Western trends highly influence the ‘open to experimenting’ GenZ and millennials in the country today, whether it comes to pop culture, fashion or food choices. Tapping into this insight and keeping in line with the proposition of ‘Exciting Goodness’, Britannia Industries has entered the western snacking category with the launch of Treat Croissant.

The brand has also launched a TVC featuring Prabhu Deva titled ‘Don’t Dare Compare’ that highlights the snacking experience that the product delivers. According to Badri Beriwal, Chief Business Officer - New Categories, Britannia Industries Limited, the brand believes that the propensity to try new offerings in this space is ripe and should be catered to since the younger Indian consumers have been exposed to a wide range of Western flavours and formats, either in physical form or at least in concept.

Sharing the insight behind choosing to go ahead with croissants, he adds: “A culmination of synergies has brought Treat Croissant to life. Croissant is a hugely popular bakery snack in the Western world. Britannia has a proven stronghold in the bakery segment. Moreover, our joint venture with Chipita Foods, a global leader in packaged croissants, gives us access to the art of producing the best croissants in the world. Hence, it served as the perfect choice to foray into the Western Bakery space.”

However, more often than not brands have had to innovate in a certain way to ‘Indianise’ a global product in order to make it suitable for the Indian taste palette and market. Says Beriwal, “Britannia has always been about understanding the finer nuances of what consumers want. For example, the cocoa in our cocoa croissant is very different from what is prevalent in other parts of the world and incorporates regional palate preferences. Similarly, The Mixed Fruit Croissant is based on the bread-butter-jam experience reminiscent of childhood for so many of us.”

TG, Marketing & Expansion Roadmap

While as a brand, Britannia has products that cater to a large set of customers, the new Treat Croissant aims to target the youth – the GenZ and the millennials – a TG that is up for newer experiences. From a pricing standpoint, the Britannia Treat Croissant is available in 3 different flavours - Cocoa, Vanilla & Mixed fruit at an attractive price point of Rs 20. In terms of geographical distribution, the brand is not restricting or focusing on a particular geography or pop strata. Considering it’s a new product and regional or demographic skews, if any, are yet to be seen.

Commenting on the insights behind the TVC with Prabhu Deva, Beriwal shares “Croissant is a very intricate product perfected by generations of expert bakers and hence the phrase, ‘Don’t Dare Compare’. We wanted to establish this elevated snacking experience, and build a strong connection with the youth. Prabhu Deva seamlessly fits into the idea since he epitomizes excellence in his field, just like Croissant does in the world of bakery.”

Since the TG is GenZ and Millennials are often referred to as ‘digital natives’, Britannia is looking at a digital-first approach. While conventional media will be present to maximize reach, the brand will increasingly look at platforms where the young consumer is mostly consuming content that can be beyond a screen as well.

“We also intend to leverage social to deliver and amplify bite-sized, snackable content, aimed at initiating and sustaining the conversation around Croissant in India,” Beriwal added.

Britannia has just forayed into this category, but are they looking to expand to more such snacks from the western world to make them accessible to the Indian consumer? Answering the same, Beriwal shares, “Britannia as a brand has always delighted consumers with new offerings, and we strive to keep up with the evolving preferences of each generation. Western snacking is a really exciting space with a lot of room for innovation. Consumers are being introduced to newer products and newer formats more than ever. We need to carefully assess what sticks with the Indian consumer and design our offerings accordingly.”

Read more at: https://www.exchange4media.com/marketing-news/britannia-strives-to-keep-up-with-evolving-preferences-of-each-generation-123191.html