Consumer Behaviour

How can RTE foods be marketed better in India?

Consumers are irrational in their choices. They do not always make choices based on utilitarian attributes. The strength of hedonic attributes can be vividly seen as in the cases of successful brands like SWATCH and Maggi.

SWATCH sold itself on the hedonic attributes like “product design and style experience”. Maggi claims to be cooked in 2 minutes, but takes approximately 5-10 minutes to be cooked and still consumers accept it as it has positioned itself as a food that can immediately quench hunger – a marketing strategy that helps Maggi to connect with mothers and children, for whom food is very important and so quick delivery becomes essential. This happens because consumers are irrational in their choices. These examples thus bring forward to us the potential scope of influencing consumer choice.

Food processing sector, particularly the Ready to Cook (RTC) and the Ready to Eat (RTE) food segment is one the fastest growing sectors in the Indian economy. The results come as a positive response for the FMCG sector which has seen a significant rise in the percentage of urban population. The trend between urban growth and eating patterns becomes evident. Globalization has had a strong influence in establishing continual growth in the nuclear family structure. These changes become important as they are not just an indication of a change in social structure, they act as key inputs to influencing consumer choice. Consumer behavior is influenced by cultural factors, social factors, personal factors and psychological factors. People who differ in these factors tend to have a difference in the choices and consumption patterns. For example, a college student or a working professional in an urban area will have a greater proclivity towards products that deliver similar results in lesser times when compared to a farmer working in a rural area. RTE data indicates strong potential in the consumption patterns and therefore an...