Inside the small-town creator boom that’s reshaping Indian advertising

Vinod Chendhil wasn’t convinced that a regional influencer could effectively promote his health food brand. But he was willing to take a chance, as affordability was a key factor. So, Chendhil collaborated with Sai Saran, a 14-year-old regional influencer from Tamil Nadu, to promote his noodles brand, Naturally Yours, there. He spent just Rs 4,000. What followed was unexpected. Within a day, orders worth Rs 20,000 flooded in from small towns across the State. 

Chendhil, founder and CEO of Naturally Yours, told The CapTable: “We are based in Mumbai, so our customer base was mostly within this State. But this one campaign opened up the southern market for us.” Following its success, he is now scouting for microinfluencers in States such as Gujarat and Karnataka. 

In a market such as India that is not only huge but also diverse and fragmented, where conventional digital marketing solutions aren’t as effective as in some of the most organised markets of the world, brand owners such as Chendhil are increasingly leaning on regional influencers to reach potentially new customers.