Ruchira Jaitly on why cultural nuance will define alcobev brands by 2030

In 2010, fewer than 5% of Indian women reported consuming alcohol. By 2019, according to data from the National Family Health Survey, that number had inched upward, still modest, but telling in a country where drinking had long been socially coded as male. At the same time, India’s alco-beverage market has been expanding rapidly, driven by premiumisation, urban aspiration and a young demographic base. With over 65% of the population under 35, the category is no longer shaped only by legacy drinkers, but by first-generation consumers who see alcohol less as a symbol of bravado and more as an extension of lifestyle and identity.

For decades, alcobev advertising in India mirrored a narrow cultural lens: male bonding, hyper-masculine archetypes, coded surrogates, and storytelling that played it safe within regulatory guardrails. Over the past ten years, that grammar has begun to loosen. Campaigns today are less about posturing and more about participation, about friendships that allow vulnerability, about choice without apology, about social occasions that feel culturally rooted rather than aspirationally Western. Women are no longer peripheral presences; younger men are no longer one-note heroes. Music festivals, cocktail culture, flavour discovery, and experiential platforms have replaced the static billboard as the primary stage for storytelling.

This tonal shift has unfolded alongside deeper structural changes: the rise of Tier II and III consumption, increased scrutiny around responsible marketing, the fragmentation of media ecosystems, and the growing role of AI in segmentation and personalisation. The modern alcobev marketer is navigating not just regulation, but cultural nuance and algorithmic volatility.

In this backdrop, Ruchira Jaitly, Chief Marketing Officer at Diageo India, speaks about how the category’s storytelling is being reimagined, the risks of performative progress, and what it will take for alcobev brands to remain culturally fluent as they expand across regions, platforms and generations.

Edited Experts: 

Indian alcobev marketing was traditionally dominated by male-centric storytelling and archetypes. Over the last decade, we’ve seen shifts with women celebs endorsing brands, inclusivity, younger generations in stories, lifestyle-oriented, culture-rich narratives, etc. How do you reflect on this tonal shift, what has driven it, and how do you see alcobev storytelling further evolving by 2030? What are the creative risks and opportunities in redefining gender and cultural codes for your brands?

Indian alcobev storytelling has long reflected the social realities of its time. So, when culture was male-centric, advertising followed suit. What’s changed over the last decade isn’t just representation, but perspective. This shift has been driven by evolving consumer mindsets, younger generations seeking authenticity over archetypes, and more diverse voices entering leadership and creative decision-making. 

For Diageo, un-stereotyping is central to how we build brands. This is about broadening representation, shifting perspective, and giving people agency in our stories. Progressive portrayals show men and women as layered, emotionally intelligent and self-aware, making them closer to life than inherited tropes. 

In India, this evolution demands nuance. Our creative approach, therefore focusses on balance and coexistence, not binaries. Campaigns like House of McDowell’s “Yaaron Wali Baat”, and Black and White’s “Choice” reframe masculinity through emotional openness, sensitivity and self-awareness. 

Looking ahead, I see our storytelling becoming increasingly fluid across gender, culture and occasion. The opportunity lies in moving from representation to true belonging, where people don’t feel labelled by the category. The use of tech and the rise in immersive experiences will also help dismantle long-held myths about what the category is all about and how it fits into modern lifestyles. 

In terms of creative risks, one that I see is performative progress, treating inclusivity as a trend rather than a commitment. Another is storytelling that polarises instead of connects. Brands that will endure are those that embed un-stereotyping into how stories are conceived, not just how they appear on screen. Progressive portrayals aren’t about abandoning heritage; they’re about keeping it culturally relevant, empathetic, and future-ready. 

While much of inclusive alcobev storytelling has been driven by urban, English-speaking sensibilities, consumption growth is increasingly coming from Tier II and Tier III markets. Looking at 2030, how do you see cultural and gender codes shifting when brands move beyond metro narratives? What mistakes do national alcobev brands commonly make when translating progressive storytelling into regional contexts?

As growth shifts to Tier II and Tier III markets, brands need to move from singular narratives to plural realities. These markets are evolving on their own cultural timelines, shaped by community, aspiration and everyday life, not by metro sensibilities.

We will see gender and cultural codes becoming more fluid but remaining contextual. Progress will be evident in shared spaces, changing relationships, and greater normalisation of choice. Masculinity will reflect responsibility and emotional steadiness, while women’s agency will be visible through confidence and participation in social and public settings.

A common mistake is flattening this complexity. Progressive ideas that aren’t adapted in tone or pace can feel imposed. What works best are stories that feel familiar first and progressive in hindsight.

Our approach focuses on balance and empathy, using an unstereotyping lens that prioritises perspective and agency. The opportunity lies in embedding inclusion quietly into culture, allowing consumers to see themselves in the story without being told what progress should look like.

