MAM
GUEST ARTICLE: How is B2B influencer marketing emerging as a trend in the marketing space?
Mumbai: Influencer marketing is extremely popular in the B2B arena, owing to the fact that customers trust experts more than advertisements. However, the worldwide pandemic has brought new challenges for B2B marketers. Marketing strategies have shifted as the customer and industry environments have changed post-Covid. Companies are also seeing lower marketing spending, which is expected to continue. In addition to such market dynamics, marketing teams are under growing pressure to continuously offer business value and significant outcomes.
Gartner’s annual CMO Spend Survey has found global marketing budgets now equate to just 6.4 per cent of overall company revenue, down from 11 per cent previously. As a result, marketers must accomplish more with less. These challenging times create a compelling opportunity to redesign influencers in the B2B marketing strategy and think creatively, tactically, and comprehensively. Companies may establish high-impact, scalable, and long-term relationships that add value to the organisation. B2B influencer campaigns have greater reach and confidence with possible buyers, who are more receptive and accepting of information coming from a neutral and reputable source.
Without a question, the B2B marketing sector will be quite fascinating in the next few years. The reliance on digital interaction, experience, and an increasing tendency toward B2B e-commerce will undoubtedly continue. Data from Salesforce’s seventh annual State of Marketing report shows that 44 per cent of B2B marketers have ‘completely changed’ their marketing channel mix since the pandemic began to meet new challenges. Furthermore, content will continue to play a prominent role, experiences will be everything, and the function of influencers in digital media will become much more significant. B2B marketers must shift away from brand-centric marketing experiences and toward customer-centric marketing experiences.
Advertisers are increasingly looking for experiences that can attract, engage, and transform the buyer in the driver’s seat. Some B2B marketers are already successfully leveraging partnerships with the industry’s most trusted voices, aka influencers. The reach and efficacy of B2B influencer marketing in obtaining brand awareness and buyer attention are now significantly greater than traditional marketing tactics. 84 per cent of B2B marketers work with influencers to create brand awareness and 69 per cent of B2B marketers work with influencers to help generate new leads (according to the State of B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report). This is why, as part of their brand marketing, prominent businesses from a wide range of industries are partnering with leading industry influencers across both digital and traditional platforms.
Due to the significant digital change in B2B buying choices, the relevance of engaging influencer marketing has grown in the industry. Buyers rely on these trustworthy sources to educate and influence their purchasing decisions. The B2B marketing business anticipates a stronger focus on digital engagement, experience, and growth in the next few years. Content will continue to play an important part in this area, and experience and impact will be more prominent than ever. Considering this trend, B2B companies must leverage influencer relationships to build experiences that attract, engage, and convert customers in a way that promotes long-term trust and loyalty.
People have shown an interest in learning more about influencer marketing during the last several years. B2B marketers should be on the lookout for this possibility because it will be a trend in the near future. As the primary source, it will be one of the fastest-growing client acquisition strategies. Working with recognized influencers in the company may give considerable prospects for promoting to prospective buyers.
People have raised an interest in learning more about influencer marketing during the last several years. B2B marketers should be on the lookout for this possibility because it will be a trend in the near future. As the primary source, it will be one of the fastest-growing client acquisition strategies. Working with recognized influencers in the company may give considerable prospects for promoting to prospective buyers.
The author of the article is The Girlfriend Box co-founder Vaibhav Pathak.
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
