How Indian social fabric is shaping the Indian advertising world

During my college days, the one over repeated cliché line which bored me to death was -“Indian  society is in transitional stage – moving from community based to individual based society”.

 Well, what amazes me is the far reaching manifestation of this social fact in my own advertising world now. Its eye opening to see how even the advertising art takes its inspiration from the larger societal changes.

 The rise in urban population and its distinct personality has given advertising role models like Lalita ji, symbolizing the smart shrimati ji / well informed urban housewife. The metro buying power has been such a corner stone in rise of advertising graph that advertising community has felicitated the metro population with a new title called Metrosexual.

 A more recent demographic trend says, almost 2/3 of the Indian population is under 35yrs. This young generation is empowered by a new buying power by advent of BPOs. Where shrimati ji’s  were known for their prudent approach, this young population thrives on trial adventure, fast becoming the new advertising protagonist called tryusers.

 The tryusers  have typical pluralistic Indian personality. Since as Indians we have always tried keeping our old deeper values alive, they too are reluctant to give their soul to the foreign influence. Hence they are equally comfortable with McDonald and Haldiram. It is this dual personality of Indian consumer which makes the task of advertisers much more tricky and environment much richer.

 Another trend which adds to this richness is the new evolved definition of reality is our communication. Reality is no more tabooed, it is accepted and discussed. This trend is much responsible for awakening the consumers and bringing some award winning public utility campaigns on anti-smoking and HIV fight.

 To have a better connect with this awakened consumer even corporate have added a dimension in their company policy i.e. Corporate Social Responsibility. Though many rationales can be given for this move –like corporates adopting  empathy route after burnings fingers in price war, tax saving tactics, what can not be denied is that this move certainly gives opportunity to consumer to participate in the communication,  as advertising addresses issues of much larger importance. One shinning example of this trend is ‘Jaago Re’ (wake up) campaign of Tata Tea.

 Another facet of this new openness is the launch of Page3 platform. And when such platforms can raise the status of Rakhi Sawant to an iconic Indian female, our much sober consumers can surely be given some formal platforms to voice their opinion. Taking this heed our legal system empowers them with consumer rights  and advertising world offers those blogs, internet communities (my space, orkut )and  SMS polls etc.

 Though these changes can be described by terms like audience fragmentation, market segmentation and other specialist approaches, the single vector for change remains, the CONSUMER.

 Today’s consumer is no more looking only for functional benefits in brands, he is looking for his personality match in them. It is not about what a brand can do for them..it is about what it says about them. Hence advertising has to break traditional branding rules which limit branding to market space and enter consumer’s societal as well as life space to convince him of the right brand connect.

 

This close relation between consumer and a brand can be best seen in some lifestyle brands where popular statement is ..I am the brand I use. Establishing  the  the fact that today’s evolved consumer is a product of the larger progressing social trend.

 

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About the Author

Hello Readers

I am an Indian advertising and marketing professional. I believe that ‘storytelling’ has always been an ART but in todays parlance it takes much more important rolem as it is not so much the content but the style of storytelling which relates to today’s different  and complex groups of consumers.

Hope you enjoy my kind of storytelling. Thanks

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