People don’t buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic. This popular quote is from one of my favourite writers, Seth Godin.
 
In a single sentence, this encompasses the subject of this article. Take the example of any of your favourite products or services, preferably something that you have been buying or choosing for a few years. Now, if possible, turn the clock back to the very moment or occasion you made the first decision to associate with that particular brand or product.
 
Now, what was the principal factor that led to you this decision? In all probably, the answer could lie in one of the three words or emotions Seth talks about.
 
In a marketplace that’s more crowded than ever, one will find that Marketers inadvertently choose the emotional connect, intentionally or otherwise, to draw the attention of a prospective customer to engage with & hopefully acquire. If you recall your favourite advertisement and a particular moment in the message that led you to a purchase decision, you will find the answer staring at you.
 
India, with all its diversity, complexity and varied cultures is probably one of the most complex markets in the world. The added complexity of a multitude of languages & local preferences, often within the same state or geography, all add to the complex mosaic from which one needs to connect with today’s consumer. With one of the world’s youngest populations & a culture that runs high on emotions, a marketeer can find inspiration from an amazing range of traditions, customs, belief systems and societal relations.
 
Let’s come to a product that represents my area of interest, Coffee.
 
Now, does the word ‘Coffee’ bring to your mind a beverage, mostly hot & steaming, or a ‘ritual’, at a specific time of the day, often with one’s family or friends? Some would say that coffee is a lubricant, black, bitter & hot, which helps kick start the day or sometimes a task, a moment at work, an act of celebrating a success or the closure of a long day or week, the start of a conversation and many more such moments and their occasions during work or leisure. Others would say that coffee defines the moment or instance, for example the morning ritual of reading ones favourite newspaper with a piping hot cup by the side; here, for many a coffee afficionado, the brew being more important than the content in that mornings’ newspaper.
 
I would go one step further, tangentially, and say that Coffee represents an emotion. The choice of your favourite coffee-based beverage reflects your mood, state of mind, your plan for the day or the approach to the task at hand. Millennials hang out at their favourite cafes with their favourite brew at elbows length, the sips of coffee giving them the confidence to bond, connect & open up. The older generation relies on their tried & tested choice of brew as they navigate through their personal and professional lives. People who have hung up their boots, could find themselves reminiscing the past with their cup of joy helping them reflect upon moments in their lives
 
India is the world’s 7th largest coffee grower in the world and is renowned the world over for its ‘shade grown coffees’. Home to 13 ‘Regional coffees’, each named after its history and unique geography, with the Coffee Board of India granting the growers in these areas their own logo, a customer can now choose a story  to buy from. One of the 13 regions, ‘Bababudangiri’, is a tribute to the saint who is credited with sowing the first seeds in the mountain ranges of his home state. Likewise, ‘Araku Valley’ another key amongst the 13 regions, brings a customer visuals of forest grown coffees, grown by the locals and now, made famous all over the world.
 
Interestingly, India has 3 speciality coffees which are marketed on the basis of their inherent strength: a unique history, a wider acceptance & preference and a taste profile that begs attention. Of the three, the ‘Monsooned Malabar’ evokes the strongest emotional connect for a coffee lover. The name of this speciality coffee has got its origins to our trading & colonial past when coffee was transported to Europe in wooden ships. As it was meant to be, the harvesting cycle for coffee & its subsequent transportation in wooden ships meant that the coffee beans were subjected to the monsoon-laden winds on the Indian ocean, causing the beans to swell, change their colour and acquire a unique flavour. One can almost feel the magic of rains in an Indian monsoon & visualise the days of yore while sipping a cup brewed from this speciality coffee.
 
For a marketing company, the premise that such an emotionally well connected product offers is immense. We have often seen that beverages, as a category, effectively use visuals of people socialising and always, consuming the product. In the case of coffee, when brands use celebrities or occasions, the emotional connect is always stressed upon to help the audience connect with, get inspired by or relate to the occasion or moment. With some great stories & historical connects, coffee as a category is turning out to be the beverage of choice for millennials. In India, one of the youngest countries in the world, we will see a greater adoption for coffee in the coming decade, both in homes as well as in cafes & restaurants.

(NOTE: Authored article by Jai Ganesh Ramnath, Managing Director & Country Head, Lavazza India)