From celebrity ambassadors to online influencers, brands have long used outside partners to build loyalty and trust. But as tech destabilises traditional paths to audiences, some brands are leaning on creative directors to keep fans interested – sometimes at the cost of their original identity.

Rimmel has appointed Olympic medallist Tom Daley as its first male global ambassador, marking a fresh direction for the brand. Through the partnership, Rimmel is not only challenging gendered norms around beauty but also working to diversify men’s notions of make-up and who can wear it.

Social media is evolving into a space for open-minded exchange of ideas and information. Within that shift, an emerging crop of influencers are gaining traction – the genuinfluencers. With less of a profit-driven mindset, these influencers are focusing on substance over superficial form.

Even though Indian men have been known to sport kohl-rimmed eyes and henna at weddings, the idea of wearing make-up in everyday life is still frowned upon in wider society. How is blogger and influencer Siddharth Batra helping to change this outdated norm and normalise male beauty?