Offline Audience: Are marketers missing millions of GenZ women in India?

Despite rapid digital advancements in India, a glaring gender divide persists among the online Consumer landscape, particularly among Gen Z. 

According to Comscore data based on unique visitors, there were 6.6 crore Indian women aged 15-24 accessing mobile phones and desktops, compared to a significantly higher 10.7 crore men in the same age group in the year 2024. 

When it comes to mobile phones, India's most preferred device for media consumption, there were 6.5 Cr female unique visitors against 9.9 Cr male in the 15-24 group.

While the digital gender gap is evident across all age groups, it is most pronounced among Gen Z. The gap narrows slightly among individuals aged 25-34 (9.6 Cr men versus 6.4 Cr women) and 35 years and above (9.0 Cr men against 8.5 cr women). 

This stark contrast underscores a digital disparity that not only affects women’s education, employment, and social mobility but also challenges businesses and marketers trying to engage a sizable segment of Gen Z women.

For a country that aspires to be a digital powerhouse, such disparities pose a challenge to inclusive growth, especially in rural India where women are less likely to own mobile phones than those who live in urban India. 

While this digital gender gap is symptomatic of broader societal challenges such as patriarchal norms, the lack of access to technology could hinder young women’s professional and personal growth and financial independence due to an increasing shift towards online education, digital payments, and remote work. 

Notably, this divide is not specific to India. According to the International Telecommunication Union, while 70 per cent of men globally use the internet, in the case of women it is 65 per cent.

This lag is more evident in low-income countries than anywhere else. A UNICEF report, titled Bridging the Digital Divide, which looked at the online gap between young people aged 15-24, showed that around 90 per cent of adolescent girls and young women in low-income countries do not use the internet, “while their male peers are twice as likely to be online”.

Challenges for Marketers 

For marketers and businesses, this gender gap presents both challenges and opportunities, especially since digital ad spend in the country has been rising exponentially post pandemic and currently commands over 50 per cent share in the total advertising spend, which was worth Rs 1.08 lakh crore in 2024, according to the Pitch Madison Annual Report 2025. Besides, new age advertisers spend 50-100 per cent of their marketing budgets on digital platforms.

With fewer young women having access to digital devices, brands targeting Gen Z women may struggle to reach a significant portion of their audience. Their digital-first marketing strategies, including social media campaigns and e-commerce promotions, risk missing a crucial demographic, potentially limiting their market share and engagement. 

Additionally, companies investing in personalized and data-driven marketing may find their insights skewed due to the lack of female representation in digital data pools. This can lead to ineffective campaigns and lost revenue opportunities, ad experts point out.

‘One-Size-Doesn't-Fit All’

Rajiv Dubey, Vice President (Media), Dabur India Ltd, says, “Addressing the digital gender gap among Gen Z women requires a nuanced approach. While digital adoption is growing, brands must move beyond a one-size-fits-all digital strategy to ensure meaningful engagement.”

As digital access among young women increases, brands that create culturally relevant, inclusive campaigns across both digital and traditional media will be best positioned to bridge the gap, Dubey noted. 

“Dabur is focusing on a balanced media mix that includes TV as a broad-based medium across most Hindi and regional markets, ensuring deep reach and engagement. Within this, Free-to-Air (FTA) channels play a critical role in the Hindi heartland, where digital access among young women remains limited,” he noted. 

Dubey adds, “While Connected TV and OTT platforms enable targeted messaging and influencer marketing and Social commerce initiatives which drive engagement through relatable content, we have also adopted hybrid strategies that blend digital campaigns with offline activations, ensuring a seamless brand experience across multiple touchpoints.”

Gender gap limits reach & impact

Such gender imbalance makes it harder for brands to effectively engage young women, particularly in industries like fashion, beauty, healthcare and education, where they are key consumers, says Denny Joseph (Business Director, India at Omnicom Production). 

“It also skews data-driven marketing insights and media spends leading to campaigns that don’t fully perform or reflect the needs and behaviors of young women. Ultimately, this gap limits both reach and impact, making it essential for brands to reconsider their approach,” he noted.

Risk of male-centric positioning

Brands that rely solely on digital analysis risk making decisions based on an incomplete data set, notes Keren Benjamin Dias, Lead - Research & Strategy, Capital Z by White Rivers Media. 

“Our research in underrepresented categories like automotive shows how this gap often results in male-centric positioning, overlooking key female perspectives and opportunities across products and communication,” said Dias. 

