The star worship culture is stronger in south India and some other language belts and influencers will take more time to become hot favourites with brands.
Lata Jha
Published24 Jul 2024, 02:56 PM IST
In the Hindi-speaking belt, content creators and influencers such as Prajakta Koli, among others, are eating into brand spends directed at mainstream film and sports stars.(X)
Content creators and influencers in many regional markets, notably south India, continue to be eclipsed by local movie superstars in endorsing brands, unlike in the Hindi-speaking belt, where personalities such as Ranveer Allahabadia or Prajakta Koli have started eating into advertising budgets directed at mainstream film and sports stars.
Media and entertainment experts say this is because the star worship culture is stronger in south India and some other language belts. Influencers will take more time to become hot favourites with brands, although they are gradually making inroads into the social media discourse.
So strong is the superstar fandom in the south that even prominent Hindi actors could get less traction for their social media posts.
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“The fervour for a superstar down south is much more than what it is in the Hindi-speaking belt or north India. A social media post of a superstar endorsing any product in any part of south India will have better engagement than a Hindi film actor’s due to the south star worship culture,” said Hamza Kazi, music head of Dharma Cornerstone Agency, a talent management agency. “Due to this, brands also get more value for their efforts. Owing to this fact, the scope for influencers down south is less compared to the north where there is more aspirational value attached to influencers.”
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DCA is owned by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Bunty Sajdeh’s Cornerstone. A lot more people want to become influencers in the north, Kazi added, as that is the natural progression that leads to becoming an actor. In the southern part of the country, people may not have such aspirations.
Second fiddle
South India is characterised by a robust film and star worship culture, with a predominant allocation of brand spends towards local film actors, according to Abhishek Vyas, founder and CEO of MY Haul Store, an influencer marketing company.
“This cultural phenomenon poses challenges for influencers looking to achieve mainstream popularity, as the deep-rooted fan loyalty towards actors often eclipses other forms of influence. Despite this, influencers are gradually making inroads, especially among younger demographics and digital-savvy audiences. Brands navigating these markets often leverage both actors and influencers to effectively resonate with diverse audience segments,” Vyas said.