Beyond sales: How festive communication is evolving with shifting consumer patte
On a closer look, the public conversation around the festive season this year is about sharing, caring, nostalgia and breaking stereotypes

The best gift you can give your loved ones this Diwali is you. Book a flight and make new memories.
— British Airways (@British_Airways) October 19, 2021
Here’s to giving the small stores around us a Diwali filled with sweetness.Click on the link below to make an ad for them.https://t.co/kD5knqyslE #Diwali #Diwali2021 #CadburyCelebrations #KuchAcchaHoJayeKuchMeethaHoJaaye #NotJustACadburyAd pic.twitter.com/AKShqPPvFf
— Cadbury Celebrations (@CadCelebrations) October 22, 2021
Sparkle, Shine and Smile on this Diwali in a whole new way. Leave a trail of smiles wherever you go. Spread the Light and #DelightEveryMoment with #SmileWalaDiya pic.twitter.com/mM0ylYtgHP
— Vivo India (@Vivo_India) November 9, 2020
With this in mind, here’s a quick check-list for brands to consider during this festive season:Focus on well-beingWhile the pandemic has significantly increased the focus on health, well-being and the environment, there is a lack of awareness of how to celebrate a pollution-free Diwali. There is an increase in intent but not enough awareness on how to. Content on such a topic can be well received and help a brand break through the clutter. Here are some examples of brands: Saregama urged consumers to look forward to a musical Diwali with its #ShorYaSangeet campaign; Oppo’s #BeTheLight campaign inspired users to embrace the festive finery and spread the light in unique ways.Own the purposeResearch has proven that brands that find a purpose and stick to it are likely to be perceived as culturally relevant and connect better with consumers. Diwali offers numerous possibilities for brands to do so, and making the festival meaningful, be it through organised donations, creating awareness for a cause or leading from the front and disrupting the market, like Cred did when they asked consumers to donate their coins for Oxygen, or One Plus did when every Tweet led to the planting of a tree. Another great example is what Amazon did where they donated a safety kit for every social media engagement during the festive season.Personalise and delight A huge amount of offers, deals and discounts cascade to consumers during Diwali, but several of these get missed in the blitzkrieg. The right social media strategy helps create a differentiation for your offering and gives much better returns by way of engagement, memorability and action. A great example of this would be Flipkart that ran an ‘Emoji Do Offers Lo’ campaign where it said: Show us what's on your shopping list with an emoji and we will give you an offer you can't refuse.Time to unpack the festive clothes and spread the light collectively. Let’s sit back and get ready to celebrate this season’s favourite campaigns that will surprise, delight and connect all of us.About authors: Kanika Mittal is the Business Head of Twitter and Rishabh Sharma is the Head of Twitter Next India.
First Published: Nov 03, 2021, 17:37
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