Q] What was the core idea behind using nostalgia and an unfinished journey—and how does Vinod Kambli’s life connect with Dinshaw’s fillers?
A large part of the credit goes to our agency, The Womb, which brought this script to us. We explored a few different character options, but building the narrative around Kambli felt the most natural and emotionally resonant. His journey brings relatability and depth, especially around the idea of something being ‘left incomplete,’ and it also aligns well with moments when families come together.
At the same time, the story is rooted in a strong product insight. Cones are a very personal treat, and even when shared, people are particular about the chocolate at the bottom. That insight has always been there, and by increasing the chocolate to 3x, we wanted to amplify those childhood memories and emotions. The line ‘jinko life mein thoda kam mila’ ties it all together, linking Kambli’s journey with the idea of getting a little more.
Q] It might be early, but how has the campaign performed so far both in terms of brand recall & consumer perception? Any initial business impact that you can share?
The campaign was launched a couple of weeks ago, so it’s in its early days. We’re seeing encouraging traction across our social platforms, including LinkedIn, along with strong on-ground feedback. There’s a clear positive sentiment building around the campaign, and we’re already noticing a steady uptick in the 3x cone category. While it’s too soon to draw definitive conclusions, early indicators suggest the product is resonating with consumers. If this momentum continues, it will push the category forward, potentially prompting others in the market to explore similar innovations within their cone portfolios.
Q] Dinshaw’s recently underwent a rebranding. What was the intent behind this shift, and would you say this campaign is an extension of the Dildaari positioning?
After nearly nine decades in the business, we felt the brand needed to evolve to stay relevant to today’s consumers, especially given the intense competition in the category. While our strengths—like quality and distribution—have always been part of our DNA, they weren’t being communicated in a way that connected with newer audiences. ‘Dildaari’ emerged from this process as a natural extension of our core idea of ‘irrational generosity,’ something consumers already associated with us. It now shapes everything we do—from product experience to ingredient generosity.
The current campaign is a direct extension of this rebranding. The 3x chocolate proposition brings ‘Dildaari’ to life in a tangible way, making the idea of generosity both visible and relatable.
Q] As a nine-decade-old brand, how are you balancing the need to retain your core audience while also evolving to appeal to Gen Z consumers?
The landscape has evolved significantly in our favour. Earlier, regional brands had limited and expensive avenues—especially on television—to build visibility. Today, with digital platforms like Meta, Google, and YouTube, even brands of our scale can precisely target audiences and build salience, helping to level the playing field with national players. This shift is visible across FMCG, where agile brands are challenging established ones through innovation and sharper consumer understanding. For us, the focus is on leveraging these capabilities to stay relevant to evolving needs—bringing in newer audiences like the Gen Z, while continuing to connect with our core base.
Q] With the rise of digital-first formats, how are you recalibrating your media mix?
Over the last couple of years, we’ve significantly shifted towards digital, with nearly 90 per cent of our media spends now spent on digital platforms. Given that our core target group (16–45 years) is largely active on mobile and social, this shift has been quite natural, and we’ve seen larger brands move in the same direction. Within digital, performance marketing is closely linked to our quick commerce journey and is already delivering encouraging results as we expand across geographies. Influencer marketing, meanwhile, continues to grow, driving engagement and relatability. That said, print still plays a tactical role—in markets with limited digital reach or where we operate in specific pockets, print helps drive recall and visibility.
Q] With quick commerce platforms moving beyond the strict 10-minute delivery promise, have you seen any impact on demand, especially for a category like ice cream, which is sensitive to time and temperature?
For the ice cream industry, quick commerce has been a gamechanger. Whether delivery takes 10 minutes or 15–20 minutes, it doesn’t materially impact demand, as long as the product reaches consumers in the right condition. Most platforms are heavily investing to ensure that through better logistics and dark store infrastructure. Ice cream is largely an impulse-driven category, and quick commerce fits perfectly into that behaviour. The ease of discovery, quick ordering, and near-instant delivery create a seamless consumption cycle, which has significantly strengthened demand.
Q] Would you say offline markets are still stronger, or are online and digital channels catching up?
In India, general trade or offline retail continues to dominate, accounting for nearly 95 per cent of sales in the ice cream category. That isn’t going to change dramatically in the near term. While there is strong growth in quick commerce and modern trade, offline remains the backbone of the category. Quick commerce, in particular, is scaling rapidly, but it is still a fair distance away from challenging general trade in a meaningful way.
Q] Ice cream and dairy comprise a category dominated by national giants with significantly higher spends. How do you differentiate in such a cluttered market?
In this category, innovation is the biggest differentiator. You may have significantly higher advertising spends, but without a strong innovation pipeline, it’s difficult to sustain impact. Today’s consumers, especially Gen Z, are far less influenced by the size of a brand. They are more interested in what the brand is offering—whether it’s new flavours, unique formats, or a differentiated product experience. So, for us, the focus is on consistently investing in product innovation and understanding evolving consumer preferences.
Q] Ice cream, largely, continues to be a seasonal category. How are you trying to reduce this dependence, and what role does product strategy or adjacent categories play?
Ice cream in India is still relatively seasonal, with nearly 60 per cent of sales concentrated in the four summer months. However, this trend is gradually evolving as consumption patterns change. Over time, we expect ice cream to move beyond being purely weather-driven and become more about flavour, experience and innovation. That shift is already visible in global markets like Europe and the US, and India is likely to follow a similar trajectory over the next decade. At the same time, emerging segments such as healthier alternatives—low sugar, low-calorie, or keto variants—are opening up new consumption occasions.
Q] How much of your revenue is currently allocated to marketing? And as you expand, do you see this mix evolving?
Over the past two to three years, we’ve allocated roughly 5 per cent of our revenue towards marketing, which is broadly in line with industry norms. That said, this isn’t a fixed number. As we expand into new geographies, especially metro markets, the investment requirement increases significantly in the initial one to three years to establish the brand. In such cases, we are open to going beyond the 5 per cent benchmark.
These are calculated investments. Building a presence in new markets requires sustained visibility and effort, and we are willing to invest accordingly whenever such opportunities arise.
