The Great Indian Marketing Maze

Changing consumer preferences kept marketers constantly on their toes in 2010. Pitch captures the biggest happenings in the last 12 months and presents the 10 trends that rocked the world of marketing: Youth Marketing, More for less, Innovations, Luxury Marketing, Retail, Rural Marketing, Brand Extensions, Brand Makeovers, Instant Nirvana and Social Media Marketing.

1. Young forever
In a pursuit to woo the youth, brands are donning a chic look with sporty colours, new positioning and customised services.

2. Want it and want it now
Spoilt for choice, the Indian consumer at times does get ‘unreasonable’. While she wants products to be delivered instantly, she also wants prompt service. And marketers are catering to the demand.

3. The Dhania factor
The ‘Dhania Factor’ is getting viral and spreading to other categories too; and marketers are encouraging it with offering more to consumers for less money

4. Big retail finds feet
With consumers increasingly getting brand conscious, consumers are hoarding the branded retail stores; and these chains are doing their very best to lure them

5. Bending the rules
Marketers in 2010 tried to innovate across the 4Ps of marketing- be it pricing, promotion , distribution or product

6. Living in style
The Indian luxury market is worth Rs 21,712 crore. While Volkswagen comes with the most expensive car, BMW has made one of its luxury car more affordable

7. Change is good
A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. So if a brand is so integral to a company’s identity, what makes marketers go for re-branding or for a makeover

8. Taking the country roads
So far, small unit packs have been the popular strategy to lure rural consumers. But with the arrival of the ‘New Rural Consumer’, marketers are coming with tailored products especially for rural areas

9. The expansion theory
LG did it and so did Godrej. Maggi and Brittania were not far behind. All these names added and multiplied the number of products under the brand umbrella

10. More of ‘Like’ this
Indian brands are taking to Facebook and Twitter and engaging the consumer with promotions, feedback and complaint redressal