New Delhi, March 27 -- One number captures the explosion of India's creator economy and its ability to shape consumer behaviour: 8,000. It's the count of social media influencers Hindustan Unilever Ltd. engaged with in the ongoing fiscal. This roster, according to the company, has swollen more than tenfold from 700 in a single year.

For India's largest consumer goods maker, which spent Rs.6,380 crore on marketing in fiscal 2024, television campaigns have historically been the dominant medium to target potential customers, cornering the bulk of the spending. Bollywood stars Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Madhuri Dixit were its brand ambassadors for Lux soap. Ananya Pandey endorses Lakme.

Now, the young, ...