“Ramadan was not to be an ice cream moment 15 years ago. Now it is in all Muslim countries a peak ice cream moment. Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July- all are ice cream moments but Diwali is not” said the CEO of Unilever’s recently de-merged ice cream business 🍦
Unilever is bullish because over the past decade- Mondelez and Ferrero have been pushing chocolates as an alternative to mithai 🍫
Although, there are few logistical challenges in gifting ice cream-
One, the cost of delivering a frozen treat is significantly higher as compared to other sweets
Two, unlike sweets and dry fruits, it cannot be conveniently delivered to offices. So, largely restricted to at home gifting
Three, one should also consider the receivers circumstances. Not everybody has instant access to refrigeration.
Though QuickCommerce can help solve for few of the delivery issues, at least in metros 🛵
Now even if Unilever aggressively pursues this plan, it might not be the biggest beneficiary of such campaign.
Unlike chocolates~ which has fewer players, ice cream has many players who will fight for this pie.
While a market leader like Amul (GCMMF) will benefit because of their ubiquity and pricing. It will also help new age players like Hocco and Go Zero -perceived to more innovative and exciting.
What do you think?
Anyways, let’s get ready for some ice cream this Diwali 😀
