Everyone has had that one moment, a tough day suddenly made better by a knock at the door, a bunch of fresh flowers, or a cake that arrived with a note that simply said thinking of you. For millions of people, that moment has come through FNP. What began three decades ago as a humble flower store in Delhi has today evolved into India’s largest gifting and experiences platform, delivering across 100+ countries.
When Avi Kumar, Marketing Head at FNP, talked about the brand, his energy mirrored the brand he represents- vibrant, heartfelt, and full of intent. “The vision has always been simple, to deliver happiness,” Kumar said. “It’s not just about selling a product, but about transferring emotion from the sender to the receiver.”
It’s this obsession with emotion as the product that defines how FNP approaches marketing. “Unlike regular consumer brands, where you buy something for yourself, our focus is always on the person on the other end,” he explained. “We first solve for how to deliver that emotion, then we curate the products around it.” That’s how flowers led to cakes, hampers, personalised gifts, and even live experiences. “We’re the only platform that lets you send a guitarist to serenade your loved one, or gift an entire ambience,” he added.
From ‘Luxe’ To ‘Hatke’- A Portfolio For Every Kind Of Gifter
FNP today houses multiple sub-brands that cater to different kinds of consumers. “FNP Luxe was born when we saw a demand for more premium experiences,” Kumar said. “People wanted to upgrade, to give something that felt indulgent and rare. Luxe is for those who want a little extra sparkle in their gifting.”
At the other end of the spectrum sits Hatke by FNP, a new-age brand created entirely by Gen Z, for Gen Z. “I’m the least active person on that team,” Kumar laughed, “because the entire Hatke team is Gen Z themselves. They decide what is cool, what trends, and what connects. For them, everyday gifting is as important as occasion gifting.”
Together, these extensions show how FNP has evolved from a flower brand to an emotion platform, meeting users where they are, whether that’s luxury weddings or college friendships.
A Brand That Lives Where Its Consumers Do
For Kumar, marketing today is not about a funnel, it is about presence. “Earlier, the buyer’s journey was linear, from awareness to interest to desire to purchase,” he explained. “But now it’s completely non-linear. Someone might see a cake on Instagram and order it instantly for their mom. Another might just share a bouquet reel because they loved the design.”
That’s why FNP is now everywhere, from its app and website to quick-commerce platforms and over 350 retail stores across India. “The first rule is: be where the demand is,” Kumar said. “And then make the journey seamless, from reminding you of your loved one’s birthday to making checkout effortless.”
Decoding The Media Mix
Kumar has seen marketing at FNP evolve from print and TV to a digital-first universe. “Today, 80-85% of our media spends go into digital,” he said. “Earlier we used to allocate budgets to market on television and print, but over time, we have shifted fully to digital, and within that, towards content and influencers.”
It’s a smart move, considering how much of FNP’s visibility now comes organically. “Many times, a celebrity sends flowers using FNP and posts about it,” Kumar shared. “We didn’t even know when someone sent an arrangement to Karan Johar until we saw it on his story! That’s the beauty of this category, every gift has the potential to go viral.”
Even planned influencer campaigns are built on authenticity. “We let creators speak genuinely about their experience,” he said. “That relatability works better than any ad. And because it works, we’ve doubled our influencer and content marketing spends this festive season, up by 100%.”
Festive Fever: Where 30% of Annual Revenue Blooms
For FNP, October to March is the Super Bowl of gifting. “Festive and wedding seasons contribute more than 30% of our annual revenue,” Kumar said. “Within that, about 45% comes from combos and hampers, they really are the biggest festive driver.”
The company is expecting a 25-30% growth this festive quarter compared to last year. “We started strong with Rakhi and Karwa Chauth, and Diwali is looking even better,” Kumar said. “Personalisation and premiumisation are the big themes this year, people want their gifts to say something about them.”
That ambition reflects in the numbers too. “While festivals contribute about 30% of our revenue, they take up nearly 60% of our annual marketing budget,” he has added. “It’s where emotions, and ROI, run the highest.”
Regional Stories, Local Voices
Coming from a background in radio and TV, Kumar understands the power of local relevance. “You can have one big brand promise, but until you localise it, you won’t be relevant,” he said. “For example, in Kolkata, people want to know fish prices, in Ahmedabad, it’s stocks. Similarly, in gifting, a Tamil Nadu customer may prefer different aesthetics than someone in Delhi.”
FNP now uses a mix of regional content and psychographic targeting. “Instead of just city-based cohorts, we now target by mindset,” he explained. “Someone in Nagpur might be a Taylor Swift fan just like someone in Delhi. So we map interests, not just pin codes.”
AI, Personalisation, And The Human Touch
For Kumar, technology is not replacing empathy, it’s scaling it. “AI has helped us personalise at scale,” he said. “We can remind you about your friend’s birthday at the perfect time, say two days before, at 6 p.m., when you’re most active online. It’s about making life easier while keeping the emotion intact.”
FNP also uses AI to recommend products, predict trends, and even create campaigns. “Our ‘Rakhi Banai Khaas’ campaign was entirely AI-generated, from insights to production,” Kumar shared. “The goal is to go to market faster, but never lose the human feel.”
Sustainability And The Future Of Gifting
Kumar said that conscious gifting is a growing priority. “We’re rethinking packaging to make it reusable and recyclable,” he explained. “We also upcycle unused flowers into candles and diffusers, it’s sustainable with a sensory twist.”
Looking ahead, he sees innovation and trend agility as the next frontier. “Because we’re India’s go-to gifting platform, we have a responsibility to set trends,” he said. “From personalised LED bouquets to anime-inspired hampers, we’re constantly asking, what would delight someone next?”
And as Kumar puts it, that’s really the heart of FNP’s marketing philosophy: “We’re not just selling gifts. We’re delivering a moment that becomes a memory.”
