Speaking the language of Gen Z with KFC India’s marketing officer
A few years ago, Korean culture quietly entered Indian pop culture, first through K-Dramas and K-Pop, then through beauty and fashion. Today, it’s fully seeped into the core, thanks to a hyper-online Gen Z that consumes global culture and even actively shapes and remixes it. For brands, especially those in the QSR space, this cultural moment has also presented a business opportunity.
McDonald’s launched its K-Spicy range, Domino’s introduced Korean-style pizzas, and even homegrown brands like Wow! Momo jumped on the trend. Brands haven’t just explored Korean flavours, but they have also been trying their hands at new marketing strategies.
The K-wave wasn’t just ‘in’, it was engaging audiences through memes, relatable content and hence was becoming ‘sell-able’.
This is exactly what KFC India did with its latest launch as well. But this time, the brand isn't just focusing on what its TG, Gen Z, eats, but who inspires them to eat.
And the idea of the brand’s new collaboration, KFC x CarryMinati Saucy Popcorn, thus became a reality.
Why was CarryMinati the choice?
KFC India is known for having a meme-heavy communication across its social media channels. So when it came to collaborating with a creator who speaks memes, KFC onboarded CarryMinati to do the talking.
“For us, CarryMinati was an ideal fit - he's real, relatable and with over 90% Gen Z followers, he's one of them,” said Aparna Bhawal, CMO of KFC India & Partner Countries.
But the choice went deeper than just follower count or meme fluency. As Bhawal explains, Gen Z connects differently with creators compared to previous generations. “For years now, we've all talked about how creators have fundamentally reshaped how consumers discover and connect with brands. Gen Z, which forms our core target audience, has flipped that script entirely,” she shared. “While previous generations of creators thrived on expertise, Gen Z values relatability more… Especially when it's something created by the creator themselves, because it's a way for Gen Z to participate in that creator's world.”
It’s this insight that shaped the campaign, from having Carry co-create the Saucy Popcorn flavour to featuring him across digital activations. Bhawal mentioned that the goal wasn’t to use a creator as a marketing mouthpiece, but to embed him into the product experience itself, something Gen Z can recognise as authentic rather than performative.
Speaking to Gen Z
Over the past few years, KFC India has been changing the way it speaks to Gen Z.
“Our recent brand refresh ‘Taste The Epic’ is an extension of how we’re trying to connect with Gen Z and young fence-sitters. We’ve adapted new formats and are constantly looking for fresh, engaging ways to speak to them,” said Aparna Bhawal.
This shift reflects a broader understanding of what today’s younger audience expects. Campaigns that feel bigger, bolder, and more culturally relevant. From creator-led collaborations to new product launches that tap into global trends, KFC is trying to reach Gen Z in every way possible.
One example is the brand’s Korean-themed menu launched last year, including the K-Pop Chicken Popcorn and Korean Tangy Chicken Roll. With the growing popularity of K-dramas and K-pop in India, particularly among Gen Z, this move felt timely and well-placed. “There’s a growing fandom that goes far beyond entertainment—into food, fashion, and lifestyle,” Bhawal noted. The limited-edition menu was well-received, showing how cultural trends can shape product strategy.
This focus on culture carries over to KFC’s social media approach. Their Instagram content is built around Gen Z’s content consumption habits, short, fast-paced, and often rooted in meme humour or internet trends. “We’ve revamped our strategy to reflect today’s Gen Z consumption habits,” Bhawal said. “We’re no longer talking to them as a brand but as one of them.” The brand’s content today includes user-generated posts, trending formats, and what Bhawal calls “brainrot” content, short, chaotic, often humorous videos that are native to Gen Z's digital language.
Localised tone globally
Across global markets, KFC adapts its brand voice to suit local preferences—whether it’s humour-led in Thailand or more purpose-driven in the UK. In India, the brand has been gradually shaping a tone that feels rooted in local culture, with a clear focus on connecting with Gen Z and young millennials.
“We’ve been on a journey to evolve the brand identity to match the boldness and ‘epicness’ of today’s generation,” said Aparna Bhawal. The recent brand refresh, Taste The Epic, builds on that effort. From product launches to content and store design, the brand is working to align with what younger audiences expect, more energy, more personality, and a sense of relevance.
While much of that plays out on digital platforms, the strategy isn’t limited to social media. KFC continues to invest in traditional media, TV, print, outdoor, as well as on-ground events, in recognition of the fact that Gen Z’s media habits span across formats. The goal, as Bhawal puts it, is to take an integrated approach and meet young consumers where they are, without relying on any single medium to do all the heavy lifting.
It's less about jumping on every trend and more about keeping pace with a generation that's changing the way brands connect, both online and in the real world.
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