Influencer marketing is for affinity, not reach: Kantar’s Soumya Mohanty

New Delhi: Influencer marketing is not a reach-driving tactic; it’s a tool for affinity, connection, and short-term impact, provided it’s done right. 

That’s the key message from Soumya Mohanty, MD & Chief Client Officer- South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar, as she unpacked the dos and don’ts of influencer strategy in a fragmented digital landscape.

“Unlike TV or YouTube, influencer marketing isn’t a reach platform; it’s an affinity-building medium,” Mohanty emphasised. “It works best in the mid-funnel, where a consumer already knows the brand. If the influencer is someone the consumer likes and the content is well integrated, it can significantly improve brand favourability.”

But she cautioned that influencer-led campaigns are not designed for brand discovery. “If I don’t know the brand and the influencer introduces it to me, chances are I won’t go and buy it. However, if I already know the brand and the influencer talks about it meaningfully, then it can nudge me towards action,” she said.

Mohanty noted that influencer content generally performs better than other digital ad formats in terms of short-term impact, such as driving attention and content enjoyment. “It can even persuade someone to check out the brand. But it often doesn’t build long-term brand equity,” she explained, attributing the gap to poor creative integration. 

“The problem isn’t the medium—it’s the mismatch. Sometimes what the influencer stands for and what the brand represents don’t align, and that hurts memorability.”

She added, “If you do something completely berserk, with no connection to your brand’s core values, it won’t do much for the brand. That’s a big learning for marketers.”

Another crucial aspect, according to Mohanty, is careful influencer-brand matching, similar to the approach with celebrity endorsements. “It’s not necessary that a large influencer is the right fit for your brand,” she said. “You must ask: does the influencer reflect the right values? Can we build creative synergy that serves the brand?”

Interestingly, she pointed out that while Indians are generally more open to being influenced compared to their global counterparts, influencer loyalty is low. “Most top influencers in India have followings in the 3–4 million range, but users don’t follow them with loyalty. We don’t have niche or specialised influencer communities like other markets,” Mohanty observed.

Because of this dynamic, brands have to spread their messaging across diverse influencer cohorts. “That way, as consumers scroll through content, they encounter your brand in the right context multiple times,” she advised. “It’s all about smart, value-aligned integrations, not brute-force amplification.”

To help brands navigate this evolving influencer landscape and maximise the impact of their influencer campaigns, Kantar launched The Influencer Playbook. This 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' preferences and successful execution elements.

Kantar Influencer Playbook highlights:

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

Influencer content, along with e-commerce 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 favorability (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 impac,t but are less effective in building long-term brand equity.

The Kantar report found that 67% of Indians trust influencers more than traditional advertising, a significant opportunity but also a looming risk, as there’s always the danger that trust could get commoditised in the rush to scale.

Mohanty answered, “We’re not there yet. Influencers today are at the same stage as celebrities were during their peak. The trust remains largely intact, especially because of the diversity and relatability of micro-influencers. We are still quite open to seeing advertising and branded content as entertainment.”

However, she warned that history could repeat itself. “If we keep pushing branded content aggressively, just as we did with celebrity ads, which today feel far less compelling than they did five or six years ago, we risk exhausting that trust.”

With rising spends on influencer campaigns, often on par with television or other digital formats, Mohanty called for more accountability. “It’s critical that brands measure the impact of their influencer content. Every publisher and platform has their own engagement metrics, but there’s no common yardstick for measurement in digital. That’s a fundamental issue. We need credible, third-party measurement across platforms.”

Addressing the broader issue of misinformation, Mohanty stressed the need for stricter regulation of influencer content in India, especially in sensitive sectors like food and health. “We’re already seeing the government move toward more regulation, especially with financial influencers. But I believe the food and wellness space is equally critical. There have been recent cases where influencers spread unverified or harmful claims, which can cause unnecessary panic.”

She specifically cited popular figures who use their influence to create sensationalism. “While some have large followings, not all their claims are based on science. Brands must create digital safety guardrails and invest in systems to counter inaccurate or misleading information.”

Her final advice: treat influencer marketing as a relationship, not a transaction. “Ask yourself: Does this influencer align with my brand? Is the content creatively integrated? Is it serving affinity, not just amplification? That’s the mindset shift brands need today.”