Marketers and Ipsos experts discuss new approaches for brand advocacy and consumption at Ipsos After Hours

Covid-19 altered the complete landscape of how consumers engaged and consumed brands. Consumers now have the upper hand in controlling the brand narrative.

With consumption becoming omnichannel, consumers are flitting seamlessly across online, physical stores and even sharing their brand buying and consumption experiences across social media platforms and keeping marketers on their toes.

Navigating Consumer Evolution: How brands stay relevant and deeply connected  in a changing world, was the topic of the panel discussion and marketers shared views on how they are reorienting their strategy to connect and engage with their target audiences.

Vanda Ferrao, Chief Marketing Officer, WOW Skin Science,said, “The pandemic gave strong tailwinds to drive growth in D2C brands. We witnessed a shift in consumer behaviour to gravitate towards offerings which were unique, and which promised results. Consumers were adopting newer offerings, thus moving from their tried and tested brands, and this spurred a slew of new age brands. Hence, being ahead of the curve and launching products which are sought by consumers was critical. We mined trends and launched products leveraging on this behaviour shift and witnessed strong growth. Consumer shifts used to be gradual but are far more fast paced now, led by changing consumer needs of GenZ and millennials. Hence, adapting to these changing dynamics is imperative for a brand to stay relevant and at the top of their game.”

Shuvadip Banerjee, Chief Digital Marketing Officer, ITC, said,“Brands that serve a purpose and are conscious of the need to be catalysts of social and environmental transformation are likely to find a way in the consumers’ consideration set. And adapting to change quickly has now become the norm as consumers expect brands to constantly step up to and deliver to their aspirations. We’ve progressed to going beyond advertisement as the core route to building brand love. In sync with consumer expectations, we have been constantly overhauling our product and experience delivery mechanism and engagement, even as consistency and relevance continue to be key drivers.”

Amitabh Pande, Chief Consumer Strategy and Planning Officer, Diageo, said, “People are increasingly looking for brands with purpose, and brands that match with their own value systems. And not only as a source of consumption to fulfil their needs. With the next generation of young adults coming into mainstream, they are looking at brands to build progressive narratives that contribute towards building a better society. Not just be obsessed about selling their products and services. And therefore, brands that contribute towards the environment, believe in inclusion, champion responsible consumption, and do their bit towards painting a vision of the future and play their small part towards it, are the brands that stay connected and relevant in a changing world.”

Geeta Lobo, Country Chief Client Officer, Ipsos India, who also moderated the panel discussion at the Ipsos After Hours, said, “Today's conversation was truly enlightening! It's fascinating to hear from our panelists about how brands can stay relevant and deeply connected in a world that's constantly evolving. Adaptability, understanding of changing consumer expectations, and alignment with societal shifts are the key to successful brand strategies. I am truly inspired by the wealth of knowledge shared today. What an engaging discussion.”

“Client First is our core value and providing our global expertise, enabling our clients to act faster and better is our constant endeavour,” added Lobo.

Ipsos also unveiled its new thinking to clients for them to make great futuristic products. Ipsos Global Trends of 2023 showed marketers changing consumer preferences and perspectives and how marketers would need to dovetail their messaging and products to connect and engage with consumers through the 2020s. Ipsos Brand Success Framework - a spanking new thinking and cutting edge offering by Ipsos was unveiled to the clients in Bengaluru.

Amit Adarkar, CEO, Ipsos India said that he is super excited to bring to the clients in Bengaluru, Ipsos’ latest thinking, that is likely to not only enhance consumer engagement but also transform brand-consumer connect. “In dynamic times brands should constantly innovate, keeping pace with rapid consumer evolution. As Ipsos, we look at consumers and customers as humans first and that helps us in supporting marketers build brands that address and fulfil the needs and aspirations of people.”       

Shalini Sinha, Group Service Line Leader, Brand Health Tracking and Creative Excellence, Ipsos India, unveiled Ipsos’ new thinking around the Brand Success Framework: "We focus on 3 essential dimensions of Expectations, Context and Empathy to drive brand success. Our narrative on brand success focuses on the thinking that growing brands is a continuous process of shaping and reinforcing consumer expectations in context, with empathy."

Garima Mall, Executive Director, Innovation, Ipsos India said, "Brands should proactively understand the macro and micro contexts people live in today, to enable their brands to meet consumers expectations and act with empathy. What role do brands play in people’s lives? What are the contexts that drive consumer motivations? Our new thinking is proactive and not reactive and helps brands stay ahead of the curve.

Ipsos also shared some pathbreaking trends from the Ipsos Global Trends Report 2023.  Billed to be Ipsos’ largest study covering 50 markets and 48K interviews  - technically covering 87% of the global economy and 70% of the global population. For India, Ipsos apart from the online sample, boosted it with an offline sample of 2000 respondents.

The India story emerging was of Reset and Recovery, while the global markets were seen to be in the midst of a polycrisis. And the 12 trends had seen a shift this year displaying polarisation largely.   

"In India, Ipsos studied the two cohorts of Urban Masses (2000 sample across NCCS A,B and C, interviewed offline) and Digital Indians (1000 sample of NCCS A). As a macro force, while the pandemic impacted both cohorts, at the micro level the pattern was   While the pandemic as a macro force impacted both cohorts deeply, at the micro level, the impact was differentiated providing a different story of reset and recovery," added Adarkar.

 Krishnendu Dutta, Group Service Line Leader MSU, Innovation and Strategy3, Ipsos India, said, "We see some interesting trends playing out about career focus, technology (seen as an enabler) with some data privacy loss seen as inevitable. We also see the paradox of liberal views on LGBTQIA outside home but regressing to traditional roles at home; among urban mass consumers. These are only some of the interesting trends emerging from the India Edition Ipsos Global Trends 2023."  

 Sakina Pittalwala, Executive Director, S3 Consumer Advisory and IUU, said, "Digital Indians on the contrary were seen to display different views - showing signs of a digital fatigue were seeking return to a simpler life. Nostalgia was another major trend emerging with these consumers seeking authentic experiences of touch and feel and 38% were seen to be willing to spend on brands rooted in authenticity. Health transcended both cohorts with a strong need to handle physical and mental wellbeing."

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