Desi khana or desi gaana gives us a feel like no other! It is no surprise that we find an instant connection with any local advertising material. Living in the biggest diverse nation in the world, where over 30 languages and 1600 dialects are spoken, the power of vernacular advertising just can’t be ignored!
Low-cost data and affordable smartphones have made the internet accessible for not just a particular class of Indians, but for the majority of them. According to a BBC report, India has over 125 million English speakers. In a country of 1.3 billion people, it is a small number.
Brands and marketers are finally understanding the value and importance of this untapped pool of diversity and wish to leave no stone unturned to make the most of it through multilingual advertising. The best part vernacular content marketing is that it is simple, accessible and connects with the audience easily.
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Brand Perspective
This increased demand for local advertising is helping build a strong bond between the brand and the users. Brands now prefer employees with fluency in at least 1-2 regional language, as an added skill. Digital magnates Google and YouTube have already embraced multilingual marketing as they display their pages in multiple Indian languages to boost user engagement.
Apart from news and entertainment, vernacular campaign is gaining ground in digital classified ads, payment platforms, and e-commerce sites as well.
User Perspective
The emergence of video advertising has sabotaged the supremacy of English in marketing communication and is making room for vernacular content marketing. People love and relate to vernacular video snippets, a funny read or even an infographic on the Instagram, FB or YouTube.
The masses in India are not always looking for information. They also seek entertainment! TikTok, a popular entertainment app has provided many Indians with recognition and fame. Going for multilingual marketing has helped the brand gain a massive user base, despite a ban being imposed on the same.
It’s no surprise that people are more comfortable asking queries, doing monetary transactions and even shopping in their native language. Hence, vernacular advertising creates a win-win situation for both the brand and the consumers.
The future for Vernacular
A vernacular campaign offers perspective, cultural insight, and subtlety. Local advertising establishes an understanding and empathy for brands with their users. Set a corner in the audience’s heart with vernacular advertising and it will cement the foundation of brand-user relationship in the long run.
With more people setting foot in the digital space, it is only a matter of time till these diverse languages and dialects of our nation will garner more love and reach; not just for Indians but the world too!