Digital Agencies
Influencer marketing firms will always be in beta: BuzzOne founder
MUMBAI: Influencer marketing is one of the fastest growing phenomena in the marketing mix of brands today. As per ‘The Influence Report’ released by Zefmo Media Private Limited in 2018, 89 per cent of marketers believe that influencer marketing is effective in driving brand message across, and 62 per cent were planning their budgetary allocation towards engaging social influencers.
Peer-to-peer interaction, an influx of trust from people with whom the customers can relate to on a personal level and comparatively lower cost to get engagement on digital platforms are some of the few factors that have been propelling the growth of this medium. To get some more insight into how this whole gamut of social influencing works, what the ticks and tricks of the trade are, and how can the brands make maximum out of this trend, Indiantelevision.com got into a candid conversation with BuzzOne Infuencer Marketing’s founder and CEO Sanjay Vasudeva on a rainy afternoon in Delhi.
Vasudev started BuzzOne Influencer Marketing a few years back as a one-stop marketplace for brands and influencers to create conversations on social media using the great reach the latter had on various platforms. Over the years, the agency has created successful campaigns for a number of brands including Volkswagen, Nissan, Veet, Kissan, Britannia, ICICI and Future Generali, among others.
Since then, it has come a long way. What has made influencer marketing popular today? Vasudev says, “Influencer marketing is social word of mouth. If you compare all the media of communications—be it print, TV, or digital—word-of-mouth has always been considered the biggest and most powerful of them all. I will give you a simple example; when you want to buy a car, you take opinions from your peers or family members who already have bought it and are using it. That’s how most of us make our choices.”
He added that brands want more conversation on social media and influencers accelerate it by conveying the brand message in a style relatable to their followers.
Sanjay contributes this exemplary growth to the dynamism of the industry as well. He mentions, “When we started four years back, influencer marketing was still in its infancy. It was based mostly around Twitter. But now, the spectrum has become so much larger; you have Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and of course newer platforms like Snapchat and TikTok.”
He adds, “Looking at this what I can say is that in the app business, we will always be in beta because platforms would keep changing and also new platforms would emerge. The platforms which were there earlier would become not so popular, for example, we have seen Twitter going down.”
On being asked how does the influencer marketing firm like his keep pace with this dynamic shift, Vasudev says, “We have a propriety tool by which we keep a constant vigil on what kind of influencers are doing what and on what platforms. We then bucket them into various categories and genera. Further, the brands also have a point of view on certain influencers and platforms. We do our best to provide them with the best match.”
Vasudeva also shares the perfect recipe to sort out the best face and medium to associate with any campaign. He notes, “Essentially, the first filter that should happen is to look at in what space the brand is operating and in what space it wants the communication to happen. For example, if an automobile brand wants to talk about the core features of the car, then it will be an automobile blogger’s dialogue. But if the same automobile brand wants to promote itself from the lifestyle perspective, then we will either pick people who talk about lifestyle or sometimes, maybe, fashion bloggers.”
“Also, the biggest trend nowadays is that the content is moving from static images to videos. Thus, bloggers are becoming lesser and lesser relevant as people do not have time to read long write-ups. With content getting shorter, the impact of platforms like Instagram is gaining momentum. Another amazing platform is TikTok. The only problem with TikTok is that it doesn’t have any reporting API’s to keep a tab on the performance of the videos but it is still one of the most used platforms by influencers. It gives greater views at a much less cost than any other platform,” he shares.
On a final note, he said that brands should not try to push their own ideas of the kind of content that influencers should create. “An influencer is very loyal to its audience and knows what kind of content works with them. Thus, brands should be very careful about their demands and should allow them to create content in their own style.”
BENGALURU: For years, creative teams have learned to live with ambiguity. Vague comments, last-minute changes, feedback that arrives without context, clarity, or conviction. It became part of the job – something teams worked around rather than getting it solved.
But as we head into 2026, that tolerance is wearing thin.
Creative work today moves faster, scales wider, and involves more stakeholders than before. Teams are producing more content across more formats, often with distributed collaborators and tighter timelines. In this environment, guesswork is no longer a harmless inconvenience. It’s a cost – to time, to budgets, and to creative mindspace.
The real problem isn’t feedback, it’s how it’s given
Most creative professionals you see today will tell you they’re not against feedback. In fact, they rely on it. Good feedback sharpens ideas, strengthens execution, and pushes work forward. The problem is ‘unclear’ feedback. When someone says “this doesn’t feel right” without context, they aren’t just revising – they’re basically decoding. They’re guessing what the problem might be, trying different directions, and burning time in the process. Multiply that by a few stakeholders and a few rounds, and suddenly days disappear.
In 2026, when teams are expected to deliver faster without compromising quality, interpretation is a luxury most can’t afford.
Scale has changed rverything
Creative projects used to be smaller and simpler. A designer, a manager, maybe one client contact. Feedback loops were short, even if they weren’t perfect.
Today, the same project might involve internal marketing teams, agencies, freelancers, brand reviewers, and regional teams. Everyone has a say. Everyone leaves comments. And often, those comments don’t agree. More people reviewing work means alignment matters more than ever. Clear feedback isn’t just about being nice to creative teams, it’s about keeping projects moving when complexity increases.
Guesswork quietly wears teams down
One of the less talked-about impacts of unclear feedback is what it does to people.
When feedback is vague or contradictory, creatives second-guess their decisions. They hesitate. They overwork. They keep extra time buffers “just in case.” Over time, confidence drops. Ownership fades. Work becomes safer, not stronger. Creative energy gets spent on managing uncertainty instead of pushing ideas forward. And in an industry already grappling with burnout, unclear feedback adds unnecessary mental load.
Actionable feedback is a shared skill
Clear feedback doesn’t mean controlling creative decisions or dictating every detail. It means being specific enough that someone knows what to do next.
Actionable feedback answers three basic questions:
What exactly needs attention?
Why does it matter?
What outcome are we aiming for?
This applies whether you’re reviewing a video frame, a design layout, or a copy draft. The clearer the feedback, the fewer follow-ups it creates. In 2026, teams that treat feedback as a skill and not an afterthought, will move faster with less friction.
Tools shape behaviour (whether we admit it or not)
The way feedback is delivered is often dictated by the tools teams use. Comments buried in long email threads, messages split across chat apps, or notes detached from the actual work all contribute to confusion.
When feedback lives outside the work, context often gets lost. When it’s disconnected from versions and timelines, decisions get questioned. When it’s scattered, accountability disappears. More teams are starting to realise that feedback problems aren’t just communication issues, they’re workflow issues. How work moves between people matters just as much as the work itself.
From Opinions To Alignment
One of the biggest shifts happening in creative teams is a move away from purely opinion-driven feedback. Instead of “I like this” or “I don’t,” teams are asking better questions:
● Does this meet the brief?
● Does this solve the problem?
● Does this align with the goal?
This change reduces unnecessary back-and-forth and helps feedback feel less personal and more productive. It also makes decisions easier to explain and defend. As creative work becomes more strategic, feedback has to support that shift.
2026 Is About Fewer Loops, Not Faster Loops
There’s a misconception that speed means moving through feedback cycles faster. In reality, the most creative teams aren’t just accelerating loops, they’re reducing them. Clear, actionable feedback upfront leads to fewer revisions later. Clear approval stages prevent last-minute surprises. Clear decisions stop work from circling endlessly.
In 2026, efficiency won’t come from working harder or longer. It will come from designing workflows that respect creative time and attention.
Ending guesswork is a mindset change
Ultimately, ending creative guesswork isn’t just about better tools or processes. It’s about mindset. It’s about recognising that clarity is an act of respect – for the work, for the people doing it, for the time invested and for the mindspace used. It’s about moving from “figure it out” to “here’s what we’re aiming for.”
Creative teams that embrace this shift will find themselves not only delivering faster, but also enjoying the process more. And in an industry built on imagination, that might be the most valuable outcome of all.
