Brands
91% Indians to spend more on e-com sites in 2019
MUMBAI: Factors like growing traffic congestion across the cities are prompting more and more people to shop online reveals the business and brands predictions report 2019.
Created by Kantar Media based on consumer insights, the report uses data and reference from various business units within Kantar and a host of syndicated studies such as- Target Group Index –Kantar IMRB, Global MONITOR 2018- Kantar Consulting, Kantar Worldpanel, eMarketPulse- Kantar IMRB. It outlines provide sharp insights to brands on what to expect from the market and solutions to reach out to the consumers in the most effective manner.
The report further reads, “91 per cent of the people surveyed by Cashkaro.com said that they will spend more money on e-commerce sites in 2019. A massive part of that growth is expected to come from services, with specialized platforms gaining popularity over marketplaces. At-home service platforms like HouseJoy and UrbanClap have witnessed exponential growth in customers and service providers alike.”
“There’s a massive B2B opportunity for food, beverage and grooming brands to fulfil the unique needs of the service providers – in the form of new products and new ideas,” it adds.
Another key prediction made by the report reveals that 68 per cent of Indians agree that they are free to shape their identities and transform themselves in whatever way they want. Thus, brands and categories which recognise the consumer, for who they are and where they are, will flourish and user-generated content will grow by leaps and bounds.
It also shared that brands will have to create a stable, positive environment, and enable support groups to change the discourse of negativity on media platforms as 47 per cent of Indians agreed to being feeling stressed these days. The percentage has increased from 39 per cent in 2017.
Another interesting insight noted by the report is that 76 per cent of Indians are looking for new experiences and sensations that will liven up their everyday activities, reveals the business and brands predictions report 2019. The report further predicted that many brands will be leveraging the power of ‘senses’ to attract the consumers. “With gaming no more (being) a niche experience, it presents a fantastic opportunity for brands to both be involved in the game ecosystem and to gamify their user experience,” it read.
Also, ‘digital detox’ is emerging as big business as 53 per cent of Indians (amongst those who use the internet) say that they wish social media had less of an influence in their lives.
The report mentions, “The travel and leisure industry has much to feel optimistic about as more Indians seek physical and social in-person experiences. In the face of uncertainty and pessimism, this kind of reconnection and exploration provides platforms for stability. In 2019, we expect even more brands and industries to find opportunity in addressing the growing realization of the perils of technology engagement, particularly at a young age. Others will rekindle the nostalgia of relationships, memories, and places that allow us to rediscover ourselves.”
Kantar Insights Division CEO—South Asia Preeti Reddy said, “At Kantar, we recognise that it is imperative to achieve a balance of human insight and data-enabled decisions in both the business world and our personal worlds. While data might give us the confidence to believe, our personal experience and foresight give us the guidance to act differently and courageously. In identifying the key trends and how they may manifest over the coming year, we have attempted to exhibit that spirit of digging deep and finding stability.”
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
