Walter Landour, the legendary brand designer once said, "Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind”. This holds true for India’s vast and ever-evolving alco-bev sector where the regulations, culture and distribution weave a tapestry as diverse as the nation itself. Most global markets rely on national uniform marketing for spirits unlike India where the alco-bev market operates like 29-micromarkets with each state pertaining to its own culture, rules, palate and identity. For marketers, this opens the possibility to experiment and execute.

The puzzle of fragmentation

India’s alco-bev industry is fragmented in three broad areas:

• Regulatory complexity: In India, alcohol is an individual state subject. Everything from pricing to taxation to advertising regulations vary significantly. Marketing ideas that work in Maharashtra would not even be feasible in Tamil Nadu. So marketers have to be hyper-localistic, and may even create different market entries for the same thing.

• Cultural preferences: India’s drinking culture is not homogeneous; a wine-curious Maharashtra is very different from a beer-friendly state like Goa. Even within the same categories, the taste profile is different: the urban millennial in Bengaluru is not drinking the same thing as a person in Uttar Pradesh.

• Distribution complicates: the alco-bev supply chain is a monster of its own, often monopolized by state corporations, and distribution bottlenecks ultimately dictate whether a brand will thrive or disappear in the region. Just as important as aspiration, access is itself very important.

So what does this mean? In our country, we cannot construct our marketing to one nation-wide narrative. Building a brand is how dipping into a national narrative may work within the bounds of regional narrative.

Building cohesion in chaos

So how can marketers build a cohesive brand identity in a fragmented environment? The answer is to find the 'big idea' that transcends borders and also brings in the threads of local storytelling.

For example, while successful alco-bev brands operate in India, they tend to anchor themselves to universal values across their portfolios, whether it be celebration, freedom, togetherness, or discovery. These ideas are timeless, but their expression must adapt. A brand campaign in the Northeast may tie into community and music, while in Punjab the narrative may shift toward lifestyle associations through permissible avenues like events or merchandise. This is not dilution; it is customization. Cohesion is achieved when the core narrative remains intact, even as its accents shift across markets.

The power of audience archetypes

Defining the target audience is another pillar in alco-bev marketing. In India, it is no longer enough to think in terms of age or income alone, but in psychographic archetypes:

The urban explorer who loves new flavours, global experiences, and cool places to hang out.

The community celebrator who uses alcohol as a social glue at weddings, festivals, or other community occasions.

The value seeker who aspires for more but wants affordability too and accounts for the demand in price-sensitive markets.

Each archetype requires nuance in awareness campaign execution. Urban explorers may get excited about a digital-first campaign that pushes global culture references, while community celebrators may connect with cricket tie-ins or regional music festivals. Building your campaigns directly to rationally connect with those ideas builds affinity over time.

Lessons from outside 

History presents marketers with interesting parallels. Coca-Cola achieved global success not by enforcing a standard experience, but by making itself feel local whenever it engaged with consumers. Sports sponsorship in Latin America, or a special package that embraced the Lunar New Year for Chinese consumers, showed Coca-Cola's ability to "leverage a global idea with a local flavour."

The same ideology exists in India's alco-bev industry: think national, act regional. A brand identity must be strong enough to be visible across the nation, while still adjusting well to local expectations.

Strategies for a resounding identity

Marketers navigating this complex space can rely on a few clear strategies:

• Cultural immersion: Invest in on-ground insights. Understanding local festivals, music, and even food pairings can inform activations that feel authentic, not parachuted in.

• Experiential marketing: With direct advertising restricted, experiences become the canvas. Curated events, music collaborations, and sports partnerships allow brands to create cultural capital beyond the product itself.

• Consistency in visual identity: Even when the message flexes regionally, consistency in design, tone, and brand symbols builds recall. Think of it as different languages spoken with the same accent.

Beyond fragmentation, towards resonance

India’s alco-bev marketers face a paradox: fragmentation is their greatest challenge, but also their richest opportunity. Each state, culture, and channel provides a canvas for storytelling, experimentation, and innovation. A brand that can balance national consistency with regional authenticity will eventually not just survive in the ecosystem but thrive in it.

Making a brand identity in India’s alco-bev market is less about imposing a single image and more about orchestrating a symphony where each note plays differently but together creates a resonant and unforgettable harmony.

Gaurav Sehgal, VP - marketing, Medusa Beverages.