Familiar brands win on Q-comm, says WPP Media’s Sairam Ranganathan

The rise of quick commerce may be changing how Indians shop, but it is not necessarily levelling the playing field for newer brands. Instead, familiarity and awareness continue to drive conversions, according to Sairam Ranganathan, head of commerce at WPP Media.

Speaking on the sidelines of This Year Next Year report launch, Ranganathan said that urgency led shopping often pushes consumers towards brands that are already top of mind, making brand building outside the platform critical.

“When you want to buy something, you will go for a brand that is top of mind for you,” he said, adding that awareness built through television, digital or other channels ultimately influences what shoppers pick when browsing on quick commerce apps.

Awareness remains the biggest advantage

Quick commerce platforms are often seen as discovery engines for emerging brands. However, Ranganathan believes the reality is more complex. Consumers searching within apps either type specific brand names or browse by category, and in both cases, familiarity plays a decisive role.

According to him, brands that dominate modern trade and general trade tend to replicate that dominance on quick commerce platforms as well. This creates a structural disadvantage for lesser-known players who rely solely on performance marketing within apps without investing in broader brand building.

“It is very important to build brand awareness, especially in the context like quick commerce where you are coming in and typing either by using the brand name or by the category,” he said. 

While viral stories of last-minute festive orders often shape public perception, Ranganathan said brands across categories see value in advertising on quick commerce because of the high intent nature of the environment. “The reason why brands want to be present in quick commerce is because it is that moment where their presence can help them to get converted to a sale,” he said. 

He noted that visibility during search results, both through organic ranking and paid placements, is becoming critical. Even categories traditionally associated with planned purchases, such as staples or household essentials, are exploring quick commerce as a conversion channel rather than treating it purely as an impulse driven platform.

Convenience drives growth, but ecosystem built the foundation

Ranganathan attributed the overall growth of quick commerce to a broader digital ecosystem that has matured over the past decade. He pointed to the rise of low-cost internet enabled handsets, widespread smartphone adoption and UPI driven payments as key enablers that built consumer confidence in e-commerce even before quick commerce scaled up. 

The core differentiator of quick commerce, however, lies in its ability to solve immediate needs. Whether it is a forgotten grocery item or a last-minute requirement at home, speed and convenience have created new use cases for shoppers. Discounts and the ability to browse products much like walking through store aisles have further accelerated adoption.

Despite the momentum, he acknowledged that the model is still largely concentrated in a handful of urban centres. Expansion into new cities and the planned growth of dark store infrastructure are expected to drive the next phase of scale.

On the government’s move to discourage explicit ten-minute delivery claims, Ranganathan said the impact has largely been limited to communication rather than business performance. 

“I do not think it has resulted in any change. It is more a marketing and communication thing,” he said, adding that platforms continue to advertise while consumers continue to shop on these services. 

Photo by Rowan Freeman on Unsplash