We’ve doubled the allocation for online ads for Renee this festive season: Priyank Shah

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 analyses, 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 conversation with Adgully, Priyank Shah, Co-Founder, Renee Cosmetics, speaks about his observations on the overall consumer and market sentiment during the festive season this year, what forms the core of Renee’s festive marketing strategy and campaign strategy, and more.

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

We are anticipating a significant increase in demand during the festive season this year, with consumers likely to spend and engage more than ever. There’s stored up demand from the pandemic, combined with the festive spirit, which has generated a positive market sentiment. There’s a noticeable shift towards premium and luxury products, particularly in the beauty sector, as customers are eager to indulge in high-quality offerings during this time of celebrations.

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

Our festive marketing strategy will revolve around evoking feelings of joy, celebration, and self-care. During the festive season, customers actively seek special offers, while businesses aim to capitalize on this surge in demand. To stand out, we will introduce curated gift sets tailored to different budgets and preferences. Recognizing the influence of social media on consumer choices, especially in the beauty and lifestyle space, we will collaborate with popular beauty influencers to expand our reach and connect with a broader audience.

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

Our campaign strategy for the festive season was designed to engage our audience across multiple touchpoints, ensuring a vibrant presence during key festive celebrations. We began with social media influencer collaborations with nine unique content creators to showcase Navratri festive looks. These looks were inspired by the traditional colours associated with each day of Navratri. On television, Mrunal Thakur’s advertisement for the Midnight Kohl line became a highlight, adding a touch of glamour to our TV activation strategy.

Beyond social media, we have complemented our ground-level presence at Durga Pujo festivities across Kolkata, where we displayed branding banners featuring both Mrunal and Janhvi Kapoor. The pandals themselves were also decorated with Renee branding, bringing the essence of the brand directly into the heart of the celebrations. Along with that we’ve invested in high-impact outdoor advertising during Navratri in Ahmedabad, where larger-than-life hoardings were placed at the city’s most popular Garba venues. This gave us a strong on-ground presence in key markets while connecting with local audiences in a meaningful way. We also took the opportunity to join a youth Garba event, where we showcased our Princess by Renee range to the teen audience, who are the next generation beauty enthusiasts.

As we move forward, we’re excited about our Karwa Chauth activations, taking place in October, further amplifying our presence.

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 budget for the festive season in 2024 has seen a significant increase compared to the previous year, with almost double the allocation for online advertising and 15% increase in offline advertising, recognizing the value of traditional media and on-ground activations in key markets. This reflects the growing importance of the festive season for our brand and our efforts to capitalize on the increased consumer spending.

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

With the increasing fragmentation of media consumption, we’ve strategically allocated our festive ad budgets to ensure maximum reach and engagement across a variety of platforms. Social media has become a central focus for us, given its dynamic nature and the ability to connect directly with consumers. For example, during Navratri, we collaborated with multiple influencers to showcase festive looks, resonating with the audience’s celebration spirit through our social channels.

Each of our strategies – whether digital, outdoor, or through event activations – has been carefully curated to not only reflect the festive spirit, but also to keep Renee at the forefront of beauty trends. By balancing investments across social, outdoor, and influencer-driven campaigns, we’ve been able to maintain a cohesive brand presence during these festive moments, ensuring we reach a wide spectrum of consumers.

Also Read: The cosmetics industry is on the upswing after a challenging year: Priyank Shah