Materialism, television and social media – analysis of the transformation of post-colonial Indian market

Purpose This paper aims to, first, analyze the transformation of the Indian market by extending Sreekumar and Varman’s (2016) work on history of marketing in India into the post-colonial era; second, trace the emergence and adoption of various media technologies in the post-colonial Indian market; third, identify the evolving trends in marketing practices alongside the penetration of these media technologies in the market; and finally, argue the need for mindful adoption of marketing practices in the Indian market, rather than direct replication of Western practices. Design/methodology/approach The historical perspective on the post-colonial Indian market is done through extant literature review and analysis of marketing practices by iconic brands in the Indian market. Findings This research reveals that the adoption of Western marketing practices by brands in the Indian market has led to increasing materialistic consumption patterns among consumers. Furthermore, such practices in the social media technology era impose individualistic values in the Indian consumers, contrary to the cultural values of the country. Therefore, this research posits the need for mindful marketing practices to be adopted for the Indian market. Social implications This research shows warning signs of growing materialistic values among Indian consumers and the implications of marketing strategies on the society as a whole. Originality/value This study is a first of its kind in highlighting the transformation of the post-colonial Indian market by integrating actual marketing campaigns over this period with literature to present the various issues in the current state of the market.