Introduction: The Creator Economy Meets Civic Messaging
I do miss the government communication that came wrapped up in formality – the newspaper ads, Doordarshan PSAs, and the occasional celebrity ambassador. I remember those days when you used to wake up to commercials made by the government or newspaper ads on the front page to inform, educate and make aware the citizens of the country about the new policies, upcoming political campaigns, key highlights and the most dreaded, budgetary announcements. My dad is sweating reading the hike in fuel prices and my mother on the other end worrying about the prices of home essentials, sky rocketing and so on and so forth!
Fast-forward to today, and the government bodies are quickly adapting, rather fluently speaking the language of Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and even meme. Why? Because India’s next gen[z] who is going to be our future is glued to the vertical screens and boy you need to get their attention on that screen. ‘Drum rolls’— and creators sit at the centre of it.
Influencer marketing, once considered the domain of brands selling shampoos or shoes, is now being tapped by ministries and civic bodies to drive awareness, behavioural change, and policy participation.
But Why Now?
Let’s look at facts:
- 900M+ internet users, many of whom skipped traditional media entirely and went straight to mobile-first content. The truth of the Indian landscape
- A booming regional creator economy, with influencers communicating in Malayalam, Bhojpuri, Tamil, and Assamese with equal ease. Yes regions are tighter than before and the way to get through them is to know their language
- A young population — 65% under 35 — that is increasingly skeptical of institutional narratives but receptive to creators they follow daily. Because, they were Born on Internet. Their value system is that digital screen.
For the government, this is a reputation and reach strategy and not just a medium to disseminate information.
Let’s look at where it all started from:
The Indian government started flirting with the creator economy as early as 2019–20. Here are some examples.
1. The COVID-19 Response Playbook: Bridge the Trust Gap
During the pandemic, the Ministry of Health, MyGov, and even state governments turned to medical influencers, science communicators, and regional creators to spread facts, bust myths, and promote vaccination. it was about clarity and credibility and lives at stake.
2. The G20 and Cultural Showcase: Case study in Hybrid communication
The G20 summit of 2023 was a master class in hybrid communication. The mixed media approach from formal press to creators being flown in and the use of digital media was spectacular. It wasn’t PR. It was participatory storytelling.
3. Digital India and Startup India Campaigns: The next digital wave
Influencers in tech, finance, and entrepreneurship were engaged to push government narratives around UPI adoption, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Startup India. Rather than explaining policies via press notes, creators broke them down in reels, infographics, and explainers.
What’s the Impact ?
Here’s what’s really changing with this influencer-first outreach model:
Higher relatability
Those ‘boring government updates and messages’ are now humanized by the creators. It’s now a topic of conversation by a peer that you relate to. Don’t you agree that A 2-minute reel on menstrual hygiene by a lifestyle influencer lands better than reading a 15-page PDF on public health?
Hyperlocal inclusivity
As the islands of regions and languages get stronger, the use of regionally relevant creators speaking in Tamil, Marathi, Bangla, etc., the messaging travels deeper, across language and culture boundaries.
Lower resistance
Ofcourse creators get trolled and the comment section can be filled with hate, but when it comes to key updates that are government led, there is a conversation in the comment section. The followers who genuinely relate to these creators tend to show lower resistance to the policies.
Digital policy translators
Complex policies like GST, UPI, or even electoral reforms are better understood when creators explain them using analogies, memes, or everyday examples. This builds active citizen participation.
– Authored by Danny Advani, Head of Business Strategy, Dot Media
