Festive East: “The footfalls are actually higher than ever this festive season”

With Dussehra/ Durga Puja festivities beginning, the country is in the throes of festive fervour. After no Dussehra/ Durga Puja celebrations last year due to the pandemic, consumers and brands are looking at a return to markets with a vengeance. With the vaccination drive gathering momentum and most of the COVID-19 restrictions lifted, there is a general air of optimism. Offices, market places, educational institutions, malls and cinema halls – all have now opened, giving people a sense of return to normalcy.

Like the rest of India, the East and North-East markets are in a resurgent mood. Durga Puja is the biggest festival in West Bengal and Tripura and is also celebrated extensively in Assam and other parts of the North-East. Markets are seeing the return of shoppers, and some marketers see a revenge shopping trend gaining precedence. Amid COVID-29 protocols, the shopping frenzy has started and will only increase in the coming days. Experts believe that this is not just revenge shopping, but also a re-assertion and reclaiming of a life that one was living before the pandemic struck.

This festive season, Adgully turns the spotlight on the East and North-East markets and is speaking to a cross-section of brands, marketers and market experts to gauge the mood of the shoppers and brand sentiments.

In conversation with Adgully, Smita Murarka, Chief Marketing Officer, Duroflex, speaks about how the company is ensuring an omni experience for consumers, fortifying national presence through Experience Centers and more.

What kind of sentiments do you see in the East markets during this festive season? Are these sentiments close to the pre-COVID-19 levels?

With the festive season around the corner and most places out of lockdown, consumer sentiments are bouncing back. This year, people are looking forward to upgrading their consumer durables and are interested in making high-value purchases. They are excited to celebrate with their loved ones after a long time. The pandemic has also brought health to the forefront of all our lives. So, a lot of purchase decisions are also pivoted on health and wellness. There has been a lot of focus on immunity-boosting habits like getting 8 hours of good sleep. This has led to a renewed interest in high-quality scientifically engineered mattresses like our signature Duropedic range, which is recommended by the doctors at the National Health Academy.

How are you planning your strategy for online and offline sales? What kind of footfalls are you expecting during this festival?

We are ensuring an omni experience for the consumer, irrespective of the channel the consumer journey is starting. We have fortified our national presence through our Experience Centers, where the customer can experience our wide range of mattresses and sleep accessories before they buy it and consult sleep experts to know what would be best for them. We are rapidly expanding and will have close to 40 Experience Centers pan India by the month end. This is also in conjunction with our category expansion – furniture and bed linen being our big festive launches.

The footfalls are actually higher than ever this festive season. Our Diwali campaign with Alia – ‘Change Your Sleep, Change Your Life’ – has been encouraging consumers to consider their sleep essentials as a festive investment and a harbinger of change.

Any specific campaign strategies planned for the festival season? What kind of discounts and offers have you come up with for your customers this year?

We had kickstarted our national campaign with Alia Bhatt to build the message of ‘Nothing Like Duroflex’ when it comes to branded mattresses in August. Our Diwali campaign with Alia – ‘Change Your Sleep, Change Your Life’ – encourages consumers to consider good sleep essentials as a festive investment option.

For Pujo, we have collaborated with eminent actress Monami Ghosh in the East to double down on the message of meaningful changes this festive season. While there are attractive discounts, we have a nationwide scheme of a free anti-viral protector with any mattress.

Marketing
@adgully

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