Gen Z disengages if content feels too branded or like an ad: iQOO’s Nipun Marya

Smartphones have become one of the most significant and frequent purchases consumers make, particularly among Gen Z, whose lives are deeply intertwined with technology. While advancements in performance, battery life, and camera quality remain key factors, there’s a growing emphasis on brand identification, including how well a brand resonates with its users' values, ambitions, and lifestyles. 

India has become the second-largest smartphone market in the world and 52% of the population is made up of millennials and Gen Z. In 2024, the Indian smartphone market is expected to generate revenue of approximately US$44.6 billion with an anticipated volume growth of 4.5% in 2025. Speaking to this dominant demographic becomes increasingly important. 

For Gen Z, it’s not just about owning a smartphone but connecting with a brand that understands and supports their journey.

iQOO’s recent campaigns have tapped into this evolving mindset by blending technology with storytelling, aiming to build meaningful connections with Gen Z. Its recently launched ‘Quest’ campaign, featuring content creator Bhuvan Bam, tells the story of a young man navigating generational expectations while pursuing his passion for content creation. Directed by Shoojit Sircar, the campaign mirrors Bam’s own experiences, offering a narrative that resonates with Gen Z’s challenges around identity, career aspirations, and societal pressures. 

This is further backed by insights from The Quest Report, which reveals how young people, particularly women, face gender disparities and pressures in choosing their career paths.

It's the substance of what you are communicating that matters, according to Nipun Marya, Chief Executive Officer, iQOO. Speaking to this demographic, Marya has observed that they are highly passionate about social media, noting how Gen Z engages with both short-form content like Instagram Reels and long-form content on YouTube. Marya shares that reports have highlighted that the demographic identifies less with celebrities and more with influencers or content creators they feel a closer connection to.

By leveraging figures like Bhuvan Bam, Tanmay Bhat and other celebrities that connect with the youth like Dulquer Salmaan, Janhvi Kapoor and more, iQOO is crafting a narrative that intends to speak to Gen Z’s interests, from gaming and content creation to personal expression. Through these creative campaigns, iQOO is not only promoting its products but also building a sense of community and belonging for a generation that seeks brands that truly understand their needs and aspirations.

In this interview, Nipun Marya shares iQOO's evolving focus on Gen Z, highlighting the brand's marketing strategies, campaigns, and insights that cater to the younger demographic. We also dive into the brand's partnerships, gaming initiatives, and festive marketing plans for 2024.

Edited Excerpts:

Could you shed light on iQOO's shifting focus towards the GenZ? What insights have driven this and what campaigns have you launched to attract the younger demographic?

The genesis of the iQOO brand is rooted in the belief that today’s youth, particularly Gen Z, seek a brand they can connect with and identify with. iQOO, as a smartphone brand, understands how deeply involved people are with their smartphones, using them for 10 to 12 hours a day for entertainment, social connections, and productivity.

Smartphones have become one of the more expensive purchases people make every couple of years, and consumers are highly engaged with them. Today, while technology has reached a level where performance, battery life, charging, and cameras are highly advanced, we believe there's another important dimension to smartphone brand building: brand identification. It's about saying, 'This is a brand that truly understands me.'

At iQOO, our goal is to understand Gen Z and ensure that our products and communications align with this broader vision.

We want to build a strong brand connection so that Gen Z identifies with iQOO, making it their preferred choice in smartphones.

How has your latest 'Quest report' shaped the brand's marketing strategy?

Firstly, it's important to clarify that expecting one report to shape the entire marketing strategy isn't the right way to approach it. Our focus is on the overall direction of our brand—becoming the brand of choice for today's Gen Z. The key is how well we understand them.

The Quest Report emerged from our deeper work with India's Gen Z. Through quantitative and in-depth interviews, we realized that their thinking, passions, and initiatives are truly unique. We saw an opportunity to dive deeper into these insights and build a narrative around them. That was the origin of the Quest Report, which aligns with our brand’s philosophy of 'iQuest on and on.'

