Influencer Marketing
Festive Marketing Done Right: Influencers Leading the Way
Festivals are a time when consumers seek ways to elevate their celebrations, and for brands, this presents a unique opportunity to connect with them on a deeper, more personal level. By doing so, brands can create lasting emotional resonance. One of the most effective ways to build this connection is…
Festivals are a time when consumers seek ways to elevate their celebrations, and for brands, this presents a unique opportunity to connect with them on a deeper, more personal level. By doing so, brands can create lasting emotional resonance. One of the most effective ways to build this connection is by speaking the audience's language through familiar channels, with influencer marketing being a particularly powerful medium. Unlike traditional advertising, influencers bring authenticity and relatability to their content, making it more engaging. Their genuine connection with their audience enables brands to share heartfelt, relatable content that fosters meaningful relationships.
According to a report by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a survey of 820 respondents aged 18 and above found that 70% of Indians are likely to purchase a product endorsed by an influencer. Therefore, influencer marketing campaigns also enjoy higher engagement rates, with festival marketing generating an ROI of up to 17%, and a large 84% of Indian consumers are also ‘influenced’ by festival offers.
Let’s take a closer look at some standout examples where brands have successfully tapped into this strength, striking the right chords that hit consumer’s hearts.
Festive greetings in Haldiram’s Way
Haldiram’s Diwali campaign, centred around the theme of bringing families together, made a significant impact. With over 1.1 million views and 86K engagements, the campaign leveraged emotional storytelling through influencer Komal Pandey to connect with a modern, younger audience. By making its gifting products the centrepiece of Diwali celebrations, Haldiram successfully positioned itself as an integral part of the festival. The unique style influencer-led Diwali campaign perfectly tapped into themes of family, togetherness, and tradition, making the brand feel like a natural part of the celebration, which helped create an emotional brand recall among its audience. By leveraging influencer marketing for festivals, they became a natural part of the celebration, helping create an emotional brand recall with their audience. The choice of Komal Pandey as the influencer was thoughtful, aligning with her target audience and bringing a modern, relatable touch to the campaign. By recognising the value of shared experiences and gift-giving traditions during Diwali, Haldiram positioned its products as thoughtful gifts, and the viral #YehDiwaliApnoWali campaign helped enhance brand visibility and sparked a trend around gifting.Mia by Tanishq for that shade of shine and shimmer
Last year’s Diwali campaign by Mia by Tanishq was a well-executed effort, strategically aligning influencers like Namrata Sheth and Isha Borha with the modern and elegant values of the brand. Rather than focusing on follower count, the campaign selected influencers who authentically represented the brand's identity and ethos. Using storytelling in marketing they created narratives that resonated with the audience, deepening engagement while staying true to the brand. By blending festive moments with the significance of jewellery, the brand was able to establish resonance that helped the campaign stand out among its competitors; what started as a smaller campaign went on to reach massive audiences with over 11.5 million video views, enhanced reach, and engagement. Further making the campaign even more impactful, influencer Isha Borha’s strategic brand integration with the “Get ready with me” short video garnered excellent response, making the collaboration with the brand authentic and non-promotional. In addition, the inclusion of exclusive coupon codes directly benefited the audience, adding direct, tangible value to the engagement. By focusing on relatable, real-life festive moments, Mia by Tanishq successfully embedded its jewellery into the personal stories of its influencers and through them with the target audience. Further enhancing the campaign’s impact, influencer Isha Borha’s strategic brand integration with her “Get ready with me” video garnered an excellent response, making the collaboration authentic and non-promotional. This approach exemplifies effective influencer marketing during festivals where the focus is on authenticity rather than overt promotion. The use of exclusive coupon codes added direct, tangible value to the audience, further boosting engagement. By focusing on storytelling in marketing and relatable, real-life festive moments, Mia by Tanishq successfully embedded its jewellery into personal stories shared by its influencers. This strategy reflects festive season marketing trends and demonstrates how influencer campaigns during festivals can effectively connect a brand with its target audience.Exchanging Joy with Coca-Cola's festive spirit
The Coca-Cola campaign, titled 'Coke-er Shaathe Roj, Pujo'r Mahabhoj', celebrated the grandeur and joy of Durga Puja, capturing the essence of the festival through vibrant visuals and emotional storytelling, all with Coca-Cola as the centre of it. The campaign beautifully reflected the common experiences associated with the big festival, weaving together bright lights, music, art, food, and the spirit of friendship, and how these are made better just with a bottle of coke. Developing on its theme of being part of the festive celebrations, the campaign highlighted the brand's strong old association with the festivity of masses, exchange of warmth, and a part of togetherness. Transforming Coca-Cola from just a beverage into a symbol of shared joy, the brand deepens its connection with the festival, representing happiness at every moment of the celebration.Influencing’ through the festive season
Marketing during the festive season is a key opportunity for brands to boost recall and stay top of mind, but it also comes with challenges like fierce competition and quickly outdated campaigns. Leveraging influencer marketing for festivals has become one of the most effective ways for brands to stand out and make a lasting impression as they help create authentic, engaging content that resonates with audiences, ensuring your brand shines during this crucial time. Here are some impactful ways to strengthen your influencer marketing strategy this festive season:- Audience Fit: Just the way Tanishq partners with a carefully selected set of influencers that have the right voice, and right identity, it’s crucial to work with influencers who align with your brand values and represent the diversity of your target audience. Further, partnering with a mix of influencers can broaden your campaign’s reach and make it more inclusive.
- Create Festive-Themed Content: Whether it is through “Get ready with me,” or exchanging gifts, encourage influencers to integrate your products or services into their festive routines in an honest manner, which helps to keep things relevant and top-of-mind for consumers.
- Balancing Emotional Storytelling and Product Promotion: While emotional storytelling is a powerful tool for building connections, it’s equally important to ensure that your product messaging remains clear. Highlighting product features, quality, and variety alongside the emotional narrative can drive both engagement and sales.
- Encouraging User-Generated Content: Involving your audience through user-generated content, interactive elements, or contests can help foster a sense of community. This strengthens the bond between the brand and its consumers.
- Stay Flexible and Adapt in Real-Time: With so much going on during the festive season, being able to quickly adjust your strategy is key. Monitor how influencer campaigns are performing, whether it's the engagement rates or audience feedback, and tweak the approach if needed to maximise results.
