Mumbai: As influencer marketing continues to reshape digital advertising strategies in India, a new report by Kantar, The Influencer Playbook, highlights just how powerful creator-led content has become in driving trust, engagement, and brand outcomes. According to the findings, 67% of Indian consumers trust influencer recommendations more than traditional advertisements, underscoring a growing shift in consumer behavior.
The Influencer Playbook is a first-of-its-kind norm-based research report that helps brands evaluate and benchmark influencer campaigns against cross-format digital ads and peer group performances. Designed to decode the effectiveness of influencer content, it provides actionable strategies to maximize ROI, drive engagement, and boost campaign performance.
Key Insights from the Playbook:
- 67% of Indian consumers trust influencer recommendations more than traditional ads. An additional 26% show preference for influencer-led endorsements, though with some caution.
Influencer content ranks among the top three most equitable online media formats, alongside ecommerce (+7.0 pts) and online display ads (+6.0 pts), showing a +5.0 pt increase in ad equity since 2023.
- Influencer campaigns outperform traditional digital ads on lower and mid-funnel brand metrics, showing higher scores in:
-
- Brand favourability (15% vs 12%)
- Brand attributes (11% vs 9%)
- Purchase intent (10% vs 9%)
-
While influencer ads excel in driving short-term sales impact (57% chance of immediate conversion), they are less effective in long-term brand building compared to broader digital formats.
Soumya Mohanty, Managing Director & Chief Client Officer – South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar, said, “In today’s dynamic digital landscape, influencer marketing stands out as a powerful force as more than two-third of Indians trust influencer recommendations over traditional advertisements. Hence, understanding the elements that drive its success is paramount. The Influencer Playbook provides a framework to evaluate and benchmark influencer content, providing brands with the tools to craft high-impact content that drives both immediate action and long-term brand affinity.”
Prasanna Kumar, Regional Creative Lead, Insights Division, Kantar, added, “Understanding the differences and similarities between impactful digital advertisements and influencer content has been a fascinating experience. Influencer content works in a surprisingly direct manner, making the brand personally relevant to consumers without the overengineered marketing speak.”