This reflects our belief that for those who are 'questors,' no dream is too big—an idea we believe resonates with today’s Gen Z. They see themselves as hustlers, confident in their ability to achieve more.

With India as the fastest-growing economy in the world, they not only have more opportunities but also the confidence that they're on par with anyone globally. These psychological traits are far more pronounced in Gen Z compared to millennials, and that was the foundation of the Quest Report.

When it comes to marketing, what tonality works for Gen Z?

It's difficult to pinpoint one specific tonality for Gen Z. More than just tonality, it's the substance of what you're communicating that matters.

Gen Z engages with both short-form content like Instagram Reels and long-form content on YouTube. So, the key is to appeal to what they want to see and hear. If you're doing that, you're on the right track to capture their attention.

Once the content resonates with them, tonality comes into play. Gen Z prefers authenticity. They gravitate towards messaging that feels genuine, rather than something overly polished or made-up. Many reports highlight that Gen Z identifies less with major celebrities and more with influencers or content creators they feel a closer connection to.

Could you share your social media marketing strategy, and how your associations with influencers work?

Our target audience, Gen Z, is highly active and passionate about social media platforms. Keeping this in mind, we focus on presenting unique, engaging content that resonates with them. We've taken several initiatives, such as collaborating with influencers like Tanmay Bhat. With him, we've run campaigns like iQOO Red Nights and iQOO Meme Nights, which have been quite successful.

We believe in adopting a 'social-first' approach in our communication. This means that the language, content, and overall tone of what we present are tailored to what Gen Z wants to see. It’s not just about pushing branded content; we aim for a balance between brand messaging and organic content that feels authentic. If the content feels too branded or like an advertisement, Gen Z tends to disengage, so we keep this in mind when planning our marketing strategy.

How does your content differ across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook?

The nature of each platform is different. On Instagram, content needs to be quick, snackable, and lively. Whether through Reels or posts, we focus on catching attention within a few seconds, as users tend to scroll quickly. You have limited time to convey your message.

On YouTube, we take a different approach. It's a platform where we can share more detailed, in-depth content. We know we have the audience's attention for a longer time, so we can build a story. Some of our campaigns on YouTube have shown that if the content is engaging, people will stay with us for an extended period, even up to an hour.

Could you tell us how your associations with Dulquer Salmaan, Vijay Devarakonda, Janhvi Kapoor and Kartik Aryan helped tap into GenZ?

If you look at the communication we created with them, you'll notice it’s very peppy, young, and fresh. It’s not just about pushing the brand but striking a balance between brand messaging and the language that Gen Z relates to. That’s key.

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If the content isn’t authentic, entertaining, or organic, Gen Z won’t engage with it. This was an important filter we applied when creating content with Dulquer, Vijay, Janhvi, and Kartik. I believe the content resonated well with the audience because we maintained these filters.

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The brand's products Z, Neo, and flagship series cater to different demographics, from students to professionals. How do you adapt your marketing strategies for each segment, and how do you ensure these strategies resonate with Gen Z, who make up a significant portion of your audience?

You're absolutely right; the demographics vary slightly across these segments. However, on a psychographic level, we maintain consistency in who our brand is for. We don’t change the core idea, and that’s the ‘questor’ mindset. Whether you're a college student who can afford a ₹15,000-₹20,000 phone, an early professional buying a ₹30,000 phone, or a couple of years into your career and able to afford a flagship at ₹60,000, you're still a questor.

The questor spirit is about believing that you can always do better, that you can ‘quest on and on,’ and that no dream is too big. These are values our audience, including Gen Z, identify with. As long as this shared mindset is at the core of our brand, iQOO remains the top choice, regardless of where someone is in their life stage.

