India’s digital identity crisis: Why brands must act human again

New Delhi: India’s digital marketers gathered at the Indian Digital Brand Fest 2025 with one shared realisation: the country’s brands are losing their identity. In a marketplace overflowing with metrics, automation and short-term noise, speakers warned that the battle for attention has started to overshadow the need for authenticity.

The event opened with a discussion on the BANI world, short for brittle, anxious, nonlinear and incomprehensible. Brands, speakers argued, are reacting to change with panic rather than purpose. They have become obsessed with data points and dashboards, shaping campaigns to please algorithms while losing touch with the very people they are trying to influence. The solution, according to panellists, is straightforward. Brands must stay human, stay nimble and focus on creating experiences that resonate emotionally before they drive behaviour.

Gen Z emerged as the toughest critic and the clearest indication of what works and what does not. This cohort is decisive yet discerning, financially ambitious yet sceptical, and fiercely loyal to brands that respect their intelligence. They want products that feel worth it rather than cheap or gimmicky. They look for community, culture and a sense of belonging rather than fleeting trends. Their expectations go far beyond the transactional. They want brands to mirror their values and speak with honesty. Those that fail to do so risk irrelevance far sooner than they might expect.

The discussion about creativity versus metrics revealed a growing tension in the industry. Leaders argued that while performance data matters for accountability, an obsession with it can suffocate imagination. In India, where digital spending now rivals traditional advertising, campaigns are increasingly optimised for clicks, views and conversions rather than emotional connection. The danger is clear. Brands may become scientifically efficient, measurable and technically polished, but they also risk becoming forgettable. Loyalty is earned through relevance and trust, not only through retargeting and frequency caps.

Artificial intelligence dominated another panel. Speakers agreed that AI will reshape marketing, but also insisted that it cannot substitute for human judgment. Machines can sift data, detect patterns and accelerate execution. They cannot understand nuance, cultural tone or the emotional pulse of a society that is constantly evolving. Technology, they argued, should amplify creativity and insight rather than replace it. The human mind remains the most valuable instrument in marketing.

The day closed with a conversation on what growth means in the digital age. Scale and visibility are no longer the ultimate goals. Growth today demands depth over breadth, meaningful engagement over shallow reach and resonance over sheer recall. Mindspace has become the most valuable currency. Real human connection holds more power than any vanity metric. And the brands that build communities rather than merely audiences are the ones that will endure.

The message was unmistakable. India’s brands are at a turning point. They can continue to chase dashboards and optimise for short-term spikes, or they can reclaim the emotional depth and storytelling that once made marketing matter. The choices they make now will shape their credibility, cultural relevance and the loyalty of future consumers. In a world drowning in digital noise, brands that choose to act human again may be the ones that ultimately win hearts, minds and market share.