Across boardrooms and creative war rooms, a quiet question is being asked with increasing urgency: how do long-established brands remain relevant when culture itself seems to move at algorithmic speed? Media reports and industry discussions point to legacy organisations rethinking communication strategies, internal structures and their relationship with consumers who now expect immediacy, authenticity and participation.
There was a time when brands spoke and people listened. Today, people scroll, remix and question, and brands wonder whether their voices can still travel through timelines that move faster than memory itself. In that restless stream, legacy brands carry something valuable: decades of trust. But trust alone does not guarantee attention. It earns the opportunity to speak.
Abhijat Bharadwaj, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative Isobar, says, “Relevance runs on speed. People move fast. Culture shifts daily. They expect brands to keep up, answer now, speak clearly, and mean it. Legacy brands were built for scale, not pace, and that gap shows.” He adds that layers and hierarchy slow decisions, soften messages and turn sharp ideas safe. In a world where audiences curate their own feeds and reward brands with a point of view, not a committee, he believes courage and clarity matter more than consensus.
Shikha Davessar, Managing Partner, 22feet, sees an instinct to reinterpret history across categories. “The core challenge for legacy brands today is not just preserving their history, but evolving into living, breathing brands that actively participate in contemporary culture by connecting timeless values to timely cultural moments that feel current, newsworthy and collaborative.”
She points to campaigns that invite participation, where consumers become collaborators through personalisation, digital hubs or community storytelling. The lesson, she says, is that history must be reinterpreted in ways that feel current, not merely remembered. Brands must operate with agility, respond when cultural moments arise and accept that trust is no longer automatic. Many younger consumers, she notes, even leave long-loved brands out of boredom, seeking novelty and new experiences.
To provide context, Tata Motors did not just revive the Sierra with nostalgia; it rebuilt its cultural relevance. From a DIVINE rap integration to limited-edition watches, tumblers and fashion tie-ups, the brand positioned Sierra as a lifestyle icon, blending memory with contemporary creativity. Heritage was not abandoned; it was reinterpreted.
Similarly, ITC’s ‘Savory Not Sorry’ does not chase Gen Z; it speaks in a tone familiar to them. From meme-style clean roasts to Season three’s AI influencer Rysa, the brand uses wit as a youth-facing device.
But relevance is not only about speed or spectacle. It is also about values. Krishna Iyer, Business Head – Lintas Live & Director Marketing, MullenLowe Lintas Group (now known as TBWA\Lintas), reflects on how consumers now choose brands with scrutiny. “Long-established brands are realising that relevance today is less about volume and more about values. Consumers don’t just buy products. They choose brands with scrutiny, expectation and emotional intent, rewarding honesty, transparency and cultural sensitivity over noise.”
Relevance today, Iyer adds, demands honesty, cultural sensitivity and the ability to move with social change without losing one’s core. In cluttered environments, grace and patience can become competitive advantages. Legacy brands thrive, he argues, when they reinterpret tradition rather than reject it, combining the conviction of heritage with the curiosity of youth.
This shift also appears in product decisions. At Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited, innovation begins with lived realities—air quality during cooking, water anxiety in homes, and energy-efficient fans designed to manage household electricity bills. Tanmay Prusty, Chief Marketing Officer, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited, says, “A consumer’s decision journey today is non-linear and fragmented, shaped by multiple touchpoints. Relevance goes beyond trust; it is about staying connected to how people live, what they value, and solving real problems through insights-led innovation and communication.”
Crompton has adopted creator-led storytelling, podcasts, sports integrations such as Cricbuzz, AI-powered regional films and campaigns like ‘#AankhBandhKarkeLelo’, in an effort to remain contextual and responsive. Internally, Prusty notes, this has required deeper collaboration across marketing, research and development (R&D) and manufacturing, faster consumer-led innovation and digital enablement so communication aligns with real needs.
Similarly, Britannia keeps its classic products visible by engaging with meme culture. Through social media posts and real-time trend participation, the brand blends nostalgia with digital language to maintain salience among younger consumers.
If Crompton and Britannia focus on daily life, Titan Company Limited positions relevance through aspiration. At Titan, watches have evolved from timekeeping devices to markers of self-expression. Ranjani Krishnaswamy, Chief Marketing Officer, Analogue Watches, Titan Company Limited, explains, “Our brand strategy follows an AIR model, Aspiration, Identity and Relevance. As watches moved from timekeeping devices to accessories of self-expression, relevance became critical in both product and communication, guiding launches, collaborations and narratives rooted in real consumer insight.”
She references premium mechanical launches shaped by consumer curiosity, tribute pieces such as the Gukesh watch and narratives like ‘Wear Your Story’, which celebrate individuals defining success on their own terms. For Titan, she says, relevance is foundational; brands must evolve alongside consumers, building ecosystems of collaborations, technology investments, new retail experiences and partnerships so heritage remains agile.
In the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector, relevance carries a different dimension. For HDFC Life, it begins with contextual listening. Pritika Shah, Head of Marketing, HDFC Life, says, “There are several aspects that add up to remaining relevant in an ever-changing environment. Our guiding ethos remains constant, but strong consumer insights and data-driven personalisation help us deliver narratives that resonate meaningfully across regions and generations.”
She describes how regional communication differs—education-led narratives in one state, lifestyle security in another—reflecting varied consumer aspirations. Staying relevant, she adds, involves strengthening communication through AI-led personalisation, expanding rural penetration, simplifying experiences and engaging new audience cohorts while remaining anchored to a core promise.
Across these perspectives, a consistent pattern emerges. Legacy brands must move faster, but also think more deliberately. Collaborate more, but maintain a clear point of view. Simplify structures, but reinforce purpose.
Iyer argues that legacy brands need to shift from hierarchy to dialogue – with consumers, agencies and internal teams—so relevance stems from shared understanding rather than top-down instruction. Marketing, product and leadership must align around a clear, singular point of view, empowering teams to question briefs, experiment responsibly and respond faster without diluting values.
Bharadwaj suggests flattening structures. Each additional layer, he says, slows decision-making. Smaller teams with conviction can move faster than larger groups dependent on approvals. Brands must hire instinct, trust younger voices, ship, learn and iterate, because waiting for perfection risks irrelevance.
Davessar underscores the importance of cross-functional teams that manage the full customer journey, ensuring messaging remains consistent and culturally attuned. She highlights deeper social listening, disciplined use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the need to build communities rather than rely solely on transactional loyalty. Relevance, in this view, is shaped long before a campaign is released; it is embedded in how decisions are made.
Collectively, these voices outline a transformation. Today’s audience does not reject legacy; it rejects irrelevance. It rewards brands that move with speed but communicate with clarity, collaborate without losing identity, and address real problems while participating in culture.
The future of legacy brands, therefore, may not lie in becoming new-age brands, but in becoming curious again: listening in public, experimenting with humility and honouring heritage without relying on it as a shield.
The advantage of a century-old brand may not be its past alone, but its capacity to learn repeatedly and remain open to change. Relevance is not a trend; it is a relationship. And like any relationship, it endures when both sides continue to show up—with clarity, curiosity and respect for the trust that made the story worth telling.
