Gen Z forces India Inc to rewrite loyalty playbook: relevance and values over reward points

Indian marketers are being pushed to replace transactional loyalty programs with community-led models built on creator partnerships, values-driven storytelling and frictionless digital journeys, as Gen Z treats brand allegiance as conditional and easily revoked.

— FiledThu, 14 May, 2026, 22:54 IST·First seen Thu, 14 May, 2026, 22:46 IST·Source ET Brand Equity

What happened

retail-brand · Gen Z is reshaping brand loyalty in India, treating it as conditional on relevance, values, and experience. Indian marketers must shift from

Why this matters

Screen for bolt-on acquisitions in creator platforms, community commerce tools and values-aligned DTC brands to accelerate the shift from transactional to relevance-based loyalty.