India- the land of festivities and cultures where sweets are a part of every celebration. Recently one of the biggest festivals, Diwali was celebrated throughout the country. The most special aspect of this Diwali was the sweets, candies, and chocolates that people received from and distributed to their relatives and loved ones.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we were not allowed to leave our house. Despite this fact, people celebrated Diwali with their favorite food. As we all know Indian festivals are incomplete without the feast and sweets. Food not only lightens up the taste buds but also changes the mood of the person. The practice of eating and distributing sweets is very ancient. There are mythological stories on why Diwali is celebrated with pooja and scrumptious food, sweets, and much more. Though the common belief is Lord Ramma came to Ayodhya after defeating the evil King Ravana. People celebrated this day by lighting up lamps and distributing sweets.
Though this festival is still celebrated in India the way of gifting has changed. Due to modernization, the whole concept of gifting is revolutionized. The art of making sweets at home and disturbing loved ones has gone out of the window. This is major because of the hectic schedules of modern times. We hardly are blessed with plenty of free time.
However, we have aced the art of gifting. People nowadays gift packed products to their loved ones. With gifting it is important to understand the values and taste buds of people to whom we are gifting. Traditionally gifting on festivals mend to strengthen the bonds between people. What better than to gift delightful candies and chocolates. And confectioneries like toffee, candy, Fruit Jelly, lollipops manufacturers are using this opportunity excellently to create a market for them. Historically, people/humans have a natural inclination towards sweetness.
During modernization candies, toffees, and chocolates have evolved. The sweetness, ingredients, and packing involved in a product have increased the value of the product. Ingredients involved in making a product set the taste of the product, which takes the product to the next level. This way brands play a very important role in shaping the industry. Big brands play big especially in the time of the festive season. They give ad campaigns that target the sentimental value of the audience. Just like consumers/audience/people want to give/have the best at the time of festivals brands want to sell the best too. Both brands and consumers need to have good communication that helps them both in their respective ways.
Mahak Group has used Milk N Nut to revive the nostalgic feeling of people. The tagline used with this product hits the sentimental value of people. It is the modernized version of “nariyal barfi” mithai that we as children used to get for one rupee from our nearby stores. Now, this brand presents the same barfi in a modern way. As in we can get the same barfi within a new packaging and also with the trust of the brand.
Another way in which brands play big is on their chocolate products. Chocolate is liked by the majority of people. Chocolate is made from cocoa. Fusion chocolate products are also available. Brands combine two flavors and present them to the consumers. Mint candies are one such example of it. Mint and chocolate are combined which is liked by people. Mint refreshes the person where the ultimate blast of chocolate levels up the excitement in the person. The ingredients used in this candy are mint and cocoa. Over generations, brands have observed people develop an instant liking for products that have two ingredients. Like Mint N Nut and Mint ChocOn.
Apart from how the brand plays in the festive season they also set a pattern to deliver to their customers as per their values.
As per the rituals, customs, and beliefs, the tradition is to give sweet items to people. So, confectionary brands play big. They understand customer behavior and likewise, they do their marketing. Most common products are differentiated based on their ingredients, and taste values. However, we have classified toffees, candies, and chocolates into four parts. Let’s have an insight into them:
Soft: Soft candies are chewable candies that are easy to chew. They are liked by middle-aged people mostly. Several brands have soft toffees collections. Some brand’s soft toffees also have a legacy of more than 20 years. Toffees and mithai like Coconut Toffee and Milk N Nut Mithai are some of the most common examples of soft toffee. Children’s jellies and jams also fall under the same category.
Hard: Hard toffees are hard to chew. They stay a longer time than the soft toffee. Usually, kids under the age of 3 years are not given hard toffees because they don’t have the teeth to chew it.
Pop: Pop on toffees creates a small popping in the mouth. It dissolves in the mouth. In the current time, pop toffees also come in two flavors. They usually are a fusion of two ultimate flavors. They are different from hard toffee in only one way that they develop pressure in the mouth before dissolving in it.
Gums: Chewing gums are a separate category in itself. It has a lot of products in it.
These products are just a handful of products. Though the confectionary market size is really big. According to a recent study,” India has one of the biggest potential markets for the confectionary products”. Confectionary is no longer just related to kids. It has moved out of the boxes and reached out to people of every age group. Masala and chocolate center filled candies attract the youth of the country.
Chocolate and nut candies are a premium segment in the confectionery industry. The confectionery industry in India is changing very rapidly. People are looking for new flavors and brands are using this opportunity to bring a new product and create a market for it.
We hope this post has given insight into how brands use festivals to engage with their customers to increase their market.
