As the sweltering heat of summer settles across the nation, anticipation is brewing among players in the consumer durables sector. Particularly, those specialising in cooling appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators and fans are expecting a boost in category growth and sales.
Various consumer durable brands have developed a comprehensive marketing plan for this summer season. This plan focuses on digital channels, content marketing, CTV, omni-channel approach, and much more, with the goal of meeting anticipated growth and sales targets by reaching consumers through various effective strategies.
Meanwhile, with the return of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this summer, numerous consumer durables brands, especially dealing in cooling appliances, are presented with a significant opportunity to swiftly captivate a vast audience.
While some of these brands are strategically enhancing only their digital strategies, leveraging platforms like IPL to widen their audience reach, others are doubling down on their presence within the IPL ecosystem, advertising on both TV and digital mediums for heightened viewership during this season.
Industry leaders highlighted that this dual approach aims to engage a more focused audience while maintaining visibility across high-reach television and digital platforms. Let’s explore further the anticipated increase in sales and growth of these brands during the summer season, how crucial is IPL as a platform for such brands, their advertising strategies, marketing approaches, and other relevant elements.
Expected growth and sales trajectory
Pragya Bijalwan, CMO, Crompton Greaves, Consumer Electricals, said, “We anticipate strong growth and sales within the categories of fans and air coolers for the summer season of 2024. Our diverse product offerings are well-positioned to meet key market trends and consumer preferences.”
“With a focus on home comfort, smart technology integration and aesthetic appeal, we expect solid demand from environmentally conscious, tech-savvy and premium consumers. Through strategic marketing initiatives and targeted promotions we aim to capitalise on these trends and drive sales, reinforcing our leadership position in the market during the upcoming summer season,” she added.
Furthermore, she went on to say that the company will invest optimally to reach its audiences through the right channels particularly focusing on IPL through CTV and sports apps. As a category fans and air coolers see an increase in ad spends in the summer months driven by an increase in demand owing not only to seasonality but to cycles of renovations and re-décor that are taken up in homes.
Meanwhile, Sandhya Biswas – Head of Marketing, Nex (a brand by Bajaj Electricals), highlighted that Nex – the latest high-performance appliance brand – strategy prioritises expanding the trade presence, aiming to reach the top 30 cities this quarter.
“We have strategically invested in premium displays at key stores to highlight our brand’s USP of a higher air thrust. Complementing this effort, we are launching a targeted digital campaign, focusing on the sensorial experience that our brand offers. With the anticipation of intense heat this summer, we are optimistic that our products will meet the needs and preferences of consumers across the market,” she added.
How crucial is IPL for consumer durable brands during summers?
Bijalwan said that cricket is the most loved sport of the country and IPL is the most popular property likewise gaining traction each year.
“Considering the property is active during summers it becomes inevitable for brands operating in the space of cooling to participate. The property presents an opportunity to increase brand visibility, connect with consumers through the summer season and build the right association for our brand,” she added.
Meanwhile, Biswas highlighted that the IPL season attracts a massive audience, particularly during the early matches, presenting brands with a prime opportunity to capture attention.
“With high viewership rates, IPL becomes a platform where brands can effectively make their mark with customers. This captive audience makes IPL one of the most sought-after properties for brands aiming to enhance their visibility and engagement with consumers,” she added.
Recently, Haier India returned to IPL as the Digital Streaming Sponsor for IPL 2024. With this, Haier India aims to inspire and enhance consumer experiences, following its previous collaboration with JioCinema. The brand has adopted a digital-first marketing strategy of ‘Sport-O-tainment’.
Amid the IPL fervour, Orient Electric also unveiled a TVC campaign to promote its premium range of BLDC fans, featuring their brand ambassador MS Dhoni, who took the viewers on an “electrifying” journey through time to unveil the ‘Future of Fans’.
Strategising marketing and advertising approach
Bijalwan highlighted that to align with anticipated growth and sales targets for the upcoming summer season, they have crafted a multifaceted marketing strategy that prioritises digital channels, content marketing, personalisation, and an omni-channel approach.
