How Zepto hacks culture for 10-minute loyalty

In India’s highly competitive quick-commerce (q-commerce) space, where speed has become a commodity rather than a differentiator, Zepto — the instant delivery startup — is redefining how brands earn customer loyalty. Through a combination of cultural insight, creative experimentation, and social banter, Zepto aims to make its brand part of everyday conversation and human rituals, not just a utility app people open when they need something delivered fast. At the heart of Zepto’s evolving brand strategy is the understanding that culture is the new currency. In a market where competitors can deliver milk or bread in ten minutes just as well, the company believes that the brand that feels most human and relatable will win the emotional loyalty of customers. It’s what Zepto calls “cultural hacking” — using cultural triggers, humour, moments and memes to build emotional memory structures that keep customers coming back. From Rigid Strategy to Adaptive Playbooks Zepto’s Chief Brand Officer Chandan Mendiratta explains that traditional branding strategies — rigid plans based on static campaigns — no longer work in today’s fast-moving digital culture. Instead, Zepto uses what it calls a playbook-led approach: fluid, reactive, and constantly evolving. This allows the brand to be spontaneous, culturally attuned, and flexible enough to respond or even start trends. In 2025, the focus was on storytelling. Zepto took everyday cultural icons — like popular Indian sweets such as Soan Papdi and Kaju Katli — and gave them personalities. These products weren’t mere items on a checkout list; they became characters embedded in shared cultural narratives. By starring these everyday items in humorous or emotionally resonant campaigns, Zepto positioned itself not just as a delivery partner but as a participant in social conversations around food, festivals, and family life. In 2026, the brand scale has gone beyond storytelling into experiential cultural moments. Creative initiatives like Coffee Raves and Fake Shadis (bogus weddings with a playful twist) blur the line between advertising and real-world experience. Here, Zepto is not only reacting to culture — the company is actively riding it. Banter as a Brand Tool One of Zepto’s most talked-about tactics is its use of “banter” with other brands — often on billboards and LinkedIn. Instead of polished, agency-crafted ads, Zepto runs playful, unexpected exchanges with other well-known Indian brands. For example, a Zepto billboard once asked whether it could deliver a traditional kurta in ten minutes, prompting a response from Shaadi.com joking that finding a spouse takes longer. This kind of cross-brand humour creates surprise, makes people stop and share photos, and turns simple outdoor advertising into social content. LinkedIn, surprisingly, has become a cornerstone distribution channel for Zepto’s banter campaigns. Rather than burying these interactions behind paid ads, Zepto chooses LinkedIn — a platform where professionals and decision-makers scroll for insights and conversations. This approach ensures that Zepto’s playful brand voice reaches a premium audience that normally skips traditional advertising. The Challenge of Awareness Beyond Speed Despite being widely known as a platform that delivers essentials like milk and bread in 10 minutes, Zepto’s leadership admits that the biggest marketing challenge isn’t app awareness — it’s category awareness. Customers understand Zepto’s speed promise, but many don’t yet recognize that the platform can deliver a wide range of products, from iPhones to pharmacy items, jewellery, and more. Zepto is trying to create a halo effect: if users accept it as a trusted destination for high-value or sensitive products, they will instinctively trust the brand for daily necessities too. Zepto’s branding efforts are designed to nudge perception from “fast delivery app” to “complete commerce ecosystem.” Earned Media Over Paid Metrics Zepto measures its success not by traditional paid media metrics like impressions or clicks, but by earned media — the social shares, mentions, conversations and buzz that the brand generates organically. This approach aligns with the belief that true cultural engagement can’t be bought, it has to be earned. One standout example: on Janmashtami, a festival celebrating Lord Krishna, Zepto famously sent out boxes branded like Amul Butter — but empty — with a playful note suggesting that Krishna himself (nicknamed “Makhan Chor” or butter thief) got there first. This humorous stunt didn’t just generate online chatter — it spread across social channels, creating long-lasting memory structures among consumers. According to Zepto’s leaders, if a campaign can get people to pick up their phones, take pictures, and share them with friends and family on platforms like WhatsApp, it has transcended noise and entered cultural space. That’s the kind of earned visibility they believe builds emotional loyalty beyond mere transactions. Turning Private Signals into Playful Interactions Zepto doesn’t just monitor broad trends — it taps into private search behaviour to inform cheeky cultural campaigns. Whether it’s Valentine’s Day searches for “girlfriend” or appraisal season searches for “appraisal,” Zepto uses contextual triggers to create playful content. For instance, during appraisal season, searching for “appraisal” might prompt offers of peanuts on the app, turning common life experiences into brand jokes. This method allows Zepto to be in tune with user mindsets without crossing the line into being creepy. By listening to cultural chatter rather than intrusive data mining, Zepto positions itself as friendly and in-on-the-joke, building bond through shared moments rather than just conversions. Balancing Culture and Growth As Zepto expands to over 100 towns, the company faces the challenge of maintaining its quirky, human brand voice while scaling operations. Instead of a one-size-fits-all message, Zepto embraces hyper-local marketing — creating tailored campaigns for smaller cities and towns that reflect the local culture, language, humour and voice. This approach gives Zepto a regional personality in every market it enters, rather than becoming a generic corporate presence. Zepto also emphasizes that culture isn’t just for creative teams — it should influence every part of the organization. Founders and leaders are encouraged to be visible brand ambassadors and communicate the “soul” of the brand because they possess deeper understanding and authority over its spirit. The Future of Quick Commerce Loyalty In a landscape crowded with competitors promising speed, Zepto’s thesis is simple but bold: execution of logistics is now a baseline — culture creates loyalty. By embedding itself into cultural rituals, moments, humour and everyday social conversations, Zepto is betting that emotional resonance will keep users loyal even when the prices or features are similar to others in the market. This cultural hack — from butter boxes and Soan Papdi characters to banter with other brands — may sound unconventional, but it’s grounded in a deep understanding of human behaviour. In a world where consumers are bombarded with ads every minute, brands that make people feel something are the ones most likely to be remembered. For Zepto, culture isn’t an add-on — it’s the core competitive edge that turns fast delivery into lasting loyalty.