Increased consumer confidence is translating into greater festive spending: Nikita Desai

This time of the year marks one of the most crucial periods for businesses as consumer sentiment is at its highest, with spending patterns reflecting the festive spirit. From offers and discounts to large-scale campaigns and personalized engagement, brands are exploring every avenue to stand out in a highly competitive marketplace. The rise of digital marketing and the increasing role of e-commerce have also intensified the focus on omnichannel strategies, ensuring that consumers are met with consistent messaging across both online and offline platforms.

Adgully’s special annual column, FESTIVE MOOD, delves deep into the intricacies of these marketing activities, offering a holistic perspective on the trends that define this season. From ad spend projections to consumer behaviour analysis, the column covers all aspects of the festive landscape. It highlights how brands are planning to position themselves, what marketing strategies are being adopted, and how consumer sentiment is shaping the promotional and communication tactics being deployed.

The home decor category sees huge traction during the festive season. Over the years, D'Décor has come to be recognised as a major player in this segment. FabriCare, the high-performance furnishing fabrics brand from D'Décor, has been setting newer standards in the textile industry, making everyday luxury attainable by all. It offers a line of fabrics that blends utilitarian benefits with exquisiteness, while fortifying its offering with benefits such as fire safety, water repellency, resistance to stains, and others.

In conversation with Adgully, Nikita Desai, VP of Strategy, Brand, and Business Excellence at D'Décor Home Fabrics, shares her observations on the overall consumer and market sentiment during the festive season this year, what forms the core of the festive marketing strategy of FabriCare, and much more.

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

During this year’s festive season, we have observed a clear sense of optimism and increased consumer confidence across the market. People are eager to celebrate, and that sentiment is translating into greater spending, particularly in home décor and lifestyle products. This year, in India, the festive calendar is combined with an extended wedding season in the coming months presents a strong opportunity for increased demand.

There is also a noticeable demand for value-driven yet premium products. Consumers are seeking quality and long-lasting designs at the right price points. As a result, brands offering a balance between aesthetics, performance, and affordability are seeing a strong uptick in demand.

Overall, the mood is upbeat, and brands that cater to this festive energy and evolving consumer needs are set for a successful season.

What forms the core of your festive marketing strategy this year? Could you tell us about your campaign strategy for the festive season?

The festive season is a crucial time for the home décor industry, and at D'Decor and FabriCare, it’s no exception. Festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali drive consumers to upgrade their homes, making this quarter our busiest. Our strategy this year focuses on maximizing reach and engagement across digital, outdoor, and in-store platforms, ensuring both brands remain top of mind.

Our approach is anchored on two pillars: building awareness and enhancing consumer experience. For FabriCare, we are promoting its unique blend of aesthetics and functionality, featuring products like Easy Clean, 100% Blackout, and Fade Resistant fabrics. Our multi-touchpoint campaigns, spanning digital ads, outdoor visibility, and impactful in-store branding, ensure FabriCare stays front and center during the decision-making process.

Celebrity partnerships with Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt have further boosted brand resonance, amplifying our message of combining design with performance. Simultaneously, we are engaging with key influencers, including architects and interior designers, by showcasing FabriCare’s high-performance fabrics at design shows across the country, positioning the brand as the go-to choice for both aesthetics and durability.

For D’Decor, we have introduced vibrant, festive-themed bedding collections and a vast gifting range that captures the celebratory spirit. Our ‘exclusive festive offers’, featuring exclusive discounts and bundling offers, make it easier for consumers to bring style and comfort into their homes for the festivities.

Ultimately our goal this festive season is to foster strong emotional connections with our customers by offering products that perfectly blend beauty and performance.

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

With media consumption becoming increasingly fragmented, our approach to allocating festive ad budgets focuses on creating a balanced, multi-platform strategy that maximizes reach and engagement while catering to different audience behaviours. We recognize that today’s consumers are spread across various touchpoints, from digital to traditional media, and our budget allocation reflects that reality.

A decent portion of our ad budget is dedicated to digital platforms, as they offer precise targeting and measurable ROI. Social media, programmatic ads, and influencer collaborations are among a few tools that we are experimenting with to target aspirational content for millennials or product-driven campaigns for home décor enthusiasts. While we are using digital, we still invest in traditional media as well from Cinema to print & outdoor, ensuring brand visibility during the festive shopping period.

Another key investment is in point-of-sale and in-store branding. We have found that physical retail remains an essential touchpoint, especially for products like home décor, where customers often prefer to see and feel the product before making a purchase. Festive window displays, in-store promotions, and experiential marketing play a big role in driving conversions.

Also Read: Indians gear up for festive season with increased spending: Disney+ Hotstar Survey