Health and hygiene were important considerations, giving advantage to certain kinds of foods, but convenience and affordability also played a role.
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Do not be too tied down to a particular course of action,” advises Kavita Chaturvedi, the chief operating officer of the snacks business at ITC. Chaturvedi’s opinion comes on the back of the year of the crisis, which, according to her, has taught marketers the importance of the “plan B, plan C and so on”. Reflecting on some behavioural changes that can be expected in marketers in India, she says, “What we have really learned in the last year, is that planning too far ahead may not really be a solution all the time.”
Reminder of Change
She argues that in certain times, plan B is just a concept, but the pandemic was another reminder that change is the only constant. “You have to be nimble, agile and you have to be able to shift gears very fast. This behavioural change has already set in most marketers,” she adds.
Snacks, as a category in India, saw several changes during the pandemic in terms of shift in consumer trends. Health and hygiene were important considerations, giving advantage to certain kinds of foods, but convenience and affordability also played a role. The combination led to an active ITC Foods’ snacks division. The year saw brands from the company take to digital to not only engage but also serve as a means to reach the consumers.
Extensive Experience
An ITC veteran, Chaturvedi has been part of the team that conceived, developed and launched Sunfeast YiPPee! Noodles and TriColor Pasta and Fabelle Chocolates. In the course of her journey at the company that had started as a marketing services manager in 2003, Chaturvedi has handled several roles in ITC Foods and worked across all brands in ITC’s food portfolio. She brings nearly two decades of experience in the sector, comprising creation, development and nurturance of some of India’s leading food brands. She has also delved in media and activation on globally recognised personal care brands.
On being named among BW India’s Top 50 Marketers, Chaturvedi said, “The very first business magazine that I had bought with my own money was BW Businessworld. If there was one such list that I had wanted to be in, it is this list. We all stand here as captains of our teams, representing the work they do.
We would not be here if it were not for the hard work not only of the team of today but also of over the years. It is the collective experience that has shaped the kind of leaders we are.”
An MBA from Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA), the first two years of Chaturvedi’s career were spent working on mainstream as well as non-tradition- al media on Hindustan Unilever’s haircare, infant care and feminine care brands. She has been part of the journey of transformation at the company, the combined learnings of which she brought to the table in 2020, contributing to the growth that the businesses under her charge have witnessed.