Too Yumm builds credibility through collaborations with trusted influencers: Yogesh Tewari

In a recent conversation with Adgully, Yogesh Tewari, Vice President - Marketing, Too Yumm!, sheds light on the brand’s pioneering “No Palm Oil” commitment and its impact on their marketing strategy and brand positioning. He discusses how this initiative aligns with Too Yumm!’s core values and addresses the growing health consciousness among Indian consumers. Tewari also shares insights into how Too Yumm! leverages influencers, engages with consumers, and adapts its marketing strategies based on feedback and trends.

What prompted Too Yumm! to focus its marketing strategy on the No Palm Oil commitment? How does this message align with your overall brand values and identity?

Recognizing the increasing health consciousness and the demand for healthier snacking options among Indian consumers, Too Yumm! directed its marketing efforts towards our “No Palm Oil” commitment. This strategic move positioned us as trailblazers in offering delicious yet healthier snacks crafted with premium ingredients such as rice bran oil, instead of palm oil. This messaging seamlessly resonates with our core brand values of innovation, disruption, and delivering superior snacking experiences without compromising on taste or health.

Since our inception in 2016-17, we entered the market with a pledge to promote healthy snacking, enlisting Virat Kohli as a brand ambassador to reinforce this positioning. As the brand progressed, we fine-tuned our proposition to "Tasty and Healthy Snacks" based on insights revealing that taste ranks as the primary consideration for most snack enthusiasts. The introduction of the no palm oil initiative enables us to meet both taste and health expectations, solidifying our identity as pioneering leaders in the better-for-you snacking segment.

How has the No Palm Oil initiative influenced Too Yumm!’s brand positioning in the snacking industry? In what ways do you communicate the premium quality and health benefits of your products through marketing?

The No Palm Oil initiative has been a game-changer for Too Yumm!’s positioning within the snacking industry. We have emerged as one of the few nationwide brands offering affordable yet premium snacks without palm oil, available across all distribution channels. This includes traditional trade outlets too, where we offer products at mass price points such as Rs 5 and Rs 10.

Our marketing endeavors prioritize the "No Palm Oil" proposition, ensuring it remains a central aspect of our brand communication. It is prominently featured on all our product packaging, whether on the front or back panels. We have executed comprehensive above-the-line campaigns centered around this message, such as our previous campaign that positioned Too Yumm! as "Great Taste, No Palm Oil."

Furthermore, we engage extensively with food influencers, bloggers, and reviewers to share our brand narrative and educate consumers about the health advantages of opting for palm oil-free snacks. Our extensive sales force also plays a vital role in driving awareness, as they interact daily with countless retailers, empowering them to impart this knowledge to shoppers.

What role do influencers play in your marketing strategy, and how do you select the right influencers for your brand?

Influencers play a crucial role in our marketing strategy, as they add credibility to our brand messaging and help us connect with diverse consumer segments more effectively. We collaborate with both macro-influencers boasting large followings and micro-influencers at the grassroots level, carefully selecting those whose values align with our brand proposition.

Our selection process emphasizes influencers with a proven track record of delivering balanced, factual content and making thoughtful choices in brand partnerships. By sharing our brand narrative, commitment to palm oil-free products, and the rationale behind our ingredient selections with the right influencers, we can educate and engage consumers effectively through content that resonates with their interests and lifestyles.

This approach enables us to harness the trust and authenticity that influencers command among their audiences, thereby amplifying the reach and impact of our marketing endeavours.

How do you engage with consumers to educate them about the benefits of No Palm Oil?

We employ a multi-pronged approach to engage and educate consumers about the benefits of no palm oil snacking:

• Product packaging: The "No Palm Oil" message is prominently highlighted on all our product packs, ensuring visibility at the point of purchase.
• Influencer collaborations: We partner with food influencers, bloggers, and reviewers to create informative content that breaks down the advantages of avoiding palm oil and highlights Too Yumm!'s commitment to using better ingredients.
• Sales force engagement: Our extensive salesforce interacts with retailers across India, educating them about our no palm oil proposition so they can pass on this knowledge to shoppers.
• School activations: Through our partnership with Disney Marvel, we have plans to conduct on-ground activations at hundreds of schools nationwide, instilling awareness about healthier snacking choices from an early age.
• Social media: We leverage our brand's social media assets to share educational content, engage in discussions, and address consumer queries related to our no palm oil initiative.

