We have increased our advertising & promotional spending by 18 to 20%: Tanishq’s Pelki Tshering

In a traditional festive season ad landscape, where jewellery was often gifted by men as tokens of appreciation, the narrative has shifted in recent years. Brands now show women in empowering roles, confidently enhancing their outfits with jewellery as expressions of their own achievements and aspirations. Jewellery brand Tanishq is one of the few brands at the forefront of this evolution in storytelling, with campaigns that celebrate the modern Indian woman's self-worth and individuality. 

In an interview with Pelki Tshering, CMO of Tanishq, Titan Company Ltd., she discussed Tanishq's latest campaign, ‘Embrace the Nav-raani in you,’ and emphasised the brand’s dedication to authentic storytelling and cultural connection. The campaign's core message is acknowledging every woman as a modern-day queen who balances grace and strength. Directed by Mira Nair, marking her debut in Indian advertising, the campaign film spotlights everyday women who bring beauty and elegance into their lives, amidst routine. 

As Pelki explains, it is a homage to today’s ‘navranis’ (queens), who, through their strength and empathy, bring a unique nobility to their multiple roles. One of the brand’s previous campaigns, ‘Pehli Diwali’, was also a celebration of Indian women embracing their milestones and firsts. The three ad films portrayed moments of an entrepreneur celebrating her first Diwali in a new office, a Lieutenant marking her first Diwali with her Air Force family, and a single mother getting ready for her first bike trip with her daughter. Each ad is a reminder that every milestone, however big or small, deserves its celebration. 

For the 2024 festive season, Tanishq’s marketing strategy is heavily anchored in the third quarter, according to Tshering. Despite recent fluctuations in gold prices, the brand has seen consumer interest across segments, including occasion and daily-wear jewellery. Tanishq has also increased its advertising expenditure, compared to last year. In this interview, Tshering shares the secret sauce behind the brand’s storytelling, its festive marketing efforts, the mediums that are helping reach the consumers, the use of personalisation and more. 

Edited Excerpts: 

Could you share the details behind Tanishq's recent campaign 'Embrace the Nav-raani in you'? Can you share the insights that went behind crafting the campaign? What is the objective and message you aim to convey through this campaign and how are you celebrating the Indian women through this ad film?

For decades, we've been celebrating the modern Indian woman, as you mentioned in your question. Through this campaign, we are reflecting Tanishq's enduring belief that every woman is a modern-day queen who wears her grace and warm elegance like a crown. She is deserving of the jewel that mirrors her inner beauty and strength.

When we started off the campaign, we discussed that while the age of male royalty is behind us in India, the women of today embody multiple roles and wear multiple hats with so much grace and empathy. They truly rule like queens. We identified them as the navranis, or modern-day queens. Even though they might not look their splendid best every day due to their responsibilities, they truly are modern-day queens because of who they are, what they do, and the perspectives they bring to the table.

Through the campaign, we are paying homage to these modern-day queens—women who rule their worlds with grace, strength, and unwavering confidence. This is reflected in the film, where we showcase everyday women going about their lives, but on special occasions, they take the time to dress up. While they may not need crowns to feel royal every day, their strength, beauty, and elegance make them royalty.

On days when our modern-day queens, the navranis, choose to dress up for celebrations like Diwali, we present them with an exquisite range of jewellery inspired by the queens of the past. This jewellery holds stories that are close to their hearts, which is the essence of our campaign.

The beauty of this project is that we had Mira Nair directing it for us. This marks her directorial debut in India and is her first advertising film in the country. Through her nuanced and deeply personal storytelling, she has truly done wonders with the campaign. We are immensely grateful for her contribution.

Could you shed light on the brand's festive marketing plans for 2024? What are the main themes or messages you plan to focus on during the festive season? Additionally, please shed light on how your marketing budget works as the festive season approaches.

I think jewellery as a category is deeply rooted in the festive and traditional calendar in India. We are heavily anchored in the third quarter, which we refer to as the festive quarter. We are delighted and encouraged to see that customers, despite the higher gold rates we experienced in the last two to three weeks, are showing a very encouraging response. 

This encouraging response is true across different customer segments. Whether it’s people who love diamonds, those who prefer daily wear, or customers looking for occasion jewellery, we are seeing positive engagement across the board. Additionally, with many weddings scheduled by the end of this quarter and into the next, we’re excited to see increased activity in that area. We have over 2,000 designs this festive season in diamond jewellery across various price points, which is fueling consumer desire.

Regarding our media strategy, as a part of Tanishq's marketing approach, whether it’s the stories we tell, the campaigns we run, the designs we create, or our media plans, everything is anchored around what our customers, particularly the modern Indian woman, want. We use the platforms most relevant for her, wherever we find her engaging with us. This includes traditional mediums like television for reach, print, and digital channels where we see deep engagement, such as Google and Meta.

The new buzzword is also around Connected TV (CTV). We are indeed utilising CTV in addition to traditional mass television.

Furthermore, through our own assets and omnichannel approach, we ensure two-way communication, allowing our customers to view our catalogues and engage with us regarding their queries. This supports them in their buying journey.

Since it is a celebratory period, we consider it an honour to be a part of this special time with many customers across India. We strive to reach out to them through all available mediums.

Therefore, it is a 360-degree campaign, and we have increased our advertising and promotional spends this quarter. Compared to last year, we have definitely raised our spending by double digits, with an increase of around 18 to 20%.

With the festive season around the corner, what does consumer sentiment look like in the jewellery category and what kind of spending behaviour are you expecting to see this season?

