A man cracks a whip, and the lion jumps onto a stool. It then proceeds to do a lot of un-lion like things at the command of its handler. These scenes were quite common until a ban was enforced on the use of animals in circuses in 2017. Every cat parent knows that it is their kitty that draws the boundaries of their relationship. How can a human then exert this kind of power and influence over a dangerous predator? Lion taming involves many techniques ranging from the soft and subtle to those that are downright cruel. The word used to define the process of training a young horse to accept a rider and respond to basic commands is “breaking”. Humans learned a basic lesson some 5500 years ago – when you can break the spirit of an animal, physically much stronger than you and make it dependent on you, then you can make it do your bidding. Taming lions was about applying these lessons learned in Central Asia around 3500 BCE.
Lessons learned in one field do not always stay in that field. This is what makes humans so innovative and so cruel. These lessons were widely applied on fellow humans across the world. Often accompanied with the justification – “they are hardly human”. Winston Churchill – the wartime leader of Great Britain was one of the most articulate proponents of this mindset. “They are a beastly people with a beastly religion” – this is how he defined India and Indians. This equating of humans with animals is what led Europeans to wreak havoc across the world. How could one hundred thousand Britons rule over three hundred and ninety million Indians? Yes, they won crucial battles – Plassey, Buxar, Srirangapattana, the Anglo-Maratha Wars, the Anglo-Sikh Wars and the First War of Independence in 1857. But wars were only part of the story. It is what the British did before, during and after these wars that ensured that they could rule over such a large population. They broke the very spirit of Indians. They instilled a thought deeply in the minds of most Indians. A simple, powerful and toxic thought – ‘the British are superior’. No Indian however learned, noble, or strong can ever be the equal of a Briton.
Remnants of this thought continue to find expression to this day. The word used in Kerala to describe a white man is ‘sayippe’. The word for a white woman is ‘madama’. People who use these terms regularly may not understand their origins. These are localized versions of ‘sahib’ and ‘madam’ – words used by colonized Indians to address their lord and his lady. This feeling of a westerner being superior also finds expression whenever Indian media seeks validation from ‘western experts’ for an Indian accomplishment. Neil deGrasse Tyson was quizzed by multiple news channels about the significance of landing Chandrayan 3 near the lunar south pole. More recently certain Austrian and American experts were often quoted to underline how effective the IAF strikes on Pakistan were during Operation Sindoor. A lot has changed in 78 years of independence. Cultural colonization has certainly eroded. But it has not yet been eradicated.
Brands follow life. And cultural colonization has run rampant in branding as well. During the mid to late 80’s two premium menswear brands were launched in India. Printed proudly on the labels of their shirts was “on appointment to her majesty the Queen”. The branding logic of the late 80’s dictated that if you wanted to sell premium shirts in India then you need a western name and a western story. Fashion, especially men’s fashion continues to operate on this logic. Most names and stories are western. Most men’s wear campaigns are set in western locations and feature western models. The vice-like grip of cultural colonization continues unabated in men’s fashion. A contrasting perspective arises from the highly hierarchical and most ‘Western’ of categories – alcoholic beverages.
Until recently the norm in the alcoholic beverages category was to sound as un-Indian as possible. Choose a name that sounds British to boost the appeal of your whiskey. This thinking was extended to brandies and rums as well. A good brandy needs a French connection and a rum needs a Caribbean touch. Nobody dared explore Indian concepts in the alcoholic beverages market. That is, until recently. While British names and concepts continue to garner high volumes in the popular and premium whiskies segments, there is a refreshing change that is afoot when it comes to single malts – probably the most highbrow of segments. Concepts that are rooted in India, and names that are pukka Indian are being explored. And they are not only succeeding, they are succeeding while charging a premium.
These two contrasting stories from men’s fashion and alcoholic beverages serve an important lesson to marketers. Young consumers are no longer victims of cultural colonization. There are no price ceilings when it comes to Indian concepts. Consumers have not erected no entry signs for Indian concepts in any category or segment. And exorcising the ghost of cultural colonization can pay rich dividends for brands.
