Ferrero India, part of the global Ferrero Group, has announced the launch of Ferrero Rocher Bars, marking the brand’s entry into India’s premium bar segment.

As part of the new launch, the brand will also be rolling out a campaign featuring its brand ambassador, actor Hrithik Roshan.

We caught up with Zoher Kapuswala, head - marketing, Ferrero India Subcontinent, to know more about the launch, Ferrero Rocher’s marketing strategy in the country, and more.

Edited excerpts:

What was the strategic rationale behind taking Ferrero Rocher in this new direction now? What consumer or market insight led the company to explore this new format and at this time?

The first thing we need to establish is scope, and within that scope, there are multiple need states for chocolates. These include gifting, snacking, self-consumption, and indulgence. Within the gifting segment, there are again three distinct sub-segments: gifting for special occasions, gifting throughout the year, and gifting for people you love, which has a more romantic or relationship-led context.

Over a period of time, what we have done is establish Ferrero Rocher primarily for formal gifting occasions. This spans major national festivals, but we have also expanded into regional and micro-festivals. 'Ferrero Rocher Moments' is now being positioned and targeted towards all-year-round gifting occasions, while Raffaello is being targeted more towards romance and romantic gifting occasions.

In terms of gifting, we have largely addressed the key need states and opportunities available to us today. The next opportunity was to explore another need state, which is sharing and self-indulgence. This is where Ferrero Rocher Bar fits in.

From a marketing perspective, there is another factor that makes this opportunity particularly relevant: the overall premiumisation of the market. The category is premiumising rapidly. We are seeing several boutique players and global brands entering the category. At the same time, consumers are increasingly seeking more experience-led initiatives and experiences. This is not limited to the chocolate or confectionery category. It is a broader consumer trend across India that consumers are increasingly looking for experiences.

Ferrero Rocher Bar is particularly well positioned within this space because of the craftsmanship and experience associated with the product. Beyond the product itself, there is also the heritage and craftsmanship associated with the Ferrero Rocher brand. The iconic golden identity further adds to the sense of premiumisation and creates a distinctive experience for the consumer. And that is the space we are looking to explore with this particular proposition.

How has the definition of ‘premium’ chocolate evolved among Indian consumers, and what does that mean for Ferrero Rocher’s proposition?

There is a lot of action happening in the segment today. Players who were traditionally operating at the INR 20 - INR 40 price points are now launching variants at INR 150. Similarly, brands that were previously selling products at INR 150-INR 180 are now launching products in the INR 350-INR 375 range.

This is a clear indication of the scale-up that is happening within the premiumisation space. Brands are launching more premium offerings, and importantly, consumers are willing to buy them because they are looking for premium, multi-sensorial experiences. That is essentially the larger ask from the market today. We are offering consumers a multi-sensorial experience, which allows the product to play a meaningful role within this emerging premium sub-segment.

Is the premium segment very large today? Perhaps not. But it is a segment that is gradually growing. Ferrero Rocher Bar therefore wants to be part of this action, and we want to grow in the premium category.

What are the key metrics you will use to determine whether this new direction has been successful?

We already have an established consumer base of people who buy and gift Ferrero Rocher. The first objective, therefore, is to penetrate this existing consumer base and drive trial for Ferrero Rocher Bar. The idea is to tell consumers that you were already gifting Ferrero Rocher to your loved ones; now love yourself and try Ferrero Rocher bars. This is our first objective.

This is exactly what the communication is built around. The core thought is: ‘Your favourite Ferrero Rocher is now in a bar’. First, we are trying to create penetration. Once we build penetration and get consumers to adopt the product, the next opportunity will be to build frequency over time, based on the data and consumption behaviour we see.

You are also launching a TVC featuring Hrithik Roshan to announce the launch of this bar. How are you going to amplify the campaign across different touchpoints?

We are going to have a 360-degree digital approach. We will have a strong presence across digital platforms, along with Connected TV and outdoor media. We will also leverage e-commerce as an important channel. If we enter modern trade, we will support the launch with relevant POSM. We will be creating saliency for the brand along with that. So, demand generation and harnessing the demand will both be done via equity media and retail media.

How do you balance maintaining the brand’s global identity and equity with adapting to the evolving preferences, occasions and consumption habits of Indian consumers?

One has to make the brand fit in the local cultural nuances. If you are going to be only talking in a way which is not connected with the local cultural nuances, then you are alienating the product. One might talk about Diwali, but if they do not show the real Diwali - the real rangoli, the decoration, the entire thought process of elements leading to Diwali- it won’t connect with the audience.

If one doesn't dial in cultural nuances, it will not resonate with the audience. To resonate with the audience, take the global ethos and add it to the local cultural context. For us, the ethos is premiumisation, gold, formal, and the family coming together. We take all of it and dial it into a local context.

Are you seeing differences in how consumers in smaller towns are engaging with premium brands now?

What is happening with consumers today, particularly the new generation or the connected generation, is that while they may be socially disconnected in terms of physical interactions, they are more socially connected digitally. They are more connected to people, cultures, and trends beyond their immediate physical environment. As a result, the differences between consumers across tier-1, tier-2, and metros are becoming less pronounced.

And that is why they say that consumers are becoming more like global Indians. They are increasingly getting closer to their global counterparts in terms of how they think, behave, and consume.

For example, matcha as a coffee or beverage flavour is now becoming popular, and things like pumpkin iced tea are also finding their way into the Indian market. Why? Because global influences and nuances are increasingly coming into India through digital exposure and changing consumer behaviour.

Going forward, we will see both global and regional nuances coexisting within the same consumer. We will therefore look at both these elements - the global and the regional - and build on them to create greater resonance and relevance for the brand.

How has this changed your marketing strategy at Ferrero Rocher?

The only thing we are trying to achieve is more focus, growth, and activating the brand even more. So, earlier, if we were activating the brand through a 360-degree approach that was primarily metro-focused, now that 360-degree approach is moving from a metro focus to a tier-1 or tier-2 focus.

What role will modern trade, e-commerce and quick commerce play in scaling the new product, particularly as premium chocolate becomes more accessible?

As we go forward, e-commerce and modern trade are going to play a very big role in the entire thing because they are built for premium products. There is always an electronic payment option available, things are convenient, and products get delivered. So, this is something which we think will play an important role.

Also, there is a segment within the traditional trade fraternity - not the entire traditional trade, but the top 40,000–50,000 stores - which represents premium traditional trade. These are the mithai stores, food stores, gourmet stores, and other premium outlets that exist even within traditional trade. These traditional trade outlets will also be a part of the premiumisation journey that Ferrero plans to drive with all the innovations in the core product.

How do you approach marketing differently across Ferrero’s brands, given that each has a very different consumer, occasion and proposition?

Every brand has a separate need and a separate mode of activation. Each has a very different and distinct consumer demographic and psychographic. For every brand, we look at it through the lens of a day in the life of the consumer. What does the consumer do? What does he watch? What are his needs? What are the right moments and occasions to activate the brand?

Based on that, we create an activation plan. So, for a brand like Tic Tac, or Ferrero Rocher, or Raffaello, each has a very different activation plan and strategy, per se.

So, we try to build on that particular part. We spend a lot of time on this to ensure that we get the right understanding of the consumer and are able to create the right connect with the audience.