“We are live with two high impact 360 degree campaigns for fans and air coolers which are launched pan India on TV and digital. We are intensifying our digital efforts through presence on IPL along with outreach through high affinity like Cricbuzz, Quora, etc. We are further investing in content marketing initiatives to appeal to the needs of the consumer and build trust in our range of products,” she said.
Furthermore, she emphasised that Crompton’s latest campaign on fans introduces its range of “picture perfect fans”. Through the key TVC tagline of “Kyonki Crompton fans ki photogenic beauty banaye har selfie ko picture perfect!” the campaign showcases how these fans can make any photo look amazing.
Crompton will be on air with its air coolers campaign as well. The TVC highlights how Crompton air coolers give you “Jaldi Cooling” even on the hottest of the days.
“Our quirky messaging adds humour as well as captures the basic and most important benefit that our products offer i.e. faster cooling. This 360 degree campaign is launched on TV and is further being amplified through digital, print and out of home mediums. By leveraging data analytics for segmentation, on the right channels, we aim to deliver tailored messages that resonate with diverse consumer segments. Additionally, we’re enhancing our presence across traditional offline channels to drive higher sales,” she added.
Biswas stated that in its inaugural year the brand’s primary objective is to build awareness, making it the sole focus of its summer campaign.
“Through meticulous optimisation and careful consideration of ad spend, we have devised a strategy aimed at establishing both the brand and its messaging. Our current advertising efforts are finely tuned to maximise impact on the awareness front, ensuring our presence is felt by our target audience. As we progress, we will continue to refine our approach, leveraging data insights to adapt and evolve our campaign for even greater effectiveness in the future,” she added.
Media channels being leveraged for ad campaigns
According to Biswas, the Nex consumer is discerning and seeks affirmation in their product choices.
“Our brand promises instant relief upon entering a room, with a proposition of 20% higher air thrust under the fan. This appeals to the discerning nature of our consumer, who values innovation and understands the benefits offered. Our digitally focused campaign, spanning platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and apps such as InShot, aims to resonate with our millennial, tech-savvy audience. We anticipate that our message will appeal to early adopters who are willing to try new brands for the benefits they offer,” she added.
For the advertising campaigns during the summer of 2024, the brand will leverage a mix of traditional and digital media channels.
Bijalwan said, “We are ramping up our investments in the sports genre, given the IPL season, to reach a sharper audience set while we also continue our focus on high reach TV and digital platforms to efficiently reach our target audience. IPL, which continues to garner high viewership amongst our TG is an important sports property where we continue to drive salience.”
“Our target audience includes a mix of both the millennials and GenZs in urban and suburban areas who are looking for sustainable, smart solutions that offer comfort and convenience in their homes. Our deployment this year will be skewed on platforms resting on smart devices like CTV and mobile apps. It gives us an assurance on consumer cohorts targeted with the right message,” she added.
Emerging trends that will gain more prominence this summer
According to Biswas, consumers’ primary concerns revolve around core benefits like energy efficiency and performance, particularly crucial during the scorching summer months. Nex’s emphasis is on providing products that not only alleviate discomfort but also excel in performance.
“This encompasses our diverse range of BLDC fans, renowned for their energy efficiency and superior performance even in the most demanding conditions. As we navigate through the intense heat wave, the discerning millennial consumer seeks products that offer both energy efficiency and exceptional performance. Thus, with Nex, our objective is to showcase the perfect fusion of performance and energy efficiency, meeting and exceeding the expectations of our target audience,” she added.
Furthermore, she went on to say that amid the intense heat wave, energy efficiency undoubtedly plays a significant role as consumers are likely to utilise their products for extended periods. However, emerging trends such as IoT are also gaining prominence among consumers.
Striking a similar tone, Bijalwan highlighted that the consumers today carefully curate every aspect of their home. Going ahead, consumers will also look for energy efficient solutions considering appliances like fans are used on an always-on basis during summers.
“We likewise anticipate a surge in demand for our BLDC fans that have high energy efficiency ratings. We will continue to focus on highlighting the convenience and lifestyle benefits of our smart appliances to appeal to the new age consumers,” she added.
