From jewellery to agarbatti, how India Inc is cashing in on Brand Ayodhya

The Ram mandir is good for business. As Hindus in India and the world over celebrated the consecration of the temple in Ayodhya, corporates jumped onto the bandwagon. They are using the popularity of the temple and its deity for marketing and luring customers. India Inc has introduced a slew of campaigns to cash in on the grand Ayodhya event – from signboards endorsing products to limited edition packs, companies are doing all they can to grab eyeballs. The temple town is at the centre of all the frenzy. The mandir is expected to give Ayodhya an economic boom . Hundreds and thousands of devotees are flocking to the newly inaugurated shrine, which opens to the public today. But before them, came the marketers to ensure they got the product placement correct. Shops, dhabas and restaurants in Ayodhya and highways connecting it to the big cities of Uttar Pradesh like Lucknow, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi have been refurbished with brands setting up signboards, coolers and vending machines. From gates to changing rooms, everything in and around the mandir doubles up as a prop for promotion.

Brands rush to Ayodhya FMCG companies like Coca-Cola, Parle, Dabur and ITC have been at the top of their game. Many of these brands have been focusing on having an on-ground presence, putting up hoardings and kiosks around the Ram temple . Several have invested a few crores in the mega event, industry watchers told The Times of India (ToI). Dhabas in and around Ayodhya are rebranding. Darbur has partnered with eateries along the highways, putting up props and setting up stalls and experience zones which allow visitors to sample its products like tea or hair oil. ITC’s agarbatti brand has joined hands with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust set up for the construction and management of the Ram mandir to set up a “Kushboo Path” – a corridor adorned with the incense sticks – within the temple premises. It has also donated its dhoop, which will be used in daily rituals, for six months. To help in crowd management, the incense stick brand has 300 barricades at the main temple and over 100 barricades at the temple entrance, according to the ITC. [caption id=“attachment_13646302” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A priest performs aarti on the occasion of the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, at Pushkar Lake, in Ajmer. PTI[/caption] The changing market With a population of 350,000, Ayodhya has been a small market so far. But the temple changes everything. The town is likely to see an eight to 10 times surge in visitors, which makes it a large captive market. Keeping this in mind, consumer brands have increased their supplies to Ayodhya. A rise in the demand for daily essentials and products related to worship like incense sticks and idols is expected. Mohit Malhotra, CEO of Dabur India, was quoted as saying by Hindu Businessline, “The Ram mandir consecration is undoubtedly one of the most momentous occasions in our history. Besides ramping up the distribution of our products in the city anticipating the surge in demand for daily essentials, we are also creating special experience zones in the city where visitors and pilgrims arriving in Ayodhya can touch, feel, and experience our range of products like Real juices, Dabur Amla hair oil, and Dabur Vedic Tea.” Also read: Business Boom: How Ram temple will change the fortunes of Ayodhya [caption id=“attachment_13646312” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A shopkeeper celebrating the opening of the grand temple in Ayodhya city, installs flags featuring the Hindu god on the awning of his shop. File photo/AP[/caption] Coca-Cola has swapped its trademark red palette with brown to match the theme of the Ram mandir. It also has placed 50 vending machines on the pathways leading up to the temple and is ensuring that retailers get sufficient supplies. The beverage company is backing local shopkeepers by helping them revamp their stores and placing coolers. That’s not all. It has also set up changing rooms and setting up a park for devotees, reports Hindu Businessline. Parle also has its eyes set on the temple town. “Ayodhya has a population of about 3-5 lakh but with the inauguration of the Ram temple, we expect the city to attract a lot of tourists,” Krishnarao Buddha, senior category head at Parle Products, told The Times of India, adding that the company has plans to increase brand spends in the town. Outdoor advertising rates in Ayodhya have risen by 40 to 50 per cent with hoardings at prime spots already sold out, ad industry executives told The Economic Times (ET). A senior executive with a leading electronics brand said that it was not getting prime outdoor advertising spots. “We are now trying to get spots at the airport and its approach road,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_13646332” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Devotees gather to enter the Ram temple, in Ayodhya. The doors of the Ram temple opened to the general public on Tuesday, a day after the consecration of the new Ram Lalla idol. PTI[/caption] Brand Ayodhya is here to stay While most have focused on Ayodhya, a few brands are opting for a mass media moment-marketing campaign. Jewellery retailer Senco Gold and Diamonds has launched a new “SiyaRam Collection”, which comprises pendants, necklaces, and earrings with designs of the Ram temple. Several other jewellers have also launched collections to coincide with the mandir opening. Kalyan Jewellers has updated its existing temple jewellery line, Nimah, adding motifs of Ram, Sita, and the Ayodhya temple into its designs. And the Jaipur Watch Company is selling a special watch and keychain with imagery of the deity. Amul also endorsed the temple in its trademark style. A post on social media features the Amul girl barefoot, praying in front of mandir with the caption, “Temple of a billion hopes… Amul Welcome it.”

#Amul Topical: Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration… pic.twitter.com/DvHs0iLdCs

— Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) January 21, 2024

But this is just the beginning. Brand Ayodhya is here to stay. Airlines and travel companies are expected to start mainstream advertising now. Many were waiting for the temple to be opened to the public, say experts. Ambi Parameswaran, the founder of Mumbai-based brand advisory, Brand-building.com, told ET, “Logistics and infrastructure brands involved in the construction of the temple will also most probably start advertising their involvement in the project in some time, to showcase it as a key part of their portfolio.” However, several brands remain conscious. The politics of the temple cannot be overseen. According to management consultant Devangshu Dutta, while brands are looking to get a boost from the Ayodhya event, many will be “treading cautiously”. “We may see vanilla marketing, such as congratulatory or celebratory billboards from brands. But marketers will not want to hit any off note that can get hugely controversial, so they may avoid going for something clever or humorous,” he told ET. With inputs from agencies