Festive spikes push influencer marketing’s share in our media mix: Milkmaid’s Manav Sahni

Desserts are central to Indian celebrations. From the modaks made for Ganesh Chaturthi to the elaborate sweets during Diwali and the delicate rasgullas that mark Durga Puja, every festival in India finds its expression through sugar, ghee, and the artistry of home kitchens. For generations, recipes were treasured family secrets, passed down through whispered instructions from grandmother to daughter, handwritten notes yellowed with age, and the careful observation of practised hands at work.

Today, this cherished tradition has found a new home in the digital realm. Recipe discovery has transformed, and what once required years of apprenticeship in family kitchens now unfolds through Instagram reels, YouTube tutorials, and curated food blogs. The influencer marketing sector in India is forecasting a 25% growth in 2025, according to WPP Media’s report. Brands cite trust and credibility as the main reasons to engage with influencers, with the figure rising to 76% in FMCG. 

Yet through this generational shift in how culinary knowledge travels, one product has remained a constant in Indian dessert-making: Milkmaid.

With a 100-year legacy in the Indian market, Nestlé's Milkmaid has evolved from addressing pre-independence milk deficiency to becoming synonymous with the condensed milk category itself. This enduring presence has been shaped by the brand's ability to adapt its storytelling and distribution while maintaining its core promise of creamy desserts. Today, the brand has built a comprehensive ecosystem that spans from its website, which attracts over 8 million visits annually, to strategic partnerships with over 50 food creators and influencers who bring regional recipes and modern dessert innovations to life, says Manav Sahni, Head – Dairy Business, Nestlé India.

The advantage of influencer marketing in Milkmaid's media mix has become particularly pronounced during festive seasons. Sahni notes that, unlike traditional advertising that simply showcases the product, influencer collaborations highlight real-life usage contexts, driving both trial and trust among new users. FMCG brands are expected to ramp up their investments in influencer marketing, with 40-57% of companies projected to boost their influencer marketing budgets by 10% by 2026. For Milkmaid, this shift represents meeting consumers where authentic recipe discovery now happens.

Operating within India's dairy market, projected to grow from $146.80 billion in 2025 to $274.09 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.33%, Milkmaid's approach combines data-driven insights with cultural intuition. The brand leverages Google search trends, website traffic patterns, and regional consumption data to identify and promote the most sought-after desserts across different festivals and regions.

In this interview, Manav Sahni shares how Milkmaid is navigating the evolving media landscape while preserving its century-old cultural resonance. He delves into the strategic thought process behind the brand's campaigns, the role of quick commerce platforms in reaching younger demographics, and how the rise of digital-first communication is reshaping their media mix.

Edited Excerpts:

Milkmaid has graced Indian kitchens for over a century, evolving from its iconic tin can to the modern resealable pouch. Could you elaborate on the core principles that guide Nestlé in preserving Milkmaid's legacy and deep-rooted cultural resonance while simultaneously driving innovation to keep the brand relevant for the contemporary Indian consumer?

We believe in preserving the emotional and cultural relevance of our brands while bringing convenience in line with changing consumer expectations. Milkmaid, as a brand, has continuously evolved with the consumers to cater to their evolving needs. The brand came to India more than 100 years ago and helped with the milk deficiency that plagued us pre-independence. It evolved as a dessert ingredient as fresh milk became more widely available. The brand then transformed from a dessert ingredient to a dessert recipe ecosystem with a website and social media as key touchpoints for recipe education and driving relevance.

Its journey from the iconic tin packaging to the modern resealable pouch is rooted in tradition while embracing changing consumer needs. The launch of the Milkmaid Mini is a great example: it offers convenience, affordability, and re-sealability, while offering the same taste that the brand is known for.

Milkmaid's packaging over the years

In recent years, Milkmaid has significantly amplified its digital presence. Could you shed some light on your digital growth strategy, particularly how you leverage social media and online platforms to connect with a younger, more dynamic audience? Furthermore, which geographical markets and age groups are you focusing on most heavily?

Our digital strategy is anchored in building an omni-platform ecosystem that inspires and enables dessert-making, wherever our consumers are active. Our communication speaks predominantly to millennial mothers who are passionate about cooking and constantly seek inspiration from different sources. Recipe discovery and dissemination have grown exponentially in recent years, especially from online sources like website and social media.

Our website traffic has almost doubled year-on-year, reaching over 8 million visits, and an always-on presence with influencer-led outreach. 

Milkmaid's website

Social media has significantly boosted engagement metrics while helping us reach a younger audience.

Our digital-first approach has helped us deepen brand relevance and expand, especially in North, East, and West, focusing on towns with higher digital penetration.

Our consistent presence across Instagram, YouTube, and quick commerce platforms has ensured that we remain top-of-mind and easily accessible.

Your festive marketing campaigns are a cornerstone of Milkmaid's consumer connect. Could you walk us through the strategic thought process behind these campaigns? What are the key themes you focus on, and how do you tailor your communication to resonate with the diverse cultural fabric of India during these occasions?

