A new tension for a new India Part 1

Inter-generational conflict and what brands are doing about it

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In last week’s edition, I had mentioned that in my experience, post Y2K, every category benefit could be rooted in the tension of under confidence.

Today’s India has a new tension, and it lives in every home.

Inter-generational conflict.

This emanates from the structure of our population.

Here’s how.

Each generation is a heavy weight - if not numerically, then financially

Numerical weight: our population size puts substantial numerical weight behind multiple generations, rubbing shoulders and chafing against each other.

This chart shows us age dispersion in India in 2025.

• 2 generations, <30years, weigh 50% of our population mass (Alpha and GenZ)

• 4 generations co-exist at the workplace and weigh 75% (Boomers to Gen Z)

• Most households contains 2 to 3 generations at the very least. (We are a small household, yet we are a generational triad. I am GenX, dad and mom belong to the Silent and Boomer weight class respectively).

• Extended families contain all 6, or at the very least, 5.

Economic weight: even though Silent, Boomers, and GenX are 27% by numerical weight, they pull relatively more weight economically.

Here is an All India estimate of Households, Population and Income by Age of Chief Earner by the NSHIE (National Survey of HH Income and Expenditure) survey.

Even without data, we know this to be true, since these generations have been working the longest, they earn more and have also, saved and invested more.

This gives rise to 5 rich, inter-generational tension spaces. I share some interesting brand moves to make these spaces more real. I also share 2 spaces that, in my opinion, remain under leveraged.

5 inter-generational tension spaces

1. India is changing, food is changing, but kitchens are still run in archaic ways.

   1. Why is non-veg, hence non-veg eaters ‘impure’?

   2. Why do mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law not get along?

   3. Why should only women cook?

2. Today’s youth need new life skills for tomorrow

3. Child is the father of man

   1. Youth may surprise you with their wisdom

   2. New brands for a new time

4. Silent and Boomers habitually postpone gratification. What about GenZ?

5. Therefore, Gen X gets stuck-in-the-middle

We will cover the first 2 today, and the rest, next week.

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Tension #1 India is changing, food is changing, but kitchens are still run in archaic ways.

A kitchen is the heartbeat of any house.

Different generations run kitchens in different ways. This leads to snack-sized nitpicks and meal-sized wars. Often daily.

Since I have marketed food brands since 2007, I have seen this tension up close.

Here are some kitchen behaviours at the two ends of the generation spectrum:-

Keeping different utensils for the help vs. a democratic kitchen

Buying fresh vegetables or fish daily vs. last minute ordering through quick commerce

Buying fresh vs. buying organic

Home cooked meals only vs. frequent eating out

Desi ghee and home made food is wholesome vs. counting macros and gulping supplements

1.1 Why is non-veg, hence non-veg eaters ‘impure’?

This takes the deeply entrenched notion of ‘impurity’ associated with non-vegetarian food head-on.

A perfect example of a brand leading culture.

I just wish this had been done by a brand with more weight.

1.2 Why do mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law not get along?

I have watched this so many times, what a surprising twist in an age-old inter-generational rivalry!

Let me not say more, or I’ll spoil it for you.

Again, my lament is that I wish a brand with more cultural influence could have done this.

1.3 Why should only women cook?

I am proud to have been part of this campaign.

It tackles the notion that cooking is exclusively a woman’s work.

Tension #2 Today’s youth need new life skills for tomorrow

We often under estimate youngsters.

They are lazy, irresponsible, and they lack life skills.

I share two more brand moves that I have played a role in.

2.1 Cooking is a life skill

The first one by Maggi readies a teenager to learn the life skill of cooking. In a world where more singles are expected to live alone, cooking has joined the life skills club.

2.2 Don’t underestimate the youth

On the other hand, youth can surprise us with stuff we didn’t know they know.

It’s no surprise to me that all these tackled kitchen tensions. Next week, we will enter other areas of life.

Are there brand moves you’ve seen in these spaces that I’ve missed?

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week!

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