Could you take us through Diageo's marketing playbook for the year? Which media are you focusing on, and which is getting the lion's share?

Our marketing playbook is anchored in a simple belief: brands grow when they show up meaningfully across the full consumer journey- from discovery, to experience, to advocacy. Our approach, therefore, is multi-medium by design, with sharper choices around where culture is shaped, and where consumer decisions are made, resulting in spends across the consumer omnichannel journey calibrated to their scale and importance by brand. 

Digital enables precision, personalisation and cultural agility: through short-form videos, creator-led storytelling, and data-driven experimentation. One example of this digital-first thinking is The Bar, our consumer-facing platform designed to simplify discovery and deepen engagement within the category. It helps consumers navigate brands, flavours, occasions and drinking rituals, making the world of alcobev more accessible, informative and responsible. 

We’re also investing strongly in experientials and on-trade activations, as alcobev is ultimately a sensorial category.  This includes on-trade initiatives such as Johnnie Walker’s “Whisky Experiments” in premium bar environments, as well as large-scale cultural platforms such as music festivals, live events, and curated brand experiences. These are spaces where our brands integrate naturally into moments of celebration, creativity and social connection.

Beyond individual campaigns, we continue to invest in the broader ecosystem. Diageo Bar Academy and World Class are long-term platforms for building skills, raising standards and nurturing talent within the hospitality community. Complementing these is The Good Craft Co. (TGCC) flavour lab, India’s first direct-to-consumer craft advocacy platform. This initiative supports the growth of craft spirits and experimentation in India, spotlighting emerging makers and encouraging innovation in this space.

Our objective through all these efforts is to be present where it matters the most, in ways that are culturally relevant, commercially effective, and true to our brands. 

As we look toward 2030, alcobev brands increasingly rely on a narrow set of platforms -- short-form video, influencer ecosystems, closed communities, and on-ground experiences, because traditional mass media offers limited flexibility. Does this concentration of media create new challenges around platform policies, creator behaviour, or algorithm changes? How are brands diversifying risk in their media strategies?

Platform policies, algorithm volatility and creator behaviour are very real considerations, especially in a category like alcobev, where responsibility, age-gating and context are non-negotiables. 

We approach this challenge with a principles-first mindset. We anchor our media strategy in strong consumer insights and responsible marketing guardrails, and then let platforms work as enablers, not drivers, of creativity. Tech and data help us sharpen precision, but we’re careful not to become slaves to algorithms. Consumer and creativity still lead. 

Diversifying risk also means broadening how and where we show up. While short-form content and creators are important, we balance them with experiential platforms, on-trade presence, cultural partnerships and owned ecosystems that allow deeper engagement over time. Experiences give us scale and cultural relevance that isn’t dictated by a feed refresh. 

Our creator strategy is equally deliberate. We prioritise long-term relationships over one-off amplification, work with a diverse mix of voices across scale and communities, and place as much emphasis on value alignment as we do on reach. 

We also continue to invest in owned and semi-owned platforms that give us more control over context and continuity- whether that’s digital discovery spaces like The Bar, or experiential and trade ecosystems that build credibility and advocacy beyond media impressions. Ultimately, resilience comes from balance. Brands that will thrive are those that think in systems, not silos- combining agility with governance, creativity with precision, and reach with depth. 

AI is transforming creative processes across industries. In alcobev, where cultural nuance, tone, and emotional resonance are critical, how do you see AI reshaping visual storytelling, campaign ideation, audience segmentation, and even brand identity itself by 2030? Are there elements of alcobev marketing that are uniquely resistant to AI?

AI is already transforming how marketing works, but in alcobev, where culture, emotion and responsibility are central, it will reshape “how we create” rather than “why we create”. The real shift will be in scale, speed and precision, while human creativity continues to anchor meaning and intent. 

On the execution side, AI is becoming a powerful accelerator. We’re already seeing its impact in audience segmentation, media optimisation and performance efficiency. This is helping us reach the right consumers at the right moment with greater agility. 

Where AI will be truly transformative is in personalisation and experience design. Data-powered AI enables brands to move from ‘one size fits all’ narratives to more individualised journeys. We launched ‘What’s your Whiskey?’, an interactive experience based on Flavour Print AI technology that gives personalised whisky & cocktail recommendations based on the consumer’s flavour profile. This is an early sign of how technology can lower entry barriers, demystify complex categories, and invite more people into the brand in an intuitive, personal way.  

That said, there are elements of alcobev marketing that remain uniquely resistant to automation. Cultural nuance, emotional resonance and ethical judgement cannot be delegated to algorithms. AI can generate possibilities, but it cannot read the room, understand social context or decide when not to speak. Some of the biggest cultural moments are defined as much by restraint as by expression. 

