Cultural values and branding in an emerging market: the Indian context

Abstract

India is undergoing unique changes in its marketing context. These changes are so unique and profound that the brand strategies practiced in developing markets would require a significant adaptation to the Indian context. Cultural considerations are central to any brand’s strategy that connects consumers with the brand’s proposition. They also add tremendous value to the functional orientation of a brand. The combination of cultural value with functional utility is a powerful strategy adopted by a few successful brands in the recent times. Besides, cultural nuances of the country require a proper balance of emerging western values and strongly entrenched Indian values. This study probes into specific Indian values drawn from literature, uses them to analyze how appropriate they are to consumers belonging to two socioeconomic classes in three categories of products close to the cultural moorings of Indians – tea, hair oil and fairness creams. The idea behind the analysis of values stems out of the fact that values are enduring since they are not tied to anything specific, and instead manifest themselves in many nuances of behavior, including choice and purchase preference. The results of the respondents are compared with the authors’ perception of how the advertisements in the respective categories reflect the values found significant among the respondents. The practical implications of such a study range from adopting Indian cultural cues to advertisements, to combining a unique mix of Indian cultural values to a brand in a specific category. A study of this kind will enable readers to understand the underpinnings of cultural dimensions and their linkages with the mindset of consumers.