Culture, not code: Britannia's Puneet Das on what really builds brand love

At the Pitch CMO Summit 2026, the Britannia CMO emphasised that technology may enable brands, but it is deep cultural rootedness that turns them into ones people truly cherish

Opening his spotlight session on "The Role of Culture in Building Brand Love" at the Pitch CMO Summit 2026, Puneet Das, Chief Marketing Officer of Britannia Industries, made a case for going back to fundamentals in an industry currently obsessed with technology. "It's very refreshing to be in a forum where the headline doesn't say AI," he said, adding that "technology can only be the enabler. At the end of it, you really need to make meaningful connections with consumers."

Das built his argument around Britannia's own legacy, calling it "a brand that has stayed relevant across generations" precisely because it has embedded itself in everyday culture rather than simply broadcasting messages at consumers. "The real brands, the brands that are truly loved and cherished, are the ones that are part of everyday life of consumers," he said, stressing that this requires "a very deep understanding of the context of their lives" and an authentic route into it.

He backed the point with data from a Kantar study, noting that culturally rooted brands see almost a 6x faster growth, are 79% more distinctive, and 48% more meaningful than their peers.

Das then laid out what he called a three-part playbook: celebrating regional pride, speaking the language of the current generation, and participating meaningfully in trends.

On regional pride, he pointed to Britannia Milk Bikies in Tamil Nadu, calling it “the largest biscuit brand in Tamil Nadu," reaching over 90% of households in the state. To deepen that bond, the brand printed lines from the Thirukkural, the centuries-old Tamil text of couplets, across biscuit packs, letting consumers piece together verses via QR codes. "Is there a way we can bring that alive to the generation of today," Das said, describing the thinking behind the initiative, "who's obviously, while they are still rooted in their culture and legacy, their mediums are changing."

Turning to generational language, Das spoke about Britannia Little Hearts and its tie-up with the globally popular Korean finger-heart gesture. "We have our own OG heart, which is the Britannia Little Hearts," he said, describing how the brand let consumers overlay the heart on selfies sent to loved ones. The idea, he explained, was never to teach consumers a new language: "You're actually fitting into their language and the way they're doing." The platform later extended to Mother's Day and a Friendship Day campaign built around the acronym CFF, or "Chosen Family Forever," reflecting what Das described as a more layered, modern idea of friendship beyond the standard "BFF" tag.

On trend participation, Das cautioned against chasing every viral moment. Brands, he said, should ask three questions: "What are people enjoying? Why is it working? And is there a way that me as a brand can meaningfully participate in it?" Applying that filter to the Kunafa dessert trend, Britannia launched a Kunafa-flavoured croissant, an indulgent product play built on a moment already trending across social media.

Das closed by tying the examples back to his central thesis. "The strongest brands are not just which exist, or just part of people's lives," he said. "They're part of the moments that matter to them.”