Don't just jump on the bandwagon

HOW BRANDS CAN STAND APART THIS INDEPENDENCE DAY, GANESH CHATURTHI, DURGA PUJO...

- GEETIKA SRIVASTAVA

RAKSHA BANDHAN LADDUS have barely been digested, Ganesh Chaturthi pandals are already rising, and markets are abuzz with kite buyers gearing up for Independence Day. In the backrooms of the country's marketing departments, however, the mood is tactical. This is the runway to India's most lucrative quarter, a compressed window when consumer sentiment peaks, wallets loosen, and brands hurry to turn cultural moments into market share.

Occasion marketing campaigns, once a seasonal flourish, are now a boardroom line item. "Top consumer brands in India often allocate 20-40% of their annual marketing budget to occasion-specific campaigns," says Yasin Hamidani, director at Media Care Brand Solutions. Digital-first players, he adds, may push over half their festive spending into online channels, while smaller brands choose a handful of high-impact moments and spend 10-15% of their budgets there.