Trends in the Use of Social Media as a Tool of Marketing Communications in FMCG Sector in India

The advent of Social Media has changed the way FMCG companies conduct their business. With nearly 45 million users in India and growing rapidly, social media's popularity is making organizations to participate in social media to communicate with their customers and also encourage sales. By some estimates, social networking now accounts for 40 percent of all time spent online in India. Nearly one in 10 Internet visits ends up at a social network; nearly one in four page views is on a social networking site, thus making social networking a lucrative option for brand managers to communicate their brand and to create a brand identity. The Indian FMCG Sector has recently started adopting social media as a tool of marketing communications along with traditional media. This paper, based on desk reviews, highlights that Indian FMCG businesses are using Social Media for brand re-positioning and developing a brand image while focusing on developing relationships with consumers rather than on merely providing information.