In the dynamic digital landscape, information is abundant and attention spans are fleeting. Businesses and brands are in a constant race to stand out and engage with their target audiences. Here is where the concept of content strategy emerges as a guiding light, illuminating the path towards online success.
The content strategy goes beyond merely producing content for the sake of having material online. It's a methodical process that accounts for various factors to ensure that the content produced serves a purpose, resonates with the intended audience, and contributes to the overall success of a business or a brand.
The Art & Science of Content Strategy
At its core, content strategy is a harmonious blend of art and science. The "art" lies in crafting content that resonates emotionally with the audience, evoking empathy and building a lasting connection. It involves storytelling, visual appeal, tone, and cultural relevance. It's about sparking curiosity and delivering authentic experiences that captivate and connect. The "art" gives content its personality and impact, setting it apart from the rest.
The "science" involves analysing data, understanding audience behaviours, and employing various techniques to optimise content for maximum impact. It's about setting clear goals, creating a consistent schedule, and measuring performance metrics. This scientific approach ensures that content is strategically aligned, effective, and adaptable for maximum impact and engagement.
Understanding the Indian Context
Indian brands, like global brands, define content strategy as a comprehensive plan that outlines the steps for achieving online success. However, there are certain nuances and considerations that Indian brands often take into account when defining their content strategy. They weave cultural sensitivity, regional languages, and social context into their content to create a meaningful connection with their audiences.
Let's explore how Indian brands define content strategy:
Cultural Relevance
Indian brands understand the importance of cultural sensitivity and relevance. They often tailor their content to resonate with the diverse cultural backgrounds, languages, and traditions within India. This may involve incorporating regional festivals, holidays, and references that connect with different audience segments.
Case in Point
TATA Tea Premium celebrated Indian Independence Day in 2021 by launching #DeshKaKulhad collection in partnership with Rare Planet–a startup that promotes the work of local Indian artisans.
The #Deshkakulhad collection comprised 26 distinct kulhad (earthen cup) designs, each kulhad representing different regions of India.
Themed around popular motifs and landmarks from different regions, each kulhad celebrated a specific art form of each region. These special hand-painted kulhads showcased India’s diverse culture and rich heritage.
Multilingual Approach
Indian brands often incorporate a multilingual content strategy to ensure that their messaging reaches a broader audience. This could mean creating content in regional languages to engage with audiences in various states.
Case in Point
Honda customised its campaign content in regional languages to appeal to audiences in different states. The campaign celebrated the joy of riders of Honda two-wheelers in India.
Visual Storytelling
Given the prevalence of video consumption and the popularity of platforms like YouTube and Instagram, brands create compelling video content that tells stories, showcases products, and connects emotionally with viewers.
Case in Point
The Better India has thousands of hours of inspiring and informative videos on their YouTube channel. You can watch them here.
Social Media Savvy
Indians are one of the most social media-savvy people on the planet. Brands define content strategies that align with the preferences of different social media platforms. They adopt different content styles–ranging from fun to professional.
Case in Point
Fevicol uses different content, tone, and appeal for Instagram and LinkedIn.
LinkedIn:
Instagram:
Blend of Tradition and Modernity
Indian brands often balance traditional values with modern trends in their content. They might showcase age-old traditions and values while presenting them in a contemporary and relatable manner to resonate with a wide range of audiences.
Case in Point
BIBA is an Indian ethnic wear brand with modern designs. The brand communicates the contemporary style with traditional elegance.
Educational Content
Indians highly value content that educates and informs. Brands may focus on creating content that provides practical tips, how-to guides, and informational resources, positioning themselves as knowledgeable and credible brands.
Case in Point
Vedix, an Indian beauty brand, provides a lot of informative content on its website on hair care, skincare, and more.
Cause-Related Content
Indian consumers respond positively to brands that are socially responsible and contribute to causes. Indian brands may integrate cause-related content into their strategy, highlighting their efforts to give back to society or address social issues.
Case in Point
The Khadi campaign, an initiative by Raymond, aimed to build awareness and promote the national fabric, khadi. Interesting facts about the fabric weave with the caption ‘The Story Re-Spun’ were shared with the readers.
Festival and Seasonal Campaigns
Festivals play a significant role in Indian culture, and brands don’t miss an opportunity to leverage them. They often create special campaigns aligned with these occasions through festive-themed content.
Case in Point
Cadbury does a fantastic job of making an emotional connection during the festival season.
To conclude….
In the digital realm, where every click and scroll counts, a well-crafted content strategy is the cornerstone of success. It's the art of creating meaningful connections through words, images, and videos, and the science of understanding audience behaviour to deliver content that truly resonates. As technology and trends evolve, the essence of content strategy remains constant - to captivate, educate, and engage. Embracing the power of content strategy is not just a choice; it's an imperative for those who aim to thrive in the online ecosystem.
Indian brands have mastered blending global best practices with finer cultural aspects to keep themselves relevant and focussed. The strategy for each brand will be a culmination of all of the eight points discussed above. India is a multi-faceted market and to succeed in this market brands have to touch all corners of audience expectations.