Every year, Cambridge Dictionary selects a ‘Word of the Year’- a word that solely captures the cultural pulse. In 2025, the word was 'Parasocial,' meaning- “involving or relating to a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know, a character in a book, film, TV series, etc., or an artificial intelligence.”
Behind this worldwide phenomenon is Anangsha Mallick, a Kolkata-born Digital Marketing Manager, whose journey - from the heart of Bengal to crafting a campaign that shook the globe- is as interesting as the word itself.
"I’ve always believed that creativity is a language of its own and it’s the first one I ever learned," says Anangsha. Growing up in a Bengali household amidst art, music, reading, writing and photography, she was immersed in a world of imagination and expression. "That early immersion in creativity shaped how I see the world and eventually how I approach marketing: as storytelling, connection and finding the emotional truth behind an idea,” Anangsha told News Ei Samay in an exclusive interview.
Born in Kolkata, Anangsha moved to Mumbai in 2009, completing her schooling, after which she pursued economics for graduation. It was during her university years that she discovered her passion for marketing. “I loved the mix of creativity, strategy and audience understanding. That’s why I started interning from my first year of college, wanting to learn how real campaigns are built and how teams collaborate to create something meaningful.”
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A turning point came in 2021 when she relocated to the UK to pursue an MSc in Strategic Marketing at Cranfield University. “It gave me a global perspective and helped me understand how culture, behaviour and communication shape the stories brands tell,” she says. The opportunity to join Cambridge University Press & Assessment, publisher of the dictionary she had grown up with, was almost like coming full circle. “Being part of the 'Word of the Year' campaign let me bring together my marketing background with a project that reaches millions of learners and language enthusiasts worldwide.”
The marketing magic behind 'Parasocial'
The campaign for 'Parasocial' received incredible global traction, and Anangsha believes several elements came together to make it successful. “We anchored the campaign in real behaviour, using clear insights from our website showing spikes in lookups for parasocial, particularly around major cultural moments involving celebrities, influencers, and AI chatbots. For example, fan reactions to Taylor Swift’s engagement and other such incidents drove significant online curiosity, giving us a clear, timely narrative to work with.”
Notably, Swifties (fans of Taylor Swift) across the world fuelled the interest in 'Parasocial' over the singer and NFL star Travis Kelce's much-publicised relationship and subsequent engagement. The fairytale romance made internet users emotionally invest in the two, despite most not witnessing them perform in concerts or play on the field in real life.
“Parasocial was already trending in 2025 across social media, entertainment reporting, and AI conversations. By highlighting it, we amplified an existing global conversation, making the campaign instantly relatable and shareable.” With Cambridge Dictionary's platform reaching approximately 350 million users, the campaign's momentum was amplified almost instantaneously.
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The people behind the curtains
But behind the scenes, the 'Word of the Year' campaign was a team effort. "It’s never one person; it’s a whole ecosystem of experts," says Anangsha. Lexicographers and editors track emerging words and refresh dictionary entries; data and analytics teams monitor trends; and marketing and communications teams shape the narrative of the campaign. Academic partners and subject experts also supply cultural and psychological insights that place the word in context.
How a word becomes 'Word of the Year'
Choosing a 'Word of the Year' is a meticulous process. Cambridge tracks lookup data, considers its 2-billion-word English corpus, goes voraciously through books, news, and social media, and considers whether a word has continued to show usage. "Parasocial hit all the criteria," she says.
"There were significant spikes in lookups throughout 2025 tied to celebrity news, influencer culture and AI chatbot interactions. It’s an older academic term dating back to the 1950s that has been fully revived and reshaped for the digital age. And it captured a defining trend of 2025: the increasingly intense, one-sided relationships people form through screens."
What 'Parasocial' tells us about society
According to Anangsha, people spend enormous amounts of time online with celebrities, influencers, podcasters, and even AI chatbots - more time than they often do with those physically around them.
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Anangsha explains, “Parasocial shines a light on how deeply digital technology has woven itself into our emotional lives. In 2025, people spend enormous amounts of time online with celebrities, influencers, podcasters and even AI chatbots, often more time than they spend with the people physically around them.”
In her hands, a single word becomes a mirror reflecting how society loves, obsesses and relates in the 21st century, reminding us that even in this vast virtual world, the power of human curiosity and creativity endures.
