The Indian North-South divide on Brand localisation

For Brands with strong psychological appeal (read, non-functional appeal) to work, would consumers need to be irrational over rational in their evaluation of products and services? Across India, is there a North-South divide in the consumer's acceptance of a product's psychological appeal? North being more conducive as compared to the south of the country?

Considering the larger debate on localisation, must marketers localise when they are certain that the parent brand's appeal may not cut much ice with the 'thinking consumer' who then insists on the brand being modified to suit his tastes? Is that 'modification' more relevant to the south of India?

ET reports that while MNCs are still struggling with localisation of their products to cater to Indian tastes, Indian FMCG companies have gone a step further by going regional with their brands. Companies with pan-India presence like Dabur India and CavinKare have already launched or are planning to launch products across categories (hair care, surface cleaners, personal hygiene and food) that cater to regional tastes.

Surprisingly, most of the regional brand variants are limited to western and southern India. According to CavinKare V-P (marketing) Vineet Trakroo, 'This is because, there is strong belief in natural products, the market for which already exists in these states'.

Product Pic : http://www.cavinkare.com

Comments

Unknown said…
Sir,
Localizing the radio has made it nothing but noisome.. after all the stations one after the other got ‘kannadised’,, where both the jockeying n music is kannada..

My observation says,, this will do more bad than good, coz I and a lot other radio buffs I know, are totally off the radio, a few stores I’m a regular to have switched to world space, and a couple of my friends, time marketers at Radio Indigo (the only channel that plays international music), see an unrelenting opportunity in this, claiming theirs is the only station ‘the niche switch to’.

The above was an outburst,, Don’t know how far its applicable to the FMCG industry though.
Ray Titus said…
The en masse migration away from radio can turn worrisome if the numbers are substantial....especially among the youth....

But then its good for the likes of radio Indigo....the 'only' channel I listen to, on radio...

Not good for me though as a listener, as I'm starved for choice...Are the media companies listening ? :)

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