Opraah Co-founder Mansi Gupta Highlights Top Challenges in Brand-Creator Collaborations

India’s influencer marketing industry is becoming more sophisticated, with brands investing heavily in creator-led campaigns across platforms. However, despite the sector’s rapid growth, some long-standing challenges continue to affect collaborations. According to Mansi Gupta Panpalia, Co-founder of Opraah, the biggest friction points between brands and creators remain limited creative control and increasingly shorter campaign timelines. She believes that addressing these issues is key to building stronger, more effective partnerships in the creator economy.

Why is creative control still a major concern for creators?

Panpalia believes that many brands continue to exercise excessive control over campaign execution. While brands naturally want their messaging and objectives to remain intact, they often prescribe exactly how creators should present the content. This can dilute the authenticity that audiences expect from creator-led content. Since creators have spent years understanding what resonates with their communities, giving them the flexibility to communicate a brand message in their own style often results in more engaging and credible campaigns.

How are shorter campaign timelines affecting collaborations?

Another challenge is the increasing pressure to deliver content within tight deadlines. Many influencer campaigns now require creators to ideate, film, edit and publish content within a matter of days. While this helps brands react quickly to trends and conversations online, it can also compromise creativity and production quality. Panpalia suggests that earlier planning and better coordination between brands, agencies and creators can reduce last-minute pressure while improving the final output.

How has the role of influencer marketing agencies evolved?

As influencer marketing has matured, agencies have taken on responsibilities far beyond simply connecting brands with creators. Panpalia explains that agencies are now expected to manage campaign strategy, creator selection, contracts, content approvals, usage rights, compliance and performance tracking. Their role has become increasingly strategic. As a result, they must ensure that both creators and brands work together efficiently while meeting campaign objectives.

What makes a successful brand-creator partnership today?

According to Panpalia, trust is becoming one of the most valuable assets in influencer marketing. Brands should clearly communicate their campaign goals, legal requirements and key messaging. At the same time, they should allow creators enough room to adapt the content to their unique voice and audience. This balance helps preserve authenticity, which is ultimately what drives stronger engagement and better campaign performance.

What does this mean for the future of influencer marketing?

As the creator economy continues to expand, successful collaborations are likely to depend less on strict control and more on genuine partnerships. Brands that respect creators’ expertise while planning campaigns with realistic timelines are better positioned to produce content that feels authentic and resonates with audiences. Moreover, these campaigns deliver stronger marketing results. The industry’s future will be shaped by collaboration, transparency and mutual trust rather than rigid creative processes.