MAM
Appliance advertising to exceed pre-pandemic level by 24% in 2023: Zenith report
Mumbai: Forced to spend more time at home, consumers are investing in making their homes more pleasant to live in, fuelling rapid growth in demand for both large and small appliances, particularly cookers, washing machines, dishwashers, and air conditioning units, as per Zenith report. Zenith forecasts six per cent annual growth in home appliance ad spend in 2022 and 2023 in 12 key markets, including India, predicting that home-appliance advertising will grow ahead of advertising as a whole in 2021, expanding by 12.6 per cent while total advertising grows by 11.5 per cent.
According to the report, digital advertising accounted for 55 per cent of home-appliance ad spend in 2020, up from 51 per cent in 2019 with brand building and e-commerce expected to further drive 10 per cent annual growth in digital ad spend. According to Euromonitor International, e-commerce rose from 23 per cent of home-appliance retail sales in 2019 to 32 per cent in 2020, compared to 16 per cent of the market as a whole in 2019, and 21 per cent in 2020.
Zenith expects home-appliance brands to continue to invest in e-commerce over the next few years, driving 10 per cent annual average growth in their digital ad spend between 2020 and 2023. Digital advertising will rise from 55 per cent to 57 per cent of their ad budgets over this time.
The strongest growth in home-appliance advertising was observed in India and Russia as consumers make more first-time purchases. Zenith forecasts it will grow at an average rate of 18 per cent a year between 2020 and 2023 in India. The rapid growth will be in part a reaction to its decline in 2020, which was much steeper than average, with spending down 15 per cent in India. But growth should remain strong after a swift recovery in 2021, as rising personal incomes allow households to buy new types of appliances for the first time.
Over the past few years and especially during the pandemic, home appliances in India have witnessed substantial growth, said Zenith India CEO Jai Lala. “Consumer sentiments are changing towards the category – from being a luxury item to now as a need-based one. An increase in spends will be towards digital followed by TV and print amongst other mediums,” he added.
Television is still a vital channel for home-appliance brand-building, supplemented by out-of-home, as per the report. Home-appliance brands spend substantially more on these media than the average brand: in 2020 they spent 29 per cent of their budgets on television advertising, compared to an average of 24 per cent, and 7 per cent on out-of-home, compared to four per cent. Zenith forecasts out-of-home expenditure by home-appliance brands to grow eight per cent a year between 2020 and 2023. Television, suffering from the continued migration of audiences to digital channels, will lag behind slightly, with growth averaging six per cent a year.
Zenith predicts that advertising expenditure by home-appliance brands will rise from $4.4 billion in 2020 to $ five billion in 2021, well ahead of the $4.5 billion spent before the pandemic in 2019. By 2023, ad spend will reach US$5.6 billion. Despite the easing of coronavirus restrictions, Zenith expects consumers will continue to devote more of their time and budgets to the home than they did before the pandemic.
“In most markets, the increased appetite for home improvement is incentivising home-appliance brands to step up their communications activities substantially,” said Zenith head of forecasting Jonathan Barnard. “Most of this growth is going to digital channels to support increased e-commerce activity, but traditional media like television and out-of-home will remain essential tools for maintaining mass brand awareness.”
Digital advertising will become even more important to home-appliance brands over the next few years as they continue to embrace e-commerce, as per the study. Home-appliance brands were already well ahead of the market in adopting e-commerce before 2020, but the pandemic led to a step-change in home-appliance e-commerce. It is essential both for brand building – mainly using online video, native advertising, and social media – and performance, using paid search.
“Faced with rising interest in the purchase, the increased role of digital in the mid-to-lower funnel, and a greater focus on delivering direct-to-consumer experiences, appliance brands have never operated in a more demanding and complex marketplace,” said Zenith global strategy lead Drew Erskine. “Successfully building brands for the long term will require agile strategies that find the balance between cultivating desire through broad communications and converting interest, often digitally, in more relevant ways.”
The 12 markets included in the report are Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US, which between them account for 74 per cent of total global ad spend. The report covers large and small home appliances, including air conditioners, dishwashers, fridges and freezers, heaters, kitchen appliances, ovens, personal care appliances, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines.
If we think about how many times you visited a paediatrician during the year for your child’s fever, or went to the pharmacy for cough syrup, antacids, or prescription cream; how many physiotherapy appointments your spouse had throughout the year, or how many routine diabetes check-up appointments you had; most families would say that the ongoing healthcare cost to their family isn’t necessarily the sudden expense of a grown adult being admitted to the hospital, but rather the ongoing and regular expenses of running the household. Because of this, the search for the best family health insurance plans in India have evolved to include OPD covering as a significant factor in their decision making process.
As someone who has reviewed countless policies for families, I’ve seen a clear shift. Families are no longer satisfied with a plan that only activates during a hospital crisis. They want a partner for everyday wellness, and that’s what modern, comprehensive Health Plans for Family aim to be.
OPD Cover: The Game-Changer in Family Health Insurance
OPD, or Outpatient Department, cover handles expenses incurred outside of a hospital admission. This includes:
- Doctor consultation fees (General Physicians and Specialists)
- Diagnostic tests (blood work, X-rays, MRIs)
- Pharmacy bills (medicines prescribed)
- Minor procedures (dressing, injections)
Without OPD coverage, all these costs come directly from your monthly budget. A comprehensive Health Insurance with OPD Cover absorbs these shocks, transforming your policy from a seldom-used safety net into an active, year-round health management tool. For a family with children or aging parents, this isn’t a luxury; it’s a practical necessity.
Identifying the Best Family Health Insurance Plans In India with OPD
Not all OPD covers are created equal. When comparing Health Plans for Family, you must dig into the specifics. Here’s what separates the good from the truly valuable:
Integrated vs. Add-on Cover: Some of the Best Family Health Insurance Plans In India bundle OPD within the base plan (e.g., HDFC Ergo’s Optima Restore). Others offer it as a paid add-on rider. Integrated covers are often more seamless, but add-ons allow you to customize. Compare the sub-limits and overall value.
Realistic Sub-Limits: OPD coverage always has limits. Look for plans that offer a dedicated annual OPD sum insured (e.g., ₹10,000-₹25,000 per family) rather than a tiny per-consultation limit. This gives you flexibility, you can use it for a few major diagnostics instead of just small consultations.
Cashless OPD Network: The true convenience of health insurance with OPD cover is cashless access. Leading insurers have tied up with pharmacy chains, diagnostic centers, and clinic networks. You can walk in, show your card, and walk out without paying upfront. Check the insurer’s network partners in your locality.
Simplified Claims Process: For reimbursements outside the cashless network, the process should be digital and straightforward—via an app with document upload. Cumbersome OPD claim processes defeat the very purpose.
Key Players and What to Look For
Several insurers have pioneered strong family floater plans with OPD benefits. While new products emerge, plans like HDFC Ergo’s Optima Restore, ICICI Lombard’s Health Advantage Plus, and Niva Bupa’s ReAssure 2.0 have been notable for their structured OPD components. Star Health’s Family Health Optima also offers a comprehensive package.
However, the plan name is less important than its architecture. Your checklist for the Best Family Health Insurance Plans In India with OPD should verify:
Adequate In-patient Sum Insured: This is your core cover. Don’t compromise this for OPD. Start with at least ₹15-20 Lakh for a family of four.
Restoration Benefit: Crucial for families. It restores your main sum insured if exhausted, often including the OPD cover.
No Claim Bonus (NCB): Your reward for a healthy year should protect your OPD benefit too, often by increasing your overall sum insured.
Preventive Health Check-ups: A sign of a wellness-oriented insurer. Many top Health Plans for Family include free annual check-ups, complementing the OPD benefit.
Making the Smart Choice for Your Family
Choosing the right plan requires a simple audit. Tally your family’s average annual spend on doctor visits, tests, and medicines. You’ll likely find it’s a significant amount. Then, compare the premium of a comprehensive Health Insurance with OPD Cover against a basic plan plus your out-of-pocket OPD expenditure. The difference is often negligible, but the value is monumental.
For families, the Best Family Health Insurance Plans In India will be those that acknowledge the fact that the “real” journey for your family’s health occurs daily and not just during emergencies. By choosing a Family Health Insurance plan with meaningful OPD coverage, you will not only be insuring against your family getting sick, but also investing in your family’s ability to see their doctors or other healthcare providers on a more frequent basis for non-emergency issues and providing your family with a significant degree of peace of mind with regards to their financial and physical well-being. The shift away from reactive insurance to proactive insurance by families is now essential; it has become a necessity for the modern family that is living with intention.
