About new SEO update BERT Google update.

What Is a Content Marketing Funnel?

In recent years, you hear content marketers talking a lot about ToFu, MoFu and MoFu content marketing. I think these are useful abbreviations since they provide a way of simplifying discussion of content strategy and content mapping when benchmarking the content assets you use against competitors.

It’s particularly relevant to B2B marketing and high involvement/high-value B2C marketing where you need to provide more detailed content in brochures, downloads or interactive tools to explain your proposition to help the consumer select the best provider.

We can relate the goals of these four content types to our RACE planning framework as follows:

ToFu: Reach – attract visitors and encourage sharing (top of funnel content)

MoFu: Act – prompt interaction and leads (middle of funnel)

BoFu: Convert – nurture interest leading to conversion to sale (bottom of funnel)

The format for benchmarking your content is shown by this content mapping example which I often discuss in B2B workshops. You can use with separate rows for the content type and format you use for each part and separate rows for competitors.

Stages of the Content Marketing Funnel:-

Consumer behaviour toward online shopping platform
Consumer behavior towards online shopping platforms
It is observe that the consumer behaviour towards online shopping platforms depends on a number of factors these vectors are as follows
Convenience,price perception, trust and security, website quality, social influence.
Now we are going to deep dive into some of the factors and try to find out of how these factors affect the consumers perception.
With reference to the first factor that is convenience it is observed that the people who received their products throuhh online shopping on time find online shopping method very convenient.
Some people also find the ability to compare the product online very useful the ability to buy the product 24/7 using the useful the information available about the product online also makes it easy for them to buy the product online
Compare one product with the another and choose the best one for them also makes online shopping very preference
Now coming to the second factor that is the price perception it is observed that online serving platform of a better discount because of the bulk Sourcing the prices are very competitive and there are flash sales and promotional offer which also improve the point of view of customers for online shopping platform.
This is also observed that while using online shopping platform customer feel safe sharing there Digital information for the payment of the product as the as the online shopping platform uses digital security features and their return and refund policies are very clear this create convenience and confusion free operation for the customer .
The quality of the website also influences the choice of customers while using online shopping platform the shopping platforms which provides safe and easy navigation are very popular and the ones which provide good product images and description are very much popular among the customer.
While online shopping customer also uses reviews and rating these reviews and ratings influence their purchase decision
Recommendation from friends or family influence the choice of customer while doing online shopping social media discussion and influencers also affect the perception of customer while doing online shopping. There are some other factors which are also involved which includes the customer mind and perception about doing online shopping
One of the factor is logistics and supply chain management, the online shopping platform which provides very good Logistic and supply chain services which are very efficient towards delivery and deliver to customer with minimum amount of money charged and minimum time are preferred these features are also very appreciated by the customer.
Also some online shopping platform provide options to the customer which are very personalised and customised according to customer needs are preferred nowadays a lot. Some of the most commonly used online shopping blood warms are at follows flipkart, myntra, amazon, zomato, swiggy instamart etc.

