Instead of leading with discounts, Motorola is focusing on colours & AI: Shivam Ranjan

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.

In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Shivam Ranjan, Head of Marketing APAC, Motorola, shares insights into the company’s approach to this year's festive season. As consumers gear up for shopping amidst a buoyant market sentiment, Ranjan discusses how Motorola is adapting its strategy to meet evolving consumer preferences and the emphasis on innovation and design.

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

The consumer sentiment this festive season is buoyant, and consumers have participated actively in the initial phase of the festive season sale this year. The smartphone category is expected to witness growth in both volume and value. While the growth may be marginal in volume, there is higher growth in value terms due to the premiumization trend in the Indian market which has continued during the festive season as well.

Further, with a desire to purchase more premium products, there is also a shift in the consumer behaviour leading to higher affinity for products that resonate with the consumer individuality and style along with true value in the form of consumer experience driven through software experiences and AI-led enhancements, versus just the biggest discounts.

We have brought colours and design to the forefront of our product lineup, while our AI-powered features, particularly in camera technology, are delivering enhanced experiences for our users. As market sentiment remains upbeat, we believe that consumers are ready to invest in products that offer both aesthetic appeal and performance. Our festive offerings, combined with attractive price points, have been well-received, further reaffirming that innovation, style, and value are key drivers in today’s market.

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

Our festive marketing strategy centers around celebrating design and creativity through vibrant colours and advanced AI technology. We have introduced the ‘Hello Colour. Hello AI’ campaign, where we’ve showcased our products in their new and attractive Pantone curated colours with stunning materials and premium finishes. The campaign also highlights our commitment to delivering cutting-edge AI capabilities that enhance user experiences, especially in camera technology. Our devices, such as the Motorola Edge50 Pro, Motorola Edge50 Fusion, and Motorola Edge50 Neo, bring together the best of design and AI innovation. These phones not only stand out for their stunning looks, but also for AI-powered features like photo enhancement, adaptive stabilization, and generative theming, ensuring that users can capture every moment effortlessly. Our strategy is to blend innovation, style, and affordability, making Motorola devices the ideal choice for today’s tech-savvy and style-conscious audience.

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

Instead of leading with pricing and discounts, we are focusing on two key elements that define our brand: Colours and AI. We’ve introduced five exciting new colour variants across our most popular smartphones, including the Motorola Edge50 Pro, Motorola Edge50 Fusion, and Moto G85 5G. These colours, developed in partnership with Pantone, reflect our vision of combining style with performance to appeal to Gen Z, Y and millennial audiences. The campaign is brought to life through a vibrant TVC featuring our brand ambassador, Kriti Sanon, set to a fresh rendition of the iconic ‘Rangeela Re’ track, which celebrates the vibrant festive spirit of India while showcasing Motorola’s commitment to design through its unique and colourful portfolio of products. This not only breaks the clutter, but also drives premium imagery and affinity for the brand with the Indian consumers through its iconic and refreshing approach. Through this festive campaign, we aim to provide consumers with stylish, tech-forward devices that offer both enhanced usability and aesthetic appeal.

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

Our marketing and advertising budget for the festive season in 2024 has seen a strategic increase compared to last year, aligning with our ambition to stand out in a highly competitive market. The increase in our budget reflects our focus on reinforcing Motorola’s position as a lifestyle-tech brand, especially with the integration of AI features and our global partnership with Pantone. While we can’t disclose exact figures, our significant investment this year underscores our commitment to creating meaningful and engaging connections with our audience. The festive season is a crucial time for us, and this increased budget allows us to effectively showcase Motorola’s unique offerings, further reinforcing our leadership in both technology and design.

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

It is essential to be agile and strategic in how we allocate ad budgets, especially during the festive season. At Motorola, we’re focusing on a multi-platform approach, ensuring that our festive campaign resonates with a broad audience.

Since the initial phase of the festive sale period has a higher contribution from eCommerce platforms, our initial investments are more skewed towards digital media where we are likely to garner the highest reach and frequency. However, we are also investing in retail through the visibility elements of our range campaign and are also investing in traditional media to target premium consumers behind paywalls through media such as DOOH, cinema and linear TV.

This integrated approach allows us to maintain a balance between broad visibility and targeted engagement, creating a festive campaign that cuts through the clutter, and enhances consumer experiences with our products.