As the festive season approaches, brands are increasingly turning to influencers to create immersive, memorable experiences that go beyond traditional advertising. Instead of just promoting products through posts and stories, influencers are curating personalised festive engagements, hosting branded events, and crafting exclusive experiences tailored for their audiences. These partnerships blend the excitement of the season with the personal touch of influencer marketing, offering consumers a more engaging way to connect with brands.
This shift toward experiential marketing is driven by the desire for authenticity and deeper consumer connections. Influencers, who already have established trust with their followers, bring a relatable face to brands, making these events feel more like celebrations than commercials. Whether it's hosting holiday workshops, planning festive meet-ups, or creating special gift guides, influencers are turning brand interactions into festive moments.
Everything Experiential spoke to influencer marketing specialists about the strategies that influencers can utilise to give an authentic feel to festive experiences, leveraging storytelling and more.
Authenticity is essential
Unique ideas help experiences stand out. Influencers can use various distinct strategies during the festive season this year to ensure that branded festive experiences feel authentic and not overly commercial.
Ramya Ramachandran, Founder, Whoppl rightly points out that in today’s influencer marketing landscape, authenticity is king. For the festive season, she too stresses that influencers must ensure that the experiences they curate feel authentic.
“One effective strategy is creating hyper-personalised engagements. Instead of pushing product-first campaigns, influencers could design interactive, festive experiences that mirror their audience’s cultural practices. Think of live, interactive sessions where influencers and their followers create festive decorations together or cook traditional meals using branded products. This shifts the focus from promotion to genuine interaction, which is far more impactful,” she outlines.
Payal Ghosh, Business Head, Nofiltr.Group believes that the way the industry is working right now feels like everyone is cloning each other. “The more distinct the content is the more it attracts newer audiences. Even when doing marketing for brands for the festive season, the influencers need to keep it real and homely or more relatable towards the audience.”
Yasin Hamidani, Director, Media Care Brand Solutions comprehends that influencers can create authentic branded festive experiences by focusing on storytelling and personal connections. “Instead of pushing products, they can share personal festive traditions, incorporating the brand seamlessly into their daily lives. Collaborating with brands that align with their values ensures natural promotion. Influencers can also engage followers through interactive content like DIY projects, festive recipes, or cultural insights, making the brand part of a meaningful celebration. Limited-time festive collaborations, giveaways, or charity initiatives can further enhance authenticity by creating a sense of community and giving back, rather than solely focusing on sales-driven content.”
Storytelling weaved with emotions
Storytelling has since time immemorial been a marketer’s favourite. Influencers and brands can leverage the storytelling technique in myriad ways to enhance the emotional impact of festive experiences on consumers.
Hamidani underscores that influencers and brands can leverage storytelling by sharing heartfelt, relatable narratives that resonate with the emotional core of festive traditions. By weaving personal anecdotes, cultural references, and family moments into their content, influencers can evoke nostalgia and joy, making consumers feel connected to the brand on a deeper level.
“Highlighting how the brand enhances their festive experience—through meaningful gifts, memorable celebrations, or acts of kindness—helps create an emotional bond. This approach turns the brand into an integral part of the festive story, fostering authenticity and encouraging consumers to associate it with positive, heartfelt memories,” he said.
Festivals are a great way to come together and celebrate together, it’s like a joyous time for everyone. Ghosh thinks that influencers alongside brands can build up storytelling of how they celebrate at home. “That’s because more than commercial needs it’s more real and that will be relatable to their audience.”
Storytelling is the bridge that connects influencers, brands, and consumers on an emotional level, especially during festive seasons when emotions run high. Ramachandran says that the key is to build narratives that resonate with cultural values and personal connections. “Influencers can elevate brand experiences by sharing stories of their own festive memories—perhaps how they used to celebrate Diwali with their grandparents, or a childhood memory of Eid—incorporating the brand in a subtle, meaningful way. This taps into nostalgia, which is incredibly powerful during festive seasons.”
She cites an example that an influencer could lead a ‘9 days of Navratri’ campaign, sharing daily traditions that bring the festival to life for their followers while subtly integrating branded elements like fashion, décor, or gifting options.
Selecting the appropriate influencer
Deciding on a suitable influencer to co-create festive experiences with, is also a significant process for brands.
Ramachandran fathoms that when selecting influencers to co-create festive experiences, brands need to prioritise alignment overreach. “It’s not about choosing the influencer with the most followers; it’s about selecting those who genuinely connect with the spirit of the festival and the brand's values. The authenticity of the influencer is paramount.”
For instance, if a brand is focused on sustainability, she states that they should collaborate with influencers who practice and promote eco-friendly ways to celebrate festivals, such as sustainable gifting or eco-friendly décor.
Another factor to consider is the cultural relevance and diversity of influencers. India’s festive calendar is incredibly rich and varied—Diwali, Navratri, Eid, Christmas, and regional harvest festivals all hold significance. “Brands need to ensure their influencer partnerships reflect this diversity, reaching different audiences in a culturally nuanced way,” she adds.
Ghosh mentions that there are so many festivities that happen in our country, and picking the right influencers is very important. For instance, for Ganesh Chaturthi, a brand should work with a creator who has celebrated the festival at home and knows the feeling that can be explained via the video which will ensure connectivity and seamless integration.
Hamidani echoes Ramachandran’s thoughts about the alignment of values when brands select influencers for festive collaborations, “The influencer's audience demographics, content style, and cultural relevance should resonate with the brand’s target market. Brands should look for influencers who create genuine, engaging content that blends seamlessly with the festive theme, avoiding overly commercial or forced messaging.
Additionally, evaluating the influencer’s past collaborations, engagement rates, and ability to evoke emotional connections is crucial. A strong influencer-brand fit ensures that the festive experience feels authentic, culturally appropriate, and capable of fostering long-lasting connections with consumers.”
Wrapping up, this experiential approach allows brands to stand out amidst the seasonal noise, helping them create meaningful, lasting impressions. It’s a new way for companies to tap into the festive spirit, providing value through experiences rather than just promotions, and fostering stronger emotional bonds with consumers.
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