The second episode of Marketing Manifest Stations, a monthly podcast that discusses the role of marketing in business outcomes for organisations hosted by Manasi Narasimhan, head of communications and fund-raising, CEGIS, features Aleesha Desai, deputy general manager - marketing, Baskin Robbins India.

Desai delved into the global ice cream brand’s growth strategies in India over the years while underscoring the role of innovation, creativity, and adaptability in today's marketing landscape. 

She spotlighted ice cream's universal appeal and emotional connect which makes it age and gender agnostic, and sets it apart in the face of rivalry from traditional Indian sweets.

Accentuating the current market size and growth potential of the Indian ice cream industry, Desai stated that even as it is currently valued at INR 25,000 crores, it comprises just 50% of the industry’s organised sector and is dominated by national and local players. She revealed that ice cream in India has less per capita consumption than both Western and Eastern markets. But with newer formats and flavours, that’s changing.

The company today has 950+ standalone parlours in 280+ cities and is set to open its thousandth store before the end of the year.

Desai spotlights the trend of ‘frequent snacking’ and ‘booming premiumisation’ as the key drivers of growth in the category when it comes to consumer behaviour trends. Commenting on the ‘convenience’ factor, she says that consumers today not only want the product delivered to their doorsteps, but they want it delivered super quickly. This also means a stronger push on e-commerce and aggregator platforms in the brand’s distribution, apart from the standalone parlours and retail business. While summer remains the big season for the category, these factors have made sure that ice cream is a ‘year-long indulgence’.

As far as e-commerce is concerned, the brand understood early on that its consumers are spending a lot of time on digital platforms, said Desai. “So we were early adopters to business in both the e-commerce and aggregator space. We work very closely with our partners there to ensure visibility and salience of our products. And today, e-comm and aggregators together contribute to one-third of our overall business.”

Baskin Robbins recently underwent a brand refresh, despite enjoying good resonance among the older generation. The entire idea of brand refresh, said Desai, was to make the brand relevant and appealing to the new age TG. “Essentially it is about bringing forth the playfulness of the brand. So we have done a refresh not just in terms of our logo but our packaging as well -  it's newer, fresher and more vibrant.”

The brand also launched a campaign comprising four films, with an aim ‘to spread joy to its consumers’, that resonated with audiences.

During the conversation, she also stressed the importance of ‘innovation’ in terms of products and product formats to the brand’s growth story. “Innovation is the cornerstone of our company's product and format development, with a focus on catering to changing preferences through in-house research and data insights.”

Emphasising the role of digital channels for its brand visibility and reach, Desai stated, “As far as media channels are concerned, we use a digital-first approach. We are very clear we want to be where our consumers are.”

She pointed out that consumers today spend lots of time on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, OTT and CTV. “So it’s very important for us to be on these platforms to be visible and create an impact. The idea is to make the brand more accessible to consumers.”

At the same time, Desai also highlighted the importance of traditional media, such as newspaper ads, hoardings and radio for new store launches, albeit in a limited fashion, to engage with consumers.

The brand also believes in leveraging Al and CGI to showcase differentiation. Earlier this summer it used an AI influencer when launching its products which, Desai claims, worked out brilliantly for the brand. It helped the brand reach out to a completely different audience set, which probably with general communication, it would not have been able to achieve.

At the conclusion of the talk, Desai once again emphasised that marketing should bring joy to the consumer, and not be an irritant. “Don’t forget that marketing is about spreading joy to the consumers. Whether it’s in terms of your products, campaigns, or customer experience, always make sure you make a positive impact on the mind of the consumer,” she said.

Tune into the podcast here.