Edelman appoints Sushant Vithaldas as Head of Creator Marketing

MUMBAI: The creator economy has a new conductor, and he’s spent more than two decades learning how audiences, brands and influence move in step. Edelman has appointed Sushant H. Vithaldas as Head of Creator Marketing for India, bringing on board a marketing and business leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning advertising, technology, retail, digital marketing and creator-led ecosystems.

The appointment comes at a time when creator marketing is rapidly evolving from a reach-driven discipline into one centred on trust, credibility and measurable business outcomes, areas that Vithaldas has increasingly focused on throughout his career.

Announcing the move, Vithaldas said his professional journey has mirrored the transformation of modern marketing itself. Beginning in traditional marketing and communications roles at EuroRSCG (now Havas), Apple, Dell and Landmark Group, he later expanded into digital, social, content and integrated marketing as brands shifted towards online-first consumer engagement.

Most recently, Vithaldas served as Regional Business Head at Collective Artists Network, where he worked at the intersection of creators, celebrities, brands and commerce. In the role, he led sales and business operations while building strategic partnerships across more than 300 brands, helping strengthen the company’s creator and new-media ecosystem.

Prior to that, he spent more than seven years at Schbang, rising through multiple leadership roles, including Head of Business – Bangalore. During his tenure, he helped scale the agency’s operations across media, technology, content, creative services and integrated marketing solutions. The business reportedly grew 150 per cent in FY20, while delivering more than 30 award-winning campaigns across sectors ranging from FMCG and beauty to fintech, retail and e-commerce.

His career also includes senior leadership stints at Apple India, where he played a role in launching the company’s Apple Premium Reseller programme and helped establish some of India’s earliest Apple retail formats. At Dell, he led consumer and SMB retail marketing initiatives across more than 8,000 points of sale nationwide and managed annual marketing programmes with budgets running into millions of dollars.

Over the years, Vithaldas has worked across a wide range of industries, including consumer goods, technology, fashion, beauty, food services, retail and entertainment, giving him a broad perspective on how consumer behaviour and media consumption have evolved.

Reflecting on his new role, he noted that creator marketing is increasingly becoming less about scale and more about influence rooted in authenticity.

That philosophy aligns closely with Edelman’s long-standing focus on trust, a theme that has become increasingly important as brands navigate an ecosystem where creators often hold more cultural influence than traditional advertising channels.

The appointment signals Edelman’s intent to further strengthen its creator marketing capabilities in India, as brands continue shifting investments towards creator-led storytelling, community engagement and culture-driven communication strategies.

With the lines between media, commerce and influence becoming increasingly blurred, Vithaldas now takes on the task of helping shape Edelman’s next chapter in a creator economy that is growing not just in size, but in strategic importance.