The brand has also placed a strong emphasis on esports and gaming. With the growing popularity of esports, how do you see this space evolving in India, and what role will iQOO play in shaping that future, particularly with initiatives like appointing a Chief Gaming Officer and partnering with BGMI?

Esports is rapidly becoming a major passion point, especially among today’s youth, and we’re excited to see how it’s evolving in India. Our phones are designed to deliver top-tier performance, which makes them highly suitable for esports. That’s why we've made significant investments in this space, from organizing our own tournaments like the iQOO All-Stars Cup and iQOO Pro Series to hosting local-level gaming events.

Appointing a Chief Gaming Officer was a unique initiative, aimed at listening to the gaming community and involving them in shaping our brand. We also partnered with Krafton, the publisher of BGMI, and formed an alliance with Team Soul, branding them as iQOO Soul. We wanted to convey that iQOO phones offer the best performance for esports.

Our goal has been to involve gamers not just as consumers but as brand evangelists—prosumer partners who help us continuously improve our products. This approach ensures that we stay at the forefront of the esports space in India, which we believe will only grow in the coming years.

You have also partnered with BMW. How does aligning iQOO with a brand like BMW help you connect with Gen Z, particularly in terms of positioning it as more than just a smartphone brand?

Our global partnership with BMW M Motorsport, which has been ongoing for over four years, perfectly reflects the shared values of both brands: a commitment to pushing performance to the limit, fostering innovation, and utilizing cutting-edge technology.

By aligning iQOO with a prestigious brand like BMW, we aim to enhance our positioning beyond just a smartphone manufacturer. This partnership allows us to tap into the lifestyle and aspirations of Gen Z, who are not only tech-savvy but also value brands that represent performance, excitement, and modernity.

Through this collaboration, we can engage with our audience on a deeper level, emphasizing our commitment to high performance and innovation—qualities that resonate strongly with the ambitions and interests of Gen Z consumers.

Could you shed light on the brand's festive marketing plans for 2024? What are the main themes or messages you are focusing on during the festive season? 9. Can you shed light on the media mix utilised to reach out to consumers? How does your marketing budget work and how do you distribute your AdEx across different media channels? Is there going to be a difference in your media mix for the festive season?

For the 2024 festive season, iQOO is primarily focusing on our online presence, especially on platforms like Amazon.

With festival sales already underway, our main goal is to enhance the value proposition of our products. We aim to add delight for our consumers by offering exciting promotions and competitive pricing on select products.

Given that our target audience is digital-first, nearly all our marketing efforts will be concentrated online. This strategy will communicate that iQOO phones are available at attractive prices with fantastic offers during this festive season.

In terms of our media mix, we anticipate that it will be almost entirely digital—around 100%. We leverage various digital channels to effectively engage with our audience, ensuring that our messaging resonates and drives sales.

Our marketing budget is allocated accordingly to maximize our reach and impact in the digital space, aligning with consumer behaviours during this festive period.

With the ongoing festive season, what does consumer sentiment look like in the smartphone category and what kind of spending behaviour are you noticing this season?

The festive season is still in its early stages, especially with Diwali more than two weeks away. Currently, the market is sending mixed signals regarding consumer sentiment. Earlier, we were optimistic about how the festive season was shaping up, but some recent reports indicate that sales may not be as strong as anticipated.

It's essential to remain cautious at this point. A clearer picture of consumer spending behaviour will emerge once the festive season concludes, allowing us to evaluate the overall performance in the smartphone category.

Looking ahead, what are some upcoming plans for innovation in iQOO's marketing campaigns that you are particularly excited about?

We're deeply committed to our 'quest' philosophy, which embodies the spirit of dreaming big and striving for achievement. As we move forward, we're excited to continue building on this philosophy. Our focus will be on creating innovative campaigns that inspire our audience, especially the Gen Z demographic, to pursue their dreams relentlessly. We plan to leverage emerging trends and technologies to enhance our storytelling and engagement strategies, ensuring that our messaging resonates authentically with our community.