Do you have a food brand of your own? God help you!

Marketing foods is different and more difficult than any other FMCG product. Here's why:

1) TASTES ARE DIFFICULT TO CHANGE :

We try new foods for recreation. Or out of a desire for occasional variety. But fundamentally tastes don't change. However well travelled one may be, there's nothing more comforting than yellow dal chawal bhindi and aaloo for me. Or more joyful than pyaaz pakoda and green chutney and thin crisp jalebi and masala chai...

(I love sushi. I love tacos. And kimchi. And dim sums---- but only as an aside. If i were told you'd never get simple home cooked food I've grown up on, which i once complained about as being oh so boring... I'd have a panic attack )

This is why it's the same flavours that sell again and again in snacks. The others are at best in and outs in the calendar - for creating new news.

Like Kurkure Masala Munch or Lay's Magic masala will always be the best sellers. 'Bangkok Thai curry' is nice to create excitement, but it will never be more than 5% of the flagship flavour.

2) PERFECT BALANCE OF TASTE AND HEALTH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GENUINELY ACHIEVE :

Lay's baked never worked - because Lay's consumers expected the rich succulence of fried potato in a baked chip. (Blame it on Lay's equity of taste ..i know)

Or who wants baked samosa? Equally jalebi made any other way .. Maggi made any other way ... Choco chip cookies made any other way, simply cannot be as tasty. Who wants atta Maggi or oats Maggi... Even with their decimal percentages of good grain in the ingredients? Nobody.

So choose - and be unapologetic about which end of the spectrum you're at. Don't delude yourself into being both 'taste bhi health bhi' -- it means you're confused or delusional.

The world claims to eat and want healthy. But we actually want delicious taste.

The truth is don't believe and don't tell what we really want.

So brands may launch ' Do good' products based on market research or trends or health noise but the truth is we are changing very slowly if at all.

And that's why huge market size projections or sales forecasts fail.

I'm a huge proponent instead of being able to unabashedly own taste.

I'm so rich, creamy and irresistibly delicious your buttons will pop but you won't stop (Oatly did advertising of this kind)

3) GREATER AWARENESS OF WHAT'S GOOD :

Some section of the 'top of the pops' pop strata have started looking at the back of the pack to read ingredients.

That goes back to my point above. Be a 100% good. Or make sure you make tempered claims.

'Digestive cookies' - when the formulation has 90% maida and 5% oats / bran .. in that region may attract more negative PR.

In years to come there will be pressure on FSSAI for tighter scrutiny. For now it's an organisation that lends it's stamp to all big fmcgs..but keeps mum when Maggi or Kurkure is in a storm of controversy.

I faced this myself at the height of the plastic controversy. We asked to reassure public by highlighting the FSSAI stamp in print ads / bringing it on the front of pack.

FSSAI refused to lend us any support.

So how do I as a consumer trust what comes out into the market? Whether it is indeed of acceptable quality.. what is acceptable quality? And what does the govt food authority endorsement even mean?

4) WE EAT UNHEALTHY KNOW FULLY WELL IT IS UNHEALTHY

Yeah.. it's a short life i tell myself. So may as well live it up.

Baad ka baad dekha jayega.

Is why we still smoke. Or eat that 2nd ice cream cup.

The problem is people are irrational. We can't be made to do things with rational explanations - we're told:

Look this burger made at home is all good, and so yummy. It mimics the 'Juicy Lucy Big Burger from Delhi Heights' recipe but made with all good stuff. Yet it doesn't satisfy. I want that dirty Juicy Lucy only .. dripping with mayo, slathered with a brick of butter, knowing fully well it can give me heart attack. But wtf - it's a short life.

So brands that take the health route must woo with emotional deliciousness!

Like ..

Gorgeously rich tasty visuals.

Or social pressure (are you all junk?) maybe social community support (a group of make it good chefs).

5) THEN THERE ARE THOSE WHO SIMPLY DONT CARE - WITH A VENGEANCE.

I'm so sick of being told how everything is unhealthy. Sick of the high society 'im vegan ....' that I want to go the other way with vengeance.

Gaurav Kapoor the anti thesis of Foodpharmer.

Coming soon - on my Podcast - Marketing With Vani - why selling food in India is soooooo tough. And what you can and cannot change. Episode with Santosh Desai - the undisputed king of culture and food and everything that makes India, India!!