Brands rewrite Gen Z playbook, double down on Instagram to win young consumers

New Delhi: Brands are expected to sharpen their focus on Gen Z consumers following recent developments, with companies across food and apparel increasing their engagement on social media, particularly Instagram. The renewed push comes even as the Bharatiya Janata Party released a new video targeting young Indians. Executives at three Gen Z-focused brands told ET they are stepping up marketing efforts aimed at this demographic.

"Given the explosion of interest on Instagram in the past few weeks, we are allocating at least 25% more ad and promotional spends on the platform compared to last month," one executive said.

On Wednesday, fashion brand Provogue announced a digital campaign featuring actor Fardeen Khan, aimed at Gen Z consumers. Earlier this week, KFC India marketing director Tamisha Sajnani said in a LinkedIn post that the brand had crossed one million followers on Instagram, thanking the Gen Z community "for rewarding authenticity and making KFC more KFC, every single day."

Sandeep Goyal, MD of advertising agency Rediffusion, said there has been a "tremendous spike" in brand promotions targeting Gen Z across social media platforms.

"Brands are stepping up visibility not just on Instagram but across social platforms. However, higher ad spends alone will not be enough. Content has to be relevant to drive engagement and stand out in a crowded digital space," he said.

Shivam Shahi, co-founder of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, said the company's Janpath outlet has seen sales rise 20% week-on-week after receiving appreciation from Gen Z users on Instagram for offering assistance during the protests in Delhi.

"But we are not supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party. We helped students in distress out of basic human decency," he said.

"Our policies have always been centred around helping those in need. Customers don't have to place an order to use our washrooms, first aid is always available, we replace coffee if someone doesn't like it, and customers can order one coffee and take two cups. That's who we are," he added.

Niharika Peri, owner and chef at Eatinn' Love Trattoria in Bengaluru, said Gen Z values authenticity over polish, participation over one-way messaging, and consistency over one-off campaigns. "They don't just buy products; they buy into stories and values they genuinely connect with," she said.

Peri added that Gen Z is no longer a future audience but is already influencing household purchases, dining choices and brand relevance, prompting companies across sectors to engage with the demographic more intentionally.

Shakti Banerjee, senior vice president and head of qualitative research at Hansa Research, said brands no longer view Gen Z merely as a consumer segment.

"They see them as people who shape culture. They may not always have the deepest pockets, but they influence what's trending, what's worth talking about and often even what the rest of the family ends up buying," she said.

Praanesh Bhuvaneswar, founder and CEO of influencer marketing platform Qoruz, said one of the most striking developments during the recent Gen Z protests was that several influencers paused brand collaborations to focus on the student movement.