From Campaigns to Commitments: How Branding and Marriage Are More Alike Than You Think

‘Shaadi season is here, folks! With a wedding coming up in the family, I couldn’t help but realise that managing a brand and a marriage has much more in common than I ever thought. And trust me, I’ve been juggling both for nearly two decades—so I’ve seen it all, for better or worse!

Both require a lot of creativity, patience and the occasional deep dive into human psychology (let’s face it, people can be complicated!). And sometimes, just like your favourite old Bollywood flick, a well-timed rebrand can save the day. So here are my two cents on how branding and marriage run parallel.

The Initial Pitch: When Everything’s Perfect

Ah, the honeymoon phase—both in branding and marriage. The beginning is all about excitement, optimism, and everything looking shiny and new. In the branding world, this is when you’re pitching ideas to a new client. You’re in the creative flow, creating a brand strategy and envisioning the best version of the brand they could imagine. The client is impressed. You’re impressed with yourself. Life is good.

This is the courtship period in marriage—when love feels like a Bollywood movie, with everything choreographed perfectly. The moments when it feels like your life is straight out of a Karan Johar film. The “pitch” is the dating process, where you present the best version of yourself, and your spouse does the same. Both of you are convinced this is the perfect match. Like in branding, the client signs off on your initial proposal, thinking, “This is exactly what we need.”

The Reality Check: When Feedback Hits

However, reality kicks in soon after the wedding (or brand strategy review). The honeymoon period fades, and real work begins. You’re not selling a dream anymore—you’re taxing your brain cells to keep that brand relevant, loved, and consistent over time. Feedback comes from all directions. You think you’ve nailed it, but suddenly, your client (or spouse) has “just a small change.”

In India, as we all know, marriage is all about the whole “Hum Saath Saath Hai” vibe, and that’s a whole new layer of feedback to handle. When you’re used to being your boss at work, having a joint family provide unsolicited advice on everything from finances to family functions feels like running a brand campaign where every stakeholder—right down to the distant cousin—has an opinion. Similarly, with clients, you are likely to walk a thin line lest you ruffle the feathers of marketing teams, CEOs or CXOs. In marriage, you’re answering to everyone who’s ever attended a family wedding.

Consistency is Key: Managing Expectations

In branding, consistency is everything. A brand that changes its tone of communication and personality often leaves its audience confused. Marriage is no different. If you’ve been making promises you can’t keep or constantly changing how you communicate, it will cause misunderstandings.

Indian marriages thrive on rituals, festivals, and consistent traditions. Whether celebrating with your in-laws in your festival finery is appropriate for a daughter-in-law or remembering to take gifts for distant cousins, consistency in fulfilling these expectations is critical.

Communication also plays a crucial role in both branding and marriage. In branding, you must always ensure the message resonates with your audience. In marriage, especially in an Indian household, your tone can make all the difference. You learn to interpret and send messages without saying too much—an art honed over time through carefully observing elders at family gatherings. We all know the subtle eyebrow raised by your spouse during a family dinner that says, “We’ll talk about this later.”

The Rebrand: When Things Need a Refresh

Just like a brand that’s been around for a while, marriages, too, need a refresh from time to time. In branding, you may introduce new packaging, update the website, or even tweak the product offering slightly to keep up with the times. Similarly, in marriage, there comes a point when you realise that some things need to change for the relationship to stay relevant.

In India, marriage advice often comes packaged with spice: a nosy aunt will tell you to “go on a second honeymoon” or “take some time off from the kids.” You may raise an eyebrow at their intrusion, but truth be told, a well-timed weekend getaway can feel like a complete brand refresh for the relationship.

It helps you rediscover why you signed up for this “campaign” in the first place. Sometimes, the small rebranding exercises, like revisiting those old love letters hidden away in your dusty wedding album, bring back the spark.

Patience is a Virtue: The Long Game

Branding and marriage both demand one thing above all else: patience. In branding, it takes time for campaigns to build momentum, for consumers to trust your brand, and for loyalty to grow. Likewise, in marriage, it’s a long game. Learning each other’s quirks takes time, as does forgiving mistakes and adjusting to life’s ever-evolving demands.

Both branding and marriage are about constant evolution while staying true to your core. Whether launching a new campaign or rekindling an old flame, both require attention, care, and a lot of compromise.

And if you ever feel lost, remember, even the biggest brands need a rebrand now and then—just like marriages need a little spice.

Or when things get too crazy, maybe, just maybe, throw in a little humour—because, like in branding, a laugh can bridge gaps, diffuse tension, and make the journey much more enjoyable.