Multiverse of marketing madness: 2024 will see social media influencers radically change traditional marketing

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Cinema or politics, chocolates or perfume... social media influencers cover it all and are set to spread their influence further and wider in 2024 with MNCs, movie stars and even politicians using them to reach target audiences, bypassing mainstream media and traditional marketing avenues.

‘Influencer' entered the lexicon in a big way in 2023. The tribe will become more visible and more effective in disseminating myriad messages as a new year in which the growth of social media platforms is a virtual certainty stretches ahead.

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An influencer can be any person who has a significant following on a social media platform and holds considerable sway or ‘influence' over his or her followers. A product, brand or celebrity endorsed, used or reviewed by this person is what entails influencer marketing.

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) estimates the social media influencer industry at USD 150 million, approximately ₹1,200 crore.

The wide reach, relatability and ability to connect brands with their audiences make influencers the next big thing in marketing campaigns, say trade experts.

And perhaps the most celebrated of them all in 2023 was fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria, propelled to stardom when Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared screen space with him while leading a nationwide cleanliness drive in October.

Sharing a four-minute video on his official X account, Modi posted, "Today, as the nation focuses on Swachhata, Ankit Baiyanpuriya and I did the same! Beyond just cleanliness, we blended fitness and well-being also into the mix. It is all about that Swachh and Swasth Bharat vibe!"

The prime minister even said “Ram Ram bhai sara ne”, a phrase popularised by the Haryana