It's now 2003, the dust has settled and a clearer picture is emerging.
Indian culture has always embraced duality. 'Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani' (The heart still remains Indian), the theme song from a movie of the same name, is now famous in the public's imagination because it seems to reflect this instinctive enjoyment of contradictions. Likewise, the recurring pattern among brands which have thrived, is that they've unified the cultural contradictions inherent in Indian society - even revelled in them, going on to forge deep bonds with consumers.
And contemporary Indian society is replete with examples: Swanky Mercedes S-class models with lemon-and-chilly strips hanging from the fenders to ward off evil spirits; mix-and-match Western apparel worn with a traditional bindi; local 'Udipi' eating joints serving exotic mishmash like Chinese Bhel (Chinese-style Indian rice puffs) and Jain pizza, (onion-free pizza); Harvard-educated corporate suits tying sacred red threads around their wrists; fusion music such as "Indipop"; movies in "Hinglish"- the cocktail of youth language, and even "arranged" love marriages.
For brands, it's all about capturing our "delightful duality" - a combination of the something irrepressibly Indian; yet refreshingly global. Creating a million opportunities to thrill a consumer who hungers for new experiences as well as affirmation of his own identity. This explains why Smokin' Joe's sports an 'Indian Magic Masala' variant on its menu and McDonald's has a vegetarian McAloo Tikki (McPotato) Burger. Or why India is the only country where McDonald's sells lamb burgers instead of hamburgers. MTV is another classic case of an international brand revelling in the duality of the Indian mindset. You sense the joy shining through in its tongue-in-cheek rip-offs on cricket and movies - the twin passions of India - and in MTV 'Bakra', a TV show that derives its name from the Indian term for playing a prank on someone. All this, while maintaining its 'cool' image through hip VJs and the latest scores. And the success of the strategy is self-evident. In terms of mind share, MTV is way ahead of Channel V. Ditto for Radio Mirchi, (Radio Chilli Pepper), the hot FM Channel, which has left other Westernised FM channels standing.
So what's the bottom line? What makes these examples successful? The point is that it's not about "mixtures", but "potent fusions" of contradictions and inherent dualities. Scan the culture, search for what at first appears irreconcilable, and proceed to resolve it with creativity and imagination.