Marketing within India’s financial services sector is becoming increasingly structured, data-driven and aligned with long-term business objectives. As product parity rises and customer acquisition costs
climb, institutions are re-evaluating how they build relevance.
According to Kaushik Chakraborty, Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications at Tata Capital, the past year has been defined by a deliberate focus on sustained brand presence rather than short-term visibility. “Our core marketing priority has been to remain top-of-mind while reinforcing Tata Capital’s foundational values of trust, customer centricity and future readiness.”
A Shift From Campaign-Led Thinking
One of the notable shifts in the brand’s approach has been a move away from fragmented, campaign-heavy communication. Instead, marketing activity has been anchored around building long-term brand equity, with key milestones — such as the IPO phase — used to enhance relevance.
“Trust is strengthened by demonstrating clarity, consistency and genuine customer focus.” Simplifying complex products, communicating transparently, and delivering reliably on promises are not marketing tactics, but long-term commitments.
Over time, such consistency deepens confidence, particularly when brands remain dependable across market cycles.
The Power Of Participation
The brand’s association with the Women’s Premier League (WPL) illustrates how financial institutions are rethinking sponsorships. Rather than using sport purely for reach, the partnership has turned into a platform that engages younger, urban and digital-first audiences.
Campaigns such as ‘Game Bolega’ were designed to align with the league’s broader positioning, using sport as a context rather than a creative crutch. According to Chakraborty, the partnership has contributed to improved brand visibility, a lift in modern brand associations, and stronger recall over multiple seasons.
As the brand enters its fourth consecutive season with the league, the focus remains on reinforcing familiarity rather than reinventing the narrative each year.
Stories Without The Drama
While storytelling remains a core element of Tata Capital’s marketing, its role has become more defined. Rather than functioning as emotive brand advertising, storytelling is now positioned as a tool to contextualise financial products within real-life scenarios.
Campaigns such as ‘Khubsoorat Chinta’ reflect this evolution. The campaign focuses on simplifying financial complexity rather than dramatising it. Chakraborty notes that Tata Capital’s storytelling has shifted “from being product-first to purpose-led,” with an emphasis on consumer life stages and decision-making journeys.
This approach prioritises clarity over overt emotional appeal, particularly in categories where decision-making is rational, high-involvement and long-term.
Change Is Inevitable
“Credit demand today is more diverse, informed, and increasingly digital-first,” Chakraborty explains. Customers now conduct extensive research before engaging with a lender, often interacting with multiple digital touchpoints before initiating a conversation.
This has shortened attention windows while simultaneously increasing the quality of intent. As a result, personalisation, speed and clarity become central to communication strategy.
For financial institutions, this shift has also meant tighter integration between marketing, data, and technology teams, ensuring messaging aligns with real-time consumer behaviour rather than static assumptions.
The brand’s current marketing funnel brings together brand building and performance with deliberate integration. A 360-degree mix of mass media, digital channels, video-led platforms, and on-ground activations builds awareness and consideration at scale, while performance marketing activates intent at critical moments.
Measuring Momentum, Not Moments
The impact of the WPL association has become more pronounced with time. This season, following the Indian women’s team’s World Cup win, the league has gained additional national relevance. Chakraborty points out that while early seasons focused on establishing presence, recent efforts have benefited from growing audience engagement and cultural traction.
For financial brands, such platforms offer a way to stay visible within mainstream culture without relying solely on traditional advertising bursts.
Staying Credible & Contemporary
Summing up his learnings, Chakraborty highlights three principles that have shaped his understanding of modern marketing: purpose drives connection, integration multiplies impact, and relevance builds credibility. “Marketing today is no longer about persuasion alone; it is about participation and partnership,” he notes.
In a sector defined by long decision cycles and high customer involvement, Tata Capital’s approach offers a compelling blueprint — demonstrating how financial institutions can remain both contemporary and credible — qualities that, in today’s world, are inseparable.
