The InterMentalist, a south India-focused influencer marketing platform, was launched by Shivashish Tarkas in 2015 when he was 21 years old. It claims a network of over 100 content creators. Its website enlists national and multi-national clients including Amazon Prime Video, Reliance, Duroflex, Nestle, Parachute, TVS Emerald and P&G.
In an e-mailed interaction with Medianews4u, Tarkas offers his perspective on the evolution of the space.
“Its evolution process is quite rapid in terms of technology and platforms. We wake up to a new update from the fraternity every day and adapting to it on an immediate basis is quite challenging. This modern-day marketing methodology is now operating more on the cream level. Standalone shop owners and small business owners are yet to experiment with influencer marketing. This means it’s yet to go deep into the market. It has got to do more with the mindset than anything else. It will be exciting to see how the next few years will span for influencers and content creators,” he notes.
Tarkas’ entrepreneurial journey started two months post completing his college. Reflecting on the early days, he says, “Coming from a humble family I started my journey with leftover pocket money of Rs.3,500, zero infrastructure and business knowledge. It is my faith, belief and my parents’ emotional support which has played a role and helped me scale to greater heights.”
“Over the last eight years, The InterMentalist has played a pivotal role in shaping up the creator economy of the South in terms of monetisation, content creation, supporting creators with respect to market scenarios and being an intermediary between creators and brands to ensure a systematic and smooth flow of work,” adds Tarkas.
The shop claims direct access to celebs emerging from the South film industry, influencers/content creators emerging from the digital space of South, sporting personalities and other influential personalities.
“Till date, we have worked with over 100 influential personalities in the South and have always been a go-to outfit for many actors and influencers to understand brand deals and ways to go about it,” he notes.
The Intermentalist has handled social media marketing for stars of the South, worked on movie campaigns for production houses and OTT platforms, and undertaken performance marketing for movie promotions in the digital space, amongst other services.
On expansion plans, Tarkas says, “There is a lot to explore in the South market itself. Hence, we are strengthening our presence more on a daily basis. While we continue to reinforce and build our offerings in this space, we are looking forward to everyday growth in all aspects of the influencer marketing industry.”
He adds, “Our expansion plans will always remain a surprise to many as there is a lot of place for evolution and growth in today’s time.”
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