Influencer Content Grabs 2x Higher Attention Than Digital Ads

Fri, 11 July 2025

15:08

Influencer content in advertisements grabs a longer attention span, with viewers staying 2.2 times longer on an ad before skipping it compared to average digital ads, according to Kantar, a marketing data and analytics company, which tested 1,350 ads released last year.

The average skip time for branded content in ads is 7.9 seconds while for influencer content (influencer promoted products/services), it is 17.8 seconds.

Additionally, the average time viewers spend watching influencer content in ads is 1.4 times higher than other digital ads in India, Kantar said.Influencer recommendations are also more trusted and influential, with 76 per cent of consumers trusting them compared to traditional ads. This comes at a time when influencers are becoming an important part of digital campaigns for several brands to drive audience engagement.

"With 50 per cent (of ad) spends in the digital medium, there are a lot of influencers who are today coming in and putting out content, and also becoming brand ambassadors," Soumya Mohanty, managing director and chief client officer, South Asia, Insights Division of Kantar, told Business Standard.

It is also more effective in building desire for the brand and salience for the brand compared to an average digital video ad. While influencer content is gaining prominence in the digital medium and is good for a short period, Mohanty noted that the lack of consistency of an influencer associated with a brand creates a challenge for advertisers.

Generally, brands initially use influencers for ads and later move to celebrities to build long-term associations for brand equity.

"Influencers don't build long-term brand equity as effectively, and it's very fragmented the way brands use influencers. Sometimes, it is difficult for the viewers to understand why an influencer is talking about a particular brand,' she added.

However, Mohanty noted that the industry is evolving to build effective brand equity in the digital medium.

"Digital is underutilised for brand-building and often used more for performance marketing. This is expected to change," she said.

-- Roshini Shekhar, Business Standard

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