This year, we anticipate a 15% increase in Onam ad spending: Chandy Varghese

Brands are increasing their promotional efforts as Kerala prepares for the state's largest cultural and commercial holiday, Onam, starting today, in an effort to evoke a sense of joy among consumers. Print still has a dominant place in the media mix for advertising relating to Onam, even with the rise of digital and over-the-top platforms.Varghese Chandy, Vice President – Marketing and Advertising Sales at Malayala Manorama, discusses changing advertiser trends, consumer confidence, and why newspapers are still the preferred medium for national brands and retailers during the Onam season in an exclusive interview with Adgully.What is the general attitude of consumers this year before Onam? In comparison to other years, are you observing a shift in customer confidence or spending patterns? This year, consumers are feeling quite well. As the largest holiday in Kerala, Onam is a perfect example of the trend we have been witnessing since COVID: people are enjoying every occasion more and more.What is the anticipated increase in total brand advertising expenditure for this year's Onam festival, based on your observations? This year, we anticipate growth of at least 15%.During this Onam season, which particular industries are becoming the largest advertisers, and are there any new or surprising categories seeing an increase in spending? Every demographic is active during Onam since it is such a large celebration that touches all types of individuals. The largest category is retailers, with home appliances at the top, followed by textiles and jewelry. To help them, the brands also run their own campaigns.

The largest brand category is automobiles.How is Malayala Manorama, a prominent daily, positioned to continue being a vital component of marketers' Onam plans in a market where OTT and digital are expanding quickly? We acknowledge the growth of OTT and digital. Newspapers continue to be the primary source of information for those with purchasing power, however. Additionally, only large format advertisements, such as those found in newspapers, can effectively convey offers. For this reason, many ROI-only businesses continue to concentrate mostly on newspapers. Credibility is another crucial element that newspapers have, which draws marketing campaigns to them as well.This year, are more integrated or immersive ads replacing classic ad formats? Could you provide an instance of a brand using Malayala Manorama in a creative manner? Malayala Manorama is a newspaper that prioritizes its readers. Therefore, there are many prohibitions on ads that mislead or annoy readers. Because our readers are our strongest pillars, we are extremely cautious when implementing any kind of innovation and do not want to deceive them. However, one trend we've noticed is that marketers are switching to large format ads, which are unique to newspapers and truly reflect their size.