The evolving role of influencers in brand storytelling and customer engagement

The second edition of Adgully’s CMOs’ Charcha - Kolkata Chapter 2024 took place at The LaLit Great Eastern in Kolkata on June 14. This marquee event, designed exclusively for marketing professionals, promises to be a powerhouse of knowledge, inspiration, and unparalleled networking opportunities.

A key highlight was the panel discussion, titled ‘The Evolving Role of Influencers in Brand Storytelling and Customer Engagement’, which was chaired by Srishti Nadhani, Content Creator and Creative Consultant. The panellists included:

• Dr Megha Dasgupta, Doctor and Content Creator
• RJ Praveen, RJ and Content Creator
• Saira Shah Halim, Activist, Educator and Politician
• Sumit Agarwal, Associate, Great Place to Work Institute (India)

Commencing the discussions, Srishti Nadhani remarked that people’s perspective toward influencers have changed a lot. People are now recognizing the efforts put out by the influencers. She asked the panelists how they perceived the current state of the influencer landscape and what notable shifts they have observed in the recent years.

Saira Shah Halim replied by stating, “Anybody who has the power to influence people is an influencer. And you don’t necessarily need to sell a brand. You can be a thought leader in your own right. You can sell thoughts.” She also remarked that social media can be used to talk about societal impacts, issues like climate change and also talk about diversity, inclusivity and more.

Carrying forward the discussion Sumit Agarwal said, “Influencers can drive you to take certain actions. Unless it is driven by actions, that influencer is just a digital influencer. AI generated robots and bots are also becoming influencers. That means, you don’t even need to be a living thing to become an influencer. But what you need to have are certain ideas, certain thoughts and certain beliefs that you have and make a cult around it.” While speaking about the power of influence, he noted, “Every time I say, Simon says, do this, and you do it without even thinking, then we are living in a very dangerous precedent. You must learn to think, act and then follow.”

RJ Praveen added here, “Few years back, clients used to reach out to influencers, and they used to say that I want to market this product. This is a certain x amount that I am paying you. You need to make a brand video for me. But if you look at the ecosystem right now, it is happening otherwise as well. We are standing at that point where influencers are paying money to make a brand out of themselves.” Citing an example, he said, “A Lot of influencers paid money to go to the Cannes film festival. So, in today’s world, even the influencers need marketing for themselves.” He also talked about brands’ approach towards influencers. Brands don’t want just a viral video, they want to know the ROI, engagement and the age demographic.

Dr Megha Dasgupta pointed out the difference between content creator and influencer and said, “The difference between a content creator and being an influencer is not very commonly talked about. A content creator is somebody who creates content for themselves and also to kind of influence the people who are watching it. And then if the audience is consuming the content, well, maybe then you can call that person a notable influencer.”

Agreeing with RJ Praveen’s and Saira Shah Halim’s points on brands and use of social media for social causes, respectively, Dasgupta said, “Brands also know what they want from influencers. And for influencers, they need to know what kind of brands really match their niche. Influencers would definitely encourage other people to take an active part.”

These are edited excerpts. For the complete panel discussion, please watch below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1o6L6NINbs