It is hard to find growth. Over the last three years, around 40 to 45 out of every 100 Indian brands have grown their CRPs. More than three quarters (79%) of these grew as a result of increasing their buyer base. This is powerful evidence that penetration remains the strongest driver of a brand’s growth.
Brands that have grown their penetration have also managed to rise higher up the Brand Footprint ranking in 75% of cases. Surf XL is this year’s highest penetration gainer, and as a result has made its way into the Top 5 most chosen brands in India. It was another blockbuster year for snack manufacturers, as Haldiram’s, Oreo, Kurkure, and Balaji all jumped at least a couple of positions upwards, due to their penetration growth of more than 2%.
In the bottled soft drinks category, which too had a strong 2024, brands including Sprite, Maaza, and Thums Up rose in the ranking, all achieving a penetration gain of over 2%.
Though brands of Indian origin dominate the Top 10 list of penetration winners, six of the 10 are internationally owned. A focus on expanding penetration, therefore, is still – and will remain – the most important driver behind motivating a shopper to choose a brand. That could come through increasing cross-category presence, entering new markets, or conquering white spaces, for instance.
