We all are consumers; yet the consumer within us is an elusive person. It is difficult to pin him down with set behavioural patterns. We are rational, we are impulsive, we are money conscious and we are also brand conscious. The person who heckles the shopkeeper to give a five-rupee discount on a plastic mug enjoys food in a nearby restaurant and tips the waiter a tenner without batting an eyelid. Yet, we never bother to understand why we are like that.

Denial, Desire, Immersion attempts to understand Indian consumers from an observed reality. It answers questions like whether there is anything quintessentially Indian about the Indian consumer. If yes, what are the basic traits? How far have the consumers evolved? Answers to these questions may offer vantage points for brands to connect with consumers more meaningfully.

The study of history, the caste system, geographic locations, culture, changing market forces, media and globalisation are as much a part of this exploration as are observations and analysis of our popular culture. The book presents a holistic portrait of how changes take place in a complex society and influence the desire and decision-making process of consumers.

Crafted in a conversational tone, Denial, Desire, Immersion weaves a vibrant texture of everyday
India and its ever-busy consumers as they live life, select, ponder and agonise over the choices they make for brands and products.

Kishore Chakraborti, formerly Vice President, Consumer Insight and Human Futures Development (HFD), McCann Worldgroup, India, has three decades of experience in advertising. Over the years, as a brand consultant, he had handled a wide spectrum of national and international brands and was a member of McCann Worldgroup's global training team where he conducted training programmes for McCann India across all its disciplines.

Chakraborti was the editor of the McCann Worldgroup's journal on strategic planning and consumer insight in India and is a guest columnist in leading newspapers and magazines. He is a visiting lecturer at various premier business schools in India and abroad. His collection of essays, Listening Eyes-Making Notes from Many Indias, is a much-acclaimed work in the study of the evolving Indian consumer, culture and communication.