How are marketers reaching fragmented news-averse, influencer-led audiences?

Once upon a time, the morning newspaper and the evening news slot defined how Indians consumed information. Now, those days seem about as relevant as a landline in a 5G world.

Post the fairy story, India’s media landscape has undergone a seismic shift in the last few years. According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025, only 21 per cent of Indian consumers now rely on traditional print or television as their primary news source. Instead, over 56 per cent of urban audiences get their updates from social media platforms, with Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and WhatsApp forwards becoming the de facto newsstand for millions.

This trend is even more pronounced among Gen Z and millennial audiences. Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Consumer Trends report reveals that over 64 per cent of Indian Gen Z users consume news and brand content from influencers and creator-led short videos rather than traditional editorial outlets.

Shradha Agarwal, Co-founder and Global CEO of Grapes Worldwide, puts it bluntly. “The shift from traditional news consumption to new media is inevitable. People now rely on creators, YouTube Shorts, Reels, Statics and Carousels over traditional formats of news consumption,” she says.

But this new world doesn’t mean that building trust has become harder. On the contrary, Agarwal argues that it is about embracing a different playbook altogether. “The brands we work with are shifting gears. We are not running social media campaigns; we are building consistent content ecosystems,” she says. “The idea is to add value, whether it is through information, entertainment or perspective, while sounding more human and less corporate. Influencer associations, when carefully chosen, help humanise brands and drive recall value. It is less about reach and more about resonance in a world where every scroll is a decision.”

The numbers echo her point. A 2025 Kantar study on brand trust in India found that 73 per cent of urban digital consumers trust brand messages delivered through creators they follow, compared to just 38 per cent trust in traditional display ads.

Influence is the new editorial

For categories like skincare, this shift has rewritten the rules of engagement. Traditional media coverage often revolved around celebrity endorsements or glossy print ads in lifestyle magazines. Today, the real action is happening in short-form demos, dermat-led Q&As, and unfiltered reviews.

“Traditional news is now mostly about politics and sports. Skincare content has been fully democratized, with KOLs and influencers driving conversations that matter to consumers,” says Shaily Mehrotra, CEO and Cofounder at Fixderma.

Mehrotra points out that trust has migrated from brand pages and big editorial spreads to individual voices with deep expertise. “As a concern-led skincare brand, it’s critical for us to explain the science behind every solution we offer. Our media mix is therefore heavily skewed towards educative, result-driven content,” she says.

Fixderma has invested over 25 per cent of its marketing budget into content creation, including dermatologist-led explainers and short-format demonstrations. Mehrotra’s own YouTube podcast, “Skin Smart with Shaily,” has amassed more than 20,000 subscribers and multi-million views, featuring dermatologists and wellness voices.

“Honestly, I think it actually becomes easier to build trust if you’re authentic and credible,” she says. “Today, skincare conversations are led by dermatologists and top influencers who have direct, unfiltered access to audiences. While traditional news has become advertorial-heavy with declining editorial rigour, our strategy is to deliver content through dermatologists, ensuring every piece of advice carries medical credibility.”

As India’s internet user base surges past 900 million in 2025, brands need to move from mass messaging to micro-communities. Instead of one-size-fits-all campaigns, they must think in ecosystems: influencer stories, interactive explainers, community-led reviews, and snackable series that live where the audience already is.

Vidur Kapur, Director of O3+ Professional Skincare, echoes this sentiment. For O3+, nearly a third of their media budget is now directed toward digital-first platforms, focusing heavily on Reels, Shorts, and influencer collaborations.

“We’re seeing a clear shift across the industry—audiences, especially Gen Z and millennials, are moving away from traditional news sources due to time constraints, trust issues, and the rise of more engaging, on-demand formats,” Kapur says. “Instead of reading lengthy articles, they now prefer bite-sized content from creators they trust.”

Kapur highlights the importance of genuine advocacy over flashy reach. “It actually makes it easier, provided the content is authentic. Today’s consumers trust peer reviews and expert voices more than direct ads. Forced or
overly branded content gets skipped,” he says. “Our goal is to build long-term recall, not just impressions—
because in skincare, trust drives trials, and trials drive loyalty.”

Siddhartha Singh, Co-Founder at Black Cab says currently, when it comes to organic reach in India, Instagram
continues to be a leading platform, particularly due to its highly visual and snackable content format. However, when looking at performance marketing and ad spends, YouTube stands out. Its long-form content nature allows for deeper engagement, and audiences are more willing to invest time in consuming extended pieces, which benefits brand storytelling and trust-building.

The shift away from traditional news consumption hasn’t necessarily made our job harder or easier, it's simply changed the dynamics of how audiences engage with content, he says, adding, "This change in trust dynamics, driven perhaps by a sense of media fatigue or perceived bias in traditional outlets means audiences are seeking news and content from sources they feel are more genuine and relatable. As a result, platforms previously used primarily for entertainment are now becoming viable channels for news and information consumption as well."

The 2025 Nielsen India Ad Trust Index underscores this, showing that 68 per cent of consumers say they would try a new skincare product if recommended by a trusted creator, compared to just 24 percent who would do so after seeing a television commercial.

The way forward: beyond impressions

As one senior media planner remarked to us, speaking, anonymously, “The biggest shift we’re seeing is that trust has moved from institutions to individuals. Consumers today would rather hear it from a creator they follow than brand spokesperson or a newsroom anchor.”

This isn’t a pivot for pivot’s sake. It is a necessary response to a fundamental shift in consumer behavior. The declining power of traditional news media isn’t simply about declining readership; it reflects a deeper erosion of trust and relevance.

For brands that can navigate this new maze with empathy, transparency, and cultural fluency, the rewards are immense. For those stuck in the old broadcast mindset, the message from consumers is clear: skip. India’s new attention economy doesn’t run on headlines and prime-time slots anymore. It runs on authenticity, resonance, and the power of voices that feel real.