The Brand Conscious
Generation in India

chillibreeze writer — Kartik S

Coming back to ‘Swades’ after an eon is always a pleasurable experience for Non Resident Indians (NRIs). Visiting India is much deserved break for many NRIs a. It is usually the time to revisit your family and friends, relive a lot of bygone memories, and also indulge in an inevitable exchange about ‘How much India has changed’ in the past few years.

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Interestingly this is the first question posed to me by many living abroad, even before we exchange pleasantries. Many who come back to an “India shining’ are in for quite a surprise.

Bustling crowd everywhere, teeming malls, sprawling apartment complexes, swank restaurants and avant-garde cars are the most common observation made by many.

What strikes me so much is the rise of consumerism in India, the madness behind the fad, the love for brands. My intention, before I proceed, is not to classify the changes into ‘good’ and ‘bad’, because, I do not believe any modernity is absolute in goodness or badness. I am not advocating a Swadesi movement here, nor am I a Marx’s student. I am as much for globalization and breaking of barriers for its obvious benefits. Having said that, I still find it amusing and a tad perplexing that consumerism has risen to dizzying levels in India. It is more of an espoused set of observations, which would match with many visiting home after a long time.

My 14 year old cousin quizzes me about smart phones and goes gaga over the Nokia N95, and dreams of an IPhone. My younger cousin fancies luxury goods from Prada and Louis Vuitton, and would not go out without a layer of L’Oreal or Christian Dior cosmetics. My college friend is vexed with his not so cool Maruti Alto, and wants to ramp up - he would kill for a Volkswagen, but will probably settle for a Honda city. It does not stop here. It somehow gives me a feeling that people have allowed ‘consumerism’ too much inside their personal lives.

Hailing from the Marketing/Branding industry, I find it fascinating that India is a paradise for the dream merchants, as we Indians are die hard brand fanatics. One may question me by saying that most of the brands originate in US/UK/Italy, and it is just a trend which is catching up here.

I think it has more than caught up. It is not really a recent phenomenon, but has been on a high over the past few years, with the Indian bourgeoisies not content with budget brands. They aim high, and do manage to reach there, with the fat salaries in vogue nowadays.

I find my lifestyle in US a bit more sober and relaxing, of course there is a huge section who are brand evangelists, who form the hoi polloi of the society, yet again, there is also a big sect which does not bother too much about where you dine, what brand of ‘soda’ quenches your thirst, or that you are a passé if you do not have a iPod. There is a considerable segment which claims to be retro, and brand rebels. They break conventions. I would not think twice before entering a Taco bell or a McDonalds for a quick bite, but here I may be forced to think of where to go to satiate my hunger. Even if I do not care, people around me care.

I do not claim that I am not materialistic or a non conformist. But I do not see myself and many others abroad, who spend hours thinking ‘How cool is an A/X, or will I be the cynosure of all eyes wearing a Versace?’

Steve Jobs would rock the board meeting in his faded Gap denim that people may have scorned initially, but that would not make him any lesser an icon. He is a rockstar in his own right. It is heartening to see some examples in N.R Narayanmurthy and co, but still the examples are far and few between.

I love it too, being a brand evangelist myself, it seems that my Market should be in here, where people are more brand loyal. That also explains the demand for a lot of ‘fakes’ and duplicate goods. You would see a ‘Nike’ and ‘Reebok’ abound everywhere in the markets.

These are interesting times in the booming India, I just hope the ‘substance’ is not lost to the mad world of consumerism. Otherwise, it is fine, splurge on the Hershey’s and drool over your friend’s hip Tag Heuer adorning his wrist.

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—About our writer:

Kartik says, "To build differentiated brands relevant to our society and using creativity in communicating their attributes is one of my goals. I have been trying my best to push myself further-closer to this goal. My interests in writing are mostly sporadic and constantly border on socio-economic issues, culture and business. Love travelling and nature, most of my best trips have been outdoor-far away from the madding crowd!"