Marketing and monetisation technologies provider InMobi has unveiled key insights from its annual festive trends report, The Marketer’s Guide to the Festive Season 2023.
The report said 54 pc of the respondents prefer to engage in hybrid shopping, combining online and offline methods. In all, this year, 84 pc have increased their online shopping budgets as against last year. Among the women surveyed, 68 pc see themselves as the main decision-makers for festive shopping, prioritising personal needs, followed by family and business associates.
InMobi’s survey had over 1,000 Indian mobile users as respondents. The insights are a valuable resource for brands looking to refine their festive marketing strategies.
Key highlights of the report:
- 84 pc of Indian consumers reported an increase in online shopping budgets as compared to the previous year.
- 63 pc said they know what item to buy and are only left to finalise the brand of their choice.
- 54 pc respondents prefer hybrid shopping, combining online and offline methods and 44 pc said they would shop online only.
- Unplanned shoppers are inclined to shop closer to festivals. 58 pc plan to shop around Dusshera and Diwali, whereas about 1 in 3 shoppers are looking to start as early as September.
“The essence of India’s festive season is rooted in traditions, cultures, and the emotions they evoke. The months leading up to the festivities, especially around Dussehra and Diwali, are significant for brands, as most shopping explorations and purchase decisions occur during this time,” said Vasuta Agarwal, Chief Business Officer, Consumer Advertising Platform, InMobi. “With 78 pc of consumers planning to shop on their smartphones, mobile is the most crucial channel for brands this festive season, making it imperative for them to embrace a mobile-first approach in their marketing strategies. This approach will enable an authentic connection with the Indian festive shopper of 2023,” Vasuta added.
Most respondents reported they start learning about brands and products and exploring different choices available for festive shopping in September. Notably, a substantial 66 pc of them plan to allocate a budget between ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 towards their festive purchases.
The report categorised three distinct buyer personas – 19 pc of festive shoppers fall into the Unplanned Shoppers segment, making buying decisions between Dussehra and Diwali. 63 pc are Category Explorers, who have already initiated research to refine their brand and product preferences for purchase while the remaining 18 pc are classified as Brand Lovers, characterised by the highest budget for festive shopping.
“Over the past year, we have witnessed a wide array of brands harness and leverage the potential of the smart lock screen to drive relevant engagement with connected consumers. A classic example is that of Coca Cola where the brand leveraged Glance’s smart lock screen to enable their consumers to send hyper-local personalised festive invites to their friends and families, which could be customised and delivered in any language of their choosing. Similarly, Zomato and Kuku FM too leveraged the festive season to drive better engagement with their consumers via the smart lock screen to great success.” Vasuta added.
“As this festive season is fast approaching, Glance will indeed play a substantial role in helping brands fortify their digital footprint and spark connections with consumers across India.”
The Marketer’s Guide to the Festive Season Report 2023
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