This blog takes a glimpse into FMCG advertising, providing insights into its very nature, what may drive the trend, and what it may influence in the Indian consumer market.

How to Use FMCG Advertising for the Best Results

FMCG advertising in India determines consumer behavior and brand positioning. It creates market trends and leaves a long-lasting effect on consumer choices. Some of the ways by which FMCG advertising can be used to its fullest are as follows:

Brand Awareness

• In a very competitive Indian market for FMCG, brand recognition plays a big role. Successful advertisements are those that first introduce the consumer to the brand and then firmly plant it in their minds. A great example is Amul, which has been making the brand a household name in India for decades because of its sleek campaigns that are witty and timely enough to help carry forth the know-how from generation to generation.

Consumer Behavior

• FMCG advertisements really influence the behavior of consumers to a great extent. An excellent example would be the “Swachh Aadat, Swachh Bharat campaign” by Hindustan Unilever, which, instead of selling soap, encouraged hygiene habits, especially in the rural belts. Such campaigns enhance societal well-being while promoting the product, clearly depicting how FMCG advertising can inspire a change in positive behavioral modifications.

Competitive Advantage

• FMCG brands operate in a saturated market; therefore, they need to come up with a unique proposition. Dettol, from Reckitt Benckiser, has positioned itself as synonymous with hygiene and disinfection due to constant and effective advertising campaigns, which give it an edge in the market.

Product Innovation

• FMCG advertising trends are as much about inspiring innovation as selling existing products. Baba Ramdev-led Patanjali has transformed the FMCG advertising landscape in India by branding its products natural and Ayurvedic. This, in turn, has led other FMCG majors to come up with similar product lines, thus triggering a step toward product innovation.

Market Share

• Market share is the most important thing for any FMCG brand. Through advertisements, brands are going to achieve and maintain a share of the market. A classic example of this is the competition between Colgate and Pepsodent toothpaste categories. The two brands have splurged money in advertisements to keep their brands alive, hence capturing most market shares.

Top 10 Best FMCG Advertising Campaigns

Amul’s “Utterly Butterly Delicious”

• Amul is so synonymous with butter and milk that for years, people have referred to it as the ‘Taste of India.’ Out of a plethora of iconic campaigns in India, it must be Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke.” It’s extremely popular due to the witticism and the humorous takes on current events and the social commentaries that make Amul’s brand timeless-appealing to all generations.

Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke”

• Coca-Cola has taken personalization to new heights with “Share a Coke,” replacing the iconic logo with popular Indian names. The brilliant campaign allowed people to find bottles with their names or loved ones’ names and experience an emotional bond. It not only boosted sales but also made Coca-Cola’s brand image even stronger as it emerged as a symbol of both togetherness and individuality.

Surf Excel’s “Daag Achhe Hain”

• Surf Excel’s “Daag Achhe Hain” (Dirt is Good) campaign is a masterclass in storytelling. It’s built around children playing and getting dirty. Besides pointing out that stains are part of a child’s growth, the emotional narrative hits a chord with Indian parents, consequently underlining both the effectiveness of the product and emotional bonding with families.

Fevicol’s “The Unbreakable Bond”

• Fevicol has given the world “The Unbreakable Bond,” synonymous with humorous ads. It has enlarged scenarios where Fevicol keeps things glued with humor and absurdity and is memorable for Indian consumers. The campaign brings out the strength of the brand through humor, making the impact last.

Cadbury’s “Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye”

• Cadbury’s “Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye” campaign has been tugging at Indian consumers’ hearts since 1995. The message delivers the culture of sharing sweets on happy occasions so that the product becomes synonymous with any Indian celebration and happiness. It captures the emotional connection that consumers feel towards the brand.

Dettol’s “Dettol Ho Wala Hai Na”

It was the trusted hygiene and disinfection brand Dettol, with its “Dettol Ho Wala Hai Na” campaign that spoke well to the Indian consumer.

• The ‘Dettol Ho Wala Hai Na’ campaign was created in 2019 as an endeavor to spread awareness among the common masses regarding hand hygiene, especially during the flu season.
• It became one of the successful ones because of its attractive jingle and the easily relatable story, not only in increasing Dettol’s sales but also spreading awareness over hygiene practices in India.

Maggi’s “2-Minute Noodles”

Maggi, through its campaign called “2-Minute Noodles,” practically changed the Indian perception towards instant food.

• It was at the end of the 1980s that the campaign was introduced, emphasizing how quickly it is to cook Maggi noodles.
• It became a household name, especially among the students and working professionals.
• Even after much controversy and a temporary ban, Maggi loyal customers stood strong, which resulted from effective advertising for the FMCG sector, allowing it to continue for such a long time.

Parle-G “G for Genius”

Parle-G biscuits have been a part of the Indian home for decades. The “G for Genius” advertising campaign ran for years and portrayed the brand in a subtle yet perfect light, as the very need to get along with your growing years.

• The subliminal perception that eating Parle-G biscuits could make children smart was just enough to win the hearts of parents across the country.
• Such a successful and loving campaign has always kept Parle-G at the head of the biscuit market.

Fair & Lovely’s “Fairness Cream”

For years, Fair & Lovely’s advertisements were built around the notion that fairness is beautiful and leads to success.

• However, in 2020, the brand repositioned itself by changing its name to “Glow & Lovely”, with a message to celebrate diversity and inclusivity.
• It was not a mere change in the positioning of the product but an alignment with developing sociological norms and consumer opinions.

