Advertising media as predictor of ‘top of the mind recall’ of FMCG brands among Indian Youth

Top of the mind recall of brands is usually shaped by message, advertising media, exposure and frequency/recurrence. This study aims at exploring role of advertising media in augmenting top of the mind recall with special reference to Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brands. Interestingly, media channels have multiplied manifold in recent years and at the same time the corporate houses have become quite wary of rising advertising costs. Hence it is imperative to know which advertising media drives optimum top of the mind recall so as to rationalise advertising costs with return on investment. The study is designed in manner that the respondents are able not only to recall brands but also associate source of their recollectionviz. social media, electronic media, print, radio, out of home media, sponsorships, etc. through on the spot recall memory. The respondents recall brands without any cues during the experiment and associate the same with one or more advertising media. For the purpose of this study, respondents of have been drawn from among the students of higher educational institutions in Delhi NCR aged between 18 and 26. Number of respondents is 164. Memory test revolves around recalling brands in FMCG sector. Results of the study are likely to help the marketing/advertising managers engage in meticulous media planning so as to ensure return on investments on the media budgets. There are not many studies on top of the mind recall of FMCG brands in Indian context. Hence this study is path-breaking in its own right and provides significant insights for marketing managers, brand managers/consultants, and media planners as well as academics and researchers interested in the theme.