To advertise at religious events, brands must stick to cultural notes

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Packaged water brand Bisleri is involved in waste management along the Jagannath Rath Yatra route in Puri, Odisha, that starts on Friday (June 27). Electrical equipment company Polycab is managing watch towers on the beaches in the coastal town. Adani's ACC Cement is providing free drinking water while pharmaceutical firm Cipla is offering foot massage to pilgrims walking with Lord Jagannath's chariot. The annual Rath Yatra is a nine-day affair concluding with the deities returning to the Jagannath temple. Last year, nearly 20 lakh people participated in the pageant. To advertise at religious events, brands must stick to cultural notes
The roaring success of the Maha Kumbh mela held at Prayagraj in January is driving brands to large scale events like the Puri Rath Yatra to target millions of devotees. 'Religious events have grown in scale -- not just in terms of sheer attendance, but also in how professionally they are organized, often with active government support. The commercial potential of drawing such large crowds combined with extensive media coverage, has not gone unnoticed by brands,' said Samit Sinha, managing partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting.
Beyond the guaranteed visibility, associating with such gatherings offers brands an opportunity to tap into the emotional resonance and cultural significance these events evoke, Sinha said.
Shruti Chaturvedi, founder of branding agency Chaaipaani that's tied-up with the Puri district administration to facilitate sponsorship and brand deals, said there's increased interest from companies as branding opportunities are more structured this year. 'We focused on partnerships for public amenities and not traditional billboards,' Chaturvedi said.
Gaps in Maha Kumbh's sanitation infrastructure led Chaturvedi to secure brand partnerships for utilities like bio-toilets (with maintenance, she claimed), resting stations, hydration points, provision of umbrellas etc. for the Yatra. Among companies and brands flocking Puri are Campa, Coca-Cola, Swiggy, Delhivery, Adani group and Reliance Foundation, among others.
The Puri rush is understandable. 'Brands associate with a cause, people and emotions. The gathering is huge and people come in a celebratory mood conducive to targeting,' Chaturvedi said.
Historically, village fairs – religious or commercial – were an answer to rural distribution problems of FMCG companies which found it expensive to reach the rural consumer. These events drew crowds from distant villages and consumer goods companies and distributors put up stalls to sell their products or offer samples.
Over the years, these events scaled and brands introduced activations for salience and recall, said Jitender Dabas, CEO, Cheil X. 'Now, it is fashionable to be present at big religious congregations for the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). That said, they are critical to catch a captive audience at one place since audience fragmentation is real. But brands must not participate for the sake of participating, or be exploitative,' Dabas said. 'It's best for brands present at such gatherings to avoid religious overtones and associations. We are living in difficult times and there's polarization. Brands should not get caught in controversies,' he added.
Samit Sinha said there aren't any rules preventing brands from associating with religious events. 'Consider West Bengal—and Kolkata in particular—where brands have had a strong and visible presence during Durga Puja for decades. Although the festival centres around Hindu deities, what stands out is its broad, secular appeal across Bengalis of various religions and castes. Similarly, every region has its own festivals and traditions that, while rooted in religion, are often celebrated as cultural milestones,' he said. However, brands must focus on the cultural dimensions of these events, rather than making overtly religious associations, Sinha added.
Brand experts expect media spends on spiritual, religious and cultural events to rise. Chaturvedi said marketing budgets allocated by brands to such mass gatherings are increasing as online advertising gets cluttered. Such associations with events build stronger brand recall and integrate brands more effectively with people's lives compared to traditional advertising, she said.
Clearly, this isn't a fleeting trend. 'As these events continue to expand in scale and sophistication, we're likely to see increasing brand involvement over time,' Sinha said, adding, while digital reach and interactivity continue to grow, there will always be a need for physical on-ground presence to establish a more direct and intimate connection with consumers.