2021 will see us working further to improve our products’ accessibility for consumers as the India’s digital revolution gathers pace after a subdued economic year overall.
Partho Chakrabarti, MD, Faber-Castell India.
2020 has been a year of upheavals and uncertainties. Businesses around the world have had to re-think, re- strategize and re-evaluate their business model strategies forcing several to change their models almost overnight. However, the learning curve has been addressed as brands along with consumers now have now adapted themselves to the “new normal”. Keeping the ‘new normal in mind’ the year 2021 from a marketing point of view comes with its challenges as well as opportunities. For Faber-Castell India here are the 5 points of focus that would underline the messaging for 2021:
Sustainability
Faber-Castell has always been a sustainable brand and its environmental responsibility does not end at environment-friendly sourcing of raw materials. The entire product life cycle, which includes the full life cycle of the product from environmentally friendly development, right through to disposal is of concern to consumers. This year, we had a special launch of Recycled Paper Pencils, made with recycled paper. The rainbow shavings underlined the brand’s priority to promote inclusivity. Add to this the water-soluble seeds found at the bottom of the product emphasized its eco-friendly quality of the product. Through this one pencil we are forwarding our goals of sustainability as well as inclusivity. This is not saying that we are resting on our accomplishment. Through advanced research and product development we are consistently attempting to further improve our sustainability score through innovation in our packaging and products. The consumers have always positively responded to this and we hope that we will continue to be appreciated for it.
Expansion of consumer base
As stringent lockdowns across the country impacted the social lives of hundreds of thousands of consumers, at Faber-Castell we leveraged the conditions to offer our products as tool for de-stressing and detoxing from digital over-feed. Through this, we have seen our consumer base broaden as a whole as DIY products and coloring materials shot up in popularity among urban youths. In 2021 we will focus on sustaining this increased user base and continue to slowly position the products as tool for unwinding from screen heavy workdays.
Ease of Purchase
Faced with the prospects of uncertain lockdowns in the fight against COVID-19, Faber-Castell India quickly adapted to include E-commence in its inventory of services and revamped the website in 2020, to enable ease for consumers. Before COVID19, it was easier to walk up to the nearest stationery shop to buy small items like a pencil. However, the pandemic has compelled consumers and us to adopt e-commerce and dependency of digital means at a rapid pace. 2021 will see us working further to improve our products’ accessibility for consumers as the India’s digital revolution gathers pace after a subdued economic year overall.
Digital engagement with consumers
As a major part of our business comes from schools, One of India’s largest offline campaigns targeted towards children is our ‘Art With Purpose’, which unfortunately suffered a setback as schools around the country were closed. However, our online presence and digital engagement has always been high, we would also be focusing on how to make our digital community stronger in reaching more people outside of our social media as well. We would also be pushing more and more tutorials, plan more workshops to engage with our consumers better and more consistently.
Creating an Art Education Platform
Going forward, Faber-Castell is also trying to create an Art Education platform which will bring together citizens from all around the world and especially make art education accessible for all in India.
