The brands that win in 2030 will go beyond product: Nikhil Rao, Mars Wrigley

India has emerged as a top-ten global priority market for Mars Wrigley, underscoring the confectionery major’s steady evolution from a premium international entrant to a core player in the country’s snacking landscape. The company has reported a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14-15% in its chocolate portfolio over the past five years, signalling consistent momentum in a competitive FMCG environment.

Operating with an annual revenue of approximately ₹2,329 crore, Mars Wrigley India manages a portfolio that spans the socioeconomic spectrum. From the hunger-satisfaction positioning of Snickers to the mass-market penetration of Boomer gum, a ₹1 staple found in over 1.8 million outlets, the company’s footprint is defined by its ability to balance scale with surgical precision. At the helm of this evolution is Nikhil Rao, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Mars Wrigley India, who is tasked with navigating a market that is increasingly fragmented across media and retail channels.

A market of many Indias

Rao characterises India not as a uniform entity, but as a "seed market" requiring distinct strategies for different consumer contexts. He notes that the fragmentation of channels has provided a unique advantage for the brand's 2025 approach.

"India is not one uniform market. While both media and retail channels have fragmented, they have evolved to allow new players like us to segment and choose our battles," Rao explains. "We can, today, have a premium evolved offering like Galaxy on Quick Commerce while at the same time driving growths on a Re 1 Boomer in the wholesale markets and rural India. Similarly, on media we can choose to go mass, say, in HSM media or be very selective with addressable content at scale, leveraging ‘connected ID’."

This shift has necessitated a move away from traditional category-wide messaging. "Instead of trying to speak to everyone with the same message, we focused on winning with relevance in each consumer context. Our biggest shift is from playing the category game to winning selectively in certain segments and touchpoints with focus, relevant product and relevant messaging," he adds.

The rise of the ‘mindful’ consumer

As the Indian market matures, a subtle shift is occurring in consumer behaviour that moves beyond simple premiumisation. Rao observes that shoppers are becoming more discerning and less reliant on historical brand loyalty.

"In addition to the big trends of Premiumisation and Health & Wellbeing, Indian consumers are slowly but surely getting more mindful in their choices," Rao notes. "Whether it is using a wearable device to listen to their body or be more informed of what they are consuming by paying attention to labels, Indian consumers are done with being superficial or trusting brands because of loyalty."

This mindfulness has directly influenced product sourcing and curation for the brand’s premium tier. "Galaxy has taken this into consideration in crafting our products, sourcing from top notch plants in Saudi and Singapore. Each of Galaxy’s offerings, whether in milk chocolate or Fusions, is a specially curated piece of pleasure."

Navigating the ‘checkout screen’

The physical landscape of the impulse purchase is also undergoing a digital overhaul. This is particularly visible in the realm of Quick Commerce, where Mars Wrigley now commands a 10% market share. Rao notes that the very nature of impulse buying has migrated from physical checkout counters to smartphone screens.

"Impulse is rapidly moving from checkout counters to checkout screens. Today’s consumer expects immediacy — discovery, decision and delivery all within minutes. This has changed three behaviors: Search-based shopping is driving impulse over visibility-based selection; Bigger in-home packs and gifting formats are growing faster than before; and Digital loyalty ecosystems are beginning to shape repeat purchase. This requires brands like us to think algorithm-first: availability, assortment, and search readiness matter as much as physical visibility once did."

Cultural grounding and the philosophy of joy

Within the context of this evolving market, Mars Wrigley recently relaunched its flagship chocolate brand, Galaxy, introducing the “Take Pleasure” philosophy. To bridge this global positioning with Indian cultural nuances, the brand brought in actress Mrunal Thakur as the ambassador.

"Galaxy’s relaunch was driven by a simple but powerful insight — today’s Indian woman is confidently rewriting the rules and living life on her own terms. She doesn’t wait for permission to indulge. The ‘Take Pleasure’ philosophy celebrates this unapologetic embrace of joy, even in small, everyday moments," Rao explains.

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He elaborates on the choice of ambassador: "Mrunal Thakur embodies this philosophy effortlessly. She is authentic, grounded yet aspirational, and carries a quiet strength that resonates with today’s modern Indian woman. Her persona aligns perfectly with Galaxy’s belief that pleasure doesn’t have to be grand or orchestrated — it can be spontaneous, personal, and deeply meaningful. With this repositioning, premium indulgence is no longer about exclusivity; it’s about experience. From a richer, creamier recipe to bold new design and storytelling, Galaxy elevates indulgence from taste to emotion — something that melts outside and hits intensely inside."

Media mix and the ROI of attention

To fuel penetration, the brand has reallocated its media spend toward a 50:50 TV-to-digital ratio. Rao is single-minded about the efficiency of this spend: "We are single-minded about penetration, which means maximising quality reach remains the core of our media strategy. We rigorously evaluate the incremental reach each channel adds, ensuring every rupee is driving more households. Television continues to give us efficient mass reach, while digital video and short-form platforms are delivering the strongest ROI. We’ve shifted more investment this year toward data-enabled digital environments, and reduced low-attention placements that do not build the brand. The outcome is always the same: make our brands more visible, more relevant, and chosen more often by India’s growing base of chocolate consumers."

However, Rao warns against letting technology overshadow the fundamental "human" core of marketing. "Tech and Data are consuming a lot of attention and marketing effort for the right reasons, but over-riding, in many cases, what’s at the core of what makes brands win," he notes. "The heart of great marketing remains a simple, powerful idea that connects to a genuine human emotion. We are obsessed with telling modern, culturally grounded stories with authenticity. The entire Galaxy campaign brings alive ‘Take pleasure’ in a relevant manner that the sum of the parts paint a compelling whole. Multiple pieces of content are brought together by Connected ID and various touchpoints."

The future

As the industry moves toward 2030, Rao envisions a landscape where brands are defined by connection and values. "By 2030, the brands that win will be those that go beyond product. Consumers will gravitate toward brands that make them feel understood and proud of their choices. At Mars Wrigley, we want to lead that shift. Our ambition is to be the home of brands that spark pleasure and connection in everyday moments, while also standing for sustainability and a positive future. We see ourselves creating treats that people love – Inspiring Moments of Everyday Happiness."

For Rao, the role of the CMO remains irreplaceable by AI because of the need for empathy. "Mars leverages AI across content creation, Data & analytics to name a few. The CMO today must be part strategist, part technologist, and part storyteller. AI brings immense acceleration, but it cannot replace judgement, imagination, or empathy — the ability to feel culture, decode emotions, and create meaning. The irreplaceable role of the CMO is to protect the idea, champion the consumer, and build teams that think courageously."

Ultimately, Rao defines success by the end of 2026 as a mix of "heart and outcomes." His goal is "to build a marketing organization that is creatively fearless, digitally intelligent and culturally sharp — one that sets the standard for brand building in India. Success is: More households choosing our brands; More love and cultural relevance than ever before; Breakthrough creativity that shapes conversation; Sharp commercial impact. If we achieve that blend — heart + outcomes — we win."