Indian Cultural Values in Advertising: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Culture significantly shapes individuals' daily lives by influencing the consumption decision. This, in turn, affects the communication strategies of brand marketing. In order to grab consumer attention, brand marketers usually incorporate various cultural elements of their target audience. This paper focuses on understanding how Indian culture is integrated into advertising practices. However, very few works are available in the public domain addressing this subject matter. This scarcity limits the understanding of how cultural elements can be used effectively in brand communication strategies and potentially limits marketers' ability to connect with target audiences effectively. Consequently, this study reviewed only eighteen research works focussed on the use of cultural values in advertisements. Besides, most studies focus on television commercials only. Cross-cultural studies using Indian culture as one of the cultural resources have also been observed in this regard. Additionally, content analysis is a major method that is employed to understand how culture-related aspects are used in advertisements. In addition to that, there has been no standard definition for culture and values so far as shown by this study. Similarly, a model based on Indian cultural values has not yet been established either. In extant literature, this study examines various aspects of the cultural content in advertisements and identifies possible areas for further investigation, such as exploring diverse cultural elements like language, symbols, customs, and rituals. Additionally, research should focus on newer media forms, such as digital and influencer marketing, and the integration of culture to address gaps in modern marketing communication.