Changing Consumer trends in India- 2021

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Today in the post pandemic scenario Indian consumer is an evolved one. He values the convenience more and open to new brands which provides something unique in terms of value and experience. More and more shoppers are exploring online options. As per the google research report there are 170 million consumers online in 2020 and of this 45 million were first time purchasers and more than 50% of the shoppers brought from a brand or store they have never purchased before.

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In India video is the new form of content consumption. Videos viewership related to the online shopping has increased more than 90% on October 2020 compared to October 2019. Poco is one brand which used the YouTube strategy in 2020 to drive smart phone sales. The brand’s 11-day digital campaign used a combination of YouTube and Display Blast to drive sales and awareness. It expanded its?audience targeting ?by identifying content that interests its audience: music, entertainment, photography, and comedy, and it reached out to audiences on these channels to drive a positive product association.

The campaign achieved 175 million in total unique reach, a 6% increase in relative ad recall, and 12% search uplift. In the first six days of the campaign alone, Poco sold 1 million smartphones through a partner e-commerce site, surpassing the brand’s previous benchmarks. More than 70% of consumers say they’re okay with spending more on these conveniences, and they’re relying on new digital services for conveniences such as online inventory checks, reliable delivery, and click-and-collect services.

More and more people are consuming video content across platforms and the influence of online influencers are on the rise . Shoppers in India are also spending more time watching YouTube videos on topics such as finance, online shopping, and homes

Flipkart used the YouTube to drive consumer interaction during the big billion days sale. To build excitement and drive awareness and user engagement, Flipkart created fresh, never-before-seen content. It leveraged YouTube’s content creator ecosystem to produce a 10-episode game show,?Big Billion Muqabla . Popular YouTuber Sahil Khattar hosted the show, which featured 20 YouTube personalities and their families. Flipkart ran the content on a popular YouTube channel,?BeingIndian , which helped further increase viewership.

Big Billion Muqabla drew more than 10 million views on YouTube and more than 130,000 comments and likes across all episodes. Not least, the campaign led to more than 3.2 million customer engagements on the Flipkart app.

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Indian consumers want brands that offer both online and offline shopping to operate like digital showrooms with services such as contactless shopping, flexible payment options, and free and reliable shipping options.

These consumer expectations mean brands need to provide more than sales and enticing offers. They need to provide shoppers a digital ecosystem that allows them to have a safe and reliable shopping environment. Two areas where they can enhance the retail experience are payment and shipping.

The volume of digital payments in India has?grown 30% year-on-year from last March while the volume of credit and debit card payments has declined by 19% and 20.6%, respectively, according to the latest Annual report from?RBI This presents an opportunity for brands to provide more varied or flexible digital payment options in India. Indeed, there is growing interest among consumers for “Buy Now, Pay Later” and other short-term financing schemes.13?Such options are helpful for shoppers who want to buy big-ticket items during the festive season because they allow customers to spread out their payments over a period of up to 12 months, usually without interest.

Indian shoppers also value safe, reliable, and affordable shipping options: 78% of holiday shoppers say they will shop with stores that offer free shipping.14?Another convenience that will drive business is the in-store pickup: 55% of holiday shoppers say they will shop at stores with this service.

Today the consumer is seeking inspiration on purchase ideas from known circle of people, websites, video platforms, and social media. Google’s latest research shows that people experience a wide range of emotions during their buying journey.1?From curiosity and confusion to clarity and conviction, people often struggle to find trusted touchpoints that will guide them along the nonlinear customer journey.

To make purchase decisions with confidence and assurance, shoppers have turned to Search as their number one touchpoint for relevant information.2?Another critical driver of purchase decisions and customer preference is brand presence. When brands provide relevant and trustworthy content online, they?increase consumer preference by more than 70%

The customer journey is marked by emotions and people want to feel certainty and confidence before they make a purchase. When they’re skeptical, they want to feel convinced. When they’re confused, they want clarity. People search for information to attain that emotional resolution.

This need for emotional resolution drives people to all sources for information: social media, site aggregators, review websites, stores, or family and friends. It’s unsurprising then that 81% of consumers buy products or services from brands that provide information which makes them feel empowered about their purchase decisions. As people explore and evaluate their options, brands can help them feel empowered by providing them with useful information, such as clear product specifications, genuine product reviews, or information from experts.?Responsive search ads ?can play an instrumental role in this

Researching all relevant information about a product or service is important for consumers to attain emotional resolution about their purchase decision, but an information overload in the process can actually impede decision-making. In our study, 94% of people say it’s important to research before making a purchase.8?Yet at the same time, 80% of respondents who have difficulty making purchase decisions say it’s because they are given too much information or too many options.9?This is where brands can step in to help To ease shoppers out of choice paralysis, brands should be present at the right moment?to guide shoppers in their search . In our study, 84% of people say they will purchase from a brand that provides helpful information when they’re exploring options.10

Brands can use machine learning to provide personalised and relevant information for people researching online. With?broad match keywords ?and?Smart Bidding , brands can make sure their ads reach more relevant search queries and drive purchase decisions. Brands that use broad match keywords and Smart Bidding strategies together have seen?an increase in conversions of up to 25% .

Creating a great online customer experience starts with getting the basics right. Experiences should be

• Frictionless. Eliminate any barriers that make discovering, researching, and buying products challenging. A frictionless experience encompasses product organization, pricing and availability, navigation, ease of checkout, and payment.
• Fast. This isn’t just about speed, but also relevance, ease of navigation, accessibility, and a consistent look and feel.
• Personalized. Make every customer feel unique by offering curated product lists, premium options, and geographic or affinity-based personalization.
• Helpful. Offer substitutions for unavailable products, relevant recommendations, and surprising — and hopefully delightful — ideas.
• Consistent. Make shopping and discovery completely portable and consistent. Customers should be able to pick up on one channel where they left off on the other.

The purchase journey is an emotional one for customers and brands can support people in their shopping experience. With Search being a top touchpoint in the customer journey, brands can help people feel empowered throughout the process by being present, reliable, relevant, and informative on Search.