Page 28 - BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2015

Part1 | Introduction-KeyThemes
Key Themes: Tradition
The Indian respect for the past makes progress slower, but more sustainable
ffBrand success requires getting the balance right
As India contends with all the pressures of any other fast growing market trying to rapidly build an economy, increase wealth and expand the middle class, it also faces a distinctive challenge – accomplishing all this while remaining fundamentally Indian.
This desire to live vibrantly in the present while respecting the foundational
values and traditions of a 5,000-year- old civilization touches Indian men and women of all ages, regions, and religions – and the government itself.
This duality means, for example, that consumers want the latest and also the most traditional fashions; and that the new cities the government builds in rural India will feature modern high rises and shopping malls, but also temples and mosques.
Like anywhere else, tradition in India can be cumbersome, ritualistic, impractical and inconvenient. Indians respect and protect tradition, however, because it’s
a critical aspect of their personal and national identities.
Progress can be slow, but it’s more likely to be sustainable. It’s not built over a fault line between past and future, but
rather on a secure seam fused over time by heated and sometimes contentious debate.
Brand success in India requires acknowledging this tension between tradition and modernity and the challenges and opportunities it presents for developing relevant products and building close customer relationships.
EMPOWERMENT AND OPPORTUNITY
The tension between tradition and modernity is fluid. Recent consumer attitudes reflect greater empowerment and recognition of the primacy of the individual. Here are several examples:
Mind over matter: In the past, Indians valued mind over matter. Most of India’s religious traditions center on renouncing the physical world by exercising mental power. Today, substance and style coexist.
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