Marketing Consumer Durables In India: A Journey Into The Minds Of Digital Age Consumer

Chetna Katyall Sundaram Dec 10, 2022

Building a successful consumer durable brand in India comes with unique challenges and opportunities. With increased competition, it is difficult for marketers to create effective campaigns to tap consumers in this digital age.

Increasing disposable income and a conscious shift in lifestyle choices have led to the merging of rural and urban markets for the consumer durable industry. Brands need to adapt to the requirements of the digital ecosystem to make a mark in India's crowded consumer durable industry. It is critical to embrace an integrated approach to build a successful consumer durable brand in India.

According to a report by Redseer, India’s digital economy is expected to grow to USD 800 billion by 2030, up from USD 85-90 billion in 2020. Here are some challenges that consumer durable brands in India need to tackle effectively to tap the digital-age consumers in the country:

Presence at all touchpoints

According to a report by McKinsey, consumer durable brands need to be part of the initial consideration set as 70-75 per cent of the final purchases are made from this set of brands. Being part of the initial consideration set is only the start of the journey. A brand must be present at all stages, including evaluation, point of purchase, and loyalty & retention.

An integrated strategy needs to be built that ensures a wide presence for the brand across all touchpoints to ensure that it remains in the hunt. At the same time, there should be a good mix of digital and physical platforms to increase overall exposure for the brand.

Brands also need to realize that most consumer durable purchases are triggered by a need to replace a particular appliance. As a result, the brand needs to be part of the consideration set for the consumer when the need to replace arises.

Change in marketing strategy as per regional requirements

India is one of the largest consumer markets in the world. At the same time, it has an element of regional influence in each state. In other words, each state of India can be compared to an independent country on the world map, and what works for one state may not work for the other. As a result, consumer durable brands are expected to keep in mind the local preferences, festivals, flavours, and other requirements to optimise their marketing spend and build a compelling position.

The brand must consider the buying pattern in the region and other critical information that influences the buying process. The brand must strive to tap the target segment through relevant channels and messaging after considering the regional requirements.

Understanding the research pattern

Consumers in the digital age are tech-savvy and do not hesitate to use a mix of online and offline mediums to research their next purchase. As the consumer decision journey is anything but linear, brands need help understanding the research pattern of consumers and its impact on the funnel as the consumer moves from awareness to purchase. The irregular paths taken by the consumer across the various stages make it difficult for brands to create a sustained impact.

Consumer durable brands must cover all the essential avenues with correct and updated information so the customer can get the queries answered quickly and move ahead in the purchase journey. Understanding the research pattern of the consumer is critical for the success of any consumer durable brand in India.

Importance of retail touchpoints

It is widely believed that the importance of digital platforms has increased phenomenally in recent years, and they are more important than retail touchpoints. However, it is critical to understand that retail touchpoints continue to dominate in the consumer durables industry.

Interactions like a live demo, physical view, touch and feel of the product are equally important for the consumer compared to the online presence. About 75 per cent of consumers visit an exclusive brand outlet (EBO) or a multi-brand outlet (MBO) before finalising a purchase. On average, Indian consumers visit around two EBOs to evaluate various brands before finalising one.

The importance of retail touchpoints needs to be adequately understood. Brands must create an omnichannel experience where the customer gets a consistent experience on the retail touchpoints and online platforms. The retail touchpoint experience plays a critical role in the consumer's purchase journey, and the consumer durable brands should understand its worth to make it an integral part of the marketing strategy.

These challenges must be addressed to succeed in the Indian market for consumer durable brands. The Indian market is too big to ignore. With such a vast domestic market and the potential to export to the rest of the world, consumer durable brands must resolve these challenges for sustained business growth.