As Diwali approaches, what does a smart festive marketing plan look like?

As festival season approaches, many marketers are kicking things into high gear after months of meager spending. Before they do, though, it’s a great time to briefly hit the pause button and think about what makes a smart party marketing plan. And to make that easier, The Drum asked marketers and media planners for their thoughts on marketing around festival season, which kicks off November 4 with the biggest – Diwali, India’s festival of lights.

“Focus on building the mobile audience strategy,” says Vasuta Agarwal, managing director for Asia-Pacific at InMobi. “In a mobile-centric India, 70% of consumers intend to use their smartphones to learn, explore and shop this festive season. Brands that enable consumers to experience mobile moments of truth will clearly come out on top. Therefore, brands should focus on strengthening their mobile audience strategy and integrating shopping experiences into every campaign. »

“Create an uplifting theme that humanizes the brand,” says Atique Kazi, President of Data, Performance and Digital Products at GroupM India. “In the past two years, we have all lost a friend or a colleague or a family member or a neighbor to Covid-19. This Diwali, brands should focus on creating an uplifting and inspiring care theme, unity with an emotional match that humanizes the brand in these uncertain times and creates a sense of togetherness – we’re in this together . Using creativity, ideas and reaching for them in the right context is the key to a successful Diwali. ”

“Deploy addressable media to reach a targeted audience,” says Deepika Nikhilender, senior vice president for Asia-Pacific at Xaxis. “It’s time for brands to reconnect by tapping into the emotions that have been triggered by the pandemic. This year’s Diwali is one more year with the glow of the festival of lights, with celebrations possibly muted and families still unable to come together. To engage consumers in the digitally advanced world, brands need to reduce clutter by emphasizing impactful messaging, elevated user experience, and deep relevance to the action they want to drive, both in the offline and online world. The rise of addressable media, such as DOOH, programmatic audio, and OTT/CTV, will allow brands to reach targeted audiences and deliver messages by leveraging data to achieve maximized performance results for efficiency.

“Target savvy Indian consumers with the best deals,” says Stuart McLennan, senior vice president for Asia-Pacific at Rakuten Advertising. “Brands (especially international retailers) should look to the affiliate channel and partner with local publishers in the area of ​​cashback, loyalty and coupons to gain direct access to savvy Indian consumers at the search for the best deals on the market. The pandemic has boosted consumer confidence in e-commerce, and this partnership approach can help international retailers better understand market nuances and localize their messages and offers for Diwali. »

“Look to leverage omnichannel strategies on the open internet,” says Tejinder Gill, Managing Director of The Trade Desk India. “The open internet is a powerful bridge to reach new customers this festive season. Just as many consumers are turning to the open internet as they are to social media to inform their purchasing decisions. marketers need to look beyond search and social media and leverage open internet omnichannel strategies (OTT, music streaming, mobile apps, websites) to reach their target audience.”