Ultimately, the future isn’t AI versus human creativity. It’s human creativity to the power of AI— where technology amplifies imagination, sharpens relevance and frees marketers to focus on what matters most: telling stories that feel human, responsible and culturally meaningful.

Experiential marketing has become central to how alcobev brands connect with consumers. How do you see experiential strategies evolving over the next five years, especially in Tier II/III markets? What role will phygital experiences play?

Experiential marketing is evolving from an amplification tool to a core relationship-building lever for alcobev brands. Over the next five years, especially in Tier II and Tier III markets, experiences will become more accessible, locally rooted and repeatable. 

Phygital experiences will be central to this shift. Digital layers will enhance physical moments by simplifying discovery, demystifying categories like whisky, and extending engagement beyond the event itself. 

Experiences also offer a powerful opportunity to build consented first-party data. When consumers opt in to personalise their journey or explore flavours, brands gain richer insights that enable more relevant follow-up and long-term engagement, while staying firmly within responsible marketing frameworks.

As new consumers enter the category, experiential platforms will increasingly play an educational role, helping people explore at their own pace. The brands that succeed will be those that keep experiences culturally intuitive, locally relevant and digitally enabled. 

Surrogate advertising has been the only tactic in alcobev marketing. Today, brands leverage festivals, music, digital content, influencer communities, F&B collaborations, and cinema tie-ins. Looking ahead to 2030, what mix of traditional and emerging media do you foresee driving alcobev narratives, and where will you place strategic emphasis? Which channels do you believe will matter most, and why?

It’s important to distinguish between surrogate advertising and legitimate brand extension advertising. At Diageo, we only advertise genuine brand extensions that meet regulatory guidelines, and remain committed to building brands in a compliant, transparent way. 

Alcobev narratives will be driven by integrated ecosystems rather than single channels. Media, emerging platforms like digital, video, creator communities, festivals and experientials will play a bigger role in shaping cultural relevance and participation. 

Digital will act as the connective layer, enabling sharper segmentation, personalisation and measurement, while experiences and cultural platforms will provide context and credibility. Our strategic emphasis will be on strong platforms where brands can show up consistently, combining cultural partnerships and experiential engagement. Brands that endure will be those that are culturally present, compliant by design, and integrated in how they tell their stories.

Currently, alcobev marketing operates within significant regulatory guardrails, including content restrictions and platform policies. But beyond regulation, what non-regulatory challenges do you see emerging over the next decade? How will these compare to the constraints you face today, and what capabilities will brands need to navigate them? If you could design the alcobev marketing industry of 2030 without today’s regulatory, platform, or cultural constraints, what would you want it to look like?

While regulation will remain a constant in alcobev marketing, many of the bigger challenges over the next decade will be non-regulatory. Attention fatigue, cultural fragmentation and rising consumer scepticism will make it harder to earn relevance, even when brands are compliant. The constraint won’t be what we can say, but whether people choose to listen.

As brands scale across regions and platforms, cultural nuance will become more complex. Saying the right thing in the wrong context can erode trust quickly. At the same time, the rise of AI-generated content will place higher expectations on transparency, judgment and responsible creativity. Compared to today’s largely rule-based constraints, these challenges are more capability-led. Brands will need stronger cultural intelligence, ethical use of technology, and the ability to build trust through consistency rather than frequency.

If we imagine the alcobev marketing industry of 2030 without today’s constraints, it will prioritise education over persuasion, experiences over impressions, and long-term relationships over short-term reach. Ultimately, the goal isn’t fewer constraints, but greater trust, and brands that earn that trust will find more room to participate meaningfully in culture.

Is the CMO role now a stepping stone to another role? What roles do you realistically see CMOs transitioning into by 2030, and why?

The CMO role is evolving and has become one of the most cross-functional roles in the organisation, sitting at the intersection of growth, consumer insight, culture, data and reputation. As marketing increasingly owns demand generation, digital transformation, portfolio strategy and long-term brand value, the skill set aligns closely with enterprise leadership. CMOs in consumer businesses are also well placed to transition into P&L and general management roles. Their ability to translate consumer understanding into commercial outcomes is a critical advantage. The CMOs of tomorrow are less functional specialists and more business leaders who understand how culture drives growth and how trust builds long-term value.

What skills are CMOs actively acquiring today to remain credible with CEOs, boards and tech teams by 2030?

CMOs are expanding their skill sets beyond traditional marketing. First is commercial and P&L fluency. Leaders expect CMOs to clearly connect brand investment to growth, margin and long-term value. Second is data and technology literacy. CMOs need to be comfortable with AI, first-party data, measurement and martech, so they can partner effectively with tech teams and make informed decisions. Third is cross-functional leadership. The role increasingly requires influencing across sales, digital, HR and legal, and driving transformation beyond marketing. Finally, cultural judgment and ethics are becoming critical, as brands navigate complex social and technological environments.