Influencing the influencers
I don’t think I have ever been influenced by an influencer. Perhaps I have. It could be like all those people in research groups who say they are not influenced by advertising, sitting there wearing their branded sports clothes and sipping an energy drink or branded soda.
I do know that for a long time I thought of influencers as celebrities until I discovered micro-influencers. Or niche influencers. A few years ago, one person suggested I was an influencer as they tried to sign me up to a management program. Now there are loads of these programs/platforms that allow you to select and enter into commercial arrangements with multiple influencers relevant to your audience and your brand.
It’s big business, influencer marketing. But what captured my attention this week was not influencer marketing, but a meme doing the rounds of social media regarding a particularly high-profile influencer – Kylie Jenner of a Kardashian clan. Kylie @ikyliejenner tweeted “Can you guys please recommend a book that made you cry?” And Saransh Garg @saranshgarg reply tweeted to @ikyliejenner “Data Structures and Algorithms in Java (2nd Edition).
So, this week, what made me go WOW! in the global marketing trade media was what is