ETBWS 2025: Brands, music and the new marketing frontier

Time of India

14-07-2025

Music has never been just a sound, it's a powerful cultural currency, and
Indian brands
are cashing in like never before. At ETBrandEquity's
Brand World Summit 2025
, marketing leaders unveiled the shift in
live entertainment
during an intriguing panel discussion. The statistics are nothing short of revolutionary - over 30 million Indians attended live events in 2024, a jaw-dropping three-fold increase from 2019. The live entertainment industry is set to explode, projected to surge from ₹12,000 crore to ₹23,000 crore by 2030.
This is a cultural metamorphosis reshaping how brands connect with audiences. The constellation of marketing leaders who decoded this phenomenon during the panel "Live Events Unleashed: What CMOs Make of Concert Crazy Indians" moderated by Anirban Chowdhury, senior assistant editor,The Economic Times revealed insights that are transforming the marketing landscape entirely.
Chandrika Jain, CMO, Lenovo India who sees technology as the heartbeat of culture. "Technology isn't just a tool; it's the very DNA of modern culture," she proclaimed during the discussion. Her 'Brave New Art' initiative has already captured 10 million organic views, proving that creativity knows no boundaries. Her most profound insight resonates throughout the industry: brands must breathe the culture they want to inhabit rather than merely observe it from the outside.
The approach taken by Shantanu Gangane, senior director- integrated marketing experience, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, demonstrates how brands can become cultural anthropologists. "We don't just support events; we create cultural moments that become generational memories," he explained to the assembled marketing leaders. Coca-Cola's Coke Studio isn't just a music platform - it's evolved into a cultural institution that has fundamentally redefined musical collaboration in India, bridging generations and musical traditions.
Vineet Sharma, VP marketing , AB InBev, views live events through an entirely different lens - one that places fans at the absolute centre. "We're not selling a product; we're crafting experiences that become lifelong memories," he shared with the audience. Budweiser's strategy transcends traditional beer marketing; instead, the brand creates immersive narratives that resonate deeply with young India, from NBA collaborations to music festivals that become cultural touchstones.
Fashion intersects with this live entertainment revolution in fascinating ways, as Amit Kothari, head of marketing, H&M eloquently demonstrated. "Fashion is a language of self-expression," he noted during the panel discussion. For H&M, a concert isn't merely an event - it transforms into a runway of personal storytelling where brands become enablers of individual creativity, allowing people to express themselves with joy, positivity, and confidence.
Understanding Generation Z proves crucial to this transformation, as Akanksha Dalal, marketing director, Mountain Dew, PepsiCo, clearly articulated. "This generation doesn't just consume content; they want to be part of the narrative," she observed. This insight reveals why brands that don't evolve risk becoming cultural footnotes, as Gen Z demands authentic, immersive experiences rather than passive consumption.
What truly transforms these events from mere concerts to cultural phenomena is the alchemy of music, fashion, technology, and genuine human connection. Brands are no longer passive observers but active creators of experiences that resonate on multiple levels. These events have become platforms for self-expression, cultural exchange, and brand storytelling, where concerts serve as canvases for brands to paint their narratives.
Infrastructure remains a significant challenge as these experiences aim to go mainstream. The journey from niche to mass market requires breaking down multiple barriers, with accessibility becoming paramount for widespread adoption. However, the ROI paradigm has shifted fundamentally - success isn't measured in sales alone anymore but calculated in cultural capital, social media engagement, and brand perception. Metrics have become more nuanced, more human.
As India's live entertainment industry strikes its crescendo, brands are discovering that the sweetest melodies emerge when they become part of the symphony rather than merely conducting from the sidelines.