As the marketing landscape shifts as rapidly as consumer attention spans, finding the sweet spot between tradition and innovation has become more crucial than ever. For Gunjit Jain, Executive Vice President-Marketing at Colgate-Palmolive (India), this balance isn't just about maintaining market leadership, it's about reimagining how a legacy brand connects with multiple generations while staying true to its core values.
With 16 years of experience with Colgate Palmolive, Jain exclusively speaks to BW Marketing World and shares insights on marketing strategy, consumer engagement and brand loyalty offering valuable lessons for marketers navigating in today's complex digital ecosystem.
The Journey
"I wouldn't change even a single day that I've had with this organisation and in this industry simply because I've had a blast," reflects Jain on his tenure at Colgate-Palmolive. His tenure has spanned roles across, from commercial marketing, strategy, innovation and customer development - a diverse portfolio that shaped his perspective on modern marketing.
What makes Jain particularly optimistic about the current marketing landscape? "It's the best time to be a marketer. Second, I think it's the best time to be a marketer in India," he asserts. According to Jain, the convergence of technology and content creation capabilities, combined with the Indian consumer's unprecedented combination of "exposure, access, aspiration and affordability", creates a perfect storm of opportunity.
Privacy-personalisation Paradox
However, with great power comes great responsibility. In an age where brands rush to embrace personalisation, Jain emphasises the critical importance of consumer data privacy. "All of us as marketers and as organisations have to be absolutely careful of and absolutely sure that in no way the consumer's data privacy is impacted negatively. Personalisation is great, but personalisation only till the extent the consumer is willingly allowing us to," he states firmly.
His philosophy becomes particularly relevant as the industry moves toward a cookieless future. Rather than viewing this as a challenge, Jain sees it as an opportunity for deeper consumer relationships. "When consumers are willingly choosing to watch something, they're also much more open, which gives us the opportunity to create meaningful engagement with them at a personalised level," he explains.
The Multi-generation Challenge
For a brand that has been a household name for decades, connecting with multiple generations requires a sophisticated understanding of consumers. Colgate-Palmolive's approach involves careful segmentation based on need states rather than just demographics.
The strategy has led to successful product differentiation, from Colgate Total for the prevention-minded consumer to Colgate Visible White for those focused on aesthetic enhancement. "The starting point is, what's the need state of the consumers? Based on that, we create mixes. Based on that, we create communication, product and everything," he elaborates.
In India's diverse market, localisation isn't just a buzzword, it's a necessity. Jain points to Colgate Active Salt's success in Tamil Nadu as a prime example. "Our communication that we run on Colgate Active Salt in Tamil Nadu is completely different from the communication that we are running in West Bengal," he reveals, highlighting how deep cultural understanding shapes their regional strategies.
AI Revolution, Storytelling's Evolution
While discussing the role of generative AI in marketing, Jain advocates for a balanced approach. "Generative AI opens up doorways on several fronts on how the content is created, at what cost it is created and how engaging it will be," he notes. However, he emphasises the need for responsible implementation, particularly regarding data usage and consumer consent.
Addressing the popular notion of shrinking attention spans, Jain offers a contrarian view stating, "On one side we say that consumers' attention spans are reducing, but on the other hand you also have this widely observed behaviour of binge-watching. If your content is good, the attention span is there. If your content is poor, the attention span is not."
The key, he argues, lies in content quality rather than length.
For brands, he sees technology as an enabler of better storytelling rather than a replacement. However, Jain emphasises that true competitive advantage comes from strategy, not just technological execution. “The real competitive advantage is in your strategy, which is what I am creating content for. What does my brand stand for? What does my brand not stand for?”
Most refreshingly, Jain demystifies the marketing profession itself. "Marketing or sales is not rocket science. It fundamentally boils down to common sense. If I knew this much earlier in my career, I would have approached it with much more self-confidence," he remarks, emphasising the importance of clear thinking and consumer understanding.
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