67% Indians trust influencer recommendations over traditional advertisements

Influencer marketing is a game-changer for brands, delivering unparalleled impact and engagement. While influencer content benefits from the reach and credibility of the influencer, its overall impact and ROI are largely driven by the quality of the creative execution. As influencer marketing grows in investment, impact, and ROI expectations, the need for crafting high-performing influencer content has never been more critical.

To help brands navigate this evolving influencer landscape and maximise the impact of their influencer campaigns, Kantar - the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company has launched The Influencer Playbook. This one-of-its-kind report helps brands evaluate and benchmark influencer campaigns against cross-format digital ads and influencer peer groups. It also explores key strategies for maximising campaign effectiveness for brands, based on consumers preference and successful execution elements.

Kantar Influencer Playbook- Highlights:

•67% Indians trust influencer recommendations over traditional advertisements. A further 26% also prefer influencer recommendations but remain cautious and do not trust them blindly.

•Influencer content, along with ecommerce and online display ads currently represent the most equitable online media channels in India:

•Influencer content outperforms digital ads in driving lower and mid-funnel metrics, with higher brand favourability (15% vs 12%), brand attributes (11% vs 9%), and purchase intent (10% vs 9%).

•Influencer ads outperform other digital ad formats in driving short-term sales with a 57% chance of driving immediate impact but are less effective in building long-term brand equity.

Commenting on the report, 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.”

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