How influencer marketing during festivities is shaping consumer purchases

The festive season often leaves people scrambling for gift ideas, but with Instagram reels offering fun suggestions, it’s easier than ever. For Raksha Bandhan this year, Blinkit, with a lighthearted and relatable Raksha Bandhan collaboration, got content creator Srishti Garg to playfully advise brothers on what they can gift their sisters. From suggesting clicking a sister’s pictures, attending family events together, and even keeping secrets, Garg added a twist with a skincare product integration from Kama Ayurveda. 

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On Instagram itself, festive hashtags like #festivewear, #festivecollection, #festivedecor, #festivegifts and more have over 1 lakh posts, some even going up to 39 lakh posts. With the festive season in full swing, influencer marketing has become one of the most powerful tools for brands to connect with consumers. From lifestyle brands to everyday essentials, businesses are leveraging content creators to tap into the joyous spirit that comes with festivals. The power of fun and engaging content reflects how influencer marketing blends humour and relatability to connect with audiences, especially during festive seasons.

Qoruz’s Diwali Festive Report 2024 report suggests that brands are expected to spend over ₹500 crore on influencer marketing during this Diwali season alone, putting a growing importance on social media influencers in shaping consumer behaviour and driving festive sales. The top spending categories include Fashion, which sees high engagement, particularly through micro and nano influencers. We are seeing brands like Crocs, Myntra, Nykaa and more tapping into influencer marketing to reach their consumers. Influencers are seen talking about the best festive outfits, adding humorous and relatable narratives into the same. This year, influencer marketing strategies are evolving, driven by innovation, regional targeting, and short-form content. 

What’s in the festive briefs?

For content creators, festivals are not just about personal celebrations but a prime time to engage their audiences. Srishti Garg notes that the festive season is a favourite among creators due to the joy it brings, which is reflected in the content they produce. 

Talking about the briefs she has received during the festive season, she explains, "Briefs are mostly around skincare, festival outfits, makeup, and festival sales. As a consumer, I’m looking forward to discovering new products, brands, and offers during this time." 

Garg emphasises the importance of diversifying her content, from beauty and fashion videos to comedy sketches that resonate with the festival's energy. Planning content ahead of time has been a game-changer for her, allowing her to avoid exhausting herself while still creating engaging posts that feel authentic.

Creators like Sonal Kaushal agree, sharing how the festive period provides an opportunity to build deeper connections with audiences. She prefers preparing her content in advance and leans on the familiarity of Hindi to reach her audience effectively. 

“My audience is my family, and they connect with me and my content. I make sure that my content depicts what I am. I often receive inquiries from brands in fashion and apparel, gifting, and food and beverages for festive content. These briefs usually revolve around celebrating the season with stylish outfits, thoughtful gifts, and festive treats, creating a warm and joyful vibe that truly captures the spirit of the festivities.”

Kaushal has collaborated with brands such as FirstCry India, including her daughter in the content she created, offering consumers affiliate links to make the best of festive offers. 

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According to Siddharth Kelkar, Managing Director, Performance Business, AnyMind Group, affiliate marketing will play a significant role this festive season, with influencers driving trackable sales and conversions. 

“This year, brands are looking to tap into the emotional and community-driven spirit of the season. I expect to see a stronger focus on hyperlocal influencers who resonate with regional cultures and languages.”

A report suggests that 50% of consumers rely on influencer affiliate links when shopping for trending products, underscoring the significant role influencers play in shaping consumer purchasing decisions. 

Priya Vivek, Co-Founder and Head of Revenue and Partnerships at Qoruz also points out the importance of affiliate links. “When it comes to measuring success, we track how many people are engaging with the content and more importantly, how many are actually converting into customers through special promo codes or affiliate links.”

Singh notes that authentic storytelling that connects with the festive mood, combined with personalised influencer experiences, will be key to successful campaigns.

Regional and hyperlocal influencers are key

Meta’s recent study indicates among the shoppers who rely on influencers to discover brands, deals, and sales events during the festive season, 40% of consumers are influenced by micro-influencers, 39% by macro-influencers, and 23% by nano-influencers. Brands are increasingly relying on regional and hyperlocal influencers to connect with diverse audiences. 

Qoruz’s Priya Vivek states, "We've found that during this time, digital-first content, especially videos and reels, really resonates with audiences. Offline events can also work well when they're tied closely to what influencers are sharing online.”

