Ferrero India is planning its next leg of growth around experience-led branding, new consumption occasions and a more targeted media strategy, according to Zoher Kapuswala, marketing head, Ferrero India Subcontinent.
The shift comes as Indian consumers increasingly expect brands to create meaningful experiences rather than only emotional or commodity-led appeal. The company is also expanding beyond traditional gifting moments and using connected TV, digital and influencer-led content to reach audiences more precisely.
From gifting to indulgence and sharing
Kapuswala told ETBrandEquity that the Indian market has evolved from commodity-led buying to brands with emotion and now brands with experience. Ferrero Rocher, he said, was built around an experience-led proposition through its packaging, product design and storytelling.
The brand already has a strong presence during national festivals such as Diwali, Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Raksha Bandhan, as well as regional occasions like Onam, Durga Puja, Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi. That foundation now gives Ferrero room to build newer consumption occasions around indulgence and sharing. The recently launched Ferrero Rocher bar is designed to serve premium snacking in this space.
Premiumisation beyond the metros
Ferrero’s portfolio spans Tic Tac, Kinder Joy, Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, giving it an urban presence. While offline distribution for some premium products remains concentrated in larger towns, e-commerce and quick commerce are widening access across pin codes.
However, Kapuswala argued that premiumisation is not simply about charging more. “Consumers do not understand premium. Indian consumers understand value for money,” he said. The priority is to build enough relevance and consumer experience around a brand to make the value proposition credible.
A media mix built around the consumer’s day
Ferrero no longer relies on a fixed media mix across brands. Kapuswala said planning is driven by the target audience and the consumer’s “day in the life”. Digital is growing in importance, while television is changing through connected TV.
The role of CTV differs by brand. Kinder, which targets parents, remains more linear TV and CTV-forward, while Ferrero Rocher is more CTV and digital-forward. Youth-focused Tic Tac leans more on social content and a pyramid of influencers ranging from key opinion leaders to mega, macro and micro creators. Kapuswala said social content needs to be “entertaining first, engaging first and branding later” because consumers can skip or scroll past advertising.
The company is also using CTV around specific content and occasions. It has activated around properties such as The Devil Wears Prada and IPL for Kinder Bueno. Kapuswala said content-based targeting goes beyond demographics to reveal the psychographics of the audience, and he expects CTV to become more relevant during festive periods as more affluent households adopt the format.
What this means for marketing teams
Ferrero’s approach offers a practical framework for consumer brands:
- Audit the full consumption calendar, not just peak gifting seasons, for unmet snack and indulgence moments.
- Replace a uniform media mix with audience-led planning based on daily behaviour and content choices.
- Use CTV as a psychographic targeting tool around relevant shows and events, not simply as an extension of TV.
- Build influencer pyramids for youth-facing brands, with entertainment and engagement before branding.
- Extend reach through quick commerce, retail media and point-of-sale prompts closer to purchase.
Near the point of purchase, Ferrero uses out-of-home, influencers, point-of-sale material and retail media across e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms to create reminders. On portfolio growth, Kapuswala said the company wants to build Raffaello, Bueno and its newer bar proposition while continuing to invest behind seasonal occasions. “We want to build and grow faster than the category,” he said.
The company did not disclose its festive marketing budget or the year-on-year increase, adding that investments would depend on individual brand needs and market opportunities.
Source: ETBrandEquity.com
