Unlocking India's family dynamics: Expert insights on Gen Alpha, CTV boom, and cultural shifts

Delhi: Emphasising on the fastest-growing media in India, MA Parthasarathy, Chief Strategy Officer at GroupM South Asia emphasised the rise of connected TV or addressable TV. He highlighted that this is expected to reach about 45 million households by the end of 2024, representing over 20% of all TV households in India.

Discussing the drivers behind this growth, he noted that over 90% of all TVs sold in the country today are smart TVs. He also highlighted that Internet penetration has surpassed 50%, the cost of data is among the cheapest in the world, and there’s an explosion of content that people want to watch, and there is a fear of missing out. These factors combined are making connected TV an exponentially growing media.

Parthasarathy also touched upon how this growth has contributed to the resurgence of co-viewership and the creation of common viewing habits. 

“We surveyed over 4,000 GroupM consumers in 2013 about their TV viewing habits and found that co-viewership in households with addressable TV was higher than in households that only watched linear or traditional television,” he highlighted.

During the webinar experts noted various shifts in family dynamics, particularly with the rise of nuclear families and the emergence of Gen Alpha. 

Addressing on this, Parthasarathy stated that Gen Alpha, consisting of children born after 2010, is the largest demographic segment in India, comprising around 20 to 25% of the overall population.

The oldest Gen Alphas as Parthasarathy noted are likely to be not a ‘cord-cutter ‘ generation but potentially a  ‘cord-never’ generation, meaning they might never watch terrestrial or traditional TV in their entire lives, Parthasarathy noted.

Parthasarathy highlighted that Gen Alpha's extensive exposure to screens and technologies provides them with a well-rounded perspective on right and wrong for themselves, their families, and society. He also pointed out that while earlier generations transitioned from handwriting to typing, the current generation will further reduce typing and lean heavily on voice and visual interactions through screens and technology.

Reflecting on this Puneet Avasthi, Director of Specialist Businesses at Kantar South Asia also highlighted that children are emerging as strong tech influencers. 

This is due not only to their understanding of technology but also to their central role in households, particularly in an increasing number of nuclear families where both parents are working. This trend emphasises the growing influence children have in these environments, he added.

Avasthi stated that in this new era, kids are increasingly playing a significant role, not only in influencing specific technology-related decisions but also in driving the actual purchase of a wide range of consumer products.

According to a multimarket survey, it was noted that Gen Alpha has an increasingly important influence on category and brand decisions within households, even in categories where they are not the primary consumers, Parthasarathy highlighted.

Experts revealed that Gen Alpha’s influence often leads to purchases driven by what is commonly known as ‘pester power.’ However, this influence extends beyond traditional pester power, affecting even items where they are not the direct consumers.

In this webinar session, experts delve deeper into categories influencing significant shifts in family dynamics, which include:

Influencers expanding their base within families 

"Influencer marketing is one of the fastest-growing avenues for marketing, with over 3 million influencers in India, and the practice is growing at a CAGR of over 20%," Parthasarathy stated.

He noted that within these categories of influencers, food, lifestyle, and travel are the largest, accounting for almost 40% of all influencers. These categories are particularly significant because they reach across different demographics within families, he added.

On creating synergy between influencers and families, Parthasarathy explained that influencers when creating content, whether it’s about new types of food, wellness trends, or holiday destinations create new currencies of conversation, he stated.

Reflecting on changes in pop culture:

When trying to understand how macro changes in popular culture influence the broader discourse on relationships, Bikram Bindra, Global Content and Creative Strategist at The Absolute Group, remarked, "We increasingly observe popular culture media questioning the stereotypical approach to family units to which we've been exposed to. Brands and businesses are recognising this trend and portraying families with diversity, acknowledging that family structures can vary greatly and extend beyond traditional heteronormativity."

Highlighting one such campaign focused on diversity, Bindra pointed to the "We Are Family" campaign by McCain, which emphasised the idea that a family is how you choose to define it. 

Another notable campaign Bindra highlighted was Vicks' ‘Touch of Care,’ which drew inspiration from real life, featuring Gauri Sawant, a transgender activist from Mumbai.

Another aspect of societal dynamics that pop culture media advertising reflects on is the mother-daughter relationship, Bindra noted. He highlighted an example from Brook Bond's Red Label, where the communication depicted how a child's interaction with a transgender person helped broaden the grandmother's perspective.

Culture shift:

Taking a cultural perspective on the evolving relationship dynamics across various categories, Anjana Pillai, Partner at Quantum Consumer Solutions, sheds light on the evolving relationship landscape.

Delving into the reasons behind these changes, Pillai highlights the collision of various cultural discourses, notably:

● Feminism:

Pillai underscores the impact of feminism on relationships and how these dynamics influence the content and structure of relationships across gender roles.

● Digital relationships:

Pillai observes that social media occupies a significant portion of our mental landscape, overshadowing physical interactions.

● Nuclearisation:

Pillai points out that with increased nuclearisation, there is a growing recognition of mutual dependence between parents and children, indicating a shift in family dynamics towards greater interdependence