In what may be the biggest wake-up call for brands, Marketing Mind’s first-ever report, ‘The Festive Decode 2025,’ finds that India’s audiences are no longer buying into influencer overload.
An overwhelming 69.5% of respondents trust friends and family over influencers or celebrities when making festive shopping choices. In contrast, 12.2% trust celebrities, 9.9% micro/nano influencers, and 8.4% mega influencers, marking a major shift toward personal credibility.
Even in preferred content formats, 31.8% value discount code promotions, 31% enjoy unboxing/haul videos, and 19.8% prefer relatable festive skits. Yet, 72.2% of respondents said brands overuse influencers during the festive season, calling such content “forced.”
As Marketing Mind’s ‘Festive Decode 2025’ insightfully concludes, the next phase of influencer marketing will belong to those who sound personal, not promotional.
Conducted between August–October 2025, Marketing Mind’s ‘The Festive Decode 2025’ stands as the brand’s first original research venture, decoding the real pulse of India’s social and influencer economy. By capturing 10,000+ voices, it sets a new benchmark in understanding trust, relatability, and the evolution of digital influence.
