Puma India rewrites brand loyalty for Gen Z

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TL;DR:

Puma India says Gen Z loyalty is no longer inherited; it must be re-earned through relevance, participation and product value. With young shoppers choosing trends over labels, the brand is shifting from passive endorsement to fan-led engagement.

Article:

Puma India is resetting its Gen Z marketing around a blunt premise: repeat purchase no longer guarantees lasting brand allegiance. Shreya Sachdev, director of marketing at Puma India told, “I think the first step is to accept that loyalty is not what it used to be.” The shift matters because younger shoppers discover, compare and discard options across social feeds, creators and commerce platforms.

A joint BCG-Snap study found Indian Gen Z is 1.7 times more likely to choose trending styles over brands, while 72% turns to creators’ social channels for shopping inspiration. The research estimated the cohort’s collective spending power at $860 billion. Puma cannot rely on heritage, celebrity visibility or a points programme to secure repeat business.

The wider pattern is global. BCG’s 2024 survey of more than 10,000 consumers across nine countries found that loyalty-program participation rose while loyalty and engagement declined, with younger consumers more willing to switch. Membership, in other words, is not commitment.

Puma’s response is participation. Sachdev has described sports sponsorships as access platforms: “What matters far more is the access sponsorship gives us and how we activate that access.” Recent campaigns have elevated fan-created content, store experiences and community activity, turning consumers from campaign targets into contributors.

The lesson for marketers extends beyond sportswear. Gen Z brand strategy needs faster product cycles, closer cultural listening and experiences that reward participation without faking intimacy. Discounts can trigger sales, but they seldom create memory; celebrity endorsements deliver reach, but relevance decays when every alternative is one swipe away.

The winners will measure loyalty through repeated acts: search, sharing, community participation, full-price purchase and return visits. Puma India’s test is whether cultural attention becomes durable preference without overexposure. Loyalty has not disappeared; it has become conditional, visible and continuously earned.