Safeguard credibility, define boundaries, communicate honestly, WAVES panel advises influencers
Influencers in the digital world need to safeguard their credibility, clearly define their boundaries, and communicate honestly with their followers, experts said on Sunday.
The conversation centred around the growing influence of digital creators and the ethical, creative, and legal frameworks needed to build sustainable and credible influencer marketing.
At a special breakout session at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 here, film actor Shibani Akhtar highlighted that influencers should always stay true to their voice while collaborating on branded content.
She stressed that for influencer marketing to work effectively, creators must be deeply involved in the content creation and branding process.
Akhtar advised influencers to ensure that campaigns reflect their personal beliefs and values, which helps in maintaining authenticity in their partnerships.
Pocket Aces Chief Business Officer Vinay Pillai emphasised that influencers must understand the unique nature of each digital platform they work with.
He pointed out that audience engagement differs across platforms, and as such, creators should avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.
Instead, he encouraged influencers to adopt platform-specific strategies and focus on building their brand consciously, based on data-driven content decisions that resonate with their audiences.
ASCII's Saheli Sinha also contributed to the conversation by stressing the need for influencers to be transparent about their paid partnerships.
She contended that influencers should disclose when content is promotional and ensure that the content they create is ethical and informative.
Sinha also said that ASCII offers educational programmes to guide upcoming creators on the legal aspects of advertising, content standards, and maintaining audience trust.
The panel underscored the importance of authenticity, transparency, and responsibility in content creation and advertising.
The experts encouraged content creators to build strong, long-term relationships with their followers by ensuring transparency, trust, and clarity in their advertising intent.
They also called for the industry to continue its efforts to uphold professionalism in the rapidly growing digital advertising space.
