The Challenge

As part of a major global investment in digital-first journalism, a leading public broadcaster set out to launch vernacular news services across key Indian languages—Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi, and Gujarati.

The ambition was clear: to meet young, mobile-first audiences where they are—on apps, in feeds, and in the rhythms of their daily lives—while staying true to the brand’s legacy of trust and credibility.

But what does “news” mean to this audience? What do they consume, and why? And how can a globally respected brand enter local, emotionally textured spaces—without seeming distant or derivative?

Our Approach

We used a dual-track methodology to uncover not just attitudes and preferences, but the real-time pulse of vernacular news consumption:

• Digital shadowing: WhatsApp and Facebook-based observation over a week to track how news is discovered, consumed, and shared

• In-home ethnographic immersions: Deep-dives across metros and Tier 2 towns to decode the emotional, functional, and identity-level meanings of news

What made it distinct:

• Triangulated why–what–how of consumption—capturing attitudes, preferences, and behaviors in an integrated frame

• Focus on vernacular identity, digital routines, and the deeper drivers of trust, relevance, and expression

• Mapped contrasts across life stages, platforms, and regions—beyond surface demographic cuts

The Impact

The research surfaced how news in vernacular India is deeply entwined with identity, social connection, and everyday navigation.

It highlighted emerging patterns in how younger audiences discover, relate to, and share content—revealing that credibility is built not just through legacy, but through cultural proximity, tone, and format.

These learnings are informing how the brand shapes its presence—grounded in local realities while staying globally credible.