| | JULY 202219than 40 percent of women make a conscious change to a healthier regimen when they are pregnant.Simply put, parents today want to be able to give their child the best ­ and `best' begins right from when the children are babies. While Indian parents broadly prefer tried and tested routes, sticking to brands or regimens from their comfort zone, more parents are willing to spend time in identifying products that are considered natural and safe. For new brands or market entrants, this has strong implications for brand communication. One factor is the rising importance of social media and the role of influencers in marketing strategies. Consumers flock to various social media platforms to discover new brands and products. According to a Deloitte report, social media influences 56 per cent of consumers buying baby products, while 62 percent of modern mothers say they use Instagram to learn about new products and services for their babies, according to Pew Research. Another factor is that traditionally, women have driven retail economics, and shopping for baby products is even today largely controlled by them. Millennial mothers, especially, are looking for products that they can trust ­ products that are safe, gentle on their babies' skin, free of animal testing, and free from unnecessary chemicals. They are avid social media users and are more likely to purchase products based on peer reviews and feedback from contemporary moms on social media. This implies `safe' and `trustworthy' need to be the fulcrum of social media branding that addresses parents and specifically mothers.Post pandemic, India has also seen the rise of digital retail. Online shopping had already been growing rapidly over the last decade, but the ongoing pandemic has seen an aggressive fuelling of digitisation of commerce. With a large percentage of consumers online, companies need to make a rapid shift to meet their information needs, especially as relating to brand expectations.The trends indicate that the rapidly changing nature of consumer expectations in India is an opportunity for skincare brands to build deeper relationships with parents who are looking at trust and safety as fundamental brand attributes.
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