Marketing to a lonely planet

Time of India

20 hours ago

Remember, Airtel's
'har ek friend zaroori hota hai'
. Or Bagpiper's 'jab mil baithenge teen yaar…' that celebrated the unbreakable bonds of
friendship
.
Once considered an impregnable fortress, that castle called friendship is under threat as a "friendship recession" hits the world. In an increasingly interconnected world, a silent epidemic is taking root, threatening the very fabric of human well-being; a profound decline in close personal relationships.
A recently released report by
Rediffusion Consumer Lab
shed light on this global phenomenon, revealing a stark reality that extends from bustling American cities to communities across India and beyond.
The data paints a concerning picture. In the United States, the percentage of adults reporting no close friends has quadrupled since 1990, now standing at a striking 12 per cent. Even more dramatically, the time Americans dedicate to friendships has plummeted from a weekly average of 6.5 hours between 2003-2014, to a mere 2.75 hours by 2021. This isn't an isolated American trend. The report emphasises it as a widespread global issue affecting both developed and developing nations.
The causes of this decline are multifaceted, woven into the fabric of modern life. Urban sprawl, the rise of remote work, and the shrinking of public spaces where casual interactions once thrived, all contribute to this downfall. Perhaps most notably, the seductive convenience of digital communication and the pervasive influence of social media platforms like doomscrolling on Instagram and TikTok play a significant role too.
While these platforms offer an illusion of widespread connection, the report suggests they often foster "shallow" ties rather than the deep, intimate bonds essential for human flourishing. Only a small percentage of close friendships are formed purely online, indicating that virtual connections rarely replace the quality of face-to-face interactions.
Santosh Desai, chief executive officer of
Futurebrands
and founder of Think 9 Consumer Technologies says, 'Friendship has become more complex. There is a certain expectation that you have from friends, and when you mix these two things –friendship which has a dynamic of its own and then the social media where that friendship gets presented– it complicates things because it introduces an element, which for the lack of a better word can be called, political, where you have to figure out what does that person think about me.'
Desai adds that this is the reason why one often finds a lot of young people using therapy speak, like 'red flag', 'toxic' and so on.
The result: friendship from being a place that was simple and uncomplicated is now a complex web, to put it mildly.
'There was a time, where one could be themselves, let their head down and was a counter point to the complexity of adult society where you are expected to play roles. That is no longer as easy,' Desai sums it up.
Given this backdrop, would an ad like Airtel's Har Ek Friend work in today's context?
Airtel Har Friend Zaroori Hai, Yaar
Veteran creative director
Agnello Dias
, who was associated with the creation of the Airtel ad, more than 14 years ago, states, 'I'm not entirely sure if we are in an era of superficial relationships." He partly concedes that while the essence of friendships may be diluted, it continues to be relevant, "not necessarily because people like the ad, but because people continue to like their friends".
The
Rediffusion
Consumer Lab study, however states, this "friendship recession" is far more than a social statistic; it carries significant consequences for mental and physical health. Social scientist
Richard Reeves
starkly warns that "loneliness can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day," a comparison that underscores the severe health implications of lacking meaningful connections. The absence of close friends is linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and even a heightened risk of premature mortality, rivaling the dangers of smoking or obesity.
Sandeep Goyal
, managing director, Rediffusion, feels that this presents an opportunity for brands to foster community and engagement by leveraging closed communities or forums to encourage discussions and build a sense of belonging using social media effectively. 'One should encourage customers to share their experiences, promoting authenticity and social proof or use polls, Q&A sessions, or contests to engage audiences and stimulate conversations,' he says.
The report also delves into the nuances of friendship across genders and cultures. It highlights that while women often form friendships based on personal support and reciprocation, male friendships frequently revolve around shared activities and a sense of loyalty, often expressed less overtly emotionally. Cultural norms, particularly the collectivist nature of East Asian societies versus the individualism of Western Europe, also influence how friendships are formed and maintained, with some Asian countries showing higher rates of social isolation.
Desai argues. 'I would struggle to correlate that with the Indian reality. Friends are still a very important part of you. If you want to just look at the whole going-out phenomenon. The post Covid boom that happened in people going out hasn't abated. It's evident from the fact that we see so many new kinds of places opening and there is so much excitement happening in the out-of-home consumption space.'
Reversing this trend
As
Harvard
's Carolyn Bruckmann suggests, in the report, this reversal in relationships requires both structural and individual efforts. It calls for a conscious resistance to the forces that make solitude the default and a renewed commitment to nurturing genuine connections.
The report concludes with a powerful message: friendships are not a luxury but a fundamental necessity for happiness, health, and a sense of belonging. The challenge now is to reclaim the art of friendship, one intentional step at a time, to rebuild the bonds that truly sustain us.