- January 16, 2026
- Posted by: Renu Jangra
- Category: Exclusives
In an exclusive interaction with MediaBrief, Sumedha Jain, Head of Marketing at Madame, the women’s western-wear brand, speaks about how the brand’s influencer marketing has evolved from campaign-led endorsements to community-led conversations, the growing role of micro-influencers and regional fashion voices in driving authentic engagement, and how Gen Z’s demand for authenticity shapes their collaborations. Jain also shares how Madame measures the impact of influencer campaigns beyond traditional ROI, personalizes communication without overwhelming consumers, and envisions the future of influencer-led communities in shaping fashion trends.
Speaking about how Madame’s approach to influencer marketing has evolved in the past few years, Jain says, “Over the past few years, our approach has shifted from one-way brand endorsements to building value-driven, co-created conversations. Earlier, influencer marketing was largely campaign-led. Today, it is community-led. We collaborate with creators who genuinely resonate with our purpose of empowering women through fashion. The focus is no longer just on visibility – it’s on meaningful storytelling, diverse representation, and sustained partnerships rooted in shared values.”
Building brand identity through community
On the role of community-led conversations in shaping Madame’s brand identity, she says, “Community-led conversations have become one of the strongest pillars of our brand identity. Madame has always stood for confidence, self-expression, and individuality – and these ideas are best shaped when your customers speak for you. When women share how they wear Madame in real, everyday moments, it creates cultural relevance far beyond what traditional brand messaging can. Our identity is increasingly shaped by the dialogues happening around us, not just the ones we initiate.”
Micro vs. Macro influencers
Speaking about the difference between micro-influencers and macro-influencers in building authentic engagement, Jain says, “Micro-influencers offer depth, while macro-influencers offer scale. Micro-creators often have a tighter-knit, highly trusting community – they respond, interact, and truly influence. Their recommendations feel like they’re coming from a friend. Macro-influencers, on the other hand, help us drive reach and aspirational storytelling. Micro-influencers bring a certain authenticity, and cultural intimacy that’s difficult to replicate. Macro influencers can be worked with during mass marketing campaigns.”
On the contribution of micro-influencers and regional fashion voices, Jain explains, “Regional creators bring context, language, relatability, and cultural nuances – elements traditional marketing often misses. They help us move beyond the ‘pan-India’ narrative into hyper-local relevance. They create connection through penetration. The way a creator in Punjab styles winter layers is very different from someone in Tamil Nadu styling monsoon dressing. These nuances unlock relevance and allow Madame to feel present in everyday fashion moments across regions and lifestyles.”
Winning over Gen Z
On Gen Z’s expectation for authenticity, Jain says, “With Gen Z, you cannot manufacture authenticity. You can only enable it. We lean into transparency, real customers, unfiltered formats, and creators who are known to speak their truth and own an authentic vibe. On social media, we focus on conversations instead of campaigns. Even in product communication, we avoid over-polishing. Gen Z wants honesty, values, sustainability, and emotional relatability – and we build all of that into our tone, content, and collaborations.”
Measuring impact beyond ROI
On measuring the impact of influencer-led campaigns beyond traditional ROI, she says, “Beyond sales and impressions, we measure sentiment- how people feel, react, and converse after a campaign. Like did the campaign start conversations? Did people comment positively? Did they save or share the content? We track conversations around body positivity, seasonal trends, and fashion confidence. We also look at search lift, repeat engagement, community growth, and user-generated content. When customers start recreating looks on their own or tagging us without a brief – that’s impact. Ultimately, it’s the cultural traction that tells us we’ve done something right.”
When asked about making brand communication feel personal without overwhelming consumers, Jain explains, “We personalize based on behaviour and preference, solving everyday fashion and styling problems. Our communications are conversational, not promotional. We keep the tone warm, helpful, and human across touchpoints – from website flows to customer care to social content. The idea is to offer relevance without overwhelming the consumer. Balance comes from empathy and respect for the user’s space.”
Reaching young consumers where they are
On approaching the media mix to reach young consumers, she adds, “Younger consumers live across platforms – some discover fashion on Instagram, some explore styling on YouTube, and many browse trends on Pinterest or Reels. Our media mix mirrors this behavior. We adopt a mobile-first, video-heavy approach with strong emphasis on short-form content. We also combine creator-led storytelling with performance-driven placements so our messaging remains both discoverable and contextual. The goal is simple: be present, be relevant, and be adaptable.”
When asked about learning directly from the audience, Jain shares, “Recently, our audience pushed us to create more UGC. This kind of content not only gets shared more, but also sparks richer conversations in the comments. We’ve also noticed a surprising amount of organic feedback and direct queries—especially people asking for product details and prices shown by influencers. This motivates us to create content that feels closer to the audience’s real needs. When consumers relate to what they see and feel empowered by their choices, it becomes one of the strongest inputs for both design and communication.”
Digital discovery is now the storefront
On how digital discovery is shaping Madame’s strategy, she informs, “Digital discovery is now the first storefront for any fashion brand. For us, that means strengthening madameonline.com not just through tech, but through stronger content—clear product stories, detailed descriptions, styling tips, and trend-led narratives that help customers make confident choices. We’re improving searchability, building richer content sections, and integrating AI-led styling suggestions, all supported by intuitive UI/UX. We also track how customers move through strong communications – from store to website, search to shop – and ensure our content stays cohesive, helpful, and consistent across touchpoints.”
The future of Influencers and micro-communities
Looking ahead at the evolving role of influencers and micro-communities, Jain says, “Influencers will become less about promotion and more about co-creation. Micro-communities will shape trends as much as brands do. The next phase will see creators acting as collaborators, stylists, storytellers, and even product developers. Regional voices will grow even stronger as India’s digital expansion continues.
Jain wraps up by saying, “For fashion brands, the future belongs to those who listen closely, let go of control, and build with their communities – not just for them.”