Consumer sentiment in India regarding jewellery encompasses both investment and adornment conversations. Right now, we are seeing a genuine excitement for the festive season, which is a time when our consumers want to dress up, and navranis especially want to celebrate in style. This excitement spans various price points and demographics, including regional preferences, particularly among navranis in the West and North, where occasion wear is highly sought after.

Interestingly, this season, we have introduced a variety of modular pieces that allow for layering and styling. These designs enable customers to detach certain elements, making them suitable for multiple occasions. As a result, we are witnessing a significant interest in our collections. Additionally, there is a notable demand for diamond jewellery this festive season. To cater to this interest, we have launched an extensive range of options, including those for daily wear at accessible price points below three lakhs. Our collection includes many sets that have generated excitement among consumers.

We are also seeing strong interest in modern gold designs, often paired with small diamond accents. These pieces are popular choices for the festive season. Moreover, we have introduced a festival exchange program and various offers to make it easier for our customers to make purchases.

Overall, sentiment is high across different consumer segments, and we are optimistic as we move into the festive period.

How important is storytelling in Tanishq's larger marketing strategy? How have the brand's films and campaigns evolved over the years to incorporate cultural elements and traditions seamlessly?

Storytelling is a fundamental aspect of Tanishq's larger marketing strategy. For nearly 30 years, we have been inspired by the modern Indian woman—her ability to juggle multiple roles, her capacity to balance tradition and modernity, and her role as an empathetic change-maker. Her stories and experiences are at the heart of our brand, bringing warmth, new perspectives, and authenticity to everything we do.

Using narratives to tell her story—sometimes in her voice, sometimes by amplifying her voice, and sometimes by acting as her ally—has been central to our approach. Our purpose is to truly understand and celebrate her, which has allowed us to remain authentic and evolve alongside her.

From a regional perspective, understanding the nuances of India's diverse culture has always been core to our brand. For instance, we've launched campaigns like ‘Pudumay Pen’ in Tamil Nadu, which highlights the role of women as custodians of culture and change-makers. In the East, we celebrate the indomitable spirit of Durga in our campaigns for Bengali women, emphasising the cultural significance of the region.

During the festive season, we create collections that are deeply connected to regional traditions. For example, in Tamil Nadu, we feature designs inspired by local art forms, while in Bengal, we adorn women with jewellery inspired by Durga and local craftsmanship like terracotta and ‘chhalchitra.’

In summary, Tanishq's storytelling revolves around two main elements: celebrating the modern Indian woman's life experiences and ensuring that our narratives authentically reflect the regional and cultural nuances that resonate with her. This dual focus allows us to meet her needs while remaining true to our brand's identity.

Considering personalisation has been playing a huge role in brand marketing strategies during the festive season, how do you craft marketing messages that resonate with regional consumers?

Definitely. As our consumers evolve and the media landscape changes, we are making significant efforts to ensure that our customers feel truly special and supported in their buying journey, in addition to being part of their overall life journey.

To achieve this, we are embracing personalisation on multiple levels. Not only do we tailor our messaging to reflect regional nuances, but we also focus on simplifying the purchasing process for our customers. This includes making selections easier and providing simpler payment options.

Additionally, we leverage AI as a powerful tool to enhance personalisation. With our extensive database of loyalty customers, we can craft specific consumer journeys that guide them in making informed decisions. By doing so, we ensure that our marketing messages resonate deeply with our diverse regional audiences.

As a brand, Tanishq has excelled at occasion marketing. How would you suggest other brands move beyond moment marketing, especially when many campaigns are released with a similar theme? How can they create distinctive and impactful campaigns that stand out in a crowded space?

I can share what works well for us at Tanishq. The key lies in returning to the fundamentals, particularly the relentless pursuit of customer centricity.

Our focus is on truly understanding customer needs—not just relying on customer data.

With the customer at the core of our strategy and our brand values as a foundation, we strive to engage meaningfully with our audience, adapting and evolving alongside them. Additionally, we emphasise having fun throughout the process, as marketers aim to build long-term, resilient brands.

Brands are living entities, and we recognise the necessity of adapting quickly, engaging deeply, and reflecting both our core values and the values of the modern world. Ultimately, it’s about going back to the basics of understanding customer needs rather than just analysing data.

Looking ahead, what are some upcoming plans for innovation in Tanishq's marketing campaigns that you are particularly excited about?

Looking ahead, we’re particularly excited about our plans for the wedding quarter, as we have numerous wedding dates approaching. We are focusing on creating new designs and campaigns for our bridal collections, including diamond, gold, polki, and kundan jewellery. These designs will cater not only to specific communities but also to various wedding functions like Haldi and receptions.

Additionally, we are eagerly anticipating the second season of our wedding collaboration with Tarun Tahiliani, which promises to bring fresh perspectives and creativity to our offerings in the upcoming quarter.

How do you see Tanishq’s role evolving in the larger context of the jewellery market, both in India and globally?

Tanishq has always been a pioneer in the jewellery industry, being the first to introduce innovations such as the carat meter and diamond certification, as well as maintaining transparent practices in billing and exchanges. These efforts have fostered trust among our consumers.

With nearly 500 stores in India and several more across the globe, our primary focus has been to grow alongside the modern Indian woman. We aim for our designs, campaigns, and in-store experiences to not only reflect her needs but also strengthen our bond with her.

In essence, we will know we are evolving and fulfilling our purpose as a brand when we successfully enhance this relationship.