The company used social media celebrities to talk about immunity, health and wellness. Most Dabur brands, Phakey said, have increased spends on this channel of marketing.
Mondelez India increased its digital advertising spends, making it the second-most preferred promotional medium for the maker of Bournvita.
“TV still remains a lead medium for us because of the scale and reach that it creates,” said Anil Vishwanathan, director-marketing (chocolates) at Mondelez India, told BloombergQuint over the phone. “However, digital is now the strong second medium and over a period the salience in digital has gone up.”
“In television, you put out a piece of content, and consumer sees it there is no way to respond,” he said. “In the post digital world, what you’re actually looking for is not just a one-way communication for the brand putting out a message but also an opportunity to build engagement, get feedback and conversation going.”
Higher demand, on the other hand, allowed influencers to charge more.
Nehal Karkera, a restaurant consultant with more than 82,000 Instagram followers, said his following on the videoblogging site nearly doubled during the lockdown. From getting one or two collaborations a month, he has started to get five to six and increased his prices by 50%.
Auto and travel companies are also increasingly relying on social media influencers. Yet, they are mostly hired based on the gig.
“Very few brands have an ongoing relationship with influencers; influencer activations are a part of campaigns,” said Khurana. There is value for brands to explore an always-on relationship—a long-term ambassador in social media could yield more credibility and prolonged awareness.”