Advertising is an integral aspect of any business or service. Small, or big, every business provider aims at capturing and engaging their audience with advertising, and marketing. A business advertises its products or services for aiming a bigger market or for promoting their products, services, or offers. The possible objectives of advertising are to inform, to persuade, to remind, and to reinforce. However, for a few FMCG giants, advertising objective is not promotion, but maintaining or creating brand value.
Advertising is omnipresent in all sectors and industries. And it is clearly evident with the revenue generated by the Indian advertising sector. According to a Statista report, the sector generated 795 billion Indian rupees in 2019, as compared to 221 in 2008.
Source: Statista
One such industry that heavily utilizes the mantra of advertising is FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). Forbes' ‘The 2020 World's Most Valuable Brands’ states that only 7 out of 100 brands are from the consumer goods sector. According to CARE Ratings, the FMCG sector in FY20, is the biggest spender (Rs. 9,652 crores) on advertising and sales promotion activities.
Advertising trends in FMCG have evolved over the decades, finally finding a winning strategy. However, with the advancement in technology, advertising has undergone a shift, from print, radio, television, to social media.
Consumer brands have a wide range of products, leading to a competitive market place. The key is to stand out in the crowd of competitors, and a successful way to do so is to create a strong digital presence.
5 consumer oriented FMCG Television advertisements
Here, we take a look at 5 top FMCG brands and how their flagship product(s) are advertised. We also take a look as to what these ads trigger in their target audience, urging them to take the first step towards the purchase. These giants heavily depend on television advertisements.
1. Cadbury Dairy Milk #SayThankyou campaign
Cadbury's #SayThankyou campaign aims at acknowledging the unsung heroes of our daily lives, who work diligently without seeking any praise. This campaign targets the emotional side of their audience, encouraging them to show gratitude to people who assist them in their daily lives.
2. Nescafe- Karne se hee hona hai
Nescafe never fails to amaze the audience with their relatable yet hard-hitting advertisements. A term that aptly defines their storyboards is 'self-belief'. Adding a new campaign to their profile, their Karne se hee hona hai is aimed at pushing oneself even when things are not in one’s favor. In a time, where everything and everyone has come to a standstill, Nescafe believes that nobody is going to push you to success except yourself.
3. Colgate- Begin again with a smile
One of the most valued brands, Colgate needs no introduction. After all, it is one of the most essential household commodities. So, why and what does the brand want to achieve with their Begin again with a smile campaign? For a few brands, the objective of advertising is not to promote their products but to maintain their brand value. And the formula for a sure shot successful campaign is tinging at societal issues.
4. Britannia Good Day- Har khushi ko banaye khaas
Don't wait for special days, make days special, this motto is at the heart of Britannia's ‘HarKhushiKoBanayeKhaas’ campaign. The ad shows us that by taking a small effort, you can make your or anyone's day.
5. Maggi- Aao Maggi banaayein
Maggi's Aao Maggi Banaayein targets the one thing which is inevitable for any parent- their kids growing up. The least parents can do is to make them self-reliant. And making Maggi is surely is the beginning of the self-reliant journey.
One aspect which is common between the five mentioned above is their 'daily, ordinary' approach. Hence, showing us that good ads do not need a celebrity or a big budget. They simply need an idea that connects with the masses.
Paradigm shift in FMCG advertising
Source: Indian Brand Equity Foundation
Long gone are the days where businesses fought for a space or slot on newspapers, and television respectively. FMCG advertisement has undergone a paradigm shift, with the advent of social media. The power of social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter, to name a few, has opened an uncharted territory of low-cost, high traffic advertising formula(s). FMCG brands spend about 33% of their digital budget on video advertisement, and rightfully so. According to Marketing Sherpa, 95% of the online adults aged 18-34 are most likely to follow a brand via social networking.
Source: Dreamgrow
According to a report by Financial Express, FMCG brands spend over 28% of their advertising budget on social media. Procter & Gamble India (P&G) has the largest audience on Facebook for an FMCG brand in India, followed by Patanjali and Unilever Diaries. The audience difference between P&G and Patanjali is a whopping 12,74,469.
Youtube is one of the best platforms for a video advertisement. As of September 2020, Hindustan Unilever has the highest total uploaded video views in the country (385,760,524), while Patanjali has the largest subscriber base in India (424,000).
According to a study by Unmetric, Instagram is primarily popular for creating a fashion and apparel base, with 35.5 million followers in the fashion space (2019).
Source: Unmetric
Starbucks was the only FMCG brand to come in 20 most followed brands on Instagram in 2019. The coffeehouse chain have a whopping 18.2 million followers on the social media platform.
Conclusion
FMCG Sector is expected to grow in the coming years and advertising will play a crucial role for any company or brand. Advertising leaves an everlasting impression in the consumers’ mind so it is essential that a brand chooses its method of advertising after a detailed study of the segment they are serving. FMCG brands cannot only depend on one of the two advertising modes i.e., traditional method of advertising and social media advertising. It needs to be a balance of both. While advertising while create awareness, social media platforms will generate target audience.
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