The InterMentalist is a South Indian Influencer marketing agency. Founded by Shivashish Tarkas, the agency has worked with over 100+ pan Indian and global brands, 200+ premium actors, influencers and creators emerging from digital space in South India. They strategise, identify the right people, draft scripts, and provide pre- and post-production services along with complete analysis and statistics.
MediaNews4U caught up with Shivashish Tarkas, Founder, CEO The InterMentalist
Q. Companies today expect influencer marketing to drive actual ROI. Mere engagement is not enough. Has this made the environment more challenging when companies want immediate results?
It’s a completely wrong approach to give priority to ROI when it comes to influencer marketing. ROI certainly depends on when, how, where and for how long. All these details play a very important role in deciding how audience perceive a brand product and how convince are they to place an order.
There is no way yet where anyone can do anything to drive immediate results or asking for an assurance in terms of ROI from agency or an influencer.
Q. Influencers not disclosing paid partnerships is another issue. What should be the way forward?
I don’t think this is the case. Regional / local brands are not aware of ASCI guidelines and influencers are ignoring the guidelines in such cases and hence a miss but when it comes to PAN India and global brands – all are doing the needful and following the guidelines as both parties can be scrutinised by authorities at any given point of time.
Q. Right now there is an air of caution over India Pakistan tension. Is there a danger of influencer marketing activities taking a hit in categories like travel?
In war like situation, any marketing activity can take a hit. The hit shall always depend on intensity of the war. A war like scenario can affect daily life itself so marketing activities getting affected is definitely possible.
Q. In terms of personal branding services to public figures like Sarath Kumar, is understanding how the figure is perceived by fans crucial? Is social media tracking very important in an era where algorithms change frequently?
When we use to provide this services to Mr Sarath Kumar sir between 2015-2017, digital media was shaping up and static memes were talk of the town.
Such things made a huge impact on how one perceives a public or a political figure. It is indeed very important to track people’s sentiments online. A steady check needs to be kept to understand how a particular name holding a brand in itself is performing.
Its not necessary to keep a tough check on algorithms but a check on newly developed features on everyday basis is important. I still remember a time when a lot of them in south did not give much importance to Instagram when it was in its initial stage of making waves and still preferred Facebook. By the time they realised and established themselves in the platform, they were left behind the faces who to them were insignificant.
Q. As an entrepreneur for a decade what is the one thing you wish you had known when you started out?
I don’t wish for anything I had known but I really wish I had contacts in place which I had to build on the go. If I had contacts in place, I certainly believe we would have been 10 times ahead from where we are currently in.
Q. What makes South India unique compared to the rest of the country when it comes to influencer marketing and also marketing in general?
Talent management agencies do not control the south influencer eco-system. The strategy has be on par with the state that an influencer belongs and one influencer is completely unknown to the other.
The market is highly heterogenous in terms of influencers as well as platforms. Its more of a quality than quantity. Influencers may be countless but influencers who are right for influencer marketing are limited and hence only this set of people make the most out of it.
Q. How has AI been integrated into the agency? Is it making the task of identifying the right people that brands should work with and the personalities, stars that the agency should work with easier?
We as an agency believe that we have optimum ground level understanding of the south ecosystem. We don’t need an application or AI to tell us who will work out and who won’t.
In fact very recently, we had a situation where brand wanted a name that passed all their AI checks and we wanted to go with a certain name who we handpicked based on our experience and expertise. The risk taken by brand to go with our choice of influencer worked significantly better than any.
Q. Is the InterMentalist doing work when it comes to virtual influencers?
No we are not currently involved in this schema for work. If at all any IP’s that we need to create, it would be real time more than virtual.
For virtual, we wish to be mediators and generate revenue for the ones who created it. Its better to king maker in today’s time than the king.
Q. In terms of monetisation challenges in the creator economy are late payments and lack of a concrete payment tier structure issues?
Its definitely an issue. Certainly this needs to be addressed with immediate effect. Lack of payment structure and delayed payments can bring a negative sentiment among influencers for the brand and as well as agencies.
If only payments are happening on time or less delays, rotation of money becomes easy for agencies. I am aware of many agencies who are in bad shape because of delayed payments.
Q. When brands are not sure if they should use a celebrity or an influencer what advice do you give?
We prefer to brainstorm and understand the vision that they have towards this campaign. Based on which we make them aware of pros and cons and rest is upto the brand to decide who they want to go ahead with it.
Q. Are micro and nano influencers becoming crucial in reaching tier two and three towns and cities?
Micro – definitely yes. In fact I would go on to say that they are definitely giving a hard time to big names because of the quality content they create.
The nano ones not yet as they are limited in terms of resources and logistics.
