Diwali Guide for Growth & Performance Marketers
Diwali festive season is a crucial period for Indian advertisers. As the five-day celebration begins at the end of October this year, advertisers are gearing up for robust strategies to promote their brands and products. To truly stand out in a crowded digital landscape in a country of 1.4 billion people, it is critical that advertisers employ unique strategies that resonate with their audiences.
This free guide from our team based in India offers innovative strategies to help advertisers stand out during the Diwali shopping season.
Market Overview
The increase in festive season activity in India is due to several factors. Cultural traditions and rituals motivate consumers to participate in online shopping and activities, especially for gifting. Exclusive offers, new product launches, and extended holidays encourage consumers to explore more during this period.
Here are some of the most significant highlights from Diwali 2023, illustrating the immense economic impact and consumer engagement opportunity for advertisers during the festival:
App Ideas for Diwali
Shopping Apps:
- Attract users with personalized recommendations, gift guides, reviews, and wish lists.
- Highlight gift ideas, post-festive discounts, and easy online shopping.
- Use influencer marketing and social media ads to boost sales.
Fintech Apps:
- Promote Diwali gold purchases, festive investments, and special loans.
- Collaborate with financial advisors for informative content.
Food & Drink Apps:
- Provide festive recipes, meal plans, and post-Diwali detox tips.
- Feature Diwali-themed menus and packaging.
- Drive engagement with social media contests and influencer partnerships.
Lifestyle Apps:
- Focus on self-care content, loyalty programs, and exclusive offers post-Diwali.
Entertainment Apps:
- Offer Diwali-themed content bundles, subscriptions, and partner with brands for topical ads.
Travel Apps:
- Promote local experiences, flexible bookings, and Diwali travel packages.
- Use travel bloggers and location-based marketing for targeted promotions.
Retail Media Tips for Diwali
Building brand awareness:
- Increase visibility: Enhance brand presence on relevant retail platforms.
- Festive-themed product assortment: Curate festive-themed collections, gift bundles and festive product ideas.
- Enhanced product listings: Use high-quality visuals, detailed descriptions, and festive keywords.
Reaching high-intent shoppers:
- Targeted promotions: Offer Diwali-themed discounts and special offers.
- Early bird offers: Attract early shoppers with pre-Diwali deals.
Driving conversions:
- Special offers at purchase point: Promote discounts directly at the point of purchase to influence buying decisions.
- Real-time optimization: Adjust campaigns in real-time for maximum ROI.
- Fast and reliable delivery: Ensure prompt delivery for last-minute shoppers.
Personalizing offers:
- Utilize customer data: Use first-party data to personalize offers, enhancing the shopping experience and building a shopper database for retention and re-engagement. Retail platforms are valuable sources for collecting this data.
Optimize your Media Strategy
Advance Planning
- Delaying reserving premium ad inventory could mean missing out on top out-of-home locations that align with the brand’s objectives.
Focus on Branding
- A strong brand story during the festive season can keep the brand stand out and attract new audiences.
Choosing Right Channels
- Brands must analyse attributes and media touchpoints, focusing on OTT, aligning online and offline efforts.
- As CPMs rise on core channels, in addition to walled garden platforms, explore open internet alternatives.
Optimizing Measurement
- Regularly measure effectiveness to ensure media goals are being met during high-impact times. The extended festive season in India allows brands time to recalibrate spending as needed.
Understanding Search
- An organic push for popular products/services during the festive season is expected. Paid efforts can directly grow revenue, widen brand’s audience, and boost traffic and conversions.
Up Your Creative Game
Creative Strategies
- High-Impact Formats: Use dynamic ads with countdown timers for flash sales and maps for store-specific promotions to create urgency and encourage prompt customer action.
Audience Engagement
- Follow Your Audience: Identify where your audience spends time during Diwali, such as YouTube for “How-to” cooking videos, and explore advertising on these platforms.
- Inclusivity and Diversity: Reflect the diversity of Indian society in ads by including people from different backgrounds and regions for broader appeal.
Cultural Resonance
- Emotional Connection: Tap into the emotional and cultural significance of Diwali, focusing on themes of family, togetherness, and celebration. Ads that evoke nostalgia and resonate with personal and collective memories of Diwali tend to perform well.
- Cultural Relevance: Incorporate traditional elements of Diwali, such as lighting diyas, sharing sweets, and performing rituals, to create authenticity and cultural relevance.
Campaign Strategies
- Social Messages: Incorporate messages of social good, such as sustainability, community support, and promoting local businesses, to enhance the impact of Diwali campaigns.
Innovative Strategies for Diwali
- Augmented Reality: Offer virtual try-ons for fashion items and virtual tours of car interiors.
- User-Generated Content: Encourage customers to share their Diwali moments with your products on social media and host contests to boost engagement.
- CTV with Performance: Utilize the rise in OTT channel users by syncing CTV households to track performance data and drive brand reach and awareness.
- Sustainability: Engage in social causes during festive periods. This support often leads to strong customer loyalty and a sense of purpose beyond profit.
In Summary
The Diwali festive season is a critical period for Indian advertisers, with brands vying for attention in a crowded digital landscape. India’s consumer economy is expected to grow significantly, with notable increases in e-commerce, online mobility, and travel. Early festive planning, mobile-first strategies, and leveraging retail media are essential for success.
Retail media allows targeting high-intent shoppers, driving conversions, and building brand awareness. Effective creative communication, audience-relevant media planning, and a comprehensive multi-channel approach are crucial for maximizing impact. Innovative strategies such as augmented reality, user-generated content, and promoting sustainability can further enhance campaign effectiveness.
To find out how we ensure clients profitably exceed their media goals
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