Jas Business Blog

If you are an Indian who has an access to TV then there is no doubt you would have gone through the ad-space bombardment by “Bingo” snacks. After venturing into biscuits and Pasta food segment, Bingo is the third attempt by ITC to enter into the Rs 20 billion fast-moving branded snack market. The market has been growing at an impressive 30% rate and has already made Pepsi gain its double figure growth rates in last two years. Kurkure, the only second Indian brand where an MNC developed a product for Indian market and then took it abroad based on its huge success, has already shown the preference of Indian taste. Not to be shunned by market, ITC has poured in months of research of consumer behavior and consumption habits insights. Its team of people, according to the strategist (the Strategy supplement of Economic Times), had visited all over India to come up with these research results.

The adverts, done by O&M, are being perceived by many as irritatingly boring. Some feel that these are worst TVCs done by ITC as there is no entertainment factor. Irritating – Yes, but these adverts arent that boring. The idea of any advert is not to be entertaining, it may become one as a consequence, but the aim is to get the person buy the product. Now with heavy bombardment of these ads ITC has made sure everyone knows about the brand Bingo, and that too not as just another local snack maker’s but from some respectable name. The quality of ad execution does make an imprint. One may not like the ads but when one goes to marketplace, then a string of Bingo’s is sure to catch attention. Then one can remember the Mad Angles from the TVC and connect to present visual. And then is when this TVC does a goal.

Ready to eat food segment is an impulse buy segment, so top of the mind recall is very necessary. And with such advertising, it surely will get more first time testers. At second step comes the consuming experience, if the snacks are able to hold back the consumer for a next consumption, the cycle gets complete. Now how will consumers respond to the taste is yet to be seen. So lets see if Bingo will go the Sunfeast biscuits way up or the Pasta way down.