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Beat the seasonal clock

S. Kumar

Have you ever observed how advertisements change their frequency and tone with the changing seasons? Just think, is it not true that the frequency of Pepsi and Coca Cola commercials increases during the summer season and goes down in winter? Advertisements about Lakme Moisturisers suddenly surface from October every year and almost vanish during the peak summer months.

Welcome to the world of seasonal advertising — a concept that has evolved over a period of time into a fruitful marketing strategy across categories. The reason? It is not uncommon to have a business that relies heavily on certain seasons for increased sales volume. Also, since all advertising is not created equal and all products categories are not the same, studies that have tracked numerous ad campaigns in various parts of the world have shown that there are important seasonal influences on advertising. Companies worldwide appreciate this fact and they too aggressively plan their marketing campaigns well in advance of their busy season/s to be ahead in the race.

Though weather conditions, consumer requirements, festivities, new brand positioning and of course, the advertising spend of any company in one financial year, are prime factors that determine seasonal advertisements, a lot of other factors play their part as well. Taking all these into account is how the periodicity and frequency of a commercial on our television screens is decided.

With product categories that are seasonal, advertisers have limited time to build momentum. And so they are always racing to beat the seasonal clock. For instance, commercials and advertisements on cold drinks, ice creams, deodorants, face washes, certain drinks such as Rohafza and Rasna etc, can be seen more frequently during the summer season. Similarly, advertisements about tea, coffee, wool, washing detergents for woollen clothes etc., are seen more often during the winter. For most retailers, and other industries such as travel, the December holiday season is a significant time for sales. The bottomline therefore is — commercials should match the state of mind of a consumer at that particular time.

Classic examples are the ongoing ‘Diwali advertisements’. Since Diwali happens to be one of the biggest and much awaited festivals in the year, ad gurus leave no stone unturned in cashing in on the emotional streak of a client at this time. If we analyse the current scenario, Cadbury has done a great job in this festive race. The company seems to have a strong creative streak and this is best displayed in its festive advertising. Be it Rakhi or Diwali, Cadbury is usually the first to come out with a heartwarming advertising campaign. This year too, their ad about getting aloof neighbours united on Diwali, strikes a chord somewhere. And that’s not all. The company’s recent commercial ‘aap kisko khush karenge is Diwali’ for its brand ‘Celebrations’ is worth a mention here.

Well, Cadbury is not alone, there are others too who have joined the bandwagon. Take Whirlpool for example, whose brand ambassador Kajol is frequently seen on screen these days selling ‘magic’ to consumers. From special bonanza offers to heavy discounts, the company is offering it all. Close behind is Tata+Sky that has introduced a special Diwali offer by slashing its prices by almost Rs 4000! The company, however, dear consumers, promises to go back to its normal pricing after Diwali.

Come the festive season and the paint companies gear up to woo customers — asking them to do up their homes before the fun begins. Nerolac, Asian Paints and the likes have bombarded our television screens with a plethora of advertisements targeting the upcoming festivities. What’s more, even Kaya Skin Care is offering a special Diwali discount of Rs 2,000, this festive season! Be it the chocolate brands, electronic appliance companies, wall paint groups, beauty products or new product launches, every business is busy enticing customers. The trend has become so popular that even consumers defer their purchases till the festive season.

It is thus this mindset and social scenario that ad gurus tap into to come up with interesting seasonal spots or campaigns. With the global economy slowing down and organisations cutting down their ad spends, more and more companies are concentrating on deriving the maximum mileage from seasonal commercials. However, timing and preparedness are keys to handling seasonal advertisements. To give a brand the maximum chance of success, it is important to aim for a maximum trial as early as possible but companies need to be careful in figuring out when to launch their seasonal campaigns. Trying to sell people Diwali decorations in early July will be lost on most as people are too busy try to beat the heat of an Indian summer!

The author is a well-known

industry watcher