Creators step it up for a real connect

Indian content creators are venturing beyond the familiar territory of brand partnerships and experimenting with a more direct and experiential approach. They are exploring exclusive in-person meetups and immersive programmes as they seek greater autonomy and more revenue streams.

Whether it is a book reading retreat in picturesque Kasuali, a 'private, invite only' podcasting retreat hosted by a prominent podcaster, a pole fitness workshop in Vietnam, an 'anti-party' New Years Eve in the wilderness or just a chance to embark on an adventure to an off beat destination guided by the very travel vlogger who ignited the wanderlust - creators are actively exploring these tangible monetising avenues.

The idea is to transform passive followers into active participants and, in the process, unlock new revenue streams.


"India's Got Latent controversy showed creators that they needed to find alternate revenue streams as well so that they are not solely dependent on brands," Aman Garg, co-founder of influencer branding firm A4our told ET.

"A physical experience has more tangible value since the connection is much deeper compared to just a screen."

For instance, Sufiyan Alam who is an actor and science storyteller is going beyond the realm of Reels and into the real world with his upcoming theatre production in Pune.

"I will bring out the story of American theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer," he said.

Aryaan Misra, co-host of the Desi Crime Podcast and founder Desi Studios said that the India's Got Latent series also served as a reminder to creators that people will pay to come and see their favourite creators perform live.

"There are true crime podcasters in the US who do sold out shows but that hasn't really been done in India. We wanted to fill that white space by doing curated shows for our audience and are in the process of working out the formats."

Next week, Misra said the popular podcast duo will have a live show.

The goal to be less reliant on brands and provide differentiated experiences to followers is clear. So much so that it has led to the likes of Supersquad coming up, which allows creators to use the platform to launch curated experiences for their community.

"We enable creators to build their own community experience brand that’s crafted around their personality and niche," Akash Kadyan, founder of Supersquad said. "We have upcoming podcasting and poetry retreats not just in India but in places like Japan as well. It is a win-win because it offers creators a great way to monetise their following and followers a way to meet like-minded people and a memorable experience."