Evolving Consumer Trends That Could Change India In 2016

2- Digital launch over Mass Media Launch

It is almost a common practice nowadays for a product to launch digitally first, over mass media. This practice will keep on increasing further. Video as a medium will first go digitally on stations like Youtube before it shows up on Television. This, thus implies shoppers, who are consumers of digital media, will be the first to see showcasing and promoting events for a brand launch. Marketing will no more look as digital consumers as a niche market yet as imperative modes of word of mouth communication and as influencers for the masses.

For example, choosing the right influencers on YouTube which is the world's second largest search engine, will give your brand a huge advantage for its promotion.

3- New boost to advocate marketing

Transforming loyal clients into a referral machine might be the most obvious opportunity with regards to building a customer base. Before meeting the salesperson, shoppers will search for solid referrals from existing clients. Each time a user posts a review of a product, he/she is contacted by potential buyers asking for positive and negative reviews of the product.

4- Online shift of marketing research from the traditional method of research

Software will turn into the new differentiator between companies instead of individuals, techniques or discovery models. Despite the fact that market research has officially moved online, the specific research firms will be more sought after in 2016 than ever. Online research will take care of the marketers limited time, budgets and quick results. To a great extent, because research  firms are investing in software to interpret data inventively, than the traditional think-tanks, their research will turn out to be more quick than the conventional think-tank who has its feet somewhere down in traditional research.

5- Change in the strategy of Unicorns in India

There are unicorn startups that are doing really well and have increasing valuations. They have been spending VC funding lavishly but have to realise that discounting won't work for too long. This bubble will soon burst. They need to shift their focus on brand building rather than giving deep discounts. Price cutting is not a differentiator and will not help them in the long run.