Our festive campaigns are built on the insight that desserts are central to Indian celebrations. Using a data-driven approach, we leverage Google search trends, website traffic, and regional consumption data to identify the top desserts. These desserts are then featured across all consumer touchpoints, including trade, media, influencers, and activations, making Milkmaid an integral part of the celebration. The core theme, "Made Special with Milkmaid," is adapted across regions and languages to ensure cultural relevance and emotional resonance.

Beyond celebrity chefs, Milkmaid has a long history of collaborating with a wide array of food creators and influencers. How do you identify and nurture these partnerships? What is the role of this creator ecosystem in building trust and showcasing the versatility of Milkmaid beyond traditional sweets?

We work with a curated network of over 50 food creators and home chefs who bring the brand to life through regional recipes, festive treats, and modern desserts. Influencers are not just our partners but recipe co-creators. They help us build trust and showcase Milkmaid’s versatility—ranging from trending recipes like Vietnamese coffee to forever favourites like kheer and ice cream.

 

When you look at the different ways to reach your consumer, what specific role does influencer marketing play that other channels can't? And based on the impact you've seen, how is its share of your marketing resources evolving? Could you share how much budget is allocated to all the channels in the media mix?

Influencer marketing allows us to demonstrate product usage in real-life contexts—something traditional media can’t replicate. It’s especially effective in driving trials and building relevance amongst new users.

As a result, its share in our media mix has grown significantly, with dedicated budgets for creator-led campaigns, especially during festive peaks and seasonal spikes like summer vacations.

Milkmaid has achieved a feat in brand building, where the brand itself has become synonymous with the category of condensed milk. In your view, how crucial is this kind of deep-rooted brand building in creating a "legacy" brand? And as you look to the future, what is the role of storytelling in ensuring that Milkmaid's legacy continues to grow stronger for the next 100 years?

Milkmaid’s category synonymity is a testament to decades of consistent storytelling and strong brand love. Its legacy and love are built through consistent delivery on the promise of great taste, while evolving continuously with changing consumer needs and trends. As we look ahead, driving brand relevance through storytelling will continue to be our cornerstone – whether it is through communicating the taste benefit, regional dessert activation, or digital-first content that builds relevance with new-age consumers.

The Milkmaid website has evolved into a comprehensive food blog with a vast repository of recipes. How do you leverage this content hub to engage with your consumers? Is the goal to simply provide recipes, or is there a deeper strategy at play to foster a community and drive product usage?

Milkmaid.in is more than a recipe repository; it’s a part of an ecosystem that enables recipe discovery, education and conversion with over 150 curated recipes, shoppable links, creator content and live cook-alongs, it serves as an end-to-end discovery to conversion funnel. Our goal is to inspire, educate, and convert—turning cooking enthusiasts into consumers.

The rise of quick commerce has been a game-changer for the FMCG sector in India. What has been Milkmaid's experience with platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart? How do you approach marketing and brand visibility on these Q-com platforms, and how does it differ from traditional retail marketing?

Platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart have been game-changers for brands across the board. Similarly, for Milkmaid, these platforms are at the forefront of leading our conversation with younger consumer cohorts.

We’ve launched exclusive brand stores and are investing in homepage properties like brand banners and stories to drive awareness. We also have ‘shoppable’ recipe integrations to drive on-app visibility and conversion.

Q-com also allows us to speak to our consumers by occasion, time of day, and even weather—making our media more contextual and effective. Our investments in Q-commerce have seen a significant increase post the launch of Milkmaid Mini, leading to better penetration.

Looking at the broader industry, what are some of the key consumer trends in the dairy and home-baking segments that are currently inspiring Milkmaid's advertising and communication strategy? How do you see these trends evolving, and how is the brand poised to adapt?

Convenient cooking and global exploration are the rising trends that we have witnessed in the home baking segment. However, beyond these trends, taste has always been the decisive factor for consumers. Hence, our communication task remains to convey the brand’s signature taste as the reason to believe, while building quick and easy desserts and dessert solutions, and introducing new global desserts.

Milkmaid is also responding with innovations like the mini pack and similar exciting innovations in the pipeline to further facilitate and strengthen these trends.

From a business perspective, how has the first half of the year been for Nestlé's dairy business, and what are your key priorities and marketing goals for Milkmaid in the second half, especially with the festive season approaching? Could you give us a glimpse into your planned media mix and advertising budgets?

For Milkmaid, festivals are an important strategic pillar as consumers desire to make their festive meals special with desserts. The second half of the year is really important, especially with the festive season knocking on the door. We activate our media mix around regional festivals, highlighting usage in regional desserts while building on cultural nuances for every region.

Our goal is to continue driving relevance, and our new campaign highlights the signature taste of Milkmaid that elevates desserts, making them rich and creamy. Our media mix is more inclined towards digital, reflecting the changing influence of different channels on consumer conversion. 

What are some of your short-term and long-term marketing goals for the brand?

Our goal remains to build the condensed milk category in India by driving penetration and relevance so that more consumers are able to enjoy great-tasting desserts made at home.

 

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