MAM
Growth of influencer marketing in the events industry
The Indian events industry is currently among the fastest growing sectors in the country. In fact, it is predicted to cross the 10,000 Cr mark by 2020-21. The tremendous growth seen in this lucrative industry can be attributed to several factors, such as digital activation, sports leagues, rural expansion, and Government initiatives followed by IPs, personal events, product launches, expansion of mini-metros, and below the line spend.
The underlying outcome of digital activation has been the growing trend of using influencer marketing as a primary form of promotion, carried out by the event organisers.
For event organisers, influencers can be broadly categorised into 3 types –
· Mega-Influencers: These are celebrities and popular personalities, who have a huge number of followers. They charge high fees to be associated with the events, and are not necessarily industry experts.
· Macro-Influencers: These influencers have a high following as well, and are industry experts, who collaborate with various event organisers, on a regular base.
· Micro-Influencers: These consist of the average person who has a high level of engagement, and hence, are prime influencers who are tapped during events.
Influencer marketing, in a nutshell, can be described as a partnership formed by event organisers and influential industry experts, to increase the event exposure, both online and offline. This new phenomena is a type of marketing which enables organisers to reach out to the targeted niche community, through a research and insight-driven strategy for creating authentic content using the voice of an influencer.
Influencer marketing helps event organisers and the brand in numerous ways, such as:
· Create Brand Awareness: Influencer marketing is the best tactic to be used, in order to create a buzz around the event, and therefore, reach out to new consumers. Event organisers apply various strategies to create awareness, while the influencers carry out multiple shout-outs about the event which is to take place. They also host giveaway tickets for the events, creating an engagement with the consumer, which is better explained below.
· Brand Engagement: This goes hand-in-hand with creating brand awareness. The most effective way of understanding whether the influencer marketing has a positive impact involves analysing social media likes, comments, and the use of hashtags. Influencers build a community and engage with old and new consumers, by doing a takeover on pre-event and event days. This helps them become a brand ambassador of the event on the particular day, and offer consumers behind-the-scene glimpses of the event.
· Consumer Retention: A well-constructed influencer marketing campaign helps an event tap into new consumers. It is extremely important to integrate them into the brand’s consumer-base. Since a large number of events take place every year, consumer retention is of top priority for a brand. Thus, with the help of influencers, it can successfully maintain that link with the consumer base.
The above is a clear indication that influencer marketing is here to stay, and will only move from strength to strength, in the coming years. With event companies pumping in more and more money into marketing, influencer marketing, one of the most sought after marketing tools today, will play a key role for events and brands alike, in the years to come.
(The author is managing director, Dome Entertainment. The views expressed are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
