Refined, exclusive, exquisite: Mars Wrigley’s Nikhil Rao on high-decibel promotions for premium products

New Delhi: The Indian chocolate market, valued at $2.31 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $3.58 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.58% from 2024 to 2030, according to a report by Mordor Insights.  

This means various chocolate brands have been doing something right, to sustain demand and keep their shares of the market intact or flourishing.  

According to Nikhil Rao, CMO, Mars Wrigley, the right question to ask would be, in a country of 1.4 billion people, how do you drive penetration? The media reaching them is by far the biggest focal point that brands need to capitalise on in the face of dynamic chocolate preferences.  

In a conversation with BestMediaInfo.com, Rao revealed insights on marketing a ‘premium range’ of products, the evolving chocolate needs of consumers and how to stay relevant in marketing an FMCG product that melts, quite literally.  

He revealed that what assists penetration is giving consumers variety to pick from. He stated the instance of a Mars product, Galaxy Jewels, that was launched on July 26 at The Park Hotel. It has four flavours in every gift box: smooth milk, crispy, caramel, and dark cream. 

Rao believes that the premiumisation of a product should not make it ‘excluding.’ The product needs to differentiate between being ‘excluding’ and ‘exclusive.’  

Marketing such products would require taking bite-sized real-life moments and plugging in the product naturally for consumers to believe that it is just as easily accessible and is not another pricey product on a pedestal.  

He stated the example of Mars’ recent ad with Kiara Advani that positions the ‘Galaxy Jewel’ as a giftable product for every occasion.  

Refined, exclusive, and exquisite: these are the buzzwords, according to Rao, that add the necessary decibel to advertising, endorsements, and PR of a high-end or premium range of products. 

Rao disclosed that completing the Galaxy range with Flutes at the bottom end, Snickers at the middle and Galaxy Jewels at the top end re-establishes the point of reaching consumers, wherever they are placed. 

He also noted that celebrity endorsements like Rohit Shetty for Snickers and Bumrah for Boom Boom Boomer are matches made in Chocolate Haven, tying relevance to prominence.  

Rao also shed insights on the growing demands for ‘on-the-go’ snacking, especially in a country like India where people spend most of their commute time in traffic.  

He stated the instances of Snickers and Galaxy Flutes as products that Mars launched to address this growing demand.  

Healthy snacking is another niche that Mars is working on and Rao believes that one of the major ways to satiate consumers' chocolate cravings healthily is through portion control. 

“This is one of the biggest ways in which we ensure that they get great taste and indulgence, but in a small portion, in an individually wrapped piece,” he added.  

Rao highlights that the backbone of such media reach would be TV, Meta, and Google, but for certain luxury products, OTT would be very important as it helps target households that can purchase such a range of products.  

He also confessed how influencer marketing is a huge part of their marketing mix, as people trust them to deliver authentic experiences and reviews.  

Rao highlighted how Gen Z, as an audience, does not subscribe to the idea of ‘one size fits all’ advertising. He believes that this particular audience segment is better reached via digital, especially through Meta and Google.  

According to Mordor Insights, online chocolate sales in India are expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.04%, reaching $46.67 million by 2030. This growth is driven by increasing internet penetration and the rising preference for the convenience and fast delivery of online platforms. As of 2023, 3% of households paid a delivery fee for groceries within 30 minutes, while 11% waited up to 3 hours for a small delivery fee. 

Talking about this rise in e-commerce and quick commerce purchases, Rao added that such platforms have taken consumer impulsivity digitally, satiating cravings and sugar rush with just a tap.  

Rao lauds the work AI has been doing, including the aid it is to personalised marketing. However, he is wary of the red flags it raises in copyright issues and the lack of a human connection that can taint the storyline or creatives ‘offensive.’