The great Indian summer marketing metamorphosis
The Indian summer. A season synonymous with scorching heat, languid afternoons, and an insatiable craving for respite. But for marketers, it's a different kind of heat—a period brimming with opportunities to connect with consumers whose needs and desires shift as dramatically as the mercury rises. For decades, summer marketing in India was a predictable affair, a well-trodden path of icy beverages, breezy fabrics, and promises of cool comfort. In summer 2025, the landscape has undergone a shift, propelled by consumer behaviours, technological leaps, and a growing appetite for experiences that transcend mere product utility.
"For Voltas, summer is a pivotal season especially for an AC Company like ours, driving the highest demand for our air conditioning and cooling products," states Pragya Bijalwann, Head of Marketing at Voltas Limited, echoing the sentiment of many brands for whom these sweltering months are nothing short of a marketing marathon. "Historically, this period has contributed significantly to our annual sales, with the summer months accounting for a substantial portion in our marketing calendar. Over time, the importance of summer has intensified with the nature of consumer engagement evolving." This evolution, as Bijalwann points out, has moved beyond simple product-centric messaging towards emotionally resonant narratives focusing on "smart living, convenience and personalised comfort," with a significant pivot towards "digital discovery as consumer journeys shift from showroom-first to digital-first."
Similarly, for Polycab India, summer is a period of peak engagement and demand. Shwetal Basu, Sr. Vice President, Brand and Marketing Communication at Polycab India, highlights the critical nature of the season, especially with an "early and intense summer " driving demand. "Rising temperatures and an early onset of the season this year have created a demand for cooling solutions that deliver both comfort and efficiency." She notes that as summer remains the "peak season for fan purchases, ensuring brand visibility is more important than ever."
Nagessh Pannaswami, Founder of Curry Nation, captures this transformation, noting, "Over the past decade, summer marketing in India has evolved beyond traditional campaigns based on relief from the heat to more innovative and personalised experiences. With the changing expectations of the Indian consumer, brands are now leveraging technology, sustainability, and unique storytelling to craft memorable summer campaigns." The predictable tropes of yesteryear—the sweating cartoon character yearning for a cold drink, the family frolicking on a beach—are making way for nuanced narratives that tap into deeper consumer aspirations and values.
Revamping the summer marketing playbook
The journey of summer marketing in India over the last decade reads like a plot twist in a familiar story. A decade ago, the narrative was largely dictated by the tyranny of the sun. Brands peddled relief—a temporary truce with the oppressive heat. Television commercials showcased glistening glasses of sugary drinks, promising instant refreshment. Print ads featured families escaping to hill stations, painting idyllic pictures of summer vacations. The messaging was broad, almost generic, casting a wide net over a largely homogenous consumer base.
However, the digital revolution acted as a catalyst, injecting a potent dose of personalisation and interactivity into the marketing mix.
"Summer marketing in India has transformed drastically in the last decade," observes Pannaswami. "A decade ago, traditional TV commercials and print advertisements dominated summer campaigns, with brands focusing on refreshment, family vacations, and cooling products. Over time, as digital media began to dominate the marketing landscape, brands adapted by embracing social media and creating hyper-targeted campaigns based on data insights. In 2025, brands are moving beyond simple hydration and comfort to engage with consumers on a deeper, more personalised level. Today, summer campaigns focus on wellness, sustainability, and lifestyle, emphasising experiences over products."
Shweta Bajirao, Vice President, Brand Management at DviO Digital, reflects on this journey, recalling "the iconic Glucon-D straw campaign from a decade ago," and how "it's evident that the journey for brands in FMCG, Beverages, Travel, and Apparel has been transformative." While the core seasonal peaks remain – travel during vacations, increased beverage consumption, and a focus on child-centric products – the how of reaching consumers has been fundamentally rewritten. The shift to digital platforms, personalisation, and sustainability, as Bajirao highlights, has become paramount.
Sameer Joshi, Founding Partner at Sam & Andy, concurs, highlighting a crucial shift in messaging. "The biggest change or evolution is about problem solving, which is to fight the heat with AC, refrigerator, or cold drinks, etc. Now, the same thing is led by a feature or ingredient in their campaigns. Consumers are increasingly seeking healthier alternatives, including natural ingredients, functional additives, and sustainable practices in summer beverages and skincare. This works even for summer clothes. This is how differentiation is created."
Polycab's strategy for its fan segment in 2025 similarly demonstrates an understanding of current consumer demands. Its "Super ROI Fans" campaign is built on a compelling insight: consumers demand more than just basic functionality or price; they seek genuine value. Basu explains, "With evolving lifestyles and the rising cost of energy, value is no longer defined by price alone. Consumers now prioritise energy efficiency, high performance and great aesthetics, without compromise." The "Super ROI" concept—standing for Return on Performance, Technology, and Product—is Polycab's answer to this, a promise of "a full-spectrum value proposition."