As Raja Chakraborty, CMO of Continental Coffee, highlights, regional influencers are crucial, especially during festivals. However, selecting the right influencers becomes important. For the same, Chakraborty notes that brand fit and Region play an important factor. 

Sharing an example, he says, “Our brand Continental Xtra stands for the women of character, hence our influencers must also have some such qualities associated with them. For Continental Malgudi, which is our Filter Coffee brand, we focus a lot more on influencers who are traditional food bloggers and have a following of older and traditional audiences in South India, while for Speciale which is our Pure Coffee brand focussed on North/East & Western markets influencers, we collaborate with Lifestyle Influencers or food content creators.”  

For Pongal and Sankranthi, Continental Malgudi’s ‘Keeping the Traditions Alive’ campaign aimed to inspire people to embrace the authentic celebration of the festivals. The campaign blended experiential marketing with influencer partnerships to reach a wider audience. On-ground activities, such as preparing traditional dishes, were supported by digital amplification through regional influencers. These influencers helped spread the message of preserving traditions through engaging content across social media, resulting in 50 million+ impressions and 15 million+ video views, further boosting brand awareness and connection with consumers.

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Chakraborty shares, “We spend almost 25-30% of our budget on influencers.”

For brands like EUME, influencer marketing enables them to showcase their travel products in a way that builds trust and excitement during the festive period.

"Platforms like Instagram and YouTube are ideal for our target market, but for Tier II and III cities, regional lifestyle & travel influencers help expand our reach. Short-form videos are a vital part of our strategy, especially for showcasing our products' functionality, style, and premium features," Naina Parekh, Founder, EUME. 

In its previous campaigns, the brand’s strategy partnered with lifestyle influencers who seamlessly integrated its premium travel gear into their festive gifting narratives, making influencer marketing a significant part of their festive budget. 

To connect with audiences in different regions, influencers are also tapping into regional languages. Muskan Ranka, a content creator, “Since a lot of my audience is from Tier II and Tier III cities, I make sure to keep things relatable by using Hindi and adding those cultural touches that connect with everyone.”

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A post shared by Muskan 🙋🏻‍♀️ | Actor | Content Creator✨ (@spread_the_muskan)

Similarly, Srishti Garg strikes a balance between Hindi and English in her content, making her advertising feel organic and natural rather than forced. Her approach is to engage with her audience like she’s speaking to a friend, which creates a relatable connection. By understanding her audience's preferences in tone and humour, she tailors her content accordingly. 

Short-form content and trends 

Short-form content, particularly reels and videos, has become a dominant force in influencer marketing. Reports suggest that 47% of consumers are influenced by short-form videos when making purchases, and this festive season is no different. 

Content creators like Muskan Ranka find that quick, bite-sized reels are perfect for keeping audiences engaged. "It’s fun, it’s fast, and it has a huge impact. I’ve noticed it really influences festive purchases, plus it keeps my audience engaged and entertained," she says. Her go-with-the-flow approach allows her to stay on top of trends and create content that resonates with her audience, using cultural touches and relatable language.

For Continental Coffee, short-form content is also integrated into its influencer marketing strategy. "As long as the influencers are fitting well with our brands, they have an engaged audience and they are integrating our brand in a relevant and relatable manner, the format of video does not matter," says Raja Chakraborty. 

The brand's focus is on how well influencers align with their identity, not just the metrics they bring in.

As for the future, innovation is at the forefront of influencer marketing during the festive season. Priya Vivek of Qoruz notes that authenticity and relatability are becoming more critical, with consumers seeking more personal connections. "Interactive and shoppable posts are also becoming huge, allowing people to shop directly from an influencer's feed,” she says.

EUME’s Naina Parekh anticipates a shift toward sustainability in gifting options, with influencers highlighting eco-friendly products. “Personalisation and storytelling will also be key, as influencers share authentic experiences that resonate with their followers.”

According to Raja Chakraborty, content creators are getting a lot more innovative with new genres of content emerging including ASMR Videos and the slow and steady rise of AI-based virtual influencers.

In the face of all these developments, one thing remains clear - authenticity, innovation, and regional connections will continue to drive the effectiveness of influencer marketing. This festive season, brands and creators are working harder than ever to strike a balance between creativity and relatability, ensuring that consumers are not only engaged but also inspired to make purchases that enhance their celebrations. As influencer marketing continues to evolve, the connection between brand, influencer, and audience becomes even more essential.