Indian food companies must localise their marketing strategies as consumers are diverse in their tastes, according to brand consultants Future Brands.
Speaking at a food industry conference in New Delhi today (29 June), Future Brands CEO Santosh Desai said new consumption patterns – including demand for convenience foods – are emerging in India.
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However, he said brands need to blend product innovation with established local tastes. “Convenience by itself is not value, it is only when it comes in a culturally appropriate form in the product,” he said.
Nevertheless, Desai was optimistic and said India’s growth in internal and external trade and investment was cross-fertilising national and international recipes and spreading regional specialities across India.
Desai said urban and rural India differences are blurring, with commercial brands borrowing ideas from rural bakers in southern India, for example.
He added that cultural considerations were important even when marketing food as healthy, noting that some Indian consumers often view food as healthy if it is fresh and hot, ignoring how many calories it contains.
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