In the noisy, glittering chaos of India’s festive season, where lights, music, and marketing campaigns all compete for attention, a quiet act of restraint can sometimes speak the loudest. As brands jostled for visibility this Navratri and Durga Puja, many did what’s now expected: splashy activations, big-ticket stalls, and, predictably, a festive markup. But amid the hustle of inflated prices and limited-time offers, Campa chose a different kind of promotion, one rooted not in noise, but in nuance.
Nisha Sampath, Managing Partner, Bright Angles Consulting LLP highlights, “Consumers expect micro surge pricing during festivals. For example, the cost of flowers and garlands rises during festivals and poojas. Consumers submit to it because they have no choice, but it does not mean that they don’t resent it. When a small business (like a phoolwala) imposes surge pricing, he is just a victim of the market he operates in, driven by middlemen. But a giant CPG company doing the same, is a very different proposition. It comes across as purely exploitative, which is why Campa’s move is so refreshing. It is a case of the brand, and the parent, Reliance, choosing to forego short term profit to earn long term goodwill and trust. Not only will it ensure short term sales, but it will earn the brand priceless goodwill from consumers. At a time when people are also realising that Swadeshi brands are vital to our economic welfare, it becomes one more reason to pick a Campa versus a foreign brand. Of course, it requires a business with the might of Reliance, to be able to absorb such an opportunity cost. It would be great to see other businesses follow suit.”
At its on-ground activations across cities, Campa sold every bottle at MRP. Fair Pricing with no surge, no festive premium. In a marketplace that often equates festivity with profit, the move was both disarming and deliberate. It wasn’t just about affordability, it was about signaling a certain ethos. The brand’s message was clear: confidence doesn’t need inflation, and trust doesn’t need theatrics.
“Campa’s choice to sell at MRP during the festive rush is a very smart and grounded move. It shows confidence in the product and respect for the consumer. While others see the festive season as a chance to earn a quick premium, Campa is using it to build long-term trust. In a crowded market, this kind of fairness stands out. It tells people that the brand values accessibility and honesty over quick wins, and that builds emotional connection and loyalty faster than most campaigns can,” says Ambika Sharma, Founder and Chief Strategist, Pulp Strategy.
Ambika further added, “I also see this as a larger trend where pricing is becoming part of brand identity. Consumers today notice and remember when a brand resists opportunism. In the middle of crowd and chaos, something as simple as sticking to MRP becomes a quiet statement of ethics and confidence. Campa is reminding the market that trust and consistency are still powerful marketing tools.”
This restraint also reflects a deeper shift in how brands are using pricing as part of their storytelling. In an age where every consumer is also a commentator, even small pricing decisions become moral cues. Audiences are more attentive to fairness, they remember when a brand resists opportunism, when it values consistency over opportunistic gain. It’s a kind of branding that doesn’t need a billboard; it travels through word of mouth, through the quiet admiration of people who notice the small things.
“Campa is in number three and therefore is hungrier than them all. Campa's surge and hunger is visible during the festive season and is most certainly visible in its distribution acumen and aggression that one witnesses in the local market. The number three works that much harder, the number three works that much faster, and in this case the number three is working that much more intelligently,” highlights Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru & Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
In refusing to play the surge game, Campa positioned itself as the grounded alternative in a marketplace addicted to hype. It’s a subtle, strategic reminder that trust can’t be discounted or inflated, it has to be earned, sip by sip. And in a season obsessed with excess, the brand’s simplest move became its smartest one.