Businesses that proactively address this divide can gain a competitive edge. E-commerce platforms, personal care, fashion, fintech companies, and edtech businesses, in particular, must recognize this disparity and innovate ways to bridge the gap—whether through offline marketing strategies, community-driven digital literacy initiatives, or affordable device accessibility programs, executives say. 

Brands taking note

Over the past decade, women have comprised around 25-30% of the audience on digital media platforms, so this number is not shocking. On the contrary, it’s a great sign for brands who specifically want to target the women demographic since more GenZ women are adopting digital as a whole and we are seeing it move towards 38%, says Rajni Daswani, Director - Digital Marketing, SoCheers. 

Daswani noted, “How this split usually affects brands is that the ones who are trying to reach just the women demographic have to spend a higher buck to reach them vs the men. The brands that are targeting both audiences usually run specific ads targeting women separately and then generic ads targeting everyone.”

On-ground events 

Advertisers are exploring hybrid models that integrate offline and online engagement to ensure their messaging reaches all segments of their target audience.

“It's about meeting women where they are. That means exploring offline activations, partnerships with community-based organizations, and even looking at hybrid models. Think about leveraging local events, college tie-ups, or even using influencers who have a strong offline presence,” Daswani shares. 

She explains, “For example, if we know that in a particular state, mobile data penetration among young women is lower, we consider alternative methods of reaching them, such as local radio campaigns, on-ground events, or partnerships with women's self-help groups.”

Echoing the sentiments, Joseph shares, “To ensure our campaigns reach young women with limited digital access, we employ a hybrid approach that combines digital and offline engagement. Our strategy involves omnichannel marketing, where we combine traditional media channels such as print, radio, retail branding, OOH and TV with digital platforms to achieve broader reach.”

Alongside, we ensure the digital campaigns are personalised and localised for easier targeting and engagement. Furthermore, we collaborate with micro-influencers who resonate with offline audiences through shared devices or low tech platforms (such as WhatsApp) allowing us to disseminate brand messages effectively, he noted. 

Balanced media mix 

The digital gender gap forces agencies and brands to rethink how they gather insights and allocate media spend. The media mix is being balanced by incorporating traditional channels like radio, print, OOH, store branding and TV. 

According to Joesph, “Brands are also tapping into sentiment analysis tools to understand how young women feel about brands and messaging, whether through social media conversations or offline feedback. He explains, “Consumer behavior research helps us refine our approach by identifying what resonates most with this audience, allowing us to create messaging and content that feels relevant and accessible.”

In terms of messaging, we’re focusing on localised content that reflects cultural and regional nuances while keeping visual formats simple so they’re accessible on all devices. By taking these steps, we’re making sure our campaigns are genuinely inclusive, reaching Gen Z women wherever they are, Joseph added. 

More accessible entry points

To build a truly inclusive understanding of this cohort, a hybrid and integrated approach is key. “In India, where digital participation among women varies widely by region, literacy, and socio-economic background, brands must go beyond surface-level digital insights. This means deepening engagement with women already active online while also creating more accessible entry points,” Dias noted. 

According to Dias, brands must tap into local, micro, and nano influencers and IPs who foster trust-driven conversations, especially in vernacular languages. Incentivizing low-data formats such as SMS, IVR, and community radio has also been a great way to drive participation in regions with lower smartphone penetration. 

“Besides, physical communities of women are a delight, as they are anchored in genuine connections, whether through self-help groups or workplace collectives, and serve as powerful offline ecosystems that can be integrated into brand engagement strategies,” he shared. 

“We have observed that campaigns that lead with culture and facilitate digital inclusion by providing literacy tools in a familiar manner, bridging infrastructure gaps, or partnering with government initiatives can create long-term brand affinity while expanding the very market they seek to understand,” Dias further noted. 

Vernacular platforms & UGC

Advertisers are also looking beyond metros and encourage brands to invest in vernacular platforms that are a part of the lives of these young women such as WhatsApp, Meesho, ShareChat, Moj etc. as well as in phygital experiences that bring the brand to the consumer rather than expecting the consumer to seek it out. 

“In this space, user generated content (UGC) is a goldmine, provided that access and ease are built into the platform. We believe in amplifying stories of women, by women, ensuring they feel seen, heard, and represented. By positioning brands as allies in elevating their experiences, we create deeper connections that go beyond transactions and build lasting engagement,” Dias opines. 

Many Gen Z women in low-data-access regions share devices with family members, often masking their digital footprint. This makes data collection and effective communication even more challenging.

"However, messaging can overcome this hurdle when it authentically reflects the aspirations, challenges, and cultural contexts of these women," Dias shares.