While Brand Bharat has been bandied about for a while now, it is in 2024, with upcoming general national elections, an economy on the rise, and a media and advertising landscape being increasingly driven by small-town stories and regional narratives celebrating diversity, that the term has come into its own.
According to Statista, the retail market size in India was expected to amount to $1.7 trillion by 2026, up from $883 billion in 2020. With the country expected to become the third-largest economy in the world by the end of this decade, much of this rests on the back of a burgeoning population with disposable income, and an increasing appetite forfestivecampaigns.
However, brands have, for years, tried speaking the language of Bharat to appeal to all sections of audiences. “What changes is the context of today where there are multiple modes and dynamics for brands to look for before zeroing down on what works for them,” asserts Swati Nathani, Co- Founder and CBO, Team Pumpkin.
As for Rubeena Singh, Country Manager India and MENA at AnyMind Group, the era of one-size-fits-all marketing campaigns, predominantly tailored for urban metros, is being re-evaluated in favour of a more localized and culturally resonant approach.
“Central to this approach is the pivotal role of regional creators who create local language content, which transcends mere translation to create deeply resonant and impactful communication. These individuals are not merely content creators; they are cultural ambassadors who embody and articulate the local ethos, traditions, and consumer behaviours of their respective regions,” she says.
“We as a team have strongly been focusing on the power of regional content, which is created and not translated. We talk a lot about consumption mediums like YouTube, WhatsApp and Share Chat, which have a far more “Bharat” connection than other platforms. Lastly, we believe in telling the right stories which come from the hinterlands of India, which any Indian can resonate with,” Nathani added.
What with the concurrent rise of India’s digital public goods, including and especially,ONDCand its leveraging by small homegrown brands with big ambitions, and the ever-increasing focus onregional languagesand cultures, everyone from local politicians to global conglomerates is reaching out to every nook and cranny of the world’s largest free(ish) market and most populous nation, hoping to forge connections and relationships with over a billion consumers, transactional or otherwise.
Leveraging popular video platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube is key to this strategy. These platforms offer advanced targeting capabilities, a great mix of creators across genres and styles, and are adept at delivering content that is linguistically and culturally tailored to diverse Indian audiences.
Advit Sahdev, Digital Marketing and Performance Marketing, says every brand communicates at logical, emotional and aspirational levels. “Aspiration is what brings in pride. Pride is one of the strongest emotions that makes a customer choose and be loyal to a brand, and that is the genesis of Brand Bharat. Brand Bharat seeks to induce in its users a feeling of pride akin to the iconic instance of Apple encompassing the feeling of pride. Businesses, multinational corporations (MNCs), and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands have taken notice of this universal emotional bond and want to align themselves with this sentiment.”
Touching on the recent campaign around Ram Mandir and the focused attention on Ayodhya, its environs and the opportunities they provide, Pawan Sarda - Chief Growth Officer, The House of Abhinandan Lodha, which launched a mega project on the day of the temple’s opening, says he feels a strong sense of pride in India these days, visible everywhere from content to brands.
“Brands should tap into the essence of Bharat, not just in small towns but also in big cities. Let's create and capitalize on our own pride, similar to how America sells the American dream. Our current project launch was for Ayodhya. It didn’t receive a response just from smaller cities but it gathered interest across India and NRI. That’s the appeal Bharat carries today,” adds Sarda.
Shrenik Gandhi, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, White Rivers Media, also believes in India's rising position as a global marketplace, its vibrant heritage, and how the multi-cultural tapestry and burgeoning economy offer a unique opportunity to brands. “Government initiatives like #VocalForLocal are propelling rural artisans from obscurity to the global stage, transforming them from village heroes to international superstars.”
Sucharita Ghosh, VP Marketing at SUTA, adds this Brand Bharat narrative inherently acknowledges the tremendous diversity and potential of non-urban Indian consumers. “It recognises that these consumers are becoming much more conscious; their mindset is evolving very rapidly and this opens up several new avenues for Indian brands, big and small. At Suta, we’re increasingly tapping into these audiences with regional advertising as well as our Suta Bazaar exhibitions.”
“To truly maximize their presence, brands need to act fast, offer competitive deals, target their marketing on social and ONDC platforms, and deliver exceptional customer service. Success here hinges on authenticity and a commitment to quality. ‘Made in India’ is a starting point, not a finish line. It's about building trust, delivering on promises, and exceeding expectations,” notes Gandhi.
