The regionalisation of Indian brands

“The brand and company will be relevant if your products and brands are contemporary and serve the consumers,” according to RS Sodhi, managing director, GCMMF (Amul) – and for the dairy giant that means getting increasingly local.

Context 

Thirty or forty years ago there was far less trust for Indian food brands, with imported brands carrying a perception of both quality and hygiene. Those attitudes are long gone, with Indian brands more than holding their own against the multinational giants. What’s happening now, though, is that consumers are increasingly looking even more locally for brands – and that puts new demands on marketing strategies as both national and international brands look to create the impression of being a regional brand.

What’s happening 

That’s an interesting development for a brand like Amul that has spent years promoting itself nationally and now finds itself moving to a more regional approach.

That has meant explaining how, for example, the milk it sells in a particular state is purchased from local villages and farmers.

“We are going more regional in our messaging,” RS Sodhi told Campaign Asia. “Whether it’s press, social media or TV, we are looking at creating brand opportunities via local languages.”

This could be a particularly effective play for Amul since it doesn’t have any pan-India rivals. “Our competition is from regional players, whether you take milk, butter, ghee, or even our ice creams,” Sodhi said. 

Sourced from Campaign Asia