Titan’s “Celebrate Life”

Titan, the premium watch and jewelry company, has always emotionally captured the hearts of Indians with their advertisements through good storytelling.

• The “Celebrate Life” campaign is a very impressive advertisement featuring the role of relationships and the importance of the products while creating memorable events.
• Example: The advertisements of Titan products range from birthday celebrations to wedding ceremonies, highlighting how Titan products are part of life’s significant moments.

Example: Influence of Advertisement on FMCG Products

Advertising is one of the most critical drivers for FMCG products. Here are some reasons why advertising helps FMCG brands:

Brand Recall

• Advertising makes FMCG products, such as the Titan watch, memorable through stories. Their “Celebrate Life” campaign focuses on making memories for special occasions, planting them in the minds of the consumer during huge life events.

Consumer Trust

• Commercials like “Dettol Ho Wala Hai Na” build consumer trust through an ad on the reliability and hygiene of the product. This advertisement not only improved the sale of Dettol but also made people realize that hygiene should be maintained. It was one of the most successful FMCG campaigns.

Emotional Connection

• Campaigns like Maggi’s “2-Minute Noodles” are emotionally connected with the consumer. There is a campaign for working professionals and students who need Maggi as a quick meal for sustenance. Even during the controversies and ban on the product, Maggi’s loyal customers stood their ground because the brand had a very high emotional appeal.

Cultural Relevance

• The Parle-G “G for Genius” campaign positioned Parle-G as supporting the growth of children. It helped create an understanding of the brand as necessary for growth, keeping Parle-G at the top of the biscuit market and making it iconic in Indian households.

Emerging Trends

• When the FMCG brand Fair & Lovely became “Glow & Lovely” in 2020, it embraced societal changes. This change echoed the voice of a diverse and inclusive society, reflecting the mindset of the consumer and keeping the brand fresh in this fast-changing era.

Final Thoughts

• The Indian FMCG market heavily relies on creative and effective ads to reach consumers.
• Storytelling, emotional appeal, and cultural relevance help FMCG brands build strong connections with their audiences.
• FMCG advertising needs to evolve as consumer preferences and advertising trends shift.
• Advertisements that resonate with cultural changes help maintain a brand’s market share.
• FMCG brands need constant advertising investment to secure their market share and stay top-of-mind.

Today, advertising has become the need of the hour. Failure to engage in smart advertising will result in a boost in your competitor’s sales and you definitely don’t want that to happen. However, advertising comes with a cost and bearing such huge media costs is not possible for all brands. That doesn’t mean you simply sit back and make absolutely no noise about your brand.

How about joining hands with another brand whose objective and target group resonates with yours? Out of this thought, a concept known as ‘Cooperative Advertising’ was born.

As the term suggests, two or more parties come together and pool in their financial resources for the benefit of the respective brands, by sharing the advertising costs.

For businesses with a small marketing budget, such kind of advertising works wonders.

A brand usually engages in cooperative advertising with another brand when there’s some kind of commonality between the two or their lifestyles match.

Besides sharing the media and production costs, they also share ad space whether it’s a billboard, paper cup, magazine, door sign or online ad.

While there are certain branding limitations and chances of minimised visibility, brands should look at the positive side as well.

Benefits of Cooperative Advertising

• Reduced Expenses: One of the primary advantages of cooperative advertising is making a much smaller investment and still getting the same number of advertising impressions. For example, a lot of brands want to take out a full page ad in the local newspaper but often hold themselves back due to the huge advertising costs. When you share the costs, you’re responsible for half the price but you still get exposure offered by the full-page ad.
• Greater Exposure: Once you embark on a co-op ad agreement, it means you need to make a smaller investment to get bigger exposure. If you’ve saved significant costs on one advertising medium by tying up with another brand, you can use remainder of the budget in more advertising outlets, which can greatly increase the presence of your brand. For example, after engaging on a co-op newspaper ad, you can use the remaining advertising spend on another medium such as cup branding.
• Mutual Prosperity: When you get involved in a cooperative advertising program that involves a big brand, you not just benefit and learn from their experience but also from their marketing strength as they spend a lot of time researching on effective ways to reach their target group. Ultimately, this improves your brand’s public visibility and you get to implement these lessons in your future marketing campaigns.

Examples of Cooperative Advertising

Basically, in cooperative advertising, everyone’s a winner.

1. A billboard featuring McDonald’s and Coco-Cola is a classic example of the same.
   
   
   
2. Another beautiful example and the perfect marriage of two brands is the Nike and Apple co-op ad. The commonality between the two lies in the fact that every serious runner or jogger listens to music while running. Since both the brands are mature in their own field, they were smart enough to target people who love sport as well those who enjoy music at the same time. A similar co-op partnership was witnessed between Reebok and Sony Ericsson that came together to present exercise as an experience and not a chore.
   
   
3. Samsung India Electronics Pvt Ltd and Hindustan Unilever teamed up by having the former’s branding on one side of the latter’s Surf Excel packs. The main aim of this activity was to inform the target group that Surf Excel detergent works best with Samsung washing machines and vice versa. A similar cross promotion happened between Ariel detergent and Whirlpool washing machines too.
   
   

All-in-all, Cooperative advertising is a brilliant idea. Though the tie-up between the brands is short-term, the gains are long-term. However, careful selection of the appropriate co-branding partner is important because if the union fails to do well in the marketplace, both brands can suffer. The best way to avoid this is by ensuring that your partner’s target audience have a profile, demographic and psychographic, and brand value similar to yours.

Aiming for a two-fold reach with cooperative advertising? Hit us up!