Fast Moving Consumer GAMES

The New FMCGs are here!

They sell millions of units every day. They are priced at a few bucks and are impulsively bought. They are consumed voraciously & repeatedly. They come in lots of sizes, variations and flavors. Consumers - both old and young love them. If you were thinking Chips or Cola, think again. I am talking about Fast Moving Consumer Games - the 'new' FMCG.

Digital consumer entertainment: be it games or apps, are here to stay and there is synergy amongst the new and old FMCG brands to leverage each other.

Consider:

Who?

India has a demographic of over 700 million consumers who are under 30 years old. The Indian youth adapts to technology like fish to water (or rather like friends to facebook). Hence consuming tech entertainment is native to them. Armed with a phone and the 'Indian' version of the iPad (think of Micromax attacking this category and selling a Rs 5000 'carry anywhere' screen with a sim card inside), the prime target audience of FMC(G)ames is a very large. Remember Indian Idol & KBC when they first launched? Their SMS versions were mobile games and raked in big moolahs.

Where?

Digital FMCG are being created in the mobile and online realm. With over 500 million mobile handsets and 50 million PCs, the 'mid and small' screens are now ubiquitous. These screens are the new 'POS' or point of sale for the digital FMCG brands. Consumers are carrying distribution outlets in their pockets or sitting smack in front of them and staring at them all day long. So the digital screen is the new influencer and point of communication. No longer is a 'pull' required to get the consumer to a store to buy. The store lives with the consumer all day long!

Why?

Games are entertaining and social. That's the time-tested formulae of creating impulsive consumption. What can beat sitting down in a College canteen and sipping Chai with Chips and playing mobile Teen Patti with 5 friends? The large pack of chips can come bundled with a mobile game. Today in India, if you pop open a Coke bottle, unpeel the crown and sms the code inside, you can win instant mobile airtime top ups. This gratification happens before you can even finish the bottle. Both FMCG brands are in full play synergistic play here!

How?

The mobile phone is the new wallet. You can pay via the operator or instantly by debiting your pre-paid sim card. This is the foundation of instant consumption. The ability to pay with least 'friction' (as easy as taking money from your wallet and paying) allows easy and micro payments. This is the digital translation of the sachet economy “ pay a tiny amount for a tiny piece of entertainment just like you would - pay a tiny amount to enjoy a single hair wash!

From a career and professional perspective, for the first time, rather than working for an FMCG Company -- you can create one!!

Alok blogs at http://rodinhood.com