Google Panda Updates
Introduction
Google panda update is a change which is made by google to improve the quality of search result. The main purpose of this google update is to check whether a website has useful, original and meaningful content. In simple words we can say that the panda update checks if a website is helping users or not.
If a website has any copied content, very short information, too many ads or low quality articles then google gives it a lower ranking. But it the website has helpful content, clear information and original articles then google gives it a higher ranking.
So, we can say that the main goal of the google panda update is to reduce the ranking of the low quality websites, to promote high quality content and to improve the search experience of the users.
What is the google panda update?
In Google’s search algorithm the google panda update is an important change. It was first introduced in February 2011. The main aim of creating this update was to control the websites that publish low quality content.
The websites can be affected in a negative way if they repeat the same content again and again, shows too many advertisements and provide very less useful information. Panda works like a filter. It helps google in showing better quality websites at the top of the search result in the googles search algorithm.
The main purpose of the google panda update is to make sure that the users can see the most unique content, get useful information and relevant websites. Because of this google update the good websites move higher in ranking, poor quality websites move lower in ranking or disappear from results.
So, after this google update websites owners must create useful and original content to improve their ranking.
Why was the panda update introduced?
Before the google panda update, many websites were ranked high on google even though they had copied their content from other websites, the articles were very short, too many advertisements on the website and the information on the websites are low valued.
These websites were called content farms. They created many low quality articles just to get more visitors. Because of this users were not getting the right and helpful information. Google introduced the panda update to improve the experience of the users and provide them better information.
Main features of the panda update are:
1. Focus on content quality- The main focus of this update is to check whether the content of the website is useful, informative and original.
2. Penalty for duplicate content- The penalty for the websites that copies content from other websites may lose their ranking.
3. Reduces thin content- The pages which has very less or low value information get lower rankings.
4. Promotes high quality websites- Websites which has unique and helpful content gets better ranking.
How websites can avoid panda penalties-
To stay safe from the penalties of the panda update, websites should:
• Write contents which is original- This means the content on the website should be own written, not copied from other websites.
• Providing information which is useful- This means the content should help users to solve their problems or give answers for their questions.
• Avoid copying from other websites- The contents which are copied from other website are called duplicate content and panda does not like it.
• Reduce too many advertisements-If a website shows too many advertisements on their pages, users get irritated and leave the website quickly which is not good for the website.
• Maintain high quality articles- High quality article means content that is easy to understand, properly explained, well structured, informative and useful for readers. Long but meaningless content is not helpful. Simple and valuable content is always better.
Impact of the panda update
When the google panda update was introduced many websites were affected around the world. The websites with duplicate or low quality content lost their ranking. Websites with helpful and original content improved their ranking. The google panda update encouraged many website owners to focus more on the quality content and user experience. For example:-
Suppose there are two websites who writes about the same topic- Website A: Which has copied content and too many ads and the Website B: Which has original, helpful and clear content with fewer advertisements. Then the google panda will rank website B higher because the contents of the website B is unique, useful and create more value and it also contains few advertisement .
Conclusion
The google panda update is an important step taken by google to improve the search results. It teaches the website owners to create the contents which are original, contents which are useful and informative, write articles which are high quality.
For students who are learning SEO and digital marketing, understanding the google panda update is very important and useful because it shows that the content quality matters the most. Earlier some websites use shortcuts and different tricks like keyword stuffing to rank higher. But now this is not possible because of this google panda update which focuses more on useful and meaningful content. That is why the google panda update is very important in SEO today.

Digital marketing is changing faster than ever before. what use to work even a year ago might now workout anymore. new technologies, new platforms and constant reshaping of how businesses connect to their audience.
In 2026, digital marketing in no longer just about running ads or posting on social media it is not also about being smart, strategic and customer focused. In this blog we’ll talk about the latest trends, tools and strategies in simple words so you can understand how to grow your business in this rapidly changing world.
Why digital marketing matters more than ever?
Today everything is online. Whether someone wants to buy a product, find new services or just to learn something new everyone goes to the internet first. This means your online presence is your brand identity.
Digital marketing helps businesses in:
1. Reach people globally
2. Attract the right audience who might be interested in your product or services
3. Build the trust and awareness about your product
4. Increase the sales without spending too much time, money and effort
But here’s the catch – JUST being online is not enough. you also need to find the right trends and tools, the right strategies and stand out from your competition.
TOP DIGITAL MARKETING TOOLS IN 2026
1. AI-POWERED MARKETING IN TAKING OVER: Artificial intelligence is not something futuristic anymore, it is already here and almost changing everything.
Businesses are using ai to:
1. Create content such as ads, blogs, emails
2. Understand customer behavior
3. Automate the repetitive tasks
4. Improve customer behavior
For example, ai tools can write ad copies and make suggestions like marketing strategies and even reply to customer queries.
This saves time, reduces effort and improves result.
2. Hyper personalization in the new normal:
Those days are gone when the same message use to work for everyone. Today customers expect brands to understand them personally.
People want:
1. Emails that match their interest
2. Products recommended based on their past behavior
3. Ads that are relevant to their interest
This is called hyper personalization.
3 . Short- form video content is dominating: short videos are everywhere.
The platforms that focus on short videos are growing rapidly .
Short videos help businesses:
1. Grabs attention quickly
2. Increases engagement
3. Reach a larger audience
If your business is not using video content yet, you are missing out on a lot of opportunities.
4. Voice search and conversational SEO: the way people are searching online is changing. Earlier people used to type simple keywords like “ best digital marketing agency” , now they use voice search and ask full questions like “ which is the best digital marketing agency near me?” this means your SEO strategy needs to change .
You should focus on
1. Answering common questions
2. Using long tail keywords
3. Optimizing for local searches
This helps your business appear in voice search results and reach more people.
5 . Social commerce is growing fast: social media is no longer just for entertainment , it is also becoming a shopping platform
People are now directly buying form social media apps without even visiting a website
Businesses can
1. Add products catalogs to their profiles
2. Use “ shop now’’ features
3. Run targeted ads to the right audience
This makes the buying process quick and easy for customer
If you are not selling through social media yet, now is the time you start.

