Key for brands to come across as authentic, rather than opportunistic: Sapna Chadha

The first day of the fourth edition of e4m e-TechManch 2020 saw Sapna Chadha, Senior Country Marketing Director, Google India and Southeast Asia, deliver a keynote on the topic '7 Ways Digital is Shaping Cultural and Consumer Behaviour in India'.

Chadha commenced her presentation by pointing towards active internet users and digitization across India. "There are more than 500 active internet users in India. Affordable smartphones and data packages have propelled digital beyond big cities, empowering both urban and rural users who can now access the internet and achieve their goals and aspirations.”

Stressing on the role of marketers, she added, “We need to understand the impact that these digital tools have had on consumer behavior to understand the nuances of the digital world.”

Taking the presentation forward, Chadha talked about different digital trends in different urban and rural areas. “We discovered that people who have come on the internet in the last 12 months are behaving very similarly to the people who have been using the internet for the last 12 years.” After validating these findings with industry experts, Chadha informed that they discovered the pivotal shifts that the internet has brought to consumer behavior and culture.

“The trends demonstrate how digital is a unifying force that influences culture and connects people”, added Chadha. She also pointed out that the need to learn and advance is a trend prevalent in both rural and urban Indian, and is now boosted by the internet access. "Don't underestimate their desire to learn something new," she emphasised.

She then walked through some examples of how brands are staying ahead and reinforcing these trends into their messaging and their product strategy.

Chadha also ran through seven digital trends that Google has identified. The trends were divided into 2 parts, namely Enduring and Accelerating trends. Under the first, were trends like ‘Proud to be desi - a growing confidence in Indianness’; ‘My roots, my bhasha - regional pride and vernacular as an expression of identity’, and ‘Watch her go independent everyday - everyday confidence among women’. Accelerating trends included ‘Balancing WE and ME’; ‘Never too late to learn’; ‘Entertainment – For Me, by You’ and ‘100% authentic’.

She ran the audience through four of the key trends.

“There has been a 25% increase in searches for family and a 30% increase in searches for family year over year, meaning that people are adding with family to their the questions that they've had,” informed Chadha.

On the other hand, she said there has been a 75% growth for queries around learning online, and a two and a half times growth for queries around teaching online. “And that is just you're on here for in five customers are coming to YouTube today to learn something new for in five.”

The Marketing Director then pointed out at edtech companies and how they have built their business strategy on helping professionals upskill themselves to the latest industry standards. “Entering a market that has been focused on exam prep-up grab brought edtech courses to people across India, illustrating the breadth of India's demand for continuous learning at all levels, up grads communication strategies stresses upon how one can get ahead in their careers, the courses and it takes charge and how to take charge of your own professional development, courses and certifications fit for adult learning.”

Moving on to the next trend, Chadha spoke about ‘entertainment for me by me’. According to her, early internet users came to the internet to inform and enrich their lives but now we are turning to it for entertainment as the perfect place to escape from a hairy day. And to escape and enjoy, offer newer internet users, entertainment has become the gateway to the internet. It is their destination to get out of the boredom of daily life, and it's become a personal destination for entertainment and enjoyment.  “We have seen this behavior across search in YouTube as well on Google searches and a five times
growth for queries related to entertainment. On YouTube, we have seen that more than 85% of online video viewers come to relax and unwind,” she added.

Chadha gave a shoutout to Flipkart for their amazing content quality. Putting the spotlight on Flipkart, she said, “It is carving a niche in the non-fiction genre offering differentiated and interactive content, which is mobile first. The current video content continues to introduce new offerings in very interesting concepts and interactive formats. And they are demonstrating the insatiable appetite for Indians that have this appetite for entertainment.”

Pointing out at yet another facet, she said, “Consumers are becoming much more discerning about both the source and the quality of the information that they consume.”

“It becomes even more important for brands to come across as authentic, rather than opportunistic,” emphasized Chadha.

Chadha then informed the audience that on Google search, more than 60% year on year rise and average weekly searches for queries related to ‘True’ story and 55% year over year rise and average weekly searches for queries related to behind the scenes.  She stressed upon the fact that people care about what is happening, what is the real truth, more than 75% of customers prefer watching content on YouTube that reflects their actual life. “In times of fake news verification of information becomes a big source of assurance.”

Concluding the session, Chadha said, “It is clear that businesses that identify and understand the needs of their customers now, they will stand to drive sustainable growth in the long term. In many ways, it's time to upend our most fundamental beliefs about consumer behavior and customer service and to think differently, same, same, but different.”