The focus has moved from merely alleviating discomfort to offering solutions that align with broader lifestyle choices and values.
The pursuit of personalisation is being supercharged by technology. Bajirao points to Swiggy's IPL campaign as a prime example of innovation leveraging "creative automation technology to deliver hyper-personalised ads in real-time." By triggering tailored offers based on live match events, like a 66% discount when a batsman hit a six, Swiggy created "dynamic and engaging consumer interactions." This underscores a critical insight: "relatability over seasonality" is becoming the key metric for success. While IPL is a summer cultural anchor, the relatability of the real-time offer tied to an exciting moment is what truly resonates.
Polycab's channel strategy also highlights the evolving retail landscape. While "traditional retail continues to play a vital role," Basu notes the "significant growth" in e-commerce and quick commerce channels. Its Super ROI fans are available across traditional stores, major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, and quick commerce platforms such as Zepto. This reflects the changing "Consumer journeys are evolving, blending online discovery with offline purchasing." Today's consumer might research extensively online before making a final purchase in-store, underscoring the need for "strong visibility across all key touchpoints, both online and offline."
2025 summer playbook
As the summer of 2025 unfolds, several key trends and innovative strategies are shaping how brands are vying for consumer attention and wallets. The insights shared by industry experts paint quite a picture of the landscape.
The smart and connected summer: Voltas' summer marketing plan for 2025 heavily emphasises their SmartAir AC series, tapping into the growing demand for smart home solutions. "In 2025, Voltas’ summer marketing strategy is centred on our SmartAir AC series, emphasising features like super-silent operation, adaptive sleep mode, and IoT connectivity," explains Bijalwann. She further highlights the increasing preference for "inverter ACs, smart appliances with WiFi connectivity, signalling that Indian consumers are increasingly prioritising convenience and smart living." This trend extends beyond cooling solutions, with consumers seeking connected appliances and devices that seamlessly integrate into their digitally driven lifestyles.
Hyper-personalisation and regional resonance: Brands are increasingly recognising the diversity of the Indian market and tailoring their messaging to resonate with specific regional nuances and consumer segments. Bijalwann notes Voltas' focus on "regional markets and collaborating with local influencers to resonate with diverse consumer segments." Similarly, Glucon-D's 2025 strategy emphasises "personalised storytelling across traditional and new age platforms, targeting diverse consumer cohorts such as parents, working professionals, and active children," according to their spokesperson. This involves creating content that is not only linguistically relevant but also culturally attuned to the values and aspirations of different communities.
Experiential marketing and immersive technologies: Brands are moving beyond passive advertising to create memorable and engaging experiences for consumers. Voltas is "working on experiential outdoors to register the message more impactfully," indicating a move towards interactive and tangible brand encounters. Pannaswami highlights the growing use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), citing examples of AC brands using AR to allow customers to visualise products in their homes, creating a "virtual ‘cool’ experience." This not only enhances product understanding but also fosters a deeper connection with the brand.
Sustainability: The growing awareness around environmental issues is influencing consumer choices, and smart brands are integrating sustainability into their summer narratives. Pannaswami points to Bira 91's introduction of "eco-friendly cans and partnered with beach clean-up drives”.
The power of influencers: In a world saturated with information, authentic voices hold significant sway. Brands are increasingly collaborating with influencers and content creators to reach specific target audiences and build trust. Glucon-D's onboarding of cricketer Irfan Pathan as their brand ambassador is a sign. Bijalwann also mentions Voltas' focus on "influencer partnerships" as a key element of their digital strategy.
Polycab's use of the dynamic duo Farah Khan and her cook Dilip to deliver functional benefits with "humour and chemistry" is another example of injecting personality and relatability into the storytelling, making even the technical aspects more engaging.
Cross-platform integration and omnichannel presence: Brands are adopting omnichannel strategies to deliver consistent and cohesive brand experiences across all touchpoints. Voltas' shift towards a "50:50 split between digital and traditional advertising" signifies a strategic move to build an "integrated, omni-channel presence that aligns with the hybrid way consumers browse, evaluate, and buy cooling solutions today," according to Bijalwann. This involves leveraging the strengths of each platform to create an impactful marketing ecosystem.
The rise of RTD and functional beverages: As consumers seek convenient and health-conscious options to combat the summer heat, the RTD beverage market is witnessing significant growth. Glucon-D's expansion of their "Glucon D Activors, a Ready-to-Drink (RTD) hydration solution" reflects this trend, catering to the demand for "effective solution for rehydration and replenishment during the summer months." Joshi also highlights the consumer preference for "healthier alternatives, including natural ingredients, functional additives" in summer beverages.
