CONTAGIOUS INSIGHT /
Branding the unbranded / With over 10 million weddings a year (of which 80% are Hindu and last around three days) come hundreds of millions of wedding guests: for India Gate, they represent a vast audience of potential customers. In identifying a consumer behaviour – in this case the ubiquitous custom of throwing rice at weddings – and attaching its brand to it, India Gate increases its exposure while basking in the glow of a socially conscious initiative. It cements its position as India’s biggest rice brand, while earning the trust of its consumers and influencing their behaviour by playing on the power of tradition in Indian culture.
According to CNN, India’s wedding industry is worth somewhere between $40 and $50 billion – double what it was in 2012. Marriage has always been a sacred rite of passage in Indian culture, but these figures reflect a trend among India’s middle classes of throwing increasingly lavish, status-boosting ceremonies. By attaching the India Gate name to one of the most basic and commoditised elements of Hindu weddings, the brand taps into a goldmine of potential reach and customer loyalty – literally: ‘Around half the gold bought in the country each year is for items used at wedding ceremonies’.
Be part of the solution / Rice is the staple food for more than half of India’s population; it’s the world’s second largest consumer and producer of rice, after China. Rice serves multiple purposes in Indian culture: it is a basic food for millions of people, an integral part of the economy and agriculture, and recognised as a symbol auspiciousness, prosperity and fertility. It’s a powerful move by India Gate to address the uncomfortable contrast between the opulence of Indian weddings and the high percentage of poverty; in reconciling rice as a source of sustenance and rice as a cultural symbol it emphasises the need for a solution.
Just as rice brings Indians together, whether for a meal or a wedding, India Gate asks its consumers to be part of the solution, turning a problem into something positive. Rahul Nagpal, CEO of The Classic Partnership said in a press release: ‘This was a great example of a highly creative idea that raised our client’s profile, influenced consumer behaviour, and also proved to be a very worthy cause that stands to benefit many people. We were very pleased to work with India Gate as responsible partners to effect this positive change.’ The strategy is a lesson in navigating traditions when looking to influence consumer behaviours: India Gate respected and harnessed the power of the role of rice at weddings, taking away the impractical aspects and creating a solution that serves ‘a bigger purpose.’
