Do influencers need PR in the age of mainstream fame?

As Indian creators expand onto global platforms and high-visibility brand moments, PR readiness is increasingly crucial. When creators like Ankush Bahuguna appear at Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty launch or Dharan Durga shares screen space with Varun Dhawan in Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, it highlights a major shift in the creator economy. The shift is also seen when creators meet global icons like David Beckham at Meta events, appear on shows like Bigg Boss or Kaun Banega Crorepati, or become brand ambassadors for top Indian and global brands.

Today’s creators are moving beyond social media, entering spaces once reserved for film stars and legacy celebrities.

India’s public relations industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.8%, targeting a valuation of Rs 4,570 crore by FY 2030. Within this, creator-focused PR and grooming has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments. Industry executives estimate the creator PR and grooming market at Rs 300-500 crore, driven by creators expanding beyond social media into films, OTT platforms, podcasts, and long-term brand partnerships.

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Do creators need PR training?

Creators are constantly on camera, livestreaming, and speaking without filters, making high visibility a potential reputational risk. Recent controversies, such as the India’s Got Latent episode with Ranveer Allahbadia, show how quickly narratives can spiral, even for established names.

Nandini Mahant, Founder and Creative Director of Sorta Famous, a strategic communications studio, revealed, “There isn’t one fixed number, but across the industry, agencies typically invest anywhere between Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh per creator annually, depending on the creator’s scale, trajectory, and seriousness about building a long-term public profile. This isn’t just about media training. It includes narrative clarity, interview preparedness, understanding public perception, handling pressure moments, and aligning content with long-term credibility.”

Is creator PR training charged separately or included?

“It really depends on how the agency looks at creators. Some agencies include basic PR training as part of representation. Others charge separately, especially when the work goes deeper than surface-level grooming and involves positioning, mock interviews, or crisis preparedness. For creators we genuinely want to build long-term with, it’s usually integrated into the relationship. Because if the creator grows with clarity, the work compounds for everyone involved,” Mahant said.

Trishla Shah, Founder of Clout Craft, said her agency eases creators’ transition by including PR guidance, brand positioning, pitching support, and deal management as part of representation, with no separate PR training fees.

“The agency follows a commission-based structure, charging between 7 and 12 percent on brand deals it secures, depending on the scope of the collaboration. The commission is deducted directly from the deal value,” Shah said, adding that the intent is to keep commissions lower than industry norms and focus on long-term growth rather than upfront fees.

Mahant added, “The standard commission of 15-30 percent on brand deals is for deal management and execution. PR training is either absorbed as a long-term investment or structured separately. When PR training is deducted directly from brand deals, it often becomes transactional. And PR doesn’t work well when it’s treated like a recovery cost instead of a credibility investment. Why PR training is actually needed for creators. Most creators don’t struggle with reach. They struggle with representation. PR training helps creators understand what they stand for publicly, speak with consistency across interviews, podcasts, and panels, handle uncomfortable questions or controversies without panic, and know what not to say, not just what to say.”

“We’ve seen creators with massive numbers lose brand trust over one careless quote. And we’ve seen others with far smaller reach get premium opportunities simply because they sounded clear, grounded, and credible. PR training bridges that gap,” said Mahant.

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Gayatri Makhija, PR Lead at Monk Entertainment, shares that creators today are powerful storytellers in their own right. “PR training isn’t about changing their voice, but helping them understand how their stories travel, how narratives are perceived, and how to protect the authenticity they’ve worked so hard to build,” she added.

Bhavika Valecha, Founder of Affluent India PR, said most creators already grasp the importance of their public presence. Instead of formal training, they often need clarity on positioning and messaging, which her agency incorporates into its process.

“There is no separate fee for PR coaching, interview preparation, or media readiness, and the agency does not operate on a commission model. When media opportunities are secured, shaping the narrative and preparing the creator is part of the core service,” Valecha explains.

As a boutique PR agency, Valecha emphasised that proximity matters. Close collaboration with a creator allows the team to build consistency, credibility, and trust over time, rather than chasing one-off headlines. Many creators turn to boutique firms for sharper positioning and a more hands-on approach outside their main influencer agencies.

At the same time, she noted that heavy PR intervention can backfire. Creators thrive on relatability and a distinct personal voice, and over-managed messaging risks undermining the authenticity that audiences value most.

This tension has led to a broader debate around where PR should step in and where it should step back. Should PR influence the tone of a reel, the way brand captions are written, the kind of stories a creator shares, or even which events they attend? And as the ecosystem matures, how different is a PR agency from an influencer marketing agency today?

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The lines are increasingly blurred. Influencer marketing agencies handle brand collaborations, negotiations, and commercial deals, typically taking a 25-30 percent commission, while PR agencies focus on reputation, media narratives, positioning, and long-term perception. Yet, both creators and brands worry that too much PR could make influencers appear manufactured rather than authentic.

Despite these concerns, demand for structured guidance is rising. As creators are flown overseas for global campaigns, stakes and scrutiny are higher than ever, requiring the same media maturity expected of public figures.

According to Mahant, “Creator PR and grooming is no longer niche. In India alone, it’s already a Rs 300–500 crore market, and it’s growing as creators move beyond Instagram into films, OTT, podcasts, and long-term brand roles. As creators evolve, reach alone isn’t enough, credibility matters the most.

Creator PR today isn’t about polishing soundbites or teaching influencers how to speak. It’s about helping creators develop clarity around who they are in the public eye and how that perception compounds over time. At Sorta Famous, we see PR training as a credibility investment, not a cost to be recovered from brand deals. As the creator economy matures, reach may open doors, but clarity and trust are what keep them open.”

Ultimately, the question is not whether creators need PR, but how much, what type, and at which stage. As creators cross into mainstream culture, the challenge lies in balancing professional guidance with personal authenticity, enabling growth without compromising the voice that built their influence.