The summer marketing status quo
While traditional summer themes like heat relief and refreshment still hold a degree of relevance, experts believe it's crucial for brands to evolve their narratives and challenge outdated assumptions.
"Traditionally, Indian summer campaigns have leaned on themes like heat relief, refreshment, vacations, or family time," notes Pannaswami. "But as we enter 2025, these themes are being redefined. Brands are now crafting campaigns that go beyond product functionality and resonate with consumers' deeper emotional and experiential needs." He uses the examples of Rasna moving from a "cool drink" to promoting "moments of joy, family bonding, and togetherness," and Lahori Zeera transitioning to a "lifestyle brand that emphasises healthy, homemade summer coolers."
Joshi echoes this sentiment, stating, "The core never changes, execution and storytelling may change as per behavioural changes. As mentioned above, stories are moving from vanilla heat reliever to a greater emphasis on healthy and sustainable options, unique experiences, and personalised messaging." He highlights the evolution in the beverage market beyond basic hydration to "unique flavors, textures, and experiences," and in skincare beyond sun protection to "a healthy skin."
Cultural events, particularly the Indian Premier League (IPL), serve as major anchors for summer campaigns. Bajirao notes that IPL has become a "cultural event of summer," providing a massive platform for brands. Beyond official sponsorships, brands find creative ways to tap into the collective energy and conversation surrounding the league. The "cheeky cola war," as highlighted by Shweta, is a prime example of how brands leverage shared passion and real-time banter during these cultural moments to create memorable interactions and stand out.
A key myth that needs to be busted, according to Joshi, is the notion that certain product categories are solely relevant during summer. "We understand many categories have defined seasons, and that's a push time for the brands to get more sales. For example, ACs and refrigerators are pushed in summer to get cold water and breeze respectively. That's a basic need. But don't you think that's the biggest myth, we need a refrigerator and AC or skincare throughout the year." He argues for a shift towards a "need-based rather than season-based economy," predicting that brands will increasingly maintain activity across seasons, albeit with potentially higher spends during peak summer months.
The spokesperson from Glucon-D reinforces this evolving thematic landscape. "While traditional themes of heat relief and refreshment remain relevant, the storytelling landscape in 2025 has evolved to encompass narratives centred around health, wellness, and functional benefits. Consumers are increasingly seeking products that not only provide immediate relief but also contribute to their overall well-being."
Bajirao delivers a powerful final word on this, challenging "the belief that only FMCG, beverages, travel, and apparel categories thrive" in summer. Her core argument is that "It's not merely seasonality that drives sales, but relatability." Success, she believes, "hinges on how brands create meaningful consumer experiences." Emotional connections, personalisation, cultural relevance, and compelling narratives are the true drivers of engagement, irrespective of the calendar month.
The creative frontier
The summer of 2025 is already witnessing a flurry of creative and bold marketing moves across various sectors. Experts point to several campaigns and ideas that are breaking through the clutter and capturing consumer attention.
Pannaswami highlights Rasna's "#RasnaSummerMoment campaign" for centring its marketing around "connection and experiences" rather than just the product. He also commends Voltas for "highlighting the importance of smart air-conditioning technology, offering cooling solutions that also monitor air quality," a fresh approach that positions the brand as a "smart, health-conscious investment."
Joshi points to a print ad featuring a collaboration between Shoppers Stop and SOTC Travel, offering "destination inspired clothing options through kiosks at Shoppers Stop," as an interesting example of cross-category collaboration and experiential marketing. He also praises the "Castrol x Shah Rukh Khan ad campaign - ‘Garmi Mein Bhi 3X Protection’" for its "engaging watch" and clever product spotlighting.
Storytelling itself has transformed. It's less about a broadcast message and more about co-creating narratives with the consumer. It's about reflecting their values (sustainability, wellness, value), tapping into their emotions (nostalgia, joy, comfort, humour), and becoming part of their lived experience (IPL viewing, hybrid work, home comfort). Educational content, like Polycab's "Smart Connect" IP, also becomes a form of storytelling, empowering consumers and building brand credibility.
The traditional playbook is being replaced by more sophisticated strategies that prioritise personalisation, experience, sustainability, and authentic storytelling.
As Pragya Bijalwann summarises Voltas' approach, their 2025 summer marketing plan is "deeply personalised, insight-led, and inclusive of diverse consumer journeys." This sentiment resonates across the industry, highlighting a collective understanding that winning the summer marketing race requires not just shouting louder but connecting smarter, offering value beyond mere product functionality. The heat is on, and the brands that can master this dance of innovation and engagement are poised to reap a rich harvest in the summer of 2025.
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