Creator-led content culture is getting hyperlocal. From broader topics like how Delhiites talk to how South v/s East Delhi talks, it is now as niche as how Rohini people behave, how Tilak Nagar operates, or how people in Geeta Colony speak. This hyperlocalization isn’t merely a response to user demand but rather a manifestation of human understanding, one which reflects that the closer you are to people, the more they relate to you.
It is said that in India, language changes every 15-20 kilometres. But do you know what also changes every 20 kilometres? Cultures, subcultures, and traditions.
Let’s define this change though. It is very similar to the concept of rotation and revolution. Culture by itself doesn’t change for a long period – it rotates on its own axis. However, as you move – from one place to another, from one situation to another, from one context to another – it moves and shifts shape a little more rapidly, almost like a revolution.
For instance, the culture of Delhi as a place or say the culture of Punjabis as a community won’t change easily. But the moment you move from one place in Delhi to another, or one Punjabi family to another, you’ll notice sub-cultural differences.
What Happens When a Culture Moves Beyond Its Axis?
In a world, where cultures like rotating on their own axes, there often come small nudges that force a culture to move ahead on its axis. This is what is known as cultural shift. Anthropologists, cultural enthusiasts, researchers, marketers – everyone often keeps their eyes peeled out to detect this change so they can understand context, communities, and geographies better.
But as we all know, moving ahead on an axis – be it for a planet, a person, or a culture – is never sudden and is almost always big in impact. Seemingly big shifts are results of countless small moments, imbibed over long periods that make the change feel bigger in impact.
In the 21st Century, however, these changes are happening faster. With digital consumption, opinions are no longer personal, experiences are no longer individualistic – even getting ready is a shared experience. When everything is out for consumption, it is obvious that culture will be impacted – positively or negatively.
Also read: Firing Your Consumers Brain – Insights into Consumers
Who Moved My Culture?
Seriously, who did or does move culture? Are they influencers? Celebrities? Politicians? Brands?
The answer is not in who, but how. Simply put, when a trend picks up pace much beyond a seasonal phenomenon and gets embedded into emotional, internal, and belief-led systems – that’s when it becomes part of a culture and makes for a cultural shift. Let’s look at some examples to identify it.
Movement-Led Shift: Women Representation in FMCG Ads
Gender roles and equality for the past three decades have been an evolving movement. There have been bills, laws, forums, conversations, and big social media rallies demanding rightful roles, authorities, and responsibilities for women.
But how did this movement manifest itself into a cultural shift? When marketers started noticing that it was time to normalise the women in male-led roles so that our ethos are aligned with the cultural shift of gender roles.
Saffola Oil which has a market share of 81% in the super premium edible oil segment, and has been standing as a market leader for 30 years now is one such marquee brand to identify and implement this shift.
Taking care of the family’s (and husband’s) heart was always the job of the woman as she handled the kitchen and nutrition. Reference the two ads below 9 and 5 years ago respectively highlighting the same sentiment – the woman worrying for her husband’s health because he is more prone to stress due to possibly his job.
But fast forward to three years ago, Saffola changed the game. In a very apparent and welcoming move, it showed the wife in a stressful job, ignoring her health while the husband took charge of kitchen and nutrition. Because cultural change demanded that women can be breadwinners, just as men can be homemakers!
Pop Culture-Led Shift: Music for Reels, Not for Feels
In the years of COVID-19(from 2020 to 2022 especially), a digital disruption brewed. Short-form content changed the way our attention spans and consumption habits functioned. Soon, there was a formula for the success of this short-form content. Entertainment – in its crudest form – backed by dancing, songs, and what the kids are calling – transitions.
If someone remembers the wee late months of 2020-21, “Main tera” from the movie Kalank became an overnight hit because it allowed short-form edits to be made on your favourite couple. This was possibly the first music to become a hit much after its release, thanks to TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.
Post that, it was all about how a song can be made which has the potential to break the internet and induce user-generated content. Mixes, mash-ups, and “transition music” started gaining popularity as composers, mixers, and singers tried to dish out Reel hits.
A huge outrage also occurred when Bollywood movie songs started converting popular reel music into album songs – just for the sake of views and traction. “Manike Mage Hithe” – a Sri Lankan Sinhala-language song by Yohani, Satheeshan Rathnayaka and Chamath Sangeeth – was re-released as “Manike” by Hindi film ‘Thank God’ and received huge outcry.
An example of this is Dekha Ek Khwaab X O Meri Laila (feat. Public Music India) – a mix of two old songs done only to enable swift transitions.
Why Are We Even Dissecting Culture?
Because it controls almost every aspect of your life – from what you like, how you dress up, what you think, and what you buy.
For brands especially, it is very important to identify what cultural shifts your target group is experiencing and adapt to them- lest you are stuck rotating on an axis which has moved far ahead by revolutionising itself.
