Why many brands now call creators first and journalists later

New Delhi: For years, brand launches followed a predictable order: first, a press conference or embargoed briefing for journalists; then, the stories, interviews, and expert reviews that shaped public perception. But between 2020 and 2025, the architecture of influence rewired itself around mobile-first content consumption, creator-led discovery, and the economics of attention.

In India, this shift is especially visible. The rise of digital-first consumption has changed not just how people discover products, but also who they trust to explain them. The transformation is so significant that “journalist-influencers are becoming a recognised category in 2025 influencer-analyst rankings.” From print reporters to satirists and independent commentators, Indian journalists are increasingly using short-form video, live commentary, and explainers to stay relevant in the new discovery economy.

Are brands really done with media?

If influence follows attention, then brands today are simply following the audience. As Ramya Ramachandran, Founder & CEO, Whoppl put it, “Brands are leaning far more aggressively toward creators today because consumer behaviour has changed  and brands need to change their playbook accordingly. People now discover, validate, and even decide on products through creator-led reviews.”

This sentiment is echoed across India’s marketing ecosystem. Fauzam Abdul Rahim, Co-founder, SocialTweebs framed it through the lens of cultural consumption. “Brands are prioritising creators because consumer behaviour has reorganised itself around mobile screens, where people naturally spend their time with voices they relate to,” he said.

Both leaders describe the same reality from different angles, attention today sits inside the daily scroll, not in formal media spaces. Yet Ramachandran added nuance by explaining why creators feel more native to consumer behaviour: “Creators fuel narratives through formats like POV videos, ‘Get Ready With Me,’ behind-the-scenes bits, and hands-on reviews; these new-age formats work because they feel immediate and real.”

The immediacy creators deliver is exactly what brands want at launch moments, when they need velocity more than verification. Prince Khanna, Founder & CEO. Eleve Media Pvt Ltd distilled this psychological shift into a sharper insight. “You don’t ‘read’ a creator. You feel them,” he said. Where journalists inform, creators influence. And influence has become the currency brands optimise for first.

“Brands are moving where influence is strongest. Creators shape discovery, conversations, and decisions in real time. Their content is faster, more native to consumer behaviour, and anchored in community trust, which makes the impact more immediate than traditional formats,” said Danish Malik, founder & CEO, Boomlet.

Is speed the only currency that matters now?

One of the biggest contrasts between creators and journalists lies in the mechanics of their workflows. Ramachandran highlighted the operational limitations of legacy media: “Longer timelines, limited format flexibility, and no control over the final narrative. ROI is harder to measure.”

By contrast, creators are built for rapid response: “With creators, brands can pivot messaging, tweak edits, and go live within 24–48 hours; that speed and adaptability are essential today,” she added.

“Legacy media operates with structured timelines and defined formats, which limit pace and adaptability. Creators work with flexible workflows, rapid turnarounds, and consumer-driven storytelling. The operational friction is lower, and the content aligns more closely with how people engage today, ”said Malik.

Fauzam reinforced this with a macro view of media systems: “The marketing landscape has shifted from a controlled, one-directional system to an environment where discovery and engagement happen continuously and simultaneously.”

Editorial calendars and newsroom structures are strengths when building credibility become friction points during product launches. Khanna cut to the core of this tension: “The Media has structure, process, and editorial layers, which are important but slow. Creators give brands speed, flexibility and native formats. At launch time, speed wins.”

What makes creators culturally unmissable?

Creators don’t just produce content; they embody the language, humour, and emotional resonance of their communities. Abdul Rahim captured this perfectly: “Discovery now begins with creators who bring cultural fluency, familiar language and an emotional texture that makes new products feel real, not distant.”

This cultural fluency is often missing in polished press releases or structured media coverage. Khanna emphasised the power of parasocial connection, “When a customer sees a product in the hands of someone they follow every day, the trust transfer is instant. The media informs, but creators influence,” he said.

Hemal Majithia added the scale dimension: “Many large media channels reach a few lakh people a day, while a single creator with a strong niche can reach a million people in one reel within hours.”

Combined, these insights reveal why creators are not simply “amplifiers”; they are cultural translators.

Is ROI rewriting the rules of influence?

One of the starkest contrasts lies in measurability. Brands today want evidence of movement, not just media presence. Khanna articulated what data-driven CMOs now value most: “Creators deliver velocity, watch time, shares, saves, comment sentiment, and immediate search lift. You can literally see cultural impact in real time.”

“Creators function like mini media houses, offering agility and real-time optimisation. Brands today operate in real time and creators function like mini media houses that can produce, post, optimise and engage instantly,” Majithia added.

A reprioritised, not replaced, media landscape

Fauzam Abdul Rahim provided critical nuance when he said, “For most brands, the challenge with legacy media is not trust but fit.”

Trust is not the issue; timing is. Format is. Consumer behaviour is. “So brands are not walking away from media; they are simply recognising that it no longer operates as the single, first or only gateway to attention,” he continued.

Khanna echoed this rebalancing with honesty: “Brands shouldn’t replace media; they should rebalance both.”

Rahim envisioned creators as emotional connectors and media as rational anchors: “When creators shape the initial emotional connection, and media reinforces the rational understanding, the overall credibility becomes richer and more layered.”

“Marketing has become experience first. Audiences look for personal, relatable, story-led content, and creators deliver that naturally. The demand for speed, agility, and diversified narratives has reshaped launch strategies and positioned creators at the centre of brand communication,” said Malik.

What’s the risk of going creator-only?

Even the strongest creator-first advocates acknowledge the risks.  “The risk is oversimplification. Not all creators are trained to explain complex tech,” Khanna warned.

“In categories like auto, finance, or health, accuracy matters and not every creator has the technical depth required,” Majithia added.

Abdul Rahim added a complementary caution: “Relying only on creators can lead to incomplete understanding. Certain decisions still require the steadiness of expert voices and editorial framing.”

Across all perspectives, a consistent theme emerges: creators are the ignition, and media is the structure. Abdul Rahim articulated this sequencing: “Creators help products enter culture at the exact moment curiosity forms. Once creators spark that momentum, the media adds depth and balanced evaluation.”

Majithia shared a similar view: “Creators drive discovery and conversation. Media provides depth, detail and validation.”

“Creators haven’t replaced media; they’ve replaced first impressions. The media still shapes long-term credibility. But launch moments today? Those belong to creators,” Khanna added.

Will the pendulum swing back?

India’s influence landscape is no longer hierarchical; it is networked, fluid, and behaviour-driven. Abdul Rahim summarised this new reality with precision: “India’s attention has shifted decisively to the creators who shape how people discover, feel and talk about brands in real time. Creators open the door and media strengthens the room, and together they build relevance that lasts.”

“Credibility is strengthened when both ecosystems work together. Legacy media offers depth and validation, while creators bring reach, relatability, and cultural relevance. A balanced approach ensures brands gain the best of both worlds without compromising trust,” Malik added.