By employing this comprehensive approach across multiple touchpoints, we aim to raise awareness, bust myths, and foster a deeper understanding among consumers about the benefits of avoiding palm oil in snacks.

How have you adapted your marketing strategies based on consumer feedback and market trends?

At Too Yumm!, we closely monitor consumer feedback and market trends to iteratively adapt our marketing strategies. One significant adaptation was the shift in our brand positioning from "healthy snacking" to "Tasty and Healthy Snacks" based on insights that taste is the primary driver for snack purchases, with health being a secondary benefit. This allowed us to broaden our portfolio with indulgent yet better-for-you offerings like our rice bran oil-fried snacks. We also tailored our brand messaging and campaigns to resonate with the Gen Z cohort, recognizing them as the largest snacking segment. This led to the launch of disruptive offerings like our successful Bhoot Chips flavoured with the intensely spicy Bhoot Jolokia chili, catering to their preference for extreme, adventurous experiences. Our recent campaigns and brand revamp leveraged insights about Gen Z’s aversion to anything ordinary, delivering standout, clutter-breaking content and messaging. Additionally, based on consumer trust in influencers and content creators, we have steadily increased our focus on collaborating with the right influencers to amplify our brand messaging authentically. This agile, consumer-centric approach allows us to stay ahead of market trends and continually evolve our strategies to better connect with our target audiences.

What mix of advertising channels (online, offline, outdoor, etc.) are you using to spread the No Palm Oil message? How do you measure the effectiveness of these different advertising channels?

To effectively disseminate the "No Palm Oil" message, we employ a comprehensive array of advertising channels. This includes running full-fledged above-the-line campaigns centered around the no palm oil proposition, exemplified by our previous "Great Taste, No Palm Oil" campaign. Additionally, we utilize our brand's social media assets, collaborate with influencers, and create engaging digital content to foster awareness and education regarding our no palm oil commitment. We also have plans to implement impactful out-of-home advertising initiatives in key metro cities to further amplify the message.

Moreover, our product packaging and in-store merchandising materials prominently showcase the no palm oil proposition at the point of purchase. To assess the effectiveness of these channels, we closely monitor campaign reach, impressions, and engagement rates across digital platforms. We also analyze website traffic and e-commerce sales data, in-store sales data, and gather feedback from our sales force and retailers. Furthermore, we conduct brand awareness surveys and consumer sentiment analysis. This multi-faceted approach to measurement enables us to evaluate the impact of our campaigns across various touchpoints and make data-driven optimizations to our marketing mix as required.

What marketing strategies do you use to maintain this competitive advantage?

To maintain our competitive advantage as a pioneering brand in the no palm oil snacking segment, we employ several key marketing strategies. Firstly, we continuously strive to stay ahead of the competition through disruptive innovations in products, packaging, and communication campaigns that break through the clutter. Our challenger mindset and agility allow us to swiftly bring unique offerings like Bhoot Chips to market ahead of larger rivals.

Secondly, building credibility through collaborations with trusted influencers, food experts, and reputable brands like Disney Marvel is crucial. These partnerships endorse our Commitment to tastier and healthier snacking and amplify our messaging authentically. Thirdly, we leverage our extensive distribution network spanning 500 cities, traditional trade, modern trade, and e-commerce to drive availability and awareness of our no palm oil snacks across geographies and channels.

Additionally, our vast sales force is empowered to educate retailers about our proposition, creating a ripple effect of awareness among consumers. Finally, we closely monitor consumer feedback, market trends, and evolving preferences to iteratively adapt our products, messaging, and marketing strategies, ensuring we stay ahead of the curve. By combining disruptive innovation, credible partnerships, robust distribution, continuous consumer engagement, and an agile mindset, we aim to fortify our position as the pioneer and leader in the better-for-you, no palm oil snacking segment.