Gajendra Jangid unveils CARS24’s festive strategy

In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Gajendra Jangid, Co-Founder and CMO of CARS24, shared insights into the company’s approach to the festive season in 2024. With the market sentiment showing significant positivity, CARS24 has already seen a remarkable rise in sales, beginning with over 150 cars sold on the first day of Navratri alone. This year, the festive season has reflected a renewed consumer confidence, with cars increasingly seen as a meaningful addition to family celebrations, symbolizing aspirations and shared moments.

Jangid highlighted CARS24's focus on creating an emotional connection with customers as the core of their festive marketing strategy. The brand's latest campaign taps into the sentimental value cars hold, positioning them as cherished companions in life’s milestones. Through a blend of digital, social, and traditional media, CARS24’s campaigns are designed to reach audiences across diverse platforms, while also maintaining a strong emphasis on word-of-mouth and customer satisfaction as the foundation of brand loyalty.

What are your observations on the overall consumer and market sentiment during the festive season this year?

The market sentiment has been overwhelmingly positive this festive season. On the very first day of Navratri, we sold over 150 cars, and in the first week of October alone, more than 1,500 cars were delivered to happy customers. This speaks volumes about the growing consumer confidence and the importance people place on upgrading or buying a car during this time of year. The festive season has always been a time for big decisions, and we’ve seen a marked increase in people opting to purchase cars, recognizing them not just as a mode of transport, but as an integral part of their celebrations and family moments.

What forms the core of your festive marketing strategy this year?

This year, our festive marketing strategy centers around the emotional connection people have with their cars. We recently released a brand film that beautifully captures the essence of drives that take you back, showcasing how cars are much more than mere vehicles. They are silent witnesses to our life journeys, holding memories of every milestone and moment shared with loved ones. The goal is to evoke a sense of belonging and nostalgia, reminding our audience that cars are, in many ways, a part of the family. Through this narrative, we hope to create deeper emotional ties between our brand and our customers.

Could you tell us about your campaign strategy for the festive season?

Our campaign strategy revolves around the same emotional core as our brand film. We're focusing on creating content that resonates with the idea that a car is not just a utility but a companion in life’s most important moments. We want to tell stories that reflect how cars witness the ups and downs, the celebrations, and the quiet moments in between. It’s this sense of connection that we want our audience to feel when they think about our brand during the festive season.

What is your marketing/ advertising budget for the festive season in 2024? What percentage increase (or decrease) is it compared to the previous year?

At CARS24, we’ve always placed a strong emphasis on the power of word-of-mouth and organic growth. While we have increased our budget modestly this year to enhance our festive outreach, the focus remains on improving our services and building trust with our customers. We believe that satisfied customers are our greatest ambassadors, and our budget reflects our continued efforts to enhance their experience. The increase in spending is less about competing for visibility and more about ensuring we’re delivering value at every touchpoint.

Given the increasing fragmentation of media consumption, how are you allocating festive ad budgets across different platforms?

We understand that today’s consumers engage with content across a variety of platforms, and our strategy reflects this shift. We’ve allocated our budget thoughtfully across digital, social media, and more traditional channels, ensuring we’re reaching our audience wherever they are. However, we’ve always believed that the best marketing comes from a satisfied customer, so a large part of our efforts still relies on creating remarkable experiences that people naturally want to share. By balancing our digital presence with strong word-of-mouth, we’re able to maintain a genuine connection with our audience.