India’s festive season is just around the corner, and there is no good time for enthusiastic shoppers who are looking to snag some jaw-dropping deals on various products. A recent study conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) has unveiled intriguing insights into how this upcoming festive season is shaping consumer shopping preferences. Interestingly, 8 in 10 Diwali shoppers watch videos on Meta’s family of apps, including Facebook and Instagram, as a part of their shopping journey. This highlights the noteworthy influence of video content on consumers in guiding and moulding choices when making purchases.
Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms have taken the lead as dominant channels, capturing a remarkable 87% of users for short-form video consumption and 79% creator-generated content. This showcases their pivotal role in providing engaging and relevant content to users during this festive period.
YouGov conducted the survey involving 1,523 adults in India, spanning from October 23rd to November 9th, 2022. The festive season, which kicks off in September, contributes to a significant uptick in domestic consumption. Businesses prepare for increased consumer demand, and marketers actively seek efficient methods to capitalize on this surge in demand.
Now let’s dig deeper to uncover the type of content that holds sway over Indian consumers when they make purchases during festive seasons like Diwali, Rakhi, Holi, and more.
Social Media Driving the Festive Shopping
Social media platforms have become dynamic hubs where people not only connect with friends and family but also actively engage with various forms of content (image, video, etc.) that impact their purchasing decisions. Recognizing this paradigm shift, businesses are strategically leveraging these platforms to present images and videos showcasing their products, with an aim to boost their sales and revenues.
Among the plethora of approaches, a compelling and remarkable approach embraced by the majority of brands is the artful deployment of personalized content through social media advertisements. This strategy has so far proven to be the most effective, as 69% of respondents expressed that personalized product recommendations and thoughtful gift ideas on Facebook and Instagram have made their Diwali shopping experience a breeze.
Language plays a pivotal role in this narrative too, with a striking 76% of Diwali shoppers expressing a preference for advertisements in their native language. This inclination is on a significant rise year after year, highlighting the power of linguistic connection.
Furthermore, in the grand theatre of Indians’ purchase decisions, influencers and creators have taken centre stage. A substantial 66% of Diwali shoppers acknowledge that influencers such as movie actors, cricketers, YouTube content creators, etc., play a crucial role in influencing what they choose to buy.
Instagram stands as the undisputed leader in influencer marketing, particularly among millennials and Gen Z.
“What we have seen is that the festival period is very big in India. We all love to buy, consumers love to buy fashion, beauty, gifts, and sweets. For all businesses across sectors, this is a key period, where they want to obviously reach out with their messages in terms of their new offerings. Increasingly, those consumers are on our platforms,” said Arun Srinivas, Director and Head of the Ads Business, Facebook India (Meta).
Meta survey reveals that among all products, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) devices are gaining significant traction during the Diwali season in India. As these cutting-edge gadgets often come with a higher price tag, a substantial portion of Indians prefer to purchase them during the festive period, enticed by alluring offers and discounts.
Interestingly, 3 out of 5 shoppers acknowledge that engaging with AR experiences not only immerses them in the Diwali ambience but also significantly influences their purchase decisions. The act of engaging with AR experiences transports them into the heart of the Diwali atmosphere, enabling them to visualize, explore, and virtually experience products in ways previously beyond imagination.
In a remarkable surge, India has witnessed a staggering addition of 125 million online shoppers over the last three years. And the momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing down, as an estimated 80 million more are projected to join this digital shopping wave by 2025.
Customers Use Instant Messaging for Interacting with Brands
In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, customers are reshaping the way they interact with brands, and instant messaging has emerged as a powerful channel for fostering direct and meaningful connections. This paradigm shift is particularly evident during special occasions like the Diwali season, where the surge in business messaging reveals a remarkable trend.
An impressive 80% of shoppers turn to WhatsApp (64%), Instagram (39%), and Messenger (38%) to connect with businesses throughout Diwali. Of notable interest, a significant 66% of Diwali shoppers exhibit a higher inclination towards considering purchases from businesses that offer the convenience of instant messaging for communication. This underscores the growing significance of instant messaging as a preferred means of interaction between consumers and businesses, fostering trust and streamlined engagement.
Other major Indian festivals, like Raksha Bandhan and Dussehra, also present significant opportunities for exciting discounts on products, rivalling those of Diwali. Approximately 80% of Indians participated in shopping for Raksha Bandhan and Dussehra in the year 2022. This highlights the substantial retail impact of these festivals on consumer spending patterns.
Are you excited about the upcoming festive season? How do you plan to leverage the power of technology and social media for your festive shopping? Share your thoughts and insights in the comments below!
