Amazon earmarks Rs 100-150 crore for advertising on TV, print and online in FY15
MUMBAI: Amazon.com, the largest online retailer in the world, has launched an advertising blitzkrieg in India with a budget that not only dwarfs all its local peers but is also comparable with the country's largest retailer Future Group's ad spends.
Amazon India, which started marketplace operation just about a year ago, plans to spend Rs 100-150 crore on advertising this fiscal year, a person with direct knowledge of the company's marketing initiatives told ET. India's largest e-commerce firm Flipkart's annual advertising budget is estimated at about Rs 75 crore while Future Group's Big Bazaar is expected to spend an unprecedented Rs 250 crore this year.
Email queries ET sent to Amazon India did not elicit any response as of press time. Amazon is currently running a high-decibel ad campaign across media platforms including television, print and online.
"We have chalked out different strategies for different mediums," said the person quoted earlier. The Seattle-based company has shelled out Rs 25-35 crore to become one of the largest television advertisers during the ongoing Indian Premier League, using the popular cricket tournament to unleash its first ever television commercial in the country.
"We are using television to primarily tell consumers that we have started our services in India and highlight our unique selling propositions (USPs) like one day delivery or the wide range of products that we have," the person said.
The company is using the print medium to advertise various promotional offers like special weekend discounts, while its online ads are mostly product specific and are being used to increase the traction on the website. The outdoor campaign — a gigantic Amazon box that is used to deliver products —has been put up in business hubs and key locations across several cities.