Q] Philips OneChef’s launch earlier this year did not follow a conventional marketing approach. How important is experimentation for you?
It is extremely important to diversify from the traditional approach, because consumers are now overexposed to advertising. There is no freshness left. Right now, advertising is purely for information, and not really leading to interest generation for a brand or product. For the latter, it is critical that one looks outside of the traditional approach of communication.
For the OneChef launch, the only traditional media that we used was print. We did not even make a TV commercial for it. The entire conversation around the appliance was sparked by people whose opinions count, be it chefs or lifestyle creators.
Q] How have you seen consumer expectations evolve in the kitchen and home appliances space in India?
One thing that is constant about us as Indians is the fact that we are value-seeking. Typically, people translate it into saying we buy inexpensive products. That’s not true. You need to convince the consumer that the money you are asking them to pay is worth it. It doesn’t matter whether that money is one rupee or one lakh rupee. What we value is probably changing. Around 25-30 years ago, Indian consumers valued utility. Then they started valuing durability. Currently, Indian consumers are valuing user experience, performance and aesthetics.
Secondly, how we are making our decisions is changing. Gone are the times when everything foreign was considered better. We are living in an era where we take pride in being Indian, and using products that are made in India.
Thirdly, Indian consumers have always been demanding. What has, however, evolved is how they are asking questions, where they are asking these questions, and who they are trusting for the answers.
Q] How has Versuni’s marketing strategy evolved in response to these shifts?
We are continuously balancing traditional advertising, which is more call-to-action driven, with influencer or content-led communication, which is more interest or desire-generating. We are trying to discover new value levers that can be communicated to the consumers. It is not enough to just say the price is X rupees. In fact, that communication needs to come last. What needs to come right at the top is why they should consider our proposition in the first place. That defines our messaging hierarchy strongly.
The fact that Indian consumers are super demanding resonates not just in our marketing communication, but it goes right back to our product creation as well.
Q] How have Versuni’s marketing spends changed across mediums in recent years?
In recent years, like the rest of the industry, our marketing spends have shifted more in favour of digital marketing. By that, I don’t just mean performance marketing. I keep hearing this debate in the industry around brand marketing versus performance marketing. The media conversation, however, is different from that. Digital is just one medium that most of us are spending so much time on every single day that it becomes important for me to reach the consumer in a meaningful manner.
As we speak, nearly 40 per cent of our expenditure on media goes in digital. That is a very big chunk for an industry which is dominated by the use of traditional media.
Q] Which KPIs will define marketing success for the brand this year?
Brand consideration, brand preference and market share are the three big KPIs that we track at a brand level. When I go deeper into media, we look at efficiency matrices as well, because it is not just about buying impressions or reaching numbers. It is also about constantly moving CTRs, CPVs and eventual lead conversion.
Across campaigns, we start doing our media planning ‘outcome-backwards’, not ‘budget-forward’. I tell my media agency that we want to run this campaign in this period, and this is the quantum of business I want to generate. Then, they follow a model that gives the required budget.
PROFILE
Pooja Baid serves as Chief Marketing Officer at Versuni India, where she spearheads the marketing strategy for brands such as Philips Home Appliances and Preethi Kitchen Appliances, leading campaigns, collaborations, and more. She brings over 15 years of experience spanning FMCG, consumer durables and retail sectors. Before joining Versuni, Baid held leadership roles at organisations such as Coca Cola and ITC, where she drove brand-building, digital transformation and consumer engagement at scale.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Versuni is a home appliances company with a portfolio of renowned brands, including Philips, Philips Baristina, Philips Walita, Preethi, Senseo, L’OR Barista, Saeco, and Gaggia. Backed by more than 900 patents, its product range spans coffee and kitchen appliances, garment care, climate care and floor care solutions. Philips, Saeco and Gaggia products are sold under trademark license from Koninklijke Philips N.V. The Philips portfolio includes innovations such as the Airfryer, Espresso Machine with LatteGo, Handheld Steamer, Air Purifier and AquaTrio Cordless Vacuum. Headquartered in Amsterdam, Versuni has a global network of innovation, manufacturing and commercial hubs, with presence in more than 100 countries.
FACTS
Media Agency: Omnicom Media Group India
Digital agency: MagicCircle Communications
PR Agency: Adfactors PR
