalty.

In this conversation, Awasthi delves into how Marico’s festive marketing strategies honour regional roots while engaging a diverse, modern audience, and building a brand legacy that preserves tradition while evolving with the times.

Edited Excerpts: 

Marico has a legacy of successful festive campaigns, from Parachute’s Diwali ad to this year’s Saffola Oats Onam and Nihar Naturals Pujo campaigns. How do you balance maintaining continuity in your messaging while evolving to resonate with newer audiences? 

Marico's festive campaigns balance tradition and innovation, rooted in the cultural significance of festivals. Our approach focuses on driving relevance by understanding the cultural nuances and emotional connections that shape consumer behaviour. We tap into the desire for purity and tradition, as seen in our Parachute campaigns.

Our #BePujoReady with Nihar Naturals reflects the brand's ethos of empowerment, emphasizing that ‘Preparation Makes You Stand Out.’ For this year’s Pujo campaign, we tapped into digital platforms and social media to meet our audiences where they are most active. By collaborating with Anandabazar.com and leveraging the reach of Bengali actresses Priyanka Sarkar and Darshana Banik, we not only honoured traditional values but also brought them into a modern, relatable context for today’s consumers. 

By focusing on consumer-centricity and contextual marketing, we reinforce the cultural vibrancy and joy of Durga Pujo. This strategy not only maintains our brand’s legacy but also builds deep affinity, creating an emotional connection that fosters engagement and loyalty across both longstanding and newer audiences.

Marico’s portfolio spans multiple brands with unique identities and audiences. How do you craft culturally nuanced stories for such a diverse consumer base during the festive season? What emotions are typically associated with the festive season, and how does Marico tap into them to create effective campaigns?

The festive season is a time of joy, togetherness, nostalgia, and celebration, evoking strong emotions in consumers. With multiple brands under our umbrella, we recognize the significance of tailoring our approach to the relevance of each unique audience. We achieve this by balancing cultural significance, consumer needs, and brand purpose. By tapping into the unique traditions and emotional sentiments of the time, we create messages that truly resonate with our audience. This connection not only enhances engagement but also encourages consumers to see our brand as a part of their celebration, leading to increased loyalty and sales.

In the context of festive marketing, relevance is key to capturing consumer attention. Our campaigns therefore emphasize on family traditions, cultural festivities, and personal experiences, building brand affinity and loyalty. By understanding the importance of looking and feeling one's best during these celebrations, we create hyper-personalized campaigns that speak to individual consumer preferences. We create emotive campaigns that connect with the spirit of festivals like Durga Puja and Onam, demonstrating how our brands enrich consumers' lives with feelings of self-assurance, radiance, and delight. For instance, Nihar Naturals' Pujo campaign focuses on empowering women through beauty rituals, while Saffola Oats' Onam campaign celebrates Kerala's cultural heritage with a nutritious twist.

Our goal is to make our brands an integral part of consumers' festive experiences, fostering connection and shared joy.  Ultimately, our nuanced approach enables us to craft culturally relevant narratives that resonate with our diverse audience, making our festive campaigns truly memorable and impactful.

Are there specific festivals where storytelling plays a more pivotal role in connecting with your audience? And how do you go about it?

Storytelling around the relevant festive traditions and rituals followed by consumers, allows a brand to deepen their connection creating a strong bond. For instance, in Maharashtra Abhyang Snan is a religious ritual performed on Choti Diwali. It involves waking up early in the morning to cleanse your body with a mix of oil and Ubtan, and thereafter lighting diyas and offering prayers to God. Taking the cue from this tradition, our campaign #IssDiwaliChamakUtho by Parachute Advansed Jasmine, focuses on the emotional connection between parents and their children, highlighting that it is their presence that truly lights up the festival. The message, “Iss Diwali Chamak Utho,” embodies not only the joy of homecoming but also our commitment to providing innovative beauty solutions through our innovative offerings.

In our storytelling approach, we aim to evoke nostalgia and emotion, creating a relatable narrative that resonates with our audience's experiences during the festive season. By incorporating real-life moments and celebrating the bonds that make Diwali special, we ensure that our audience feels a personal connection to the brand and the message we convey.

In this year's packaging, we are blending tradition with modern aesthetics by creating designs that reflect the festive spirit while ensuring practicality. The offering not only looks visually appealing but also aligns with the festive theme of joy and beauty. Additionally, we are running a special festive combo that includes a free Santoor Abhyang Glow Soap with the purchase of Parachute Advansed Jasmine Hair Oil. This package combines beauty and tradition, offering our customers a holistic experience, and enhancing both emotional and functional connections with the brand during Diwali.

India’s diversity means that festivals are celebrated differently across regions. How do you tailor your marketing strategies to reflect these regional preferences while maintaining a consistent brand voice? How does Marico adapt to different regional markets and cultural preferences through their marketing?

