Payel wants to order Lebanese food online. She is confused as the options are too many. A review by a friend on a food delivery platform helped her choose one.

Calcutta: The phenomenal rise in the number of Internet users has resulted in "influencers" playing a key role on social media in moulding consumers' choices.

Celebrity endorsements remain a big pull but brands are also increasingly focussing on influencer marketing - like tapping YouTube stars - to reach out to the target audience, marketing and ad gurus said at a programme on Saturday.

Buzz Word, a discussion on influencer marketing organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was presented by Exide in association with The Telegraph.

Influencer marketing can be defined as the process of marketing products and services to people who can influence what other people buy.

"There is a trust dilemma in the minds of consumers. The challenge for marketers is to move beyond that dilemma and find what drives influence," Rohit Ohri, chairman and CEO, FCB India, said in his introductory address.

"Consumers are spending more and more time evaluating products. More and more people are turning towards social recommendations before making purchase decisions," added Ohri, who started his career in Calcutta and has spent more than two decades in marketing communication.

He took the audience through a detailed presentation, showing how Indians felt strongly about brands and would try to influence friends and family to buy the ones they liked. Marketers are embracing influencers with each passing day, he said.

Sujit Ganguli, head of brand and corporate communications in ICICI Bank, spoke about the relevance of influencer marketing in banking sector. "It helps in establishing an emotional connect in an otherwise rational category where people make choices after much deliberation," said Ganguli.

He gave the example of a campaign his bank did with Abish Mathew, stand-up comedian and YouTube performer. The video had Mathew dispel the fears associated with mobile banking with a dose of humour.

Sumit Roy, founder director of Univbrands, who has been training people in advertising and communications for two decades, used the term "prosumers" to describe people who would recommend a brand without expecting to be paid.

Shreyash Sigtia, head of industry - consumer packaged goods, Google India, said influencers could help a brand stand out.