Popular digital creator, marketing strategist, and television host Sahiba Bali told a crowd of aspiring entrepreneurs that chasing digital virality is a fundamentally flawed business strategy.
Speaking at a business masterclass hosted by Masters Union, a prominent technology-focused business school in India, Bali criticized the modern obsession with overnight internet fame.
The former corporate brand manager argued that companies must shift their focus back to fundamental consumer insights and data analytics rather than hoping for unpredictable content algorithms to grant them visibility.
Bali explained that virality cannot be quantified effectively, making it a poor benchmark for any serious corporate marketing blueprint.
The multi-hyphenate creator, who holds a masters degree in marketing from Durham University Business School and has built an audience of lakhs across platforms, told the audience that the word viral means nothing because it cannot be measured uniformly.
According to Sahiba Bali, a campaign that pulls in a couple of views can be considered viral by one person while another company might look at six million views as the baseline for success.
She emphasized that business leaders must establish clear parameters before creating an advertising push, such as measuring conversion rates or customer acquisition costs.
A marketing goal has to be decided before a campaign, she noted, adding that setting out simply to become an internet sensation is a hollow objective.
Transitioning from corporate consultation to personal branding, Bali offered direct advice to the growing creator economy, which involves individuals making revenue from online video production and social media content.
For students and independent creators trying to establish a presence in a saturated digital landscape, she noted that consistency is far more critical than initial creative genius.
The strategist recalled a conversation with popular Indian underground music artist Seedhe Maut, who advised her that the video upload button is what online professionals need to worship.
For new creators, she recommends posting frequently to signal the platforms recommendation system, known as the algorithm, which determines how video feeds are distributed to active users.
Before pivoting into full-time media anchoring and acting, Bali spent over seven years navigating corporate brand rooms, most notably serving as a key brand manager at the food delivery giant Zomato.
During her tenure, she became the familiar face of the company’s widely viewed YouTube food challenges and digital video campaigns, helping pioneer the brand’s signature humorous marketing tone.
She has also worked as an associate director at the edtech platform Unacademy, hosted the fourth season of reality television show Shark Tank India, and currently broadcasts live as an on-air anchor for major cricket properties with Disney Star.