India's diversity is not just about language, but also about the distinct way every festival is celebrated. Our approach at Marico is to embrace this uniqueness while ensuring our brand voice remains consistent and authentic. We aim to be a part of our consumers' festivities by tailoring our campaigns to resonate with their regional celebrations and traditions. 

Highlighting few of our older but notable campaigns - In Maharashtra, our #AaiApproved campaign for Parachute Advansed Aloe Vera during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated the brand's trust by mothers, while in Kerala for Onam, our #ThankYouNurses campaign for Parachute Advansed Ayurvedic acknowledged the efforts of frontline workers during the Pandemic. 

In Tamil Nadu, for Pongal, we launched a campaign encouraging consumers to write 'We are Tamil' in their pookalams, celebrating Parachute’s homegrown roots and reinforcing its strong local connection with the region. Last year, for Nihar Naturals we celebrated Durga Pujo in West Bengal by crafting a Durga Maa Idol made completely of Coconuts which was highly appreciated by pandal visitors for its unique and meaningful ode to Maa Durga. 

All these campaigns were designed to connect deeply with our audiences, blending innovation with emotive storytelling to make Marico’s brands a seamless part of our consumer's festivities. 

How does Marico leverage new-age advertising strategies like digital platforms or emerging tech to stand out during the festive period?

We harness innovative advertising strategies to make a strong impact during the festive season. By tapping into data-driven insights, we create hyper-personalized campaigns tailored to individual consumer preferences and behaviours, ensuring our messaging deeply resonates with our audience. To amplify our efforts, we harness AI tools to enable real-time monitoring of key metrics, swift campaign adjustments, and optimized marketing actions. 

Our campaigns are prominently featured on major television channels, YouTube, and social media platforms, ensuring maximum visibility. By seamlessly integrating traditional and digital platforms, we stay competitive in the digital era, effectively reaching and engaging our target audience during the festive season. This multi-channel approach allows us to build brand affinity, drive sales, and create lasting impressions amidst the festive fervour.

Younger audiences tend to appreciate modernity but also value tradition. How does Marico strike a balance between honouring tradition and appealing to contemporary values?

We strike a balance between honouring tradition and appealing to contemporary values by understanding the cultural significance of festivals and adapting to new-age consumer needs. Our festive campaigns over the years have tapped into the emotional connections consumers have with these celebrations while innovating to meet modern consumer expectations. By blending cultural heritage with contemporary twists, like adding a nutritious spin to traditional delicacies or empowering traditional beauty rituals with modern techniques, we maintain continuity while evolving to engage newer audiences. 

Our approach ensures authentic and consistent messaging across campaigns, leveraging storytelling to connect our brands with consumers' emotions and values. This delicate balance allows us to honour tradition while appealing to younger audiences' desire for modernity, ultimately driving brand loyalty and affinity among generations.

With over two decades of experience in the industry, what significant shifts have you observed in the FMCG sector’s approach to festive advertising and trends that you expect to see in years to come?

Over the past two decades, the FMCG sector's approach to festive advertising has undergone significant transformations. Brands have shifted from relying on traditional templates and predictable storytelling to embracing innovation and personalization. Today, they use customised messaging to specific audience segments, leveraging digital dominance, especially social media, to connect with consumers. Emotional storytelling has become a key strategy, creating memorable experiences that resonate with audiences. 

Additionally, technology integration, such as AI-powered engagement to enhance consumer experiences. Looking forward, we expect trends such as a heightened focus on sustainability, advanced technology integration, a deeper understanding of regional preferences, and the rise of experiential marketing to shape the industry. As the festive season accounts for a significant boost in annual sales, FMCG brands will continue to prioritize innovative advertising strategies, driving growth and engagement during this critical period.

The festive season is critical for the FMCG sector with a spike in demand. What strategic shifts or adjustments does Marico make to cater to these seasonal needs and stay ahead in a competitive market?

The festive season is a pivotal time for the FMCG sector, as it sees a significant uptick in consumer demand, driven by a desire for celebration, gifting, and homecoming of loved ones who live away from work or education. During this period, people look for products that are relevant to their festive traditions and sentiments, making it a perfect opportunity for brands to connect with them.

Culturally relevant messaging can create lasting impressions. We at Marico understand the cultural nuances and traditions to curate our marketing strategies. Ensuring each of our campaigns seamlessly blends in the festival spirit and fosters a deeper connection. 

Our Nihar Naturals #BePujoReady campaign for Durga Puja this year highlighted the theme of preparation and empowerment, engaging audiences through digital channels and local influencers to create a meaningful connection. Next up for Diwali, we have our #IssDiwaliChamakUtho campaign by Parachute Advansed Jasmine captures the essence of family togetherness, offering special festive packs that combine beauty and tradition. The Ambada campaign for Ganesh Chaturthi tapped into local traditions and the significance of 'Aai-approved' hair care practices, encouraging a sense of cultural pride and familiarity.