As Influencers dominate, can brands without Avneet Kaur, Ranveer Allahbadia & others survive?

With the emergence of the digital era, the entire landscape of the brand world has changed. We all know that the requirement of a brand, is to reach its potential customers. In the past few decades, the scenario has been different—brands usually only advertised their products on television or print media. But now, with the introduction of the digital era, the market has expanded, and so have the means of reaching the audience. The most significant, or we could say, most effective way is through social media creators and Actors. Imagine, the Kardashians! They are the product of what the best brand placements could bring. Creators are the new voice of the brands, making a product reach across the world at the tip of a button with millions of followers.

Recent incidents have made us question whether a brand can survive without creators/ Actors, naming one that is, Avneet Kaur who has 32 Million alone on Instagram. A brand has accused her of not fulfilling the deal that was discussed with ‘the team’. However, one may ask - whose fault it is? What we do know is that you can’t just dismiss someone who has an influence of 32 million on Instagram and being a small business, we know how much relationship building it takes. But before a public outrage, how fair was it not to find a way? Did this actually bring attention to the brand post the controversy? Yes. From actors and creators taking up small businesses without monetary deals to help them grow, Would it be correct to say that, just because someone didn’t add the tag to a few pictures, they didn’t fulfill a placement deal? Well, impatience truly has brought the brand to attention but Avneet is not the first to have faced this. There have been numerous cases and hence, the question - How is it good enough for a public call-out when the creators already do the endorsement, without money involved at times?

Truthfully, creators are the first choice for brands when it comes to promotion. Brand experts feel that having social media creators on board is a cost-effective means to connect with the youth. From a crore worth of paid print media deals to the range of 30K-30L, the promise that creators and actors bring has shifted the landscape.

Well, creators are not just a conglomerate of imaginative business. The economy had seen legitimate respect, globally and in India. From content being the king, the Cannes Film Festival witnessed a host of influencers and content creators from across the country, including Masoom Minawala, Diipa Khosla, Ranveer Allahbadia, and Niharika NM, representing leading brands at the festival. Why? Ahead of it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the first-ever National Creators Awards. This award celebrates the contributions of digital content creators who have brought about positive social change and innovation. In the parallel world, the biggest magazine, Forbes, has recognized them and has released- India’s Top 100 Digital Stars list, acknowledging the work of these creators, keeping quantitative and qualitative measures in mind. Why? All the answers are that brands need influencers more than they would need them.

Social media scrolling is the new game this generation is addicted to. Influencers are the people who have the power to captivate you with their content using persuasive strength. If we look at the earlier scenario, the approach used to be more mass media-centric. While an advertisement in a print publication would cost you around 30 lakhs to 1 crore, now the feasibility, viability, and targeted audience come at a cost of 30k to 1 lakh with influencer marketing. It is so concentrated that a shop in a small area wanting to be advertised can reach a wider audience with a nano/micro-influencer, leading to greater word of mouth in the surrounding areas. It’s more personal on Instagram as it targets a community, hence influencers are important for brands. Therefore, endorsements are considered better than advertisements in today’s world, where the concentration has shifted to social media, and there is a booming market that is thriving right now.

It’s also a debate that sees us asking - Public figures have a responsibility but shouldn’t it be two-way or does putting a call-out make things easier because, well… brands cannot survive without the support of actors, and creators.

From content being the king, the Cannes Film Festival witnessed a host of influencers and content creators from across the country, including Masoom Minawala, Diipa Khosla, Ranveer Allahbadia, and Niharika NM, representing leading brands at the festival. Why? Ahead of it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the first-ever National Creators Awards. This award celebrates the contributions of digital content creators who have brought about positive social change and innovation. In the parallel world, the biggest magazine, Forbes, has recognized them and has released- India’s Top 100 Digital Stars list, acknowledging the work of these creators, keeping quantitative and qualitative measures in mind. Why? All the answers are that brands need influencers more than they would need them.