In a rapidly changing food industry, heritage brands often grapple with staying relevant to modern consumers while preserving their rich legacy. MTR Foods with its century-long journey aims to exemplify how a brand can honour its roots while embracing innovation to meet contemporary needs.
"First of all, we don't call ourselves 100 years old. We call ourselves 100 years young," says Prerna Tiku, Chief Marketing Officer, MTR Foods , highlighting the brand's youthful spirit despite its long history. According to her, MTR has always been proud of its roots. "We draw our strength from our authenticity and ability to understand Indian food recipes. So that's always stayed; that's been a pillar that we've built the brand on," Tiku explains. She adds that over the decades, this foundation has only strengthened, allowing MTR to remain a trusted name in Indian households.
But authenticity doesn't mean resisting change and hence Tiku emphasises that "One of the other pillars that we very strongly, we always endorse and we believe in, is innovation. "If you see, MTR has brought in many iconic products like the Rava Idli mix - we invented the Rava Idli mix, the three-minute breakfast range. Now, very recently, we launched this range of sweets. So innovation always has been at the center of who we are."
While the love for Indian food remains constant, consumer lifestyles have evolved. The brand caters to evolving consumer needs by continuously introducing convenient and modern formats. "Whether it comes to the different formats that we have brought in to make life simpler, easier for consumers, so convenience is a big way in which we have stayed relevant to different segments of consumers and different periods as well," she notes. She further reflects how a few decades ago, all masalas were made at home. “Women used to make it and have a secret recipe. Now, slowly, the role of the mother and the woman has also evolved. Over time, for her it was no more just about being in the kitchen, and she had to do a lot more outside of the kitchen.”, Tiku reflects. Recognizing these shifts, MTR evolved to support these changing roles. "We tried to make life simpler for her so that it enables her to do a lot more than she did," Tiku says. This led to the introduction of products that offer convenience without compromising on taste.
To connect with younger consumers, MTR launched the Minute Range. "We launched a sub-brand for Minute Range, which was basically targeted at the Gen Z, millennial segments of consumers," Tiku explains. "Because traditionally, our reach has been to the families, but we realize that when it comes to Indian food, everybody loves it, even the younger consumer. They'd rather skip breakfast than actually eat breakfast that they don't like."
Understanding that "there's no compromise to taste, really" MTR has focused on bringing products that resonate with the younger demographic's preferences. "That's how we have stayed relevant, that we've basically brought in formats, we've brought in products which have enabled us to add meaning to consumers' lives as the brand has also evolved itself," Tiku summarises.
Communicating Tradition in Modern Ways
MTR's marketing strategies align closely with its core values of authenticity and innovation. Recently, the brand organized the Karunadu Swada - a Karnataka Food Festival. "The whole aspect of this comes from being rooted and being proud of our roots. When it comes to Karnataka, our home state, we wanted to showcase our understanding and knowledge of the cuisine and food of Karnataka,” shares Tiku. Instead of presenting the food themselves, MTR involved local talent. "We decided that we call home cooks from across the state of Karnataka, and they partnered with our Cuisine Center of Excellence. So that we bring out recipes which are over time forgotten, and they're basically slowly sort of fading away because there is no time and skill”, she further explained.
This initiative not only revived traditional recipes but also strengthened the brand's connection with consumers. "The principle behind our communication comes from what is it that we want to stand for, and for us that is essentially around being an authentic Indian food brand, but also standing for being able to make Indian food accessible to consumers in different forms," Tiku states.
MTR recognizes the diversity of its consumer base, spanning urban metros to rural areas. "We reach the India and the Bharat both," Tiku says. In rural segments, the focus is on quality and addressing issues like adulteration in loose spices and the brand spreads awareness around that. She further adds Our marketing strategy is centred around reaching the right consumer at the right place and time. We have multiple consumer segments that we cater to, and we ensure that our messaging resonates with each one of them, whether it’s through traditional media or digital channels”. For the younger, metro consumers, digital media is key. The brand leverages digital to engage with consumers in a one-on-one manner. Innovative campaigns like AI-customised travel ads and PIN code-wise targeting help MTR connect with consumers in a personalised way as well. Further, collaborations with micro-influencers also play a role. "Food is very local and hence we use micro-influencers because they understand the food choices of the consumer segments better”, Tiku acknowledges.
Towards a Balanced Future
While sustainability is a hot buzzword for brands today, MTR approaches it as a fundamental principle instead. "We look at it as a way of working," Tiku asserts. "You won't see us promoting it a lot as an advertising measure, because it's not really something that we believe only is an advertising medium, but really truly reflects in our way of working." MTR is making progress toward environmental responsibility. "We have invested in our Karnataka factories. We are working towards being run on 100% renewable energy. We are really very close to that milestone now. We are also working towards water neutrality in our plants as well”, she reveals.
As MTR continues its journey, the brand remains committed to balancing tradition with innovation. "It's always then a journey upwards because as a brand we're constantly evolving to meet the changing needs," Tiku reflects. "We truly believe that competition is actually a great thing for a category. It allows more adoption; it allows more action in the category, and it pushes us to keep doing more."
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