After the Government’s announcement to make ‘local companies global’ and to increase demand for locally manufactured goods, India’s digital industry is going to benefit with more Indian brands wanting to reach wider audience.
After the Government’s announcement to make ‘local companies global’ and to increase demand for locally manufactured goods, India’s digital industry is going to benefit with more Indian brands wanting to reach wider audience. The most cost-effective way for local brands to reach bigger audience and create demand for their products or services will be through digital marketing.
Experts say, brands would now want to talk proudly about their local nature and even communicate to people by carrying a ‘Make in India’ logo. India’s Prime Minister is now pushing this campaign and most brands would be very keen to join the wagon by having a ‘Local Theme’. According to some experts, the ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign will change how brands will use digital marketing to communicate and establish themselves in India and also go from local to global.
Finding the right digital team
It is important for a local brand to find right agency with whom they can partner with. There are good companies that can provide digital services in India;however, you will have to find them. Businesses should help other businesses to find the right talent and grow together. Find a team that can engage local audience and build strategies considering the demographic of the states, different languages, traditions, behaviors and so on.
Vishal Agarwal, Founder of Magnarevo Pvt Ltd, says, “It is the talent that is going to matter and also the work that they will execute. The ‘Go Local’ campaign will be executed better by Indian digital agencies as compared to the global ones for the very fact that Indian agencies would know the local audience better. Also, in terms of spend budgets and working style, Indian agencies will have an upper hand. I also feel it is not just because of the Government’s initiative local brands now want to spread their wings throughout India. This trend started 4-5 years ago when new age entrepreneurs joined their family businesses or started something on their own. With the help of social media, they were able to tap larger audience with limited budget. “
What would it be like for local brands?
Local brands showing directly in front of customers and bombarding them with BUY NOW and SHOP NOW messages in their social media campaigns complain that digital marketing is expensive and also very time consuming. Many claim that it did not affect their business and did not fetchthem good returns. We do not agree with them.
The goal of any campaign in digital marketing should be to foster relationships with the audience rather than just showing random posts. Responding to every single person that comment and interact is also very important. People want to know that someone is listening.
It is a known fact that India is the amongst the largest consumer market in the world. We also know that it is a very complex and dynamic market. For local brands it is crucial to understand this fact about India and market their products or services according to the local preferences. Digital communication strategy should be very focused and tailored. ‘One strategy for all’ will fail here. Local brands will need to have some personality and at the same time be approachable. Just publishing a post will not provide any value. Also, selling on digital marketing platforms is not easy. It is always evolving, and one needs to be consistent. For example, taking advantage of the ongoing campaign‘Support Local’ on Instagram and building some content around it might give your page some boost. Respect competition from both local and large retailers. Invest in local knowledge by hiring people locally and be mindful of the factors that can impact consumer preferences.
Finally, 5 Things to keep in mind
- Brand Localisation
Middle class consumers are loyal to brands. Make sure to have a strategy that focuses on local branding. Consider some announcements or a product launch with the help of small social media influencers to announce your arrival in the market. Some might disagree about social media influencers as many lack genuinity. This can be avoided by using a proper screening process. We believe getting genuine social media influencers for a product launch can give your product or service a good boostas compared to paid video ads.
- Understanding the demographics
Understand where your target audience lives. Is it the smaller or larger cities? You can use local language in your communication if your audience is in smaller cities or in rural areas. Let’s not forget how big the rural market is. Indian rural is around 700 million people and is not well penetrated for health and wellness productsor other consumer goods giving you ample opportunity to grow!
- Adapting to preferences
We are not asking you to change your products or services completely. You can adapt to certain preferences, tastes or even culture if that’s possible. It can help improve your chances of success and grow fast.
- The language
Things like language and symbolism need to be looked upon while considering marketing in India. Maybe you can start with a more Indian company name when supplying your product or providing your service in India. Get a proper advice before registering a name. Law is not that stringent in India for advertisements; however, a bad move can lead to a huge a public outrage and can diminish your brand to a great extent.
- In the end, Price matters
Price is an important factor for Indian consumer, mainly the lower income levels. People may spend more on high status items, but commodities other than that are likely to be purchased based on the cost.
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