Guest Column:Why National Brands Are Going Local With Music

India’s advertising landscape is undergoing a cultural shift. For years, national brands largely relied on a familiar formula , one campaign, one celebrity, one national message and a soundtrack designed to work across markets. But as audiences become more culturally diverse and regional entertainment ecosystems grow stronger, brands are beginning to rethink what it means to build a truly national connection.

Increasingly, the answer is being found in regional music.

From Punjabi and Haryanvi to Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Bhojpuri and Rajasthani sounds, music is emerging as a powerful bridge between national brands and local audiences. What makes this shift interesting is that it goes beyond language. Brands are not merely translating campaigns; they are increasingly attempting to participate in the cultural conversations that define individual markets.

From translation to cultural relevance

There is a significant difference between translating a campaign and making it culturally relevant.

A national campaign can be adapted into multiple languages, but music allows brands to go a step further by connecting with the cultural identity of a market.

For instance, Coca-Cola has repeatedly used regional music and artists as part of its India marketing, building campaigns around different languages, sounds and cultural moments rather than relying exclusively on a single national musical identity. Its association with regional artists and music-led properties demonstrates how a global brand can retain a common identity while adapting its cultural expression.

Similarly, Pepsi’s long association with Indian music and youth culture has included collaborations and campaigns that draw from different regional and contemporary sounds, allowing the brand to remain connected to changing music audiences.

The lesson is increasingly clear: localisation is no longer just about changing the language of communication. It can also mean changing the sound of the communication.

Regional artists are becoming cultural connectors

The rise of streaming platforms, YouTube and short-form video has significantly expanded the influence of regional artists.

Punjabi music provides one of the clearest examples. Artists such as Diljit Dosanjh, Karan Aujla and AP Dhillon have helped push Punjabi music far beyond its traditional geography, creating an ecosystem that national and international brands increasingly want to participate in.

For brands, these artists offer more than reach. They bring an established cultural relationship with audiences.

The same opportunity is emerging in other markets. Haryanvi artists and creators have built strong digital communities, while Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Bhojpuri music continue to develop powerful regional fan bases.

A national brand can therefore retain one overarching campaign thought while allowing artists from different regions to reinterpret it through their own musical identities.

From Bollywood-first to culture-first

For decades, Bollywood was the default bridge between brands and Indian music audiences. That equation is changing.

The rise of independent music and regional entertainment means brands no longer need to depend exclusively on film music or mainstream Hindi celebrities to achieve scale.

Consider boAt, which has consistently positioned itself around youth culture, music, entertainment and creators. Its partnerships across India's entertainment ecosystem illustrate how brands can build associations with audiences through culture rather than relying solely on traditional advertising.

Similarly, brands entering regional markets are increasingly working with local creators and artists because their influence can be more contextual and community-driven.

This creates an important shift: reach is no longer the only currency. Relevance is becoming equally important.

The opportunity for sonic identities

Regional music also opens up a larger conversation around sonic branding.

Brands have traditionally invested heavily in visual identity — logos, colours, typography and packaging. But if consumers can recognise a brand through a sound, melody or musical cue, why should that identity remain identical across every cultural market?

The opportunity could be to create a flexible sonic architecture.

A national brand might retain a recognisable musical motif while allowing regional composers and artists to interpret it through Punjabi folk, Tamil rhythms, Marathi sounds or Haryanvi influences.

This can create consistency without cultural uniformity.

For example, Google Pay's use of local-language communication and culturally relevant creative across Indian markets demonstrates how a digital-first brand can adapt its communication to different audiences while maintaining a consistent national proposition. Music can take that principle further by making localisation experiential rather than purely linguistic.

But regional cannot become a checkbox

There is a major risk in this movement: treating regional music as a campaign accessory.

Simply adding a local artist or inserting regional lyrics into a national advertisement does not automatically create authenticity.

Audiences can distinguish between genuine cultural participation and superficial localisation. Brands therefore need to give artists and local creative communities a meaningful role in shaping the work.

The commercial measurement also needs to evolve.

Streams, views and social engagement can demonstrate attention, but marketers ultimately need to understand whether music is improving brand recall, consideration, affinity or action.

India's next music-marketing opportunity

As brands look beyond India's largest metros, regional music is likely to become an increasingly important part of their cultural strategy.

The opportunity is not to create a separate campaign for every language. It is to understand India's multiple music ecosystems and identify where a brand can participate meaningfully.

India is not one audience with multiple languages. It is a collection of cultural markets connected by digital platforms.

The future of music marketing may therefore not be about finding one sound that represents everyone.

It may be about creating a national identity that can sound different in every region while remaining unmistakably the same brand.

Because when regional music is approached authentically, it does more than localise advertising.

It gives national brands a local voice  and gives audiences a reason to hear them.