10 Most Popular Festivals of India For Indian Brands to Market a Product

A country with a diverse mix of peoples, there is no dearth of festivals in India. Home to Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains, India celebrates some festival or the other throughout the year. The festive season is something that everyone looks forward to. Not only people but also big brands! The festive season is also a season for shopping, be it for clothes, household appliances, furniture, vehicles, jewelry, holiday travel, and much more. Hence this is the time for marketers to announce festive offers, discounts, special sales, and so on, to entice the customers to shops and loosen their purse strings. In the process, the Indian economy also gets a much-needed boost.

Let’s see which are the 10 most popular festivals for marketing Indian brands.

1. Ganesh Chaturthi

The 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival celebrates the birth of the popular Hindu deity, Ganesha. Ganesh Chaturthi is an occasion for buying new clothes, and as Ganesha is the deity of new beginnings, people also buy things like consumer durables, cars, etc., during the auspicious occasion. So many big brands advertise special offers and discounts during this time

2. Navaratri/Dussehra

Navaratri festival is a 9-day festival celebrating the various incarnations of the Mother goddess, Durga. The tenth day, Dussehra celebrates the defeat of Ravana, a demon king, by Sri Rama, as well as Durga's triumph over Mahishasura, the evil buffalo demon. It’s called Durga Pooja in eastern India. People buy new clothes and other household necessities during this time. There will be a flurry of attractive offers from major brands during this time.

3. Holi

Holi is a very colorful festival that celebrates the end of winter and the onset of spring. Also called the 'Festival of Colors', people throw colored powder on each other and squirt water using water guns, mimicking Krishna’s antics with the gopikas in Vrindavan.

4.Diwali

Diwali celebrates the homecoming of Sri Rama after slaying Ravana and rescuing his wife, Sita. People light diyas and burst crackers on this occasion. The festival also honors Goddess Lakshmi, who is the symbol of wealth and prosperity. Known as the 'festival of lights,' Diwali is an occasion for frenzied shopping. New clothes and jewelry are usually bought at this time. People also give gifts and sweets to friends and relatives. It is also a time to buy household appliances, mobile phones, vehicles, cars, and even land or houses, as it is a very auspicious period.

5. Onam

Onam is the most prominent festival in Kerala. A harvest festival, it celebrates the homecoming of the mythical king, Mahabali. The traditional and folk arts of Kerala are on full display during this 10-day period. People celebrate Onam by wearing new clothes, creating floral carpets, partaking of feasts served on banana leaves, sports, games, boat races, etc.

6. Akshaya Trithiya

Akshaya Trithiya is one of the most auspicious days in the year. It is the birthday of Parashuram, the 6th incarnation of Vishnu. People buy jewelry, vehicles, and property on this day, as it is believed that it will keep multiplying through the rest of the year. So brands associated with such products make a killing on this day.

7. Christmas

There is a huge Christian population in India for whom Christmas is the biggest festival of the year. The festival celebrates the birth of the Christian messiah, Jesus Christ. Christmas is the season for gifts, and hence many brands go on an aggressive marketing spree in the days that precede Christmas. People also buy new clothes on the occasion.

8. Pongal

Pongal is the harvest festival in Tamil Nadu. It is a joyous occasion marked by four days of celebration. People tend to buy new clothes and consumer durables during this time, as it is a time to dispose of the old and acquire new things.

9. Ramzan

India is home to many Muslims, for whom Ramzan Id-ul-Fitr is a big festival that marks the end of the month of Ramzan. Ramzan commemorates the first revelation of Prophet Muhammad. New clothes are bought during this time, and people give to charity.

10. Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bond between sisters and brothers. Women tie rakhis on their brothers’ wrists, and the brothers reciprocate by giving them gifts. The festival presents a good opportunity for many brands in the household goods, mobile phones, jewelry, clothes, and other sectors, which can be seen advertising heavily and coming out with attractive offers in the days ahead of the festival.

Brands that are able to build an emotional connect with the customer are the ones that conquer the market. And festivals, with their religious, cultural, and social meanings, offer a powerful platform to establish this connect with a huge mass of people, cutting across caste, class, regional and linguistic divides. Hence, marketing firms have always realized the importance of an advertising strategy that promotes attractive offers and discounts during the festive season.