APAC - India | Edelman

Today, Edelman announced the elevation of key executives across the India leadership team, corresponding with the firm’s next phase of growth.

Ashutosh Munshi, previously Lead Advisor, Brand Marketing and Communications, will take on the role of Lead Advisor, Integrated Communications. In this expanded role, he will drive the next phase of integration, bringing together practices, sectors and integrated solutions capabilities to deliver fully integrated marketing solutions for clients. Over his 22-year journey at Edelman, Munshi has built and scaled the firm’s brand marketing practice in India and played a foundational role in establishing its strategic planning and creative offerings.

Karishma Gupte has been promoted to the role of India Brand Lead from her current role as Brand Lead for Delhi and Food & Beverage Sector Lead. She also takes on the expanded role as the Head of the Delhi office. Over her seven-year tenure at Edelman, Gupte has led some of India’s most-awarded brand campaigns, driven the growth of the firm’s Food & Beverage portfolio, and nurtured high-performing teams.

Vasudevan Rangarajan, previously SVP, Public & Government Affairs (P&GA), has been promoted to Managing Director of P&GA. Rangarajan has spent over 13 years at Edelman in various leadership roles. Over the last three years, he has built a strong team within policy and government affairs, advising clients on policy matters and strategic stakeholder engagement across sectors.

After 13+ years as the People Team leader for the India business and supporting lines of business across APAC, Pankaj Suri will be relocating to Dubai to take on the role of EVP, People Partner for the Middle East. Suri has been instrumental in shaping the firm’s people agenda in India, and hands over the India mandate to Ashutosh Thatte, who will be elevated to Vice President, People Partner effective June 1, 2025. During his nine-year tenure at Edelman, Thatte has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the firm’s business, teams and played a key role in shaping culture in India.

Speaking on the appointments, Bhavna Jagtiani, CEO of Edelman India, says: “Our clients and teams have placed deep trust in these leaders over the last decade. Together, we have built a culture of collaboration, quality and innovation that has been at the core of our client and people relationships. I am confident that together, we will unlock new dimensions of value for our clients and teams as we chart our next phase of growth in India.”

In today’s dynamic business landscape, Gen Z is redefining the rules of brand engagement. Recently, during the third edition of PRologue, the Public Relations Consultants of India (PRCAI) hosted a panel discussion titled ‘Cracking the Gen Z Code’. Based on Edelman’s proprietary research, the discussion delved into understanding this transformative generation. The panel featured influential Gen Z content creator and author of The Money Guide, Anushka Rathod; industry veteran Sushant Dash, CEO of Tata Starbucks; alongside myself. It was moderated by Arun Sudhaman, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of PRovoke Media. With Gen Z wielding significant purchasing power and influencing global buying decisions, brands face a critical challenge: engaging this demographic effectively while avoiding backlash. In India, home to the largest Gen Z population, earning trust from this dynamic group is non-negotiable for brand success.

Here are 7 key takeaways from that panel conversation:

Trust: the cornerstone for modern-day brand marketing and communications
One of the most common themes was the importance of trust for Gen Z and the fact that it has to be earned. According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer Report (The Collapse of the Purchase Funnel), a staggering 79% of Gen Z emphasize the need for trust in the brands they choose—a figure that surpasses all other generations, highlighting a fundamental shift in consumer expectations. And this generation holds immense influence and gravitational pull over others. This applies across the industry – whether consumer brand, corporate brand or employer brand. Sushant Dash of Tata Starbucks (where 72% of loyalty members are Gen Z) highlighted that trust is earned through consistent and authentic actions. He emphasized that earning trust involves not just walking the talk, but also continuously learning from feedback. He pointed out that the foundation of external trust starts internally. When employees are genuinely aligned with the brand’s values, this trust is more likely to be reflected in their interactions with customers. The good news – Gen Z trusts business more than they do other institutions like media, government, and NGOs. Brands should invest in building and leveraging this trust.
Action earns trust. Trust earns action
Brands cannot simply put out communication and expect to be trusted. This generation – known for being vocal, opinionated, and driven – requires real, ongoing engagement. They look to brands beyond a transactional purchase and feel attached to those that represent their reality, that help them express themselves and create a like-minded community. Content is no longer king and should be treated as an open door to a conversation, not a final destination that can easily be skipped. Investing in meaningful and authentic interactions is a trust-building action that will earn you their attention, purchase, and evangelism, among other tangible benefits that will have a true business impact.
Authenticity over appearances – get real or die trying
Edelman’s Power of Gen Z report reveals that 70% of Gen Z globally are actively involved in social or political causes. Society, environment, animal rights, and war are certainly higher up than politics when it comes to Gen Z in India. The panel agreed that brands must weave social causes into their culture authentically rather than using them as marketing ploys. Anushka Rathod warned brands against purpose-washing, and superficial alignment with social issues – which would surely be called out. Apologies to The Tremeloes, but silence is no longer golden. It is clear that Gen Z expects brands to take a stand on social issues, but it goes without saying that this expectation must be approached with authenticity, bravery, and strategic intent. Brands should actively listen to their audience, select causes that resonate with their core values, and engage in initiatives that align with their business objectives.
Understanding Gen Z’s Diversity
A recurring theme in the discussion was the need for marketers to grasp the diversity within Gen Z. Sushant pointed out that Gen Z in India is not a monolithic group; their preferences and behaviours vary widely depending on a great many factors. I would add that it is crucial for brands to move beyond consumer insights and adopt a more holistic human-centric approach. Understand their dreams and ambitions, and what they truly care about, and integrate these insights into brand strategy. This is why Edelman started our Gen Z Lab, which brings this generation directly to the table with brand decision-makers. Brands that successfully do this will not only earn their attention but also secure a lasting place in the minds and hearts of consumers.
Brands as Culture Creators
Sir John Hegarty described a brand as the most valuable real estate in the world – a corner of someone’s mind. To earn your way into the minds of this unique and restless generation requires marketers to put culture at the heart of their strategy and creativity. You might opine that this is not new, but it is even more crucial for this generation, perhaps more than others. It’s not enough to be ‘always on’. Rather, you have to be ‘always interesting’. By creating and contributing to cultural narratives, brands can establish a deeper, more impactful presence in the lives of their audience.
Trust at Work
Gen Z is shaking things up. Even in the workplace. The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and the Workplace shows that 80% of Gen Z expect to shape the future through their work, impacting modern work dynamics significantly. Sushant Dash noted that with an average employee age of 23 at Starbucks India, meeting Gen Z’s expectations for flexibility, creative freedom, and equal opportunities is vital. He also acknowledged a broader challenge: while addressing Gen Z’s needs is crucial, brands must also manage the diverse expectations of all employee cohorts. One-size-fits-all solutions are inadequate; instead, brands must navigate these varying needs to maintain a strong, cohesive presence and consider new, interesting ways for impactful employee engagement and internal communications.
Digital natives, but expertise is trusted
As digital natives, Gen Z primarily turn to their peers and social media for information, favouring sources that offer unfiltered, authentic insights. Anushka Rathod highlighted that platforms like YouTube and Amazon reviews are particularly influential, as they provide raw and unbiased information. You could argue that reviews can be faked, and that’s where brands must build partnerships with experts who are highly trusted – like scientists, nutritionists, beauty experts, environment experts and the like. With the average Indian spending about four hours a day on social media, brands must establish a strong presence where their audience is most active.

In conclusion, to resonate with Gen Z at a time when polarization and cultural tensions are at an all-time high, brands and corporations must prioritize trust, act authentically while putting culture at the heart of marketing, and engage meaningfully both externally and internally. I will end this with a quote from a CMO of a global pharma company who said, “If I don’t factor Gen Z into my business now, I don’t have a business for tomorrow”.

Ashutosh Munshi says that with influencer marketing gaining popularity, brands have ways to ensure influencers’ voices are authentic, even as advertising guidelines help to spur more honest communication in brand marketing.

Influencers delivering quality and relatable content have the power to positively impact all stages of the path to purchase.
Seven in 10 people relate to influencers more than celebrities and further improved if content is in a language they understand.
India has the third highest number of bought followers in the world, with bots, fake followers and fake engagement

Why it matters

Influencer marketing has become mainstream marketing and brands must prioritise authenticity and trust as they leverage the influencer’s popularity and success as part of the marketing mix.

Takeaways

One question that plagues influencer marketing in India is: How authentic are these voices?
One solution is to clean up the influencer ecosystem by removing misleading engagement.
Another is to make brands and influencers more aware of the use of dishonest practices.

Back in 2010, “blogger” was the buzzword for influence. Fast forward to today, where influencer marketing has entered a new era as the career choice for Gen Z, a side hustle for many and a marketing engine for brands, looking to expand their reach, awareness, preference and even drive conversions. Where brands are missing out is leveraging authentic voices to earn the right attention and build trust that drives growth. The influencer marketing industry in India is estimated at US$75-150 million a year. Influencers’ consistent fervour in delivering great quality, relatable and diverse content has earned them high levels of trust from their audiences, with the power to positively impact all stages of the path to purchase. A single post by a trusted influencer can lead to a product being sold out in a matter of minutes; it can also devalue a company’s worth by billions. Remember Kylie Jenner’s tweet that cost Snapchat US$1.3 billion?

Like it or not, we are influenced by these voices in our everyday choices, consciously or otherwise.

The influencer’s many faces

The role of the influencer has gone beyond the realm of social media content creator to becoming actor, fashion house editor, red carpet representative, brand campaign star, co-creator of products, catalyst for social change, and more. In India, we saw Kusha Kapila and Masoom Minawala walk the red carpet at Cannes 2019. There are compelling reasons why influencer marketing is critical. Some stats provide a better perspective:

38% brand custodians feel influencer marketing is becoming more important with each passing year due to better reach and engagement
According to 72% marketers, influencer marketing is the fastest growing online customer acquisition method
76% brands are looking to increase their budget this year compared to 62% last year

But then, influence is not restricted to just celebrities and social media stars. Journalists and bloggers are also influencers from the earned-media space. And brands need to treat them as they do the stars. After all, credibility comes from unpaid third party endorsement.

Equally so, subject matter experts – doctors, academia, marketing experts, artists, chefs, professors and others – are also influencers. Brands must remain cautious of their influencer mix, as they build out campaign plans. With the climate of social media shifting, influencer marketing is becoming a more powerful force by innovating constantly to firm its position and foster growth.

Influencer commerce, influencer incubation, virtual influencers, influencer community, social search optimisation, creator-first studios are some of the influencer marketing trends that are on the rise, in India and across the globe. These trends have been adopted by evolved brands who have moved ahead in the influencer ecosystem and are now looking at influencers beyond the lens of awareness propellers.

Influencer marketing is gaining popularity in India by virtue of regional influencers prevalent across platforms. We currently have 234 million Indian language users online, compared to 175 million English users.

According to research, seven in 10 people relate to influencers more than celebrities, and this is further improved if consumers read or watch content in a language that they understand – it connects with them and motivates them to take action.

How authentic are these voices?

While there are several advantages dovetailed with influencer marketing, the one question that has plagued the industry for a while is: How authentic are these voices?

Following the US and Brazil, India has the third highest number of bought followers in the world. From bots to fake followers and fake engagement in the form of comments, fraudulent actors are working hard to stay one step ahead of platform algorithms, and brand reputation is at stake.

When it comes to bots, low-quality followers can be bought at INR 2,500 for 10,000 followers; the same number of mid-quality and high-quality followers are priced at INR 3,500 and Rs 4,500 respectively.

It’s no longer about a mega influencer having a large fan following to secure brand promotions; even micro influencers today can secure paid or better brand promotions on account of their following.

Keith Weed, former Global CMCO, Unilever said the key to improving the situation is three-fold:

Cleaning up the influencer ecosystem by removing misleading engagement
Making brands and influencers more aware of the use of dishonest practices
Improving transparency from social platforms to help brands measure impact

Apart from vanity metrics, brands and their partner agencies need to look at psychological and contextual layers to form a more accurate portrait of influencers and their followers. For fraudulent activity, one can rely on online tools to sniff out counterfeit or fraudulent accounts and influencers who profit from them.

The following parameters must be considered while shortlisting influencers:

Authenticity score
Engagement rate
Topics covered by the influencer (should be in context to the requirements)
Geography (his/her audience base; both location and age group must match with our target audience for the respective brand)
Best-performing relevant posts/content (so one can align the right content with the right influencer)
History of influencer work (gives an idea of influencer’s brand exposure)
Any red flags or warning signs – offensive content in the past
Non-social influence platforms like books, webinars, podcasts (helps understand the overall clout) Positive media coverage (increases credibility)
Trust Score (exclusive to Edelman)

With influencer marketing becoming mainstream in India, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) launched the Influencer Marketing Guidelines, making it mandatory for influencers to label all kinds of branded content to balance the interests of consumers, influencers, agencies, advertisers and all other stakeholders.

ASCI pointed out that consumers have a right to know what content has been paid for by brands and the guidelines intend to bring transparency and accountability to influencer marketing.

These guidelines will spur more honest communication within the realm of brand marketing and impact brands in several different ways:

1. Upfront Ad disclosure labels, wide list of material association (free products, vouchers, experiences etc) beyond monetary compensation, increased focus on research-driven content and claim substantiation – these guidelines have been designed to uphold a longstanding commitment to truth in advertising and will create an environment for greater trust by consumers in advertisers.

2. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report 2019, 63% people trust what influencers say about a brand much more than what brands say about themselves in their advertising, hence engagement with influencers will continue to rise, especially when consumers will clearly be informed about sponsored and non-sponsored content. The ad transparency tags will create even more positive impact on the influencer-consumer-brand relationship.

3. Content creativity, quality and authenticity will now take front seats. Brands and their partner agencies will need to adopt an always interesting approach to co-create culture and insight-driven content that seamlessly fits into the influencer’s niche, across formats and channels to boost brand mentions and foster fan communities.

4. Misleading content will get filtered out – with the new guidelines, influencers will increasingly take part in research and study every possible detail about the brand/product/service they are going to promote, hence making their content more responsible, authentic and thus reducing efforts towards constant content monitoring and thereby promoting responsible advertising.

5. Regulation would be required by brands and their partner agencies to ensure that campaigns are executed in a compliant manner, following all the guidelines.

6. Brands will need to foster long-term, meaningful relationships with influencers as influencers will now have a higher base of loyal fans, resulting in lifetime value for brands.

7. An increasing need to investigate influencers’ online activity and identify potentially sensitive issues along with basic performance benchmarking will become the new norm, increasing reliability on partner agencies with in-house and subscribed social listening and campaign measurement tools.

These guidelines will engender responsible communications, making creators and brands equally accountable for all types of influencer-led content in the digital ecosystem. These regulations could not have come sooner, given the exponential growth and mainstream stature that influencer marketing has attained so rapidly in India.

Built on the foundation of trust, the ASCI guidelines reiterate our longstanding commitment to authenticity and credibility. As per our Edelman Brand Trust Report 2021, there is a bigger need for trust today than ever before. This trust in brands cannot be bought, it has to be earned with action by creating experiences with products/services or through earned media or peer conversations and other trusted channels. Influence, too, is far higher when trust levels are high. It is built when influencers have a personal connection or expertise related to a topic or issue and when they promote brands with utmost transparency.

Riding on the back of this reality is Edelman’s Influencer Marketing offer called Trusted Influence. We create campaigns for brands using insight-driven, earned-centric creative thinking, amplified through credible influencers that deliver true impact and return on investment. Check out some of our award-winning incredible work, a testament to our commitment to trust.

For a business to flourish, it needs to reach its consumers in a way that inspires trust and influencers are instrumental in building that trust because people are more likely to trust the words of commoners who speak from their personal experience rather than an advertisement.

ASCI’s issue of the recent guidelines marks the foray of influencer marketing into mainstream advertising, depicting how influencer marketing has evolved. This offers a wealth of growth opportunities for influencers, influencer marketing platforms and agencies, as well as brands looking to benefit from the fast-growing industry.

With influencer marketing at the cusp of transformation and on track to become a US$15 billion industry by 2022, brands and corporations must prioritise authenticity and trust as they look to leverage the popularity and success of influencers as a part of the marketing mix.

This article originally appeared on WARC as part of a Spotlight series on how marketers can optimise influencer marketing strategies in India.

After an unparalleled year marked by turbulence and uncertainties, the Edelman Trust Barometer 2021 throws light on several factors including the rising inequities fuelled by the pandemic, growing mistrust of information sources, and the need for the four institutions – government, business, media, and NGOs -- to jointly solve for foundational problems such as education, health, and poverty.

The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer was conducted among 33,000 respondents in 28 global markets including India, between from October 19 to November 18, 2020, and has looked at how institutions are trusted against the backdrop of the pandemic and the rise of information bankruptcy. The findings are clear – business remains the most trusted institution to do what is right and business leaders are expected to deliver on larger societal issues amidst a tough economic environment.

Integrated mandate includes brand communications, influencer marketing, and creative and digital services

20 January 2021, India: Edelman, the world’s leading communications and public affairs firm, has been appointed Agency of Record to promote California Pistachios in India, distributed through U.S.-based The Wonderful Company. As of November 1, 2020, Edelman India has been managing an integrated communications mandate comprised of brand communications including influencer engagement, creative content, social media and digital marketing.

The Wonderful Company is a privately held $5 billion company committed to offering high-quality, healthy brands and helping consumers make better choices, every day. The company assigned Edelman a strategic communications mandate to encourage healthy eating with California Pistachios, highlighting the California difference. California Pistachios are available at retailers throughout India.

“We are delighted to partner with The Wonderful Company in India. As their communications consultants, we are committed to inspiring people with the healthy choice of California Pistachios, one snack break at a time. We are leveraging our earned-centric mindset to build powerful brand ideas and communication, backed by rich human data, inspired by culture and driven by brand purpose,” said Rakesh Thukral, Managing Director, Edelman India.

***

About Edelman India

Edelman is a leading global communications and public affairs firm that partners with many of the world’s largest and emerging businesses and organizations, helping them evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputation. With a team of over 250 professionals, Edelman has a presence across seven locations and a representative network covering 200+ cities in India. Grounded by its core values and strengthened by its independence, Edelman strives to offer clients a truly integrated network and global approach — whether it’s cultivating stakeholder relationships, developing thought leadership platforms, creating digital strategies or breakthrough ideas that drive impact. The firm was voted as one of India’s ‘Best Companies to Work For’ by the Great Places To Work Institute in 2013, and South Asia PR Agency of the Year – India by Campaign Asia Pacific in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

About The Wonderful Company

Headquartered in Los Angeles, The Wonderful Company is a privately held $5 billion company dedicated to harvesting health around the world through its iconic consumer brands. The company’s 10,000 employees worldwide are committed to bringing consumers everywhere the delicious, wholesome pistachios, citrus, and pomegranates; bottling premium water and wines; and creating colorful bouquets that are sure to touch the heart. This commitment is reflected in the company’s market share across its brands: Wonderful Pistachios® is America’s fastest-growing snack; Wonderful® Halos®; POM Wonderful®; FIJI® Water; JUSTIN® Wine; and Teleflora®.

The Wonderful Company’s connection to consumers has health at its heart and giving back at its core. The company has a long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibility, including more than $1 billion invested in environmental sustainability; $65 million in charitable giving, education initiatives, and innovative health and wellness programs each year; and $143 million toward the construction of two charter school campuses in California’s Central Valley.

To learn more about The Wonderful Company, its products and its core values, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To view the current Corporate Social Responsibility report, visit www.wonderful.com/csr.

For more information please contact:

Bhavna Jagtiani

Bhavna.Jagtiani@edelman.com

Mobile: +91 98205 13970

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Edelman India appointed Agency of Record for The Wonderful Company’s California Pistachios in India