This Diwali and wedding season, micro-creators did what big stars couldn’t

New Delhi: During this Diwali and wedding season, something fundamental shifted in India’s marketing landscape, and it wasn’t subtle. While television screens, billboards and airports remained packed with celebrity-laden campaigns, the real influence, the kind that shapes purchase decisions, wish lists, and late-night scroll behaviour, was happening online, driven not by movie stars, but by creators: stand-up comics, fashion vloggers, nano reviewers, content creators and even everyday social media users holding up their phones in their bedrooms.

This shift didn’t happen quietly; it happened persistently. Every reel, review, try-on haul and brand collab built a stronger case for creators as the true engines of festive visibility. And according to Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, this wasn’t just a trend; it was a structural correction in how influence works.

“Marketers tend to confuse celebrities with influencers… celebrities are typically people who are larger than life… whereas an influencer is actually a content creator who has cut their teeth online. They make content, they build an audience, and they build an authentic audience. The word authenticity is embedded into the influencer… authenticity is not the game of celebrities.”

The celebrity paradox: wide reach, limited influence

According to Kumar, celebrities continue to offer brands visibility, but their digital influence remains limited. He noted that many celebrities post on Instagram infrequently, sometimes only once a month, which reduces their relevance on the platform. As a result, even those with 40–50 million followers experience low engagement. “They don’t even post more than once a month… their engagement rate will be less than half a per cent or 0.3%.”

He pointed out that while a celebrity’s regular post may attract millions of likes, the pattern changes sharply when they discuss a brand. “Imagine she’s getting on top with 12 million likes… talking about a brand, it has fallen to 700,000 likes. It’s a fraction of this number.”

Kumar said that audiences view celebrity endorsements as transactional and do not expect the celebrities to use the products they promote. “Nobody expects a celebrity to really be using a product… they’re great for brand ambassadors; they give visibility… but you would not expect a Deepika to be using Lakmé products.”

Examples of this disconnect, he added, are visible across categories, from film stars endorsing mid-range cars they are unlikely to drive to actors fronting mass-market innerwear or fairness creams that do little to convince younger audiences.

Given this, Kumar said brands should set clear expectations when involving celebrities. “Treat partnerships with celebrities to trigger a campaign… don’t expect ROI on social media metrics unless you’re boosting the content.” Celebrities retain influence on television, in print and outdoor formats, but on social platforms, he said, persuasion now largely comes from creators.

Creators won festive-season mindshare because authenticity can be measured

The festive season underlined a clear shift in consumer behaviour: people trust creators who feel familiar and relatable. Creators post regularly, share personal insights and maintain an ongoing connection with their audiences, which platforms reward with higher visibility.

Kumar pointed to comedian Samay Raina as an example of how creators now outperform many celebrities online. “He has 7 million followers and on average gets a 15% engagement rate… that is of a typical micro-influencer. His relatability is massive.” Raina’s branded posts also continue to perform well because his audience responds to his consistent style and tone.

This trend was visible across categories, from beauty reviewers and jewellery vloggers to micro-fashion stylists and niche creators. As Kumar put it, “Relatability is subjective, but it should show in data… you don’t have to guess relatability.”

Why Jeeva, Palmonas and digital-first jewellery brands outperformed legacy players

Jewellery was one of the clearest categories to show how festive-season influence has shifted. While legacy brands such as Tanishq, Malabar Gold and Kalyan Jewellers continued to rely on celebrity-led campaigns and high-production shoots, newer digital-first players took a different route, working with large volumes of micro and nano creators across several months.

Brands such as Jeeva, Palmonas and Caratlane’s influencer-led verticals worked with thousands of creators in the months leading up to Diwali. Kumar said this long-term approach reflected how consumers now discover products online. “The world is now learning and listening on social media… and Jeeva has realised, look, let me deploy a massive volume.” He added that festive visibility cannot be achieved through last-minute activity. “The work has to be done way before the festive time… you can’t say Diwali is here; this week I will start using influencers.”

Kumar also highlighted how legacy brands often misread their audiences. “Malabar Gold has been talking to guys using female influencers… one-fifth of their profiles are female-majority.” He said this resulted in outreach being directed at male-dominated follower bases, which did not align with jewellery-buying behaviour.

In contrast, newer players such as Jeeva and Palmonas selected creators whose audiences closely matched their target customers. Their collaborations featured everyday styling, frequent posting, real-life settings and content formats that reflected how younger consumers browse and shop online. This resulted in stronger resonance, higher engagement and greater trust among potential buyers.

Why micro- and nano-creators built credibility during festive shopping

Kumar noted that the creators who drove the strongest festive-season impact were not the biggest names but smaller voices with niche, loyal communities. These micro- and nano-creators typically post consistently, share glimpses of their daily lives and maintain a close connection with their followers. “The smallest influencers have more credibility because they are not doing campaigns as usual.”

Their content feels more like genuine recommendations than sponsorships, which made formats such as jewellery hauls, Diwali styling ideas, wedding guest looks, budget gifting suggestions and festive makeup reels particularly effective.

Audiences engaged more readily because they could see creators using the products themselves, speaking in a familiar tone and filming in real environments with family members, friends or everyday surroundings in the background. This sense of proximity and relatability strengthened trust and contributed to purchase decisions throughout the season.

Overall, this festive season highlighted a clear transition in how brands build visibility and trust. Celebrity-led campaigns delivered scale, but creators shaped purchase decisions. Authenticity, frequency and audience relevance mattered more than reach alone. “Most brands are in the business of selling things… they are not in the business of virality.”

Consumers engaged more with creator content as it reflected familiar behaviour, frequent posting patterns and everyday settings. During a season marked by high choice and competition, this consistency and relatability contributed to a stronger influence on purchase decisions, with creators driving much of that interaction.