Amid tradition, emotion and commerce, Raksha Bandhan kickstarts festive season

The festival of ‘siblinghood’ is just a day away, and brands are strategically geared up to participate in this occasion to make it more exciting for its consumers. Beyond its cultural significance, Raksha Bandhan has evolved into an opportunity for brands to connect with consumers on an emotional level while offering a diverse range of products and services that capture the spirit of the festival. From intricately designed rakhis to thoughtful gift hampers, brands are crafting their marketing strategies to resonate with the values of protection, love, and affection that Raksha Bandhan embodies.

Cadbury launched its Raksha Bandhan campaign, which showcased how brothers often don’t express love for their siblings with the same intensity and regularity as they do with their romantic relationships. Elaborating on the campaign Nitin Saini, VP - Marketing, Mondelez India, said, “With Raksha Bandhan approaching, it is an opportunity to remind every brother that the moments they share with their sisters are just as precious and invite them to rekindle the timeless connection they share with their siblings through quality time spent together. This Rakhi, we aim to redefine sibling love – where strength meets sentiment, and caring knows no bounds.”

Ferns N Petals has come up with a campaign, titled ‘Make Rakhi Feel Special’, featuring Soha Ali Khan. Speaking about the campaign, Shashwat Goswami, CMO, Ferns N Petals, said, “This partnership underscores our commitment to redefining the gifting experience and delivering unparalleled joy to our valued customers. Our brand’s unique selling point lies in our relentless pursuit of creativity and meaningful connections, and this collaboration exemplifies our dedication to shaping unforgettable moments, capturing the fervour of modern gifting.”

Over the years, brands’ communication strategies for festive seasons have evolved. Shedding light on this, Tarun Joshi, CEO and Founder, IGP, said, “Over the years, we’ve introduced collaborations with more digital and social influencers as well as mainstream celebrity associations for maximum visibility in a saturated market. For instance, recently we tied up with actress Pooja Hegde for Raksha Bandhan. Earlier, we had tied up with actress Ananya Panday for Valentine’s Day, and with actress Kajol for Mother’s Day. We also did collaborations with TV actress Shivangi Joshi and with Vagmita Singh, a popular influencer known for her funny content on Instagram, for Raksha Bandhan. Our communication strategy also focuses on the ease and convenience of online gifting.”

He further said, “We leverage such collaborations on our social media platforms to effectively build a brand story. We’ve also launched a few CSR initiatives to capture the heart of the country. While attempting the Guinness World Records for the longest chain of bracelets made by Rakhis, we made sure that none of them went to waste and that we would donate the Rakhis to jawans of our Indian Army as well as a non-profit organisation called HHSS (Hadoti Hast Shilp Sansthan).”

Vijai Subramaniam, Founder & Chairman, Royaloak Furniture, noted, “The essence of festive delight remains constant, while our campaigns consistently prioritise content. Our approach is rooted in analysing past responses, both within our brand and across the industry. Notably, festive seasons witness a surge in shopping fervor, prompting the activation of a plethora of marketing channels. For Royal Oak, our focus diverges since we stand apart from impulse-buying categories, particularly in the realm of e-commerce. Our audience seeks immersion in product intricacies and desires comprehensive information about the features on offer.”

Abhishek Vyas, Founder & CEO, My Haul Store, pointed out that emotions played a crucial role in storytelling. “Emotional storytelling is increasingly used by brands to connect with consumers during Raksha Bandhan. Brands tell stories that celebrate the bond of love and protection between siblings, or highlight the importance of giving and receiving love. This means telling stories that evoke feelings of love, happiness, sadness, or nostalgia. Digital marketing is also becoming important, with brands using social media, influencer marketing, and other digital channels to reach a wider audience,” he added.

From a brand/ platform perspective, Raksha Bandhan has positioned itself as one of the leading gifting festivals in India. Speaking from a sales point of view, Tarun Joshi from IGP said, “Rakhi celebrations have some fixed elements like rakhis, sweets, roli-chawal, gifts, etc. We leverage this knowledge and offer hand-picked hampers that make life easier for the consumers. Our features like same-day delivery options and shipping to foreign countries have a unique way of bringing families together and building consumer loyalty once the experience is perceived as positive. We also have several offers and products at various price points to widen the appeal to different sets of consumers.”

Rahul, Managing Director, Bolas Agro, added here, “While Raksha Bandhan might not hold the same grandeur as festivals like Diwali or Dussehra, it plays a significant role as one of the initial celebrations that kickstart the festive season. This infusion of festivities stimulates economic activity. Raksha Bandhan stands out for its prominent culture of gift-giving. As people exchange tokens of affection, their choices aren’t primarily driven by price sensitivity. Instead, they seek out quality products, creating a favourable environment for the gifting industry in India to prosper.”

With every year, new trends also emerge. In recent times, personalised and customisable rakhis and gifts have gained immense popularity, allowing siblings to add a unique touch to their expressions of love.

Highlighting some of the emerging trends, especially for Raksha Bandhan, Tarun Joshi said, “The bond between brother and sister is something that is a big part of pop culture, as shown through movies like last year’s ‘Rakshabandhan’. So, that becomes a big factor in how we leverage Raksha Bandhan from a marketing POV. Consumers are flooded with choices, so we focus our marketing initiatives to showcase our entire range/ variety of products in the short span that the consumer interacts with the brand. We also offer unique perks like personalisation, premium quality hampers, etc., to set us apart from competition.”

Speaking about the social media strategy, Joshi added, “Our social media strategy represents every kind of relationship to resonate with the modern audiences like sister-to-sister rakhi, bhaiya-bhabhi rakhi, etc. We also focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as they are also looking to benefit from the boom of e-commerce and want to enjoy the same high-quality products.”

Nitin Jai Shukla, Founder & MD, OMTV, noted, “The FMCG sector is perhaps pushing the envelope when it comes to maximising leverage within companies. Moreover, Amazon has truly transformed the very essence of celebrations. Nowadays, sisters are relieved from the necessity of physically visiting the market to purchase rakhi, and brothers, even if separated by distance, can conveniently order gifts from Amazon. This eliminates the excuses that were prevalent in the past. Similarly, this phenomenon extends to chocolate and food brands, as well as banks, which offer specialised gift cards. The entire gifting culture in India has undergone a significant positive shift. Those involved in this sector are reaping its benefits. The driving force behind this is innovation, coupled with the skillful utilization of Indian values and relationships. This unique festival, exclusive to India, fosters family bonds and holds a special appeal to the youth, setting it apart from other festivals and brands leveraging on this emotion will have a significant market presence.”