Latest digital marketing tools you should use
using the right tools can make work easier and more effective. Here are some important types of tools every business should consider: –
1. AI CONTENT TOOLS:
These tools help you create:
1. Blog posts
2. Social media captions
3. Ad copies
They save time and help you produce more content quickly, which is important for growth.
2. MARKETING AUTOMATION PLATFORMS:
These tools allow you to:
1. Send automated emails
2. Manage customer journeys
3. Track leads
Automation will help you stay connected with customers without doing everything manually . it improves efficiency and increases the return on investment.
3) SEO TOOLS: SEO tools will help you find
1. the right keywords
2. analyze competitors
3. track your website performance
They are essential if you want your website to rank higher on search engines and get more organic traffic.
4. Social media management tools: managing multiple social media platforms can be very difficult. These tools help you
1. Schedule posts in advance
2. Track engagement
3. Manage all platforms from one place
Consistency is the key in social media , and these tools help you stay consistent .
5) Analytics and data tools:
Data is literally everything in digital marketing and these tools that help you in
1. Measure campaign performance
2. Understand customer behavior
3. Improve your strategies
When you make decisions based on data , you get better results .

Performance Marketing in D2C Companies
and Its Relevance in Today’s Business World
Particularly in India’s quickly changing industry, the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) model has fundamentally altered how brands interact with consumers. Businesses increasingly interact directly with consumers via internet channels instead of relying on traditional retail networks. Performance marketing has been a key driver of D2C expansion in this changing environment. It enables companies to accurately monitor the impact of their marketing campaigns and connect each advertising rupee to quantifiable results like clicks, conversions, and real purchases.
Because D2C firms operate in congested markets with limited advertising budgets, performance marketing is especially appealing to them. Performance marketing works on the straightforward tenet of paying only when predetermined objectives are reached, whereas traditional advertising sometimes leaves marketers speculating about results. This strategy makes marketing expenditures more cost-effective and clearly accountable.
Wow Skin Science as an example. Strategic search engine advertising and well-targeted social media initiatives targeted at health-conscious consumers have helped the brand establish its visibility. The team adjusts its advertising strategy to increase engagement and increase conversions by tracking campaign KPIs and consumer behavior trends as they occur.

Bewakoof has carved out a niche among younger consumers through meme-driven marketing and social media engagement. The company uses performance analytics to identify which campaigns spark the most interest and drive actual conversions. This data-informed approach lets them keep refining their tactics and stay relevant with Gen Z audiences.
Another intriguing example from the wearable technology arena is noise. The business makes large investments in digital advertising on Google Ads, YouTube, and Instagram. Their use of retargeting to connect with prospective customers who peruse their website but do not make a purchase is what makes them unique. They have been able to increase sales while controlling client acquisition expense through this strategy.
By combining performance campaigns with content marketing, Plum Goodness adopts a somewhat different approach. The company uses influencer partnerships and targeted digital advertising to promote its line of vegan, eco-friendly skincare products. Plum provides personalized recommendations that strengthen client relationships and foster enduring brand loyalty by analyzing how consumers engage with their material and what preferences they display.

Precision in audience targeting stands out as one of performance marketing’s biggest strengths. D2C brands typically cater to specific consumer segments, and digital platforms enable them to reach users based on age, interests, and online behaviour. Licious, for instance, uses location-based targeting along with personalised deals to connect with urban consumers seeking premium food products. The result is stronger engagement and better conversion rates.
The ability to adjust campaigns in real time is equally valuable. D2C companies depend on digital analytics tools to keep tabs on how their ads perform around the clock. When a campaign falls short of expectations, changes can be implemented immediately. This agility matters enormously in today’s fast-moving digital marketplace and helps brands respond swiftly to shifting customer needs.
Scalability adds another dimension to performance marketing’s appeal. Once a campaign demonstrates success, expanding it becomes straightforward whether through increased budget allocation or broader audience targeting. This flexibility proves especially useful for startups and emerging brands looking to accelerate growth in competitive markets.
That said, performance marketing comes with its own set of hurdles. Intensifying competition has driven up advertising costs on platforms like Meta and Google. Meanwhile, tighter data privacy rules and the phase-out of third-party cookies have complicated audience targeting. Brands must keep innovating their marketing approaches to stay effective.
The growing importance of performance marketing reflects broader shifts in consumer behaviour. As more people shop online, businesses need marketing methods that are measurable and efficient. Performance marketing delivers transparency, accountability, and smarter use of marketing resources.
Recent developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning have added new capabilities to performance marketing. Automated bidding systems, predictive targeting, and personalised advertising now help improve campaign results. D2C companies can thus maximise their return on investment while enhancing the overall customer experience.
Conclusion
Performance marketing is now essential to the growth and profitability of contemporary D2C businesses. It enables brands to successfully compete in the digital market by focusing on quantifiable outcomes, precise targeting, and continuous improvement. Wow Skin Science, Noise, Plum Goodness, Bewakoof, and Licious’ experiences provide as examples of how performance marketing fosters long-term expansion and significant client interaction. Understanding this idea is essential for management students because it shows where marketing is going in a company climate that is becoming more and more reliant on technology.

The Rise of Cringe Marketing and Raw Authenticity

If you have been scrolling on Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn lately, you may have come across content that made you pause and think, “What did I just watch?” It might have felt awkward, funny, or even slightly uncomfortable. Surprisingly, this kind of “cringe” content is actually working.

Welcome to the world of cringe marketing and raw authenticity.

What is Cringe Marketing?

Cringe marketing is when brands intentionally create content that feels awkward, overly honest, or slightly embarrassing. Instead of trying to appear perfect and polished, they highlight flaws, mistakes, or use unusual humor.

Earlier, companies focused on making everything look premium and professional, with clean advertisements, perfect scripts, and high production quality. However, audiences today are moving away from that approach.

People no longer want perfection. They want something real.

Why is Cringe Marketing Growing?

The main reason is simple: people trust what feels real more than what looks perfect.

When you see a highly edited advertisement, you immediately know it is trying to sell something. But when you watch a raw video where someone speaks casually or makes small mistakes, it feels more genuine.

Here are a few reasons why cringe marketing is growing:

1. Attention is difficult to capture
Today, everyone is creating content. To stand out, brands need something different. Cringe content grabs attention because it feels unexpected.

2. Social media has changed the game
Platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok promote content that feels natural and relatable. Content no longer needs to look like a television advertisement to perform well.

3. Younger audiences prefer authenticity.
Gen Z, in particular, values honesty over perfection. They connect more with brands that feel human and relatable.

What is Raw Authenticity?

Raw authenticity means presenting your brand as it truly is, without excessive editing, planning, or polishing.

This can include:
– Behind-the-scenes videos
– Honest opinions
– Simple content recorded on a phone
– Real stories instead of scripted ones

It is not about being perfect. It is about being real.

Examples You See Every Day

You may have already seen this type of marketing without realizing it.

For example:
– A small business owner speaking directly to the camera about their struggles
– A brand creating a slightly awkward but funny reel
– Companies using memes that feel unusual but still relatable

Sometimes, the content appears unplanned, and that is exactly why it works.

Why People Like Cringe Content

Not all cringe content is effective, but when done well, it creates a strong connection.

Here is why people respond to it:

1. It feels human
Traditional advertisements feel like they are made by companies. Cringe content feels like it is made by real people.

2. It is relatable
Everyone experiences awkward moments. When brands accept and show this, it becomes easier for people to connect with them.

3. It is entertaining
Even if something is not perfect, it can still be memorable and engaging.

The Risk of Cringe Marketing

Cringe marketing can be effective, but it also comes with risks.

If used incorrectly, it can:
– Appear unprofessional
– Harm the brand’s image
– Confuse the audience

Not every brand should follow this trend without careful thought.

For example, a luxury brand posting awkward memes may not align with its identity. The key is maintaining the right balance.

How Brands Can Use It Smartly

If you want to use cringe marketing or raw authenticity, consider these points:

1. Understand your audience
If your audience is young and active on social media, this approach can work well.

2. Stay true to your brand
Do not force this style just because it is trending. It should match your brand’s personality.

3. Keep it natural
If the content feels forced, it loses its impact.

4. Maintain a balance
Do not replace all content with raw material. A mix of professional and authentic content works best.

Is This Just a Trend?

Some people believe cringe marketing is just a temporary trend. However, it reflects a larger shift in consumer behavior.

People are moving from:
– Perfect to real
– Scripted to natural
– Brand voice to human voice

Even if the style evolves, authenticity will continue to matter.

Final Thoughts

Cringe marketing may seem unusual at first, but it reflects how audience expectations are changing.

Today, people do not want brands to behave like perfect organizations. They prefer brands that act like real people, with honesty, humor, and imperfections.

The next time you see an awkward or slightly uncomfortable video from a brand, do not dismiss it. It might be exactly what they intended.

The emergence of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) companies has reshaped the modern business landscape, especially in India. Brands are no longer dependent on traditional retail channels and instead connect directly with consumers through digital platforms. In this transformation, performance marketing has become a key driver of growth for D2C companies. It allows brands to measure every rupee spent and link it directly to outcomes such as clicks, leads, or sales.

Performance marketing is particularly important for D2C brands because they operate in highly competitive markets and often have limited budgets. Unlike traditional advertising, where success is difficult to measure, performance marketing ensures that businesses pay only when a desired action is achieved. This makes it a cost-effective and result-oriented approach.

One of the most prominent examples of performance marketing in India is Mamaearth. The brand heavily relies on digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads to reach its target audience. By using influencer collaborations and targeted advertisements, Mamaearth has been able to track conversions and optimize campaigns in real time. Its rapid growth is largely attributed to its ability to scale performance campaigns efficiently while maintaining a strong return on investment.

Similarly, boAt has successfully used performance marketing to dominate the consumer electronics segment. The company leverages social media ads, retargeting strategies, and e-commerce integrations to drive sales. For example, users who visit the website but do not make a purchase are later shown personalised ads, encouraging them to complete the transaction. This approach improves conversion rates and reduces customer acquisition costs.

Another relevant example is Nykaa, which combines content marketing with performance marketing. Nykaa uses search engine marketing and targeted display ads to attract customers while also creating educational content to build trust. Its ability to track user behavior and personalize recommendations has made it one of the most successful digital-first brands in India.

The effectiveness of performance marketing lies in its ability to target the right audience. D2C companies often cater to niche segments, and digital platforms allow them to reach specific groups based on demographics, interests, and online behavior. For instance, mCaffeine targets young consumers with its coffee-based skincare products through Instagram and influencer campaigns. By focusing on a clearly defined audience, the brand ensures higher engagement and better conversion rates.

Another advantage of performance marketing is real-time data analysis. D2C companies rely heavily on analytics tools to monitor campaign performance and make quick decisions. If a campaign is underperforming, it can be adjusted immediately. This flexibility is crucial in today’s fast-changing digital environment. For example, Lenskart uses performance marketing extensively to test different creatives, offers, and audience segments, allowing it to continuously optimize its campaigns.

Scalability is another important benefit. Once a campaign proves successful, it can be expanded quickly by increasing the budget or targeting a broader audience. This is particularly useful for startups aiming for rapid growth. Brands like Sugar Cosmetics have scaled their operations significantly by investing in high-performing digital campaigns and expanding their reach across multiple platforms.

However, performance marketing also comes with challenges. Increasing competition has led to higher advertising costs, especially on platforms like Google and Meta. Additionally, changes in data privacy regulations and restrictions on third-party cookies have made tracking more complex. D2C companies must continuously innovate and adopt new strategies to overcome these challenges.

In today’s business world, the relevance of performance marketing has increased significantly due to the growing digitalisation of consumers. With more people shopping online, brands must focus on measurable and efficient marketing strategies. Performance marketing provides the perfect solution by ensuring accountability, transparency, and better resource utilisation.

Moreover, advancements in technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning have enhanced performance marketing capabilities. These technologies enable automated bidding, predictive targeting, and personalized advertising, making campaigns more effective. As a result, D2C companies can achieve higher returns on investment and improve customer experiences.

In conclusion, performance marketing plays a critical role in the growth and success of D2C companies. By focusing on measurable outcomes, targeted reach, and continuous optimisation, it enables brands to compete effectively in a crowded marketplace. Examples like Mama earth, boat, Nykaa, and others clearly demonstrate how performance marketing can drive rapid growth and build strong customer relationships. For MBA students, understanding this concept is essential, as it represents the future of marketing in a digital-first and data-driven business environment.

Walk into any Indian household and you will find at least three or four HUL products without even looking hard. Surf Excel in the laundry area. Dove in the bathroom. Brooke Bond Red Label in the kitchen. Hindustan Unilever Limited has been part of Indian daily life for decades, long before social media existed. So when a company this established started betting seriously on influencer marketing, it was not because they were chasing a trend. It was because they could see where consumer attention was actually going — and they moved towards it with intent.
That shift in attention is the real story behind influencer marketing — and HUL’s journey with it is one of the clearest examples of how a legacy brand can adapt without losing its identity.
What Influencer Marketing Actually Means
Before diving into HUL’s approach, it helps to be clear about what influencer marketing is and what it is not. It is not simply paying someone with a large following to hold up a product and smile. Done well, influencer marketing is about borrowing trust. A creator has spent months or years building a relationship with their audience. When they talk about a product, their audience listens — not because of an advertisement, but because of that existing relationship.
This is fundamentally different from a television commercial. A TV ad interrupts. An influencer recommendation feels like a conversation. That distinction matters enormously, especially in India where consumers are increasingly sceptical of polished, corporate advertising but remain deeply influenced by people they feel they know personally.
Why HUL Took Influencer Marketing Seriously
HUL sells across an extraordinary range of categories — personal care, food and beverages, home care, health products. Each of these categories speaks to a different kind of buyer with different concerns and different media habits. A 22-year-old woman deciding which face wash to use is not watching the same content as a 45-year-old man choosing a tea brand. Reaching both through a single mass media campaign is expensive and increasingly inefficient.
Influencer marketing gave HUL something television and print could not — specificity. They could partner with a skincare creator in Mumbai to talk about Dove, and simultaneously work with a regional food blogger in Tamil Nadu to discuss Knorr soups. Same company, completely different conversations, reaching completely different people in contexts where those people were already engaged.
The Dove Campaign and the Power of Micro-Influencers
One of the most well-documented examples of HUL’s influencer strategy is around the Dove brand. Dove has long positioned itself around real beauty and self-confidence rather than conventional glamour. This positioning lends itself naturally to authentic storytelling — which is exactly what influencer content does best.
Rather than going exclusively after celebrities with millions of followers, Dove worked with micro-influencers — creators with followings between ten thousand and a hundred thousand — who spoke openly about body image, skin confidence, and self-acceptance. These were not scripted testimonials. They were personal stories from real people who happened to have an engaged audience online.
The reason this works is psychological. A post from a creator with eighty thousand followers who speaks about her own skin insecurities feels more credible than a Bollywood actress in a studio-lit advertisement. The audience of that micro-influencer trusts her because she has been honest with them before. Dove essentially plugged into that existing trust.

Red Label and the Regional Influencer Push
If Dove shows how HUL used influencers for brand values, Brooke Bond Red Label shows how the company used them for cultural conversations. Red Label has run several campaigns addressing social issues — from inclusion of people with disabilities to normalising conversations across religious and generational divides. These are sensitive, nuanced topics.
Instead of handling them entirely through broadcast media, HUL used regional influencers who could speak about these themes in local languages and cultural contexts. A content creator discussing the warmth of sharing chai while touching on themes of social acceptance reaches an audience in a way that a Hindi television advertisement simply cannot replicate in, say, rural Bengal or coastal Andhra Pradesh.
This regional influencer approach is something many multinational companies get wrong. They translate content but do not localise the voice. HUL, through its influencer partnerships, managed to have many different voices speaking simultaneously — each authentic to its own geography.
What Smaller Brands Can Learn From This
HUL has a budget that most businesses can only imagine. But the principles behind their influencer strategy are available to anyone. The first principle is relevance over reach. A creator with fifty thousand highly engaged followers in your niche will almost always outperform a celebrity with five million passive ones. The second principle is consistency. HUL did not run one influencer campaign and move on. They built ongoing relationships with creators, which means the audience heard about these products more than once, from the same trusted voice.
The third principle is alignment. HUL did not ask skincare influencers to talk about detergents or food bloggers to review shampoo. Each partnership was built around genuine fit — the creator’s content world and the product’s purpose overlapped naturally. Audiences can sense when something is forced, and they disengage immediately.
The Bigger Picture
Influencer marketing has grown from a niche digital experiment into a core channel for some of India’s largest advertisers. HUL’s adoption of this strategy reflects a broader truth: consumer trust has migrated. It no longer sits primarily with institutions and brands. It sits with individuals — creators, peers, people who show up regularly in someone’s feed and speak honestly.
Companies that understand this shift and act on it thoughtfully are not just keeping up with the times. They are investing in something more durable than advertising — they are investing in relationships, one creator partnership at a time.
HUL understood that early, perhaps before most of its competitors did. That is a large part of why those three or four products are still sitting in your home right now.

Launch any social media application, and within ten seconds, you’ll be watching a video either being posted, advertised, or shared by one of your connections. Maybe it’s an interesting cooking tip or an advertisement that shows its product from an unusual angle, but you won’t be able to help laughing along with it. If you’re a marketer or a businessman who hasn’t mastered the art of working with short video yet, then you’re missing out on great opportunities to get noticed.
Short videos aren’t just going to be around for a while before fading away into oblivion. The rise of the popularity of video formats reflects certain changes in society that happened, and by 2026, have become an expected part of daily life. Let’s take a look at what makes videos so popular and how to benefit from using it.
One of the first things you will notice about short-form videos is how easily they attract viewers. As one scrolls through a social media platform, they will be faced with decisions of which content to check out and which not to. Still visuals and text need time to catch attention, while a video automatically plays and captures attention through motion and audio. If the first few seconds are captivating, it creates instant interest and the video can get a huge audience without even realizing it.
The algorithm used by social media sites such as Tik Tok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts rewards engagement. Videos viewed fully, shared and played several times are deemed good quality videos worthy of being recommended to others. Therefore, short-form videos do not need marketing for them to attract a lot of views. In fact, thousands and even millions of viewers can see these videos without spending money on marketing. This makes it easier for small businesses to have an advantage compared to other forms of content creation.
The ease with which short-form video content has become available is largely attributed to the fact that you don’t necessarily require a production crew or even a significant budget to produce one. Unlike ten years ago when producing good quality video content meant you needed sophisticated tools and technical expertise, all that you require today is a camera and good editing software – preferably your mobile phone with some excellent editing applications. This ease of creation of such content has transformed things greatly, meaning that small enterprises are competing favorably with major brands based solely on their creativity.
However, it must be noted that not all short videos succeed because they are easily accessible. There are some factors that separate those that do from those that fail spectacularly. The first is that even in such limited time frames, a short-form video needs a clear story. It begins with some hook which could be anything that prompts the audience to continue watching, followed by something valuable to the audience and finally something that motivates the viewer to action.
It all seems simple enough, but consistent execution is another story. Successful brands view short-form video as a craft. They experiment with format, observe trends, and figure out how they can inject their unique twist. What brands shouldn’t be doing is copying someone else’s content and lacking any innovation of their own. It’s clear when an audience senses when a brand is trying to jump on board instead of participating. This makes it come off as opportunistic instead of relevant.
Additionally, short-form videos have proven highly effective at driving sales in addition to brand awareness. With features such as shoppable links, product tagging, and even in-app purchasing, a consumer can go from being introduced to a new product to completing the purchase in less than a minute. This strategy is being leveraged by brands via demo videos, tutorial content, and unboxing videos. All of these video types have one major thing in common — showing the product in use within the viewer’s environment.
The other form of short-form video that merits a separate mention is live videos. The ability to show products via live shopping sessions and allow users to ask questions about the products and even make purchases during the live broadcast makes this format an effective retailing tool. It is important to acknowledge the unique power of live streams – they cannot be edited and predictably arranged. This format allows forming a sense of community among the viewers and the creator, which can bring exceptional results.
In terms of future developments, there will be three main trends that will shape the development of short-form videos: use of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and personalized video content recommendation. Today, there are software solutions that can help creators determine what kind of videos will suit their audience most and give recommendations on edits and even scripts. AR technology also becomes an interesting tool allowing brands to engage their customers into a product interaction prior to purchasing.
However, despite the advanced technologies being involved, the basics remain the same. People watch such short clips for they enjoy viewing them, find them informative or emotionally resonant. People share them as their experiences are too significant to keep them only for themselves. People subscribe to them and support those who create short-form videos since they produce quality and informative content. And if your short-form video can do that, then you will simply amplify success thanks to all these technologies.
It is definitely worth using short-form videos for promoting both yourself as a creator and your business whatever it might be. First of all, try to watch what makes sense in your industry and experiment with different formats. You will not get everything right from the very beginning and there is nothing wrong about that. It takes time and effort to develop your own style and find your voice but once you find it, you will be able to benefit from it. Brands who use short-form video marketing get compounded benefits.