‘Go Hyper-Local' Is The New Mantra Of Multinational Food And Beverage Companies

In the last couple of decades, India has seen a surge in serious ailments like cancer, cardiac ailments and diabetes. Most of these were attributed to a growing sedentary life, changing lifestyles, preference to western cuisine, increased availability of packaged fast food and consumption of soft drinks.

- Nikhil Raghavan

Equipped with vast resources, multinational companies have bombarded the market with promotional events, marketing techniques, and advertising campaigns aimed at a growing young Indian population. While concerned corporations like ITC have desisted from marketing tobacco brands due to legislation and growing consumer awareness, soft drink companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola have slowly moved towards fruit-based and non-cola drinks.

For companies like Coca-Cola, the new thrust areas are at the micro market level, where they have not only been exploring hyper-local taste preferences but also supporting the rural hinterland of farmer communities by encouraging them to grow fruits. on the other end of the scale, corporations like ITC and Unilever have been doing similar exercises to develop regional producers of grains, pulses, spices and vegetables.