The Indian FMCG market, the fourth largest industry in the country, is expected to grow to US$ 103.7 billion by the year 2020 at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 27.9%. Naturally, as the market grows, so do the promotional needs of the sector.

This answer to this need comes in the form of the digital revolution taking the business world by storm and leaving ad agencies in Pune with numerous open avenues for lucrative ad campaigns for the FMCG sector. While the traditional 4Ps of the marketing mix remain a solid foundation while creating FMCG ad campaigns, due to the gradual shift of consumers to the digital medium, marketers need to tweak their strategies a bit to match the consumers’ changing buying behavior as well.

In fact, as most of India sees a shift of content consumption from traditional to digital media, the recently released DAN Digital Report 2019 shows that the FMCG sector shows the strongest tilt towards advertising through digital videos, spending about 33% of their digital budget on it.

This means the FMCG sector has already started to take stock of what the digital advertising world has to offer, and are now gearing towards creating impactful digital campaigns that will reach their target audience and bring in business.

Now, just heaving up posts willy-nilly would be counterproductive. The digital world is vast and let’s face it; mysterious. Venturing out into it blindly could cause you to lose your way and wander into unknown territory.

What’s needed here is a plan; a roadmap; a strategy. A strategy is the rope that will keep you grounded in the abyss of the digital world.

So what goes into creating a fool-proof digital advertising strategy for the FMCG sector?

First thing to remember is, the 4Ps still stand. The tried and tested marketing mix has been the holy grail of FMCG marketing for years and remains so even today. What we need to do as marketers, is to tweak the marketing mix a bit and adapt it to the current digital scenario. A distinct advantage for ad agencies in Pune & their FMCG partners is that the digital medium offers them an avenue to establish a relationship with the customers right from the very beginning, rather than just at the last crucial decision phase. By formulating a wholesome advertising strategy, advertising agencies in Pune can engage with customers forming a bond of trust which can positively influence their purchase decision in the future.

Here are some important digital advertising strategies for the FMCG sector that cover the entire spectrum of objectives, from creating awareness to brand building to purchase decisions and establishing a loyal customer base.

1. Content marketing to build community

Customers respond most to content that does more than blatantly promote a product or service. They respond to the information provided about the brand and product that will enrich or add value to their lives in some way. Content marketing today is no longer a one way promotion. The objective behind an iron clad content strategy is to build a strong base of customers who will react to the content, purchase products or services and ultimately advocate for the brand. Additionally, optimized content is the need of the hour as it is easier to find which in turn adds a sense of credibility.

2. Enrich digital presence through Social Media

Social media is one of the largest avenues of digital advertising. People spend a large amount of time on social media and for this reason it becomes a good way to reach a large number of people and grab their attention. Social media algorithms are the godsend that make it easier to widen audience reach, enhance your strategy and even drive conversions. Social media helps us to simultaneously understand consumer needs & concerns while providing a solution for them on the same platform. Social media also helps implement a marketing strategy on multiple platforms.

3. Maintain consistent engagement to encourage brand loyalty

As we saw above, FMCG marketing is no longer a one sided promotional effort. The digital world has given the FMCG sector a clear advantage over traditional marketing; the chance to interact with consumers directly. The trick to properly represent an FMCG brand and its offerings on digital media is to maintain a constant presence in the customer’s lives through informative content, shareable innovative creatives and meaningful interactions.

4. Involve influencers

Social media influencers are probably one the best forms of word of mouth promotion in current times. People tend to have faith in brands endorsed by their favourite influencers. Ad agencies in Pune can collaborate with popular influencers related to the relevant industries and tap into their rich follower base, thereby considerably increasing consumer awareness of the FMCG products they are representing.

5. Go Ecommerce

Online shopping is seeing huge popularity among Indian audiences as more and more brands move their products onto a digital marketplace. With brands rapidly joining the ecommerce bandwagon, FMCG brands that do not offer online purchases see a large portion of their available target consumers move on to competitor brands that are available online. To avoid this, typing up with online marketplaces like Amazon and such, or creating an independent ecommerce platform will definitely be a good step. Additionally, an online platform will help even local FMCG brands to expand their customer base beyond a limited geographical location.

Creating a perfect marketing mix for FMCG brands involves a seamless blend of digital & traditional ad tactics. In order to obtain this combination, a deep understanding of the target audience is absolutely crucial.

Navigating through the vast avenues of digital advertising platforms can be daunting; which is why we are here to help!

One of the best digital agencies that offer effective and assured digital marketing & advertising services is Promising Designs Pvt. Ltd. Following a unique work process that allows us to truly get a comprehensive understanding of our clients, working with clients across many industries like real estate, education, healthcare and more, and a dream team of professionals dedicated to elevating the client’s business to the highest success, Promising Designs has all the making of the perfect digital partner.