<\/p>
In a digital-first era where audiences increasingly value relatability over glamour, Suyash Saraf, founder of Dot & Key, has made a compelling argument for why creators are overtaking celebrities in brand-building strategies.<\/p>
Speaking on a podcast with Raj Shamani, Saraf laid out a data-backed and experience-driven perspective on influence, authenticity and marketing ROI \u2014 offering a roadmap for brands navigating today\u2019s fragmented attention economy.<\/p>
Creators win on long-term advocacy<\/strong><\/p> Saraf made it clear that when it comes to sustained brand advocacy, creators have a distinct advantage.<\/p> \u201cFor advocacy, definitely choose a creator, not a celebrity,\u201d he said, pointing to the deep, trust-based relationships creators build with their audiences. Unlike celebrities who often endorse multiple brands simultaneously, creators tend to be more selective \u2014 making their endorsements feel more genuine.<\/p> This consistency, he argued, leads to higher persuasion and better long-term conversion.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Authenticity is the new currency<\/strong><\/p> At the heart of Saraf\u2019s philosophy is one core principle: authenticity.<\/p> \u201cAuthenticity is everything. No one wants fake content. Everyone can smell paid content from far away,\u201d he noted.<\/p> He emphasised that brands often undermine performance by over-controlling creators. Instead, he advised giving them creative freedom, allowing them to communicate in their own voice and style.<\/p> This approach not only improves engagement but also strengthens audience trust\u2014arguably the most valuable asset in digital marketing today.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Engagement matters more than followers<\/strong><\/p> Saraf also challenged one of the most commonly used metrics in influencer marketing\u2014follower count.<\/p> \u201cFollowers are very irrelevant,\u201d he said, explaining that even accounts with millions of followers can struggle with low engagement.<\/p> Instead, he suggested evaluating creators based on average views per piece of content:<\/p> A+ creators: 1 million+ views per reel<\/p> B+ creators: 200,000\u2013500,000 views<\/p> C+ creators: 10,000\u2013200,000 views<\/p> This shift reflects a broader industry move toward performance-based evaluation rather than vanity metrics.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Breaking down the cost of influence<\/strong><\/p> On pricing, Saraf framed influencer marketing through a cost-per-view lens.<\/p> He estimated typical costs to range between \u20b90.80 to \u20b91 per view, though this can vary widely:<\/p> Lower-tier creators: ~\u20b90.40 per view<\/p> High-authority creators: up to \u20b92 per view<\/p> According to him, brands should not hesitate to pay a premium for creators who demonstrate strong authority and audience trust\u2014especially when scaling campaigns.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Micro to macro: every influencer has a role<\/strong><\/p> Saraf highlighted the importance of a layered influencer strategy, where different categories\u2014from micro-creators to celebrities\u2014serve distinct purposes.<\/p> Micro-influencers, in particular, can drive significant impact within niche communities, often outperforming larger accounts in engagement and trust.<\/p> Consistency across campaigns, he added, is key to building recall and reinforcing brand messaging over time.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Who deserves higher pay?<\/strong><\/p> When asked whether he would pay more to creators or celebrities, Saraf\u2019s answer was pragmatic: whoever delivers higher impact.<\/p> \u201cI would pay more to someone who has very high engagement,\u201d he said.<\/p> He acknowledged that while celebrities continue to sell aspiration, creators bring relatability\u2014something that resonates deeply with Gen Z audiences.<\/p> However, he also noted that celebrities can still be effective if there is strong alignment with the brand, particularly when partnerships begin early in their journey.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> A performance-first mindset<\/strong><\/p> Summing up his approach, Saraf reduced the debate to a simple equation: alignment plus impact.<\/p> \u201cIf alignment with the brand is the same, then I just go with impact,\u201d he said.<\/p> <\/div> Suyash Saraf, Dot & Key, brand influencers India, creator economy, influencer marketing India, celebrity endorsements, authentic brand influence, digital marketing India, influencer engagement metrics, micro-influencers India#Creators #celebrities #Dot #amp #Key #founder #Suyash #Saraf #explains #drives #real #brand #influence #today1776104480<\/p> ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a digital-first era where audiences increasingly value relatability over glamour, Suyash Saraf, founder of Dot & Key, has made a compelling argument for why creators are overtaking celebrities in brand-building strategies. Speaking on a podcast with Raj Shamani, Saraf laid out a data-backed and experience-driven perspective on influence, authenticity and marketing ROI \u2014 offering […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[87,23975,405,23972,23979,15187,23973,4004,23976,23756,23971,3038,211,2978,2257,23977,23974,932,23978,454,23758,23757,23747,266],"class_list":["post-6405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content-marketing","tag-amp","tag-authentic-brand-influence","tag-brand","tag-brand-influencers-india","tag-celebrities","tag-celebrity-endorsements","tag-creator-economy","tag-creators","tag-digital-marketing-india","tag-dot","tag-dot-key","tag-drives","tag-explains","tag-founder","tag-influence","tag-influencer-engagement-metrics","tag-influencer-marketing-india","tag-key","tag-micro-influencers-india","tag-real","tag-saraf","tag-suyash","tag-suyash-saraf","tag-today"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/longzhuplatform.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}