How enhanced brand activations heightened Durga Puja festivities this year

Over the years, Durga Puja festivities have come to witness an increasing brand presence at the various community puja pandals that dot West Bengal. Corporate sponsorship during Durga Puja started in the 1990s, prior to which the funding was mostly through donations collected. The initiative was first started at the time when Asian Paints came up with the Sharad Samman Awards, leading to a surge in the number of visitors to the Puja pandals, which made the organisers realise that Durga Puja could turn out to be a good source of revenue, leading to a change in their outlook towards the festival. The splendour with which the festival is celebrated every year provides a great opportunity for brands to give a boost to the visibility of their advertising campaigns, enhance consumer engagement, marketing, promotion, and sales, building a strong connection with the consumers and generating higher brand recall as they start associating the brand with the magnificence of the festival.

Talking about this year’s brand activation and brand presence during Durga Puja, Puneet Das, President - Packaged Beverages, India & South Asia, Tata Consumer Products, said that Tata Tea Gold has been an integral part of the Durga Pujo celebrations for the past four years, joining in the festivities and embracing the regional pride and culture of West Bengal. “For the last 4 years, Tata Tea Gold has been launching special festive packs showcasing the 5 days of Durga Pujo in the art styles native to Bengal. This year, Tata Tea Gold highlighted the celebrations from Shashthi to Dashami in the handloom styles of Kantha, Jamdani, Baluchari, Batik, and Garad. To amplify the campaign, we were present across Print, Outdoor, Digital, Social Media, and On-Ground in the form of participation in Pandals. Tata Tea Gold was present across Tridhara, Ek Dalia, and Singhi Park puja pandals in Kolkata. These pandals collectively welcomed a staggering 15 lakh devotees throughout the five-day celebrations. Tata Tea Gold showcased its range of festive packs in these pandals through Gate Arches and Banner ads. Along with Pandal integration, we also executed an innovative, one-of-a-kind dual-screen 3D anamorphic display at South City Mall, Kolkata,” Das elaborated.

Similarly, Dabur India along with its brands planned several exciting engagements and brand activation exercises that won over the consumers, from Odonil Villa to Gulabpari. Subhodeep Roy, Business Head - East & National Sales Head – General Trade, Dabur India Ltd, said, “Durga Puja holds a significant importance during the festive season, and to make this more special, we came up with some innovative activities to celebrate this Pujo. Adding creativity and innovative experience across Pujo Pandals, this year, we took our celebrations to the next level with first-of-its-kind initiatives. We also created for the first time a unique Dabur Durga Puja Sharodiya Zone at the famous Ultadanga. The zone was completely branded by Dabur Durga Puja wishes and Dabur’s 35+ brands were showcased in the heart of the city.”

Dabur Red ToothPaste gave a first-of-its-kind 3D experience to the visitors at Tala Bridge near Tala Barowari Puja Pandal. The brand installed an Anamorphic L-shaped LED screen, a unique immersive installation that took the 3D experience to the next level. This innovative technology gave jaw-dropping visuals. To give Pujo a fragrance touch, Dabur Odonil created Odonil Villa, a Fragrance Tunnel, at Shiv Mandir Puja Pandal. It was set up right before visitors entered the Pandal, giving it a traditional Bengali home look. Dabur Chyawanprash came up with the Doshe Dosh Contest this Pujo. Participants who entered this contest were eligible to join the Astra Daan Ceremony at Singhi Park Puja Pandal, where three winners were announced. Dabur Gulabari re-launched a campaign this Pujo – Dabur Gulaabri presents Gulabpari “The Glowing Diva”. The brand set up an innovative content zone at Samaj Sevi Puja Pandal, where girls came and made Reels to participate in the contest to make their way to become one of the wild card entries in the 10th edition of FFACE calendar - 2023. Dabur Hommade owned the unexplored space of rewarding homemade Durga Pujas of Kolkata and presented Barir Pujo Sharad Samman.

While speaking on the increase in sponsorship budgets this year, Subhodeep Roy, said, “We increased the sponsorship this year by 12%, as compared to last year on major pandals, streets, Bari Puja, outdoor advertising, etc. Some of the key brands are Dabur Red Paste, Dabur Chywanprash, Dabur Honey, Dabur Gulabari, Hommade.”

Mukesh Mishra, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Adani Wilmar Limited, added here, “Durga Puja holds a special place in the hearts of every Bengali. At Adani Wilmar, we actively encourage our customers to immerse themselves in the spirit of Durga Puja and savour the delightful blend of our products with the essence of ‘Ghar Ka Khana Ghar ka Khana Hota Hai’ during this auspicious period. This year, we take immense pride in our integral role in the Durga Puja celebrations, having reached out to over 50 prominent pandals across major cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and smaller towns such as Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Silchar, and more in West Bengal.”

In tandem with its on-ground promotions, Adani Wilmar Limited has been running a series of heartwarming campaigns during Durga Puja, titled ‘Pet Pujo’. These campaigns encapsulate the nostalgia associated with returning home to celebrate traditions and rekindle the rich food culture during the Pujo festival. These campaign films highlight the aesthetics and culturally rich traditions of Bengal, resonating with people from the state and beyond. This year’s campaign was a celebration of Maa Durga’s homecoming with ‘Amaar Baadi’, showcasing the magic of a goddess’ enduring love for her home, flavours, and traditions.

ITC Foods, too, conducted multiple campaigns and activation during this year’s Durga Puja at various Puja Pandals. Brands of ITC like Aashirvaad, Yippee!, Sunfeast, Sunrise, and Bingo! have been part of the celebrations. “However, sticking to the core of brand building, the participation is based on the strong pillars of meaningful and rich consumer experiences, built around the core of the brand,” said an ITC spokesperson, adding, “A standout example of our innovative and sustainable approach was the ‘Maatrishakti’ campaign by Aashirvaad Atta. In Baghbazar pandal, an astounding gathering of mothers harnessed their boundless energy through the traditional Dhunuchi dance on specially designed floors, generating energy that was then used to supply electricity to a village in West Bengal.”