Native language depicting a story has more users’ readability and influences their choices as they better understand the online content in it which also delivers an enriching mobile experience with customised targeting options and builds a connection between advertisers and audiences. (Representative Image: Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash)
‘Vocal for Local’ started with the Swadeshi Movement and has evolved in the 21st century to emphasize local consumer targeting. It aims to make India a digitized nation, promoting local businesses and empowering marketers to amplify their brands.
Targeting local audiences is crucial to bridge the gap between consumers and brand owners. With smartphones and internet access in tier II and III cities, online consumerism has grown. Marketers can now tap into this potential by showcasing offerings to interested consumers in specific location.
How local targeting can benefit India’s digital economy Local targeting allows brands to display ads specifically to interested users in certain locations. This blend of technology and mobile friendliness is fueling economic growth, especially in India’s tier II and tier III regions. ‘Vocal for Local’ has become a boon for brand owners, promoting domestic manufacturing and product usage. Government initiatives like Digital India, Start-Up India, and Make in India support this movement. As a result, around 50% of Indian startups now thrive in tier II and III cities, driving global socioeconomic transformation. Local targeting is an excellent initiative for higher Return on Advertising Spends (ROAS). It helps Indian brands gain recognition globally and in online marketplaces. Leveraging vernacular marketing enhances this practice, giving brands a strong voice and creating a personalized connection with consumers. Telling your brand’s story in the local language with personalized content can boost sales by resonating with the audience. Native language enhances readability, influences choices, and creates a meaningful connection between advertisers and audiences, delivering an enriching mobile experience. Vernacular and local targeting not only increase brand presence but also attract international investors. It helps Indian brands compete globally in terms of quality and affordability. Building trust between local consumers and brand owners empowers local products and contributes to India’s digital economy by increasing availability. Marketers can benefit from local targeting Local targeting encourages netizens to take action on homegrown businesses which helps in keeping capital in the country itself and can drive revenue of 49.16 billion USD by 2026 (source: Statista). This can nurture brands to rise and grow with their complete potential within the country which could be a golden opportunity for marketers since they will be supported by the government as well. In fact, it has also announced some measures for MSMEs to carve their strong footholds due to which, this year a share of 21 percent can be observed in the digital world (source: Statista). Role of digital media and advertising to achieve this vision Digital media and advertising play an important role in helping marketers to achieve their local-vocal vision and give the brands an extra edge in the digital landscape. This is because brands aligned with digital mediums would surely go a long way in creating offerings and opportunities for consumers to select homegrown products and services. Hence, it can be said that brand promotion has become an integral part of digital marketing wherein, marketers can better get to know their local audiences, their choices, preferences and expectations from the brands. Based on this, marketers can tap and target the audience that converts and drive quality ROAS. Therefore, I would like to suggest marketers, SMEs and MSMEs to incorporate local targeting in their advertising campaigns to take their homegrown brands into the global market with better reach, recall and recognition.