How Amazon’s Great Indian Festival Became an Influencer-Driven Fiesta

Q: How did Amazon’s Great Indian Festival evolve?

It transformed from a Prime-only sale into India’s largest festive shopping event by integrating influencer collaborations.

Q: What role do influencers play in the Great Indian Festival?

Influencers create diverse content to engage consumers and drive sales during the festival.

Q: What type of content did influencers produce for the festival?

They created unboxings, deal-hunting tutorials, and Amazon LIVE streams to engage audiences.

Q: Where can I get a celebrity to promote my e-commerce brand?

You can connect with celebrities through platforms like Tring, which facilitates personalized video messages and endorsements.

Q: What kind of content formats were used to drive engagement?

Formats included haul videos, tutorials, and livestreams that showcased products effectively.

Q: How can I find influencers for my marketing campaign?

You can identify and collaborate with influencers through specialized marketing platforms focused on your industry.

Amazon’s Great Indian Festival (GIFT) transformed from a Prime-only Diwali sale into India’s largest festive-shopping event by integrating influencer collaborations at every turn. By 2024, over 50,000 creators were part of Amazon’s Influencer Programme, each earning twice times normal commissions during GIFT to promote deals across fashion, electronics, and home categories (mint).

Influencers produced diverse content, #MyGIFTHaul unboxings, deal-hunting tutorials, and Amazon LIVE streams that generated over 5 million organic mentions and helped drive 1.4 billion visits in the first 48 hours, with 80 percent from Tier 2/3 markets (IN About Amazon). Gamified features like “Spin-and-Win” increased average order values by up to 10 percent, while regional language creators fueled a 15 percent uplift in new registrations outside metros. This emphasis on authentic creator voices, backed by robust platform tools like Creator Central, solidified GIFT’s position as India’s ultimate influencer-driven shopping fiesta.

Get Influencers To Promote Your E-Commerce Brand!

From Global E-Commerce to Festive Phenomenon

Amazon entered India in 2013, expanding rapidly from books to a full-scale e-commerce platform encompassing fashion, electronics, groceries, and more. In October 2017, Amazon launched the Great Indian Festival (GIFT) as a Prime-member-only Diwali sale, before opening it to all customers in 2018 to capture a share of the ₹4-lakh-crore festive-shopping market (Inc42 Media). Early GIFT marketing relied on TVCs, OOH, and celebrity endorsements, but saw limited reach in non-metro areas until an influencer-centric push drove exponential growth in Tier 2/3 regions.

Tracking Amazon’s Influencer Programme: From Hundreds to 50,000+ Creators

Amazon’s Influencer Programme evolved into a cornerstone of GIFT marketing.

Rapid Expansion: Participation grew from a few thousand influencers in 2018 to over 50,000 by 2024 (Forest Shipping).
Increased Commissions: Amazon increased creator payouts by twice during GIFT, raising category-specific commissions from 5 percent to as high as 9 percent for fashion and from 2.5 percent to 7.5 percent for sports (Forest Shipping).
Creator Central: The newly launched Creator Central portal gave influencers real-time analytics and streamlined content submission, improving campaign agility mid-sale.

Amazon’s Influencer Content Formats: Shopping Hauls and Recommendations

Below are examples of how Amazon India enlisted top tech and lifestyle influencers to showcase must-have deals and drive authentic engagement during the Great Indian Festival:

1. Geek Abhishek’s “Price Reveal” for Smartphones

Tech reviewer Geek Abhishek released a dedicated YouTube video ahead of GIFT 2024, revealing the expected sale prices of Android phones and iPhones. His 10-minute breakdown helped viewers plan purchases and compare deals across brands, contributing to over 81,000 views and high engagement among tech-savvy shoppers.

2. Technical Guruji’s “Top Crazy Deals” Roundup

Tech YouTuber Technical Guruji (Gaurav Chaudhary) posted a Hindi-language video detailing Amazon’s best smartphone offers for GIFT 2022, including tips on selecting models and understanding bank-offer mechanics. Branded as an official Amazon partner video, it reached millions of subscribers, reinforcing credibility around device promotions.

3. Biz Tak’s “Kickstarter Deals” Preview

Business channel Biz Tak published a pre-sale special highlighting Amazon’s Kickstarter deals early discounts on electronics, home appliances, and fashion before the official GIFT start date. This timely preview positioned Biz Tak as a go-to source for early savings and drove viewers to check Amazon’s kickoff offers.

Get Influencers To Promote Your E-Commerce Brand!

4. WatchGyan Hindi’s “Best Watch Deals” Guide

Lifestyle influencer WatchGyan Hindi curated a reel on YouTube recommending the top timepieces to buy during the sale. By focusing on value-for-money picks and comparing features, he helped viewers narrow down choices among smartwatches and traditional designs, boosting traffic to Amazon’s watch categories.

5. Tamil Tech (MrTT) “Top 10+ Smartphone Deals”

South-India tech creator Tamil Tech MrTT shared a video listing over ten of his favorite smartphone deals in GIFT 2024. His Tamil-language commentary resonated with regional audiences, expanding GIFT’s reach in Tamil Nadu and contributing to a measurable uplift in registrations from that market.

By collaborating with these influencers, each a trusted voice in their niche, Amazon ensured GIFT’s deals were not only visible but also contextualized through expert insights, driving informed purchases and deeper engagement during the festival sale.

Influencer Content Formats: Hauls, Tutorials & Livestreams

A variety of formats ensured broad engagement and clear product discovery pathways.

#MyGIFTHaul Unboxings: Fashion and tech influencers posted haul videos showcasing their favorite picks, driving up to 15 percent higher click-through rates compared to standard posts (IN About Amazon).
Deal-Hunting Tutorials: Bite-sized Reels and Stories walked audiences through bank offers, no-cost EMIs, and coupon stacking, boosting conversion by demystifying complex sale mechanics.
Amazon LIVE Shopping: Over 600 livestreams hosted by creators including sports stars and comedy influencers, blended product demos with flash deals, generating tens of thousands of concurrent viewers per session (Campaign India).

How Influencers Shaped Amazon’s Great Indian Festival into a Major Shopping Fest in India

By scaling its Influencer Programme to over 50,000 creators, augmenting commissions, diversifying content formats, and gamifying engagement, Amazon transformed GIFT into India’s premier influencer-powered shopping event. Authentic creator stories amplified through Amazon LIVE, Creator Central, and UGC campaigns drove record traffic, deeper regional reach, and robust sales growth, proving that genuine influencer partnerships are the key to festival-season success in India’s e-commerce market.

Get Influencers To Promote Your E-Commerce Brand!