In the age of algorithmic fame, virality can crown an everyday person a celebrity overnight, but the throne rarely lasts long. From the ‘Looking Like a Wow’ lady Jasmeen Kaur, Bhupinder Jogi, to Darshan Magdum, social media’s unpredictable tide has repeatedly delivered new sensations into the spotlight, only to recede just as swiftly.
Take the latest example: Shakib Hasan, whose lighthearted quip '₹10 ka biscuit kitne ka hai?' (What is the cost of a ₹10 biscuit?) turned him into one of 2025’s most talked-about internet personalities. Within days, he inked brand deals with Instamart, Britannia, and Samsung, and even appeared alongside established YouTubers like Bhuvan Bam and Triggered Insaan. But as countless viral creators before him have learned, the distance between sudden fame and forgotten fame is probably just a few scrolls wide.
The challenge lies not in going viral, but in staying relevant. Without strategic guidance, curated content evolution, and professional management, these viral creators often struggle to convert fleeting attention into lasting digital influence. For brands too, the phenomenon raises questions about short-term buzz versus long-term ambassador value.
Why do brands chase viral creators?
Another example of how such video creators can go viral comes from Bingo! Tedhe Medhe. It started with a fun Instagram reel by Deepankar Koshta (@deepankarmaxx), who casually said the line, 'Tedhe Medhe bhi acche lagte hain'. The video clicked with people and got over three million views.
Seeing its potential, the brand collaborated with music producer Anshuman Sharma to turn the phrase into a full-fledged snack anthem. The song went on to get over 68 million views and 122,000 shares.
Vibhor Gulati, Co-founder, Defodio Digital, shares that when a creator goes viral, brands see it as an open window - short, sharp, and time-sensitive. He adds that it is “less about a calculated ROI on day one and more about riding the cultural wave while it’s at its peak. The payoff isn’t just views; it’s the earned buzz, memes, headlines, and conversations that money can’t usually buy.”
On the other hand, Himanshu Singla, CEO and Co-founder, Idiotic Media, believes that it is both ROI and trend driven. He notes that it’s not just about hype, these creators often bring higher ROI compared to even established names.
The agency recently worked on the influencer campaign for the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale where it worked with almost over 1500 influencers and executed in seven days. Sharing the strategies behind execution, Singla says that out of those, 100 were viral creators, and many of them ended up outperforming bigger macro creators in terms of views and engagement.
“Their meme-led content, trending audio integrations, and authentic storytelling connected far more strongly with audiences. Some even drove more buzz than top names we expected to lead the charts. That’s why I strongly believe that ‘Creators Viral Today are Long-term Creators of Tomorrow’,” he remarks.
A prime example of a creator who became an internet sensation and continues to stay relevant with steady brand collaborations is composer Yashraj Mukhate. His quirky remix Rasode Mein Kaun Tha went viral in 2020, turning a TV soap dialogue into a nationwide meme. Experts say that what set him apart was his ability to build on that moment with consistent creativity.
Anirudh Sridharan, Co-Founder and Head of Product, HashFame, a networking platform for marketers and creators, states that Mukhate wasn’t just a one-hit wonder with Rasode mein kaun tha. He productised his talent remixing, musical punchlines, internet culture, into a consistent content engine.
He adds that the ones who fade usually treat virality as a lucky break; the ones who endure treat it as distribution.
“They immediately build on that spike, new formats, collaborations, niche positioning, audience capture through platforms like YouTube/Instagram, sometimes even live events. The real game is: can you build a character, format, or niche that survives beyond the meme?” he says.
Agencies today play a growing role in helping viral stars transition from fleeting fame to lasting influence. By offering guidance on brand partnerships, content strategy, and audience engagement, they sometimes turn momentary attention into structured careers. However, virality remains an unpredictable force often driven by luck, trends, and timing more than planning.
Singla also feels that agencies can make a big difference. Since virality itself is unpredictable, one can’t plan it perfectly but sustaining a creator’s journey is something they can support with the right structure.
“Agencies can guide creators on brand partnerships, help them find their niche, and give them a long-term content strategy. In my experience, this kind of support often helps creators move from just one viral moment to a more stable and lasting career,” he notes.
Balancing creators’ authenticity with brand needs
Balancing the authenticity of viral content creators with brand objectives is a delicate act. These creators often gain popularity because their content feels raw, relatable, and unscripted, the very qualities that audiences trust and if brands try to control that too much, the content doesn’t feel real.
Gulati recalls Defodio Digital’s collaboration with Orry (Orhan Awatramani) for Pizza Hut Melts. Tapping into his “Orry is everywhere” virality, he says that the collaboration felt natural, fun, and instantly relatable. The internet picked it up with memes, shares, and chatter, making it one of those rare cultural moments where brand and creator energy blended so seamlessly that it felt real, not forced.
“The golden rule in creator collaborations is simple: the creator’s voice comes first, the brand slips in second. Audiences follow them for their rawness, humor, or unique personality, and if you suddenly hand them a corporate script, the magic disappears. The most impactful partnerships are the ones where creators stay true to their natural style, and the brand message flows through it effortlessly,” he conveys.
Sridharan explains that brands often approach them like mini-celebrities, pushing templated scripts that strip away their original voice. The smart ones flip it, they say no to 70% of deals, pick the 30% that genuinely fit their tone, and then reinterpret the brief in their own style.
He further points out that the audience can smell a forced collaboration. So the balance comes from trust: the creator needs to trust that saying “no” builds long-term equity, and brands need to trust that letting the creator lead will make the content land better.
“Mukhate, for example, rarely steps out of his musical format, even brand pieces get the same treatment. That’s how you preserve authenticity while still monetising,” he states.
Virality in the digital age is a fleeting yet powerful phenomenon that continues to reshape the relationship between creators and brands. While it can deliver instant recognition and engagement, its true impact depends on sustained relevance, strategic evolution, and the preservation of authenticity. Creators who transform transient attention into enduring influence do so through consistent storytelling, thoughtful brand alignment, and disciplined content planning.
