Brands Are Moving From Monologues Or Broadcasts To Conversations, Says Ferrero's Zoher Kapuswala

In a nation where traditional sweets and local flavours dominate, Ferrero's Tic Tac is carving out its own niche with a blend of global standards and local innovation.

The brand, first introduced by Ferrero in the country is eyeing to capture the hearts and taste buds of India's Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers.

Localisation: Key To Indian Palate
"Earlier we were bringing whatever was available as a portfolio but over time we have localised the portfolio to appeal to the Indian Gen Z and the Indian population," says Zoher Kapuswala, Marketing Head for the Indian Subcontinent (Tic Tac, Nutella, and Ferrero Rocher) in an exclusive conversation with BW Marketing World.

With affordable price points ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 20, the brand's evolution in the subcontinent is marked by three key initiatives: Indian-inspired flavours with the launch of 'Tic Tac Seeds' introducing Indian tastes like cumin, rock salt and fennel, catering to local palates; seasonal offerings by introducing limited-edition Alphonso mango flavour during summer season, aligning with consumer preferences; and global collaborations with brands like Coca-Cola and Sprite, resulting in beverage-inspired candies.

"Tic Tac happens to set the Route-to-Market (RTM) for Ferrero in India. We manufacture this brand in India and the manufacturing footprint is not only for India but we also export tic tac across multiple countries, notes Kapuswala, highlighting its wide availability.

Beyond product innovation, Tic Tac is embracing youth-centric marketing strategies. The brand's 'Vibe Hai' campaign leverages Gen Z lingo and micro-influencers to create relatable content and drive engagement.

"We are localising it with a globalised standard. We are adding more things to appeal to more consumers and more different demographics which are existing in the Indian diaspora," remarks Kapuswala.

Go Digital
Recognising that younger generations are 'cord cutters or cord shapers', Tic Tac pivots to a digital-centric marketing strategy. Kapuswala elaborates, “We are a strong digital forward. The entire activation plan is to move to digital. Second thing, even in digital, we are going more towards permissive content, a content which is entertaining more and looks less like an ad.”

"It's the best era for marketing where you can justify your spends in a very short span of time and marketing can also speak to business language," he adds.

The approach extends to moment marketing, leveraging topical events and trends to create engaging content on platforms like Instagram. The focus is on entertainment first, with product messaging seamlessly integrated.

Emphasising the nuanced nature of digital engagement, Kapuswala states, “Brands are moving from monologues or broadcasts to conversations. Not all conversations are comments, but some conversations are the click-through rates.”

Highlighting the shift away from traditional 30-second TV spots, he explains, “We create the content and the Gen Z or the Gen Alpha relishes it because it's entertainment first, product later.”

Blending Star Power, Sonic Identity
The partnership with brand ambassador and Bollywood actor, Ranveer Singh has injected a new energy in amplifying the brand's 'Vibe Mera Fresh' campaign. Kapuswala details the evolution of this partnership, from World Cup-themed content to leveraging the brand's inherent musical qualities.

Revealing the strategy behind this collaboration, he states, “We started the partnership with Ranveer Singh on November 2023, with the moment marketing and the content on the World Cup communication, which is 'Chill Kar, Vibe Kar' content, which was activated by the brand.”

Having a sonic identity is a central theme in Tic Tac's marketing efforts. "Music is a very close space for Tic Tac and globally and locally we have been using music very extensively," he conveys.

The brand is also leveraging its inherent sonic identity along with Singh, by collaborating with musicians like Yashraj Mukhate and SlowCheetah to create content that resonates with India's music-loving Gen Z audience.

Tech For Enhanced Engagement
Kapuswala outlines the brand's use of Augmented Reality (AR) for content creation and consumer engagement. "Certain content which we have created on Instagram is augmented reality, where we have Tic Tac boxes flying all over the city. We have created some content with AR tech. It helps us to create mind-blowing content at a very fraction of our cost.", he reveals.

"I believe, we are using technology for content creation and giving the consumer more engagement and entertainment-led content, Kapuswala adds. 

The brand has also partnered with Spotify, using AI algorithms to create personalised playlists based on flavour preferences.

Leveraging Data For Ecommerce
Kapuswala emphasises the role of data analytics in shaping Tic Tac's marketing strategy. "Data has become the key," he states, highlighting the brand's focus on ecommerce as a source of real-time insights.

"Gone are the days where you create and then you wait three months for a brand track to come and the process will take its own time. Today, you are on a very real-time marketing where you are able to get data and that data is able to drive the right actionable content for you for the future", he stresses, explaining the shift towards more agile, data-driven decision-making in marketing in the present times.

He further explains that this approach allows the brand to quickly iterate on content strategies and optimise its ecommerce presence, including the development of channel-specific product offerings.

"We are using a strong data analysis in ecomm portals to ensure that our business grows, our share grows and our share of spends is balanced in this particular channel", Kapuswala explains.

Reema Bhaduri

BW Reporters The author is the Editorial Lead at BW Businessworld. Majorly writes on marketing, advertising, experiential marketing and retail. She closely looks upon the vertical of BW Marketing World and BW Retail World.