If Day 1 of Goafest 2025 had one session that sparked every strategist’s notes app into overdrive, it was the one on Gen Z. And for good reason. The panel brought together Spotify India, Nivea India, and Saregama India — three brands that have radically different products, but one thing in common: they’re building for a generation that’s rewriting every rule in the book.
Amarjit Singh Batra of Spotify didn’t mince words when he said Gen Z isn’t just a segment, they’re the core of their ecosystem. More than half their users are under 25. Their creators are young. Their cultural influence is massive. And their expectations? Through the roof. What this panel clarified more than anything is that Gen Z doesn’t just want brands to show up — they want brands to stand up. Nivea’s Geetika Mehta captured this shift perfectly when she said, “They’re not distracted, they’re discerning.” That’s the game-changer. We’ve spent years treating Gen Z like a mystery when in fact, they’re hyper-aware, values-led, and have a no-BS radar that can sniff out inauthenticity in seconds.
Saregama’s Vikram Mehra made another critical observation: traditional celebrity endorsements are losing ground to micro-influencers who reflect lived experience. This generation doesn’t want polished perfection — they want relevance, representation, and relatability. And the platforms they occupy aren’t just marketing channels — they’re cultural mirrors. TikTok, Reels, campus meetups, Reddit threads, meme comments — that’s where brand perception is shaped now. This panel wasn’t about decoding Gen Z. It was about catching up to them. And if Day 1 showed us anything, it’s that the brands brave enough to hand the mic over — and really listen — will be the ones shaping the next chapter of culture.
