When 3,000 followers cost more than 3 million: A creator outreach lesson

Bombay Shaving Company Founder and CEO Shantanu Deshpande’s recent attempt to approach creators directly highlights the changing dynamics of brand-creator conversations

by Shalinee Mishra
Published: Sep 15, 2026 9:47 AM | 4 min read

Shantanu Deshpande, CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, experienced varied responses when directly reaching out to creators for a project, highlighting a shift in creator-brand interactions based on follower count and engagement levels.
Larger creators (2-3 million followers) were responsive and willing to collaborate, while smaller creators (around 3,000 followers) often referred to managers and quoted fees before discussions.
The episode underscores the need for better guidance in the creator ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of direct communication for building relationships and future business opportunities.
In response to evolving creator-brand dynamics, Amazon launched the Creator Connections program to facilitate performance-driven partnerships, aiming to enhance monetization opportunities for creators and improve ROI for brands during the festive shopping season.

For Bombay Shaving Company Founder and CEO Shantanu Deshpande, a recent attempt to approach creators directly offered an unexpected view of how creator-brand conversations are changing. Deshpande, who said he had not personally approached influencers for the last three to four years as his team handled those conversations, recently reached out to creators himself through Instagram and WhatsApp for a project.

The responses varied sharply. Creators with two to three million followers responded quickly, asked for the brief, shared ideas and, in some cases, offered to work for free because they wanted to be associated with the project. But when Deshpande approached some creators with around 3,000 followers and low engagement, some immediately shared their manager's number, while one quoted $300 for a Reel before the commercial discussion had begun.

“Creators with two to three million followers were responding quickly. They would ask me to send the brief, share ideas and even say they would do it for free because they wanted to work on the project. But when I reached out to some emerging creators with around 3,000 followers and low engagement, the response was different. Some immediately shared their manager’s number, while one quoted $300 for a Reel before I had even discussed the commercial,” Deshpande said, sharing the experience on social media.

Deshpande said the episode also pointed to the need for greater guidance in the creator ecosystem. “It is still an unorganised sector, and creators need to understand that being professional does not mean putting a layer between themselves and the brand. A direct conversation can also be an opportunity to build a relationship that could lead to business later,” he said.

The experience comes at a time when brands are looking for more structured ways to connect with creators and measure what those partnerships deliver. Just ahead of the festive shopping season, Amazon has launched Creator Connections, a programme that brings brands and creators together through performance-led campaigns.

The programme begins with 50,000 brands and 5,000 creators and is set to expand to Amazon’s wider creator ecosystem of more than 1.65 lakh creators. Eligible creators can discover campaigns based on their profile, audience and content, opt into opportunities and promote products through Amazon affiliate links. They can earn through a cost-per-click model while continuing to receive affiliate commissions on qualifying purchases.

The move comes as creator-led shopping becomes a larger part of Amazon's commerce ecosystem. Amazon said creator content has contributed to the sale of more than 6 crore products on Amazon.in this year, with nearly 70% of creator-led purchases coming from non-metro cities. Creator earnings on the platform can also increase up to five-fold during the festive season.

“Creators today are looking for monetisation opportunities that are transparent, rewarding and aligned with the value they create for their audiences. Creator Connections has been designed to make that journey simpler by connecting eligible creators with relevant brand campaigns that match their content and interests,” said Nidhi Thakkar, Head of Social Commerce - Emerging Countries, Amazon.

The shift is also changing what brands expect from creator marketing. Sumit Gupta, Founder of Viral Pitch, said the primary challenge has moved beyond basic creator discovery.

“With festive creator marketing becoming more crowded, the primary challenge has changed from basic discovery to algorithmic precision and full funnel attribution. With festive ad clutter and creator rates surging by 20-30%, blind spending degrades campaign performance,” Gupta said.

He added that brands are struggling with ROI attribution across quick-commerce and e-commerce touchpoints, making data-driven vetting more important. “Overcoming this requires data driven vetting such as analyzing audience overlap, sentiment, and performance history to ensure budget allocations drive clear business outcomes rather than superficial engagement metrics,” he said.

For the creator economy, the festive season may therefore be less about finding the next influencer and more about establishing which creator, campaign and conversation can deliver a measurable business outcome.