This is such an incredible piece, something I’ve been seeing themes of for a while as social media influences global culture. I’ve seen instagram posts on how Indian influencers now put on more of an American accent to gain more followers (sitting side by side with Deepika proudly being the voice of AI and reminding people they made fun of her for her strong South Indian accent).
The authenticity radar of Gen Z is so powerful, I’m so glad you touched on this. They can sniff out inauthenticity and gravitate towards brands that reflect who they are and their values, not what people “think” they should be or be doing.
Brands that speak to everyone speak to no one, and with the diversity of India and culture (and language) you can’t “speak to India” I love how you’ve dissected that here.
The authenticity radar of Gen Z is indeed very powerful, which is why the old marketing and branding playbook will see a shift, untold stories, and authenticity will take precedence over what is widely accepted and recognised.
India’s visual language is a system, not a style. What we show decides who feels seen. For example, many national campaigns use the same urban images and miss regional and local realities.
As a North-Easterner, I must admit that I have never, ever felt represented in the cultural zeitgeist of the perception of India or being an Indian so much so that it has been a default for us for a while. That is why, whenever any mass appealing marketing campaign attempts to capture 'Indian culture' I have learnt to not even expect even a mention of us living in the east. We know that 'Indian culture' basically means urban upper class central Indian culture.
But it is high time that brands change this approach and move beyond the stereotypes and not just to fulfil the diversity quota, but to actually represent pan India.
Your essay articulates something I’ve felt intuitively but never seen mapped so rigorously. failure isn’t aesthetic fatigue but a strategic refusal to commit to specificity. The contrast between brand-led “recognisable India” and creator-led lived India exposes how mass appeal has become a proxy for safety rather than relevance.
The data points, from Boston Consulting Group to UNICEF, don’t just support the argument; they indict the operating assumptions of Indian brand building, particularly the idea that universality creates aspiration.
The comparison to brands like Supreme makes the implication hard to ignore: influence moves outward from credibility, not inward from scale. They should spoken about this in my MBA class!!
This is such an incredible piece, something I’ve been seeing themes of for a while as social media influences global culture. I’ve seen instagram posts on how Indian influencers now put on more of an American accent to gain more followers (sitting side by side with Deepika proudly being the voice of AI and reminding people they made fun of her for her strong South Indian accent).
The authenticity radar of Gen Z is so powerful, I’m so glad you touched on this. They can sniff out inauthenticity and gravitate towards brands that reflect who they are and their values, not what people “think” they should be or be doing.
Brands that speak to everyone speak to no one, and with the diversity of India and culture (and language) you can’t “speak to India” I love how you’ve dissected that here.
Can’t wait to read more of your work 🎉
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment.
The authenticity radar of Gen Z is indeed very powerful, which is why the old marketing and branding playbook will see a shift, untold stories, and authenticity will take precedence over what is widely accepted and recognised.
India’s visual language is a system, not a style. What we show decides who feels seen. For example, many national campaigns use the same urban images and miss regional and local realities.
As a North-Easterner, I must admit that I have never, ever felt represented in the cultural zeitgeist of the perception of India or being an Indian so much so that it has been a default for us for a while. That is why, whenever any mass appealing marketing campaign attempts to capture 'Indian culture' I have learnt to not even expect even a mention of us living in the east. We know that 'Indian culture' basically means urban upper class central Indian culture.
But it is high time that brands change this approach and move beyond the stereotypes and not just to fulfil the diversity quota, but to actually represent pan India.
Your essay articulates something I’ve felt intuitively but never seen mapped so rigorously. failure isn’t aesthetic fatigue but a strategic refusal to commit to specificity. The contrast between brand-led “recognisable India” and creator-led lived India exposes how mass appeal has become a proxy for safety rather than relevance.
The data points, from Boston Consulting Group to UNICEF, don’t just support the argument; they indict the operating assumptions of Indian brand building, particularly the idea that universality creates aspiration.
The comparison to brands like Supreme makes the implication hard to ignore: influence moves outward from credibility, not inward from scale. They should spoken about this in my MBA class!!
Very good take! Building for someone is always more effective than a diluted, dated POV. Also loved the bit about not being extractive ✅
Thank you :)
I am glad you enjoyed the show essay. I am bullish on building for a niche authentically, without it being / feeling extractive.
I actually lol’d at the weaving imagery — since I am building a brand that works with weavers and fabric 😅 but aiming to build real relationships
Haha! There are fun and contemporary ways to creative direct those too, excited to see what you build :)
You should tag the Visakhapatnam creator!