“I once felt influencers would unseat brand ambassadors”
By Dilip Cherian
It has been interesting to watch the rise of ‘influencers’. But why has it become cringeworthy? Trend watchers today are saying that consumers are doing “imma bounce” in the droves.
Credibility is just part of the reason. Credibility collapse worsened when business became centre stage. As shameless monetising through branded content became a try-and-get-rich-quick pastime for anyone self-certifying themselves as micro-influencers, things worsened.
At one stage it felt as if influencers would unseat brand ambassadors. And now suddenly both find themselves under critical scrutiny.
So, do influencers really influence? Without a doubt, many did initially when product wasn’t the focus, change was.
In this new world of fleeting attention spans, GenZ and yet to arrive, Coronials, are targets for influencer sales messages! Oversupply knocks everyone down. Prices and stability collapse. With influencers springing up in every corner, it just isn’t special anymore. The need of the hour is meticulous filtration and for specialist agencies to come to stage.
ASCI (on the board of which I have served my time) blew the whistle on companies using influencers who don’t indicate they are being paid for their content. That’s a death blow to the caveat emptor playpen that influencers enjoyed.
{{/usCountry}}ASCI (on the board of which I have served my time) blew the whistle on companies using influencers who don’t indicate they are being paid for their content. That’s a death blow to the caveat emptor playpen that influencers enjoyed.
{{/usCountry}}Are they influencers anymore or just P.A.s (i.e. Paid Amplifiers)?
Dilip Cherian is a communications consultant and is considered India’s Image Guru. He founded the Public Affairs consultancy group, Perfect Relations.
“Consumers are queens & kings of content: they pick what influences them!”
By Prajakta Koli
When I first started making videos on the Internet in 2015, I was blind. I was nervous, clumsy, clueless, ambitious and under-qualified. I learnt nothing before I jumped in. There was no blueprint or formula that guaranteed success. Or even a term. We were YouTubers, artists, content creators and then one fine day, we were called ‘influencers’.
I can never tell how we measure someone’s influence? By numbers or reach? By the engagement or the impact?
We’ve nosedived into affordable and accessible Internet services. So, today, consumers are the queens and kings of content. They pick what educates, entertains and influences them.The Internet has given every consumer the opportunity to entertain, educate, create and influence right back.
Is the word ‘influencer’ too weighty to give to a profession that must still build its capability?” Depends on what we define as capability.
Does capability demand employment? Because that has been generated by digital platforms and the number keeps multiplying. Does it demand impact? Because people use the Internet as a strong tool to make effective conversations. People are engaging.
The way we are going right now, everything seems to be going digital. There is something for everyone so, I do see a future!
Is this profession new? Yes. Does it scare us? Yes. Is it here to stay? YES! It’s a wild wave that is going to flow anyway. To surf or to swim is the question, really.
Prajakta Koli aka MostlySane is one of India’s top female comedy YouTubers with over 6 million subscribers on YouTube, who also acted in the series Mismatched .
From HT Brunch, April 4, 2021
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