A quick view of YouGov's report on what consumers think about festive ads, the category ads they recall, and new-normal shopper behaviours.

It is that time of the year when brands push their marketing engines to full-throttle and light up our screens with ads. During the 'fifth quarter', an informal name given to the great Indian festive season, marketers’ have to make a big bang. But what do consumers really think of festive advertising?

Global market research and data company YouGov’s report, which was exclusively shared with Storyboard18, indicates that when it comes to festive advertising close to half of urban Indians said festive ads help them choose what to buy (45 percent). More than a third (36 percent) felt bombarded by festive ads but found them to be interesting. 19 percent said festive ads are a waste of time.

Also Read:

Dhanteras 2021: Jewellery sales in Chennai up 10-20% from 2019

Among these urban Indians, 49 percent of Gen X said festive ads help them choose what to buy as compared to 45 percent millennials and 41 percent Gen Z. In the past two weeks, the festive ads have the highest recall for categories such as clothes and shoes (59 percent) followed by gadgets (53 percent), fashion accessories (45 percent) and appliances (42 percent). The lowest recall was recorded for packaged food and snacks (31 percent) and furniture (27 percent).

Deepa Bhatia, general manager, YouGov India, says, "Brands should concentrate on building resonance for their categories and gently nudging consumers to indulge."

Split along gender lines, females have a higher recall for clothes and shoes (62 percent vs 57 percent) and fashion accessories (49 percent vs 41 percent) as compared to males whereas men are more likely to say they recall seeing festive ads for gadgets (56 percent vs 50 percent) and appliances (45 percent vs 39 percent) as compared to females.

Also Read: Digital gold is easy to buy but is it regulated? Experts weigh in

According to Bhatia, 37 percent of consumers are planning on spending less than they did pre-pandemic. "This shows they are still being cautious," she says. Keeping the post-pandemic sentiment in mind, "advertising will need to convince Indians of the need to spend and allow them to feel a sense of safety and certainty."

The new normal Diwali shopper and how she shops

Looking specifically at the shopping behaviour of urban Indians, YouGov observes that brick-and-mortar penetration levels are higher for every category apart from gadgets, fashion accessories and clothes and shoes.

The largest gap is seen in gadgets, where penetration is 17 points higher online than brick-and-mortar channels (40 percent vs 23 percent), showing a positive sign for online electronic retailers in the country.

When asked about factors that motivate consumers to buy online, ease of shopping and offers and discounts (58 percent each) emerged as the top reasons cited by urban Indians. Most urban Indians claim the convenience of online shopping (57 percent), the ability to avoid crowded places (55 percent) and the variety of products (55 percent) are also top motivators for them to shop online.

Also Read: How to pay off EMIs and debts to save money during festive season

On the other hand, when it comes to stores, the ability to physically experience products was stated as the top reason to shop from stores, with more than half of urban Indians (58 percent) saying this.

Ease of purchase (42 percent), ease of return and refund (42 percent) and the ability to try out things in stores (41 percent) are other top reasons to shop from brick-and-mortar stores. About two in five (41 percent) said they trust physical stores more than online and this is their main reason for purchasing things offline. The experience of simply visiting the store is a key motivation for 40 percent of urban Indians.

(Edited by : Jomy Jos Pullokaran)

First Published:Nov 3, 2021 3:39 PM IST