Heady recipe: the chef, the entrepreneur, and social media

livemint.com:

NEW DELHI : A new league of celebrities or influencers is being spawned by the reach provided by social media platforms, beyond the conventional realms of movies and sports. From chefs like Ranveer Brar to startup founders like Aman Gupta, people with skill and panache are creating content on social media to cater to niche communities. They are even investing in building teams and production setups to create professional-looking content regularly.

“Social media has democratised access to fame and created opportunities for everyone to voice their opinions. As long as you’re passionate about something, it’s possible for you to build a community and reach audiences in a way that celebrities have in the past," Gunjan Arya, CEO, OML Entertainment, an artist and event management company and content production house, said. While not on par with, say, movie actors in terms of sheer popularity, industry experts say the new-age celebrities are a lucrative option for marketers and brands, especially if the product aligns with their personalities.

Audience preferences are constantly evolving as people crave more relatable and real content beyond the realm of entertainment, Arya pointed out. “When you have a community that is excited about the content that you’ve been sharing, they’re more likely to believe you. That does a lot more for a brand than collaborating with a celebrity who’s loved purely for their fame.