Why creators are the new creative agencies for brands

Goa: In today’s mobile-first India, reels aren’t just a passing trend—they’ve become a cultural staple. As Indians scroll through hundreds of short-form videos daily, the rules of brand engagement are being rewritten, and at the centre of this creative upheaval stands a new protagonist: the digital creator.

This shift was the cornerstone of a recent session conducted by Jayant Rajan, agency partner at Meta, during a closed-door workshop at Goafest 2025. 

In a wide-ranging address that spanned metrics, media mixes and regional relevance, Rajan positioned creators not just as influencers, but as creative powerhouses who can ideate, execute and help brands scale meaningfully.

The platform-native storytellers

The proliferation of reels consumption in India is staggering. Rajan broke it down with simple maths: the average Indian spends around five hours on their phone, with at least two hours on social media. Over half that time is spent watching videos, mostly reels. 

At just five seconds per reel, that amounts to upwards of 700 reels a day, with three-fourths of them being creator-led.

Yet unlike traditional media formats, where creative control resided with agencies or brand teams, platforms like Instagram have flipped the hierarchy. 

Here, creators define what content works—how it’s styled, edited, and emotionally delivered. “Reels have their own language, and it’s the creators who have authored it,” Rajan said. 

“They’ve perfected the art of capturing attention in the first three seconds. If you can’t do that, you’ve lost the audience.”

This platform fluency makes creators far more than just celebrity endorsements. From personality-first figures like Kusha Kapila to regional content stars, their influence stems from authenticity, cultural relevance and relentless iteration with their followers.

Beyond vanity metrics: creators who drive outcomes

One of Rajan’s key assertions was that creators must be viewed not through the lens of followers or likes, but through brand outcomes. “No marketer is selling shares or views—they’re selling products, trust and perception,” he said.

Rajan cautioned against judging creators solely by their distribution power. Instead, he argued that distribution is the job of media planning. The creator’s role is to ideate compelling content and to lend credibility to the brand message.

From Bharat to brand boards: the rise of the regional creator

One of the more revealing parts of Rajan’s session was his emphasis on the Tier-2 and Tier-3 explosion of creator talent. 

Contrary to the perception that Instagram is an urban-first platform, data presented during the session showed that regional creators are now outpacing their metro counterparts in both content creation and audience growth.

“In the last couple of years, creators with 100,000+ followers from Tier-3 cities have grown 8.2x while Tier-1 city creators grew 2.6x,” Rajan said, highlighting a dramatic shift in where influence is emerging from.

Rethinking the creator mix

Rajan also dismantled the notion that brand-creator partnerships should be based on cost considerations alone. “It’s not about whether a nano creator is cheaper than a mega one—it’s about what your brand needs at each stage of the funnel,” he explained.

Using Garnier as a case study, he pointed out that mega creators help drive broad reach and awareness, while micro and nano creators are more effective at influencing consideration and purchase intent. “You need both. A singular strategy rarely delivers across the funnel,” he advised.

A new creative frontier

As brands navigate the fragmented, fast-moving landscape of short-form video, Rajan’s message was clear: creators are not just media units—they are strategic partners. 

They write the scripts, engage audiences natively, and, with the right amplification, can help brands move the needle from awareness to action. “In today’s ecosystem, you need creators as much as you need media plans,” Rajan concluded.