Gaurav Kumar Kwatra, Director- Purina Petcare India from Nestlé shares insights on the brand’s journey in India, marketing strategies, future of the segment and more
With the pandemic confining people to homes, 2020 witnessed an increase in pet ownership in India. People are now spending a lot more time with their pets and taking care of them. Pet food and care is a growing market in India with multiple established players launching new products dedicated to pets. According to Gaurav Kumar Kwatra, Director- Purina Petcare India, a brand from the house of Nestlé, the frequent lockdowns and the work-from-home situation has ensured more quality time is spent between pets and their pet parents. Talking about the consumer sentiment among pet parents in India, he shares “We strongly feel that the pandemic has resulted in better understanding and an elevated level of awareness amongst pet parents about their pets, leading to better choices, specifically regarding their nutrition.”
Journey So Far
Nestlé entered the petcare segment in India with the launch of Purina Petcare in early 2018 with the dog food sub-brand, Supercoat. Sharing the three-year journey in India, Kwatra elaborates “Since launch, we have enjoyed a great response to our brands from pet parents and veterinarians. At Purina, we have always been committed to helping pets live longer, happier and healthier lives through proper nutrition and care. Through strategic product launches, distribution scale-up, and robust pan-India sampling, we have managed to make a mark in the pet-care industry. Pet parents have appreciated the quality of our products, the palatability and the complete and balanced nutrition backed by more than 100 years of Nestlé Purina’s expertise in pet nutrition.”
It is also interesting to note that the brand’s numbers justify its outlook. In H1 of 2021, Purina Petcare India managed to clock a growth of 86%. Additionally, Purina Supercoat has also been recognized as ‘Product Of The Year’ in the dog food category in a NielsenIQ survey. According to Kwatra, the category is still at an early stage of development with huge potential in the country. He further adds “With increased awareness about pet nutrition among Indian pet-parents, there is greater headroom for growth for pet food manufacturers.”
Marketing Through Competition
Purina’s journey in India has also witnessed two waves of the deadly pandemic. It is only obvious that the brand’s marketing strategy has evolved to keep pace with the changing dynamics of consumer behaviour. Kwatra shares “The focus before 2020 was to educate pet owners on the benefits of the right nutrition through advocacy and on-ground activations. Since the past year, we have undertaken a digital-first strategy to ensure reaching out to the consumers continuously.” Recently, in order to assist pet parents to unleash the true potential of their dogs, the brand also launched their first India-specific TVC campaign for Purina Supercoat. According to Kwatra, the television commercial focused on the power of good nutrition and how it shows on dogs in their active lifestyle, healthy and shiny coat and stronger muscles.”
As mentioned earlier, there are other established players in the segment that enjoy a significant market share. Commenting on competition, Kwatra adds “We are guided by our nutrition philosophy. We know the quality of nutrition and palatability of our products. We want pet parents to witness the manifestation of this nutrition in the visible health of their pets. Sampling, therefore, becomes a key vector of our marketing plans. The digital ecosystem on pet nutrition is still nascent but evolving fast. With our marketing plans, we are building an ecosystem to enable pet parents in their journey to give the best care to their pets.”
Future of The Segment
With more people choosing to become pet owners, more brands are entering the segment and existing brands are expanding their product portfolios to cater to this demand. Commenting on the growth of the segment he says, “Continuing this growth trend, the Indian pet industry is expected to continue to register strong growth in the coming years. With that, expenditure and awareness across various spheres of pet lifestyle such as grooming, health & well-being and indulgence are also expected to increase.”
Additionally, he shares the trends pet care can witness in future, “In addition to routine vet visits to ensure the best health of their pets, a rise in the pet salon culture – especially those who provide at-home grooming services for pets, would also be a trend to watch out for in the coming years.”
