Mumbai-based online supermarket Localbanya eyes expansion, close to roping in creative agency

LocalBanya.com, a Mumbai-based online supermarket, is close to roping in a creative agency partner to handle its print and digital campaigns. A pitch process is currently on.

On the marketing plans, Rashi Chowdhary, co-founder, Localbanya, said, "The space Local Banya operates in is a tricky one, which requires a relationship to be built with the consumer rather than drawing them in for a one-off purchase. Given the nature of the service, marketing efforts will mainly comprise digital channels comprising search, mobile, social media and online videos. We will be selective about the platforms we chose within the channels based on the results they can deliver, either from a sales or branding perspective.”

She added that the company will also be using ‘tactical marketing’ across high volume print mediums, to increase the reach of offers and boost brand awareness.

“The clear marketing objective is to make Local Banya a household name, akin to your friendly neighbourhood grocery supplier who is omnipresent when the though of an item on their grocery list comes in the mind of a customer," said Chowdhary.

The website currently offers services in Mumbai. According to the co-founder, it will enter a new city by January 2014, with New Delhi and Pune being the prospects.

It has also roped in Mihir Mukadam as its head for marketing and business development. Mukadam joins the online portal from Worldwide Media, where he was digital brand manager.

On his new role, Mukadam said, "I am looking forward to working with Local Banya. The role will not only be challenging, but it will also bring with it excellent exposure to the digital retail space. My background with publishing houses equips me to use content marketing effectively to push various services offered by the website and strengthen its overall brand positioning with content. Having managed the digital extensions of three brands in the last eight months of my previous assignment, I have strengthened my understanding of various platforms and am eager to apply my learning to all the marketing efforts of Local Banya. The digital realm for brands is constantly evolving and allows for some great cross-media marketing efforts."