Brands
From AI-driven appliances to heartfelt gifting
Mumbai: The festive season, especially around Diwali, brings an escalation in consumer sentiment, with people keen on shopping, gifting and celebrating. For brands, this period is prime for connecting with consumers on an emotional level while driving sales. From tech giants to fashion labels, brands are creating special festive editions, offering discounts and curating unique campaigns to tap into the celebratory spirit.
Digital campaigns remain a staple, with brands utilising AI, influencer collaborations, and personalized ads to enhance visibility and reach. This time of year sees a spike in video content, as brands craft narratives that reflect the joy and togetherness of festivals. Social media, email marketing, and festive-themed apps further amplify these campaigns, ensuring brands stay top-of-mind during the festive shopping frenzy. By blending tradition with innovation, brands successfully align with consumers’ festive aspirations, driving both connection and conversion.
On leveraging the festive season to boost sales of products, Godrej Appliances – head of marketing, Swati Rathi said, “Festive sees heightened consumer interest in appliances as consumers look at home renovations and upgrades. In line with this premiumization trend, we have been doing placements of our new premium front-load washing machines and large capacities frost-free refrigerators with a gamut of localised store launches, large scale partner meets and digital and store promotions targeted at intending consumers.
This season also sees a marked interest in festive offers. We have accordingly crafted a bundle of unparalleled offers this year ranging from cashbacks, extended warranties to easy EMIs. We are offering a five year comprehensive warranty worth Rs 7990/- completely free on all our split air conditioners and the highlight is that unlike other offers in the market, this has no hidden costs.
To take these offerings to the consumers we are focusing on ground visibility and digital promotions targeting in-market audiences. The campaign is a mix of multiple levers including video promotions, influencer and social promotions, e-commerce promotions and high impact ground visibility. We have also gone beyond Diwali and focused on topical, more regional festivities like Durga Puja in Bengal, Navratri in west, Karwa Chauth and going forward Chhath Puja in Bihar with a mix of on ground and digital initiatives.”
On innovations introduced this year, she said, “This year, we’ve introduced several innovations and expanded our product lineup to meet the evolving consumer preferences for aesthetic, smart, and energy-efficient appliances. Earlier this year, we introduced the Eon Vogue series of wood-finish refrigerators and air conditioners, which was met with great enthusiasm. As part of our festive season strategy, we are offering an even more extensive range of appliances featuring intelligent AI technology. These appliances, such as washing machines and refrigerators, are equipped with built-in sensors that optimize performance based on various factors like ambient weather, food load, or water level, making them more user-friendly and resource efficient. Our approach to AI technology is in line with our larger philosophy of Things Made Thoughtfully – which revolves around delivering relevant technology that adds genuine value to consumers through greater convenience or through resource conservation. We have also expanded our offerings in larger capacities, with products like 400+ litre frost-free refrigerators, 10 kg front-load washing machines, and 2.5 Tr. air conditioners. The marketing initiatives to take these new launches to consumers have also been a diverse mix of buzz and reach creation and more targeted messaging amongst intending buyers.”
Dairy Milk has long been associated with gifts. On noticing major shifts in consumer gifting trends during festivals in recent years, Mondelez India VP – marketing, Nitin Saini said, “We are cautiously optimistic about the festive season. Our diverse portfolio has enabled us to navigate this period with balanced growth across consumer cohorts. The festive period is a key driver for our gifting portfolio, with Cadbury Celebrations leading the charge. Our focus has been on activating this portfolio with innovative gifting options, tailored to the evolving preferences of our consumers by offering a wide price and pack range. We have further elevated the premium gifting portfolio by introducing Cadbury Silk and Bournville packs to meet the growing demand across the spectrum.
He further said that, “As we move into the heart of the festive season, our focus is on connecting with consumers wherever they are-whether through digital platforms, in-store experiences, or by facilitating the special moments they share with loved ones. Our investment strategy reflects this dual approach, ensuring we’re present across the right touch points while delivering the emotional connections consumers seek from an iconic brand like Cadbury Celebrations. For instance, to enhance our storytelling and brand connect, this year’s Diwali campaign, ‘Message pe muh meetha nai hota,’ emphasizes the significance of in-person connections in an increasingly digital world. Cadbury Celebrations urges families to move beyond virtual greetings and rediscover the warmth of togetherness, aiming to create lasting memories through meaningful, face-to-face interactions that celebrate the true essence of the festive season,” he concludes.
Brands
Komerz acquires Glassbox to launch creative commerce model in India
Brand storytelling meets AI-driven distribution as Komerz targets $345bn digital market
MUMBAI: London-headquartered commerce platform Komerz has acquired brand and marketing consultancy Glassbox, creating a single integrated system that blends creativity, distribution, and measurable sales.
The move introduces a new “creative commerce” model, combining AI-powered infrastructure, brand strategy, and performance measurement within one platform. By connecting upper-funnel brand building with lower-funnel conversion and repeat purchases, the combined entity aims to provide brands with a seamless growth engine.
Komerz Global CEO Ramesh Krishnamurthy said, “Creative commerce must operate across the funnel. Contextual content, data-led activation and distribution must function as one accountable growth engine.”
Komerz global COO Siddharth Shankar added, “Creative without distribution is theatre. Distribution without brand equity is discounting. Bringing both together lets brands build equity while driving measurable growth.”
Glassbox, founded in 2021 by Geetanjali Bhattacharji and Anil Nair, works across brand strategy, marketing transformation, and integrated communications. Bhattacharji said the integration reflects how “brand building must evolve from episodic campaigns to always-on, data-informed commerce frameworks.”
Komerz, valued around $330 million, operates across the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America. The acquisition will help multinational corporations manage complex global portfolios while enabling challenger and D2C brands to scale across India’s digital commerce market, projected to reach $345 billion by 2030.
With this deal, Komerz is strengthening its global “creative commerce” footprint, following its recent acquisition of US retail measurement firm Pathformance, and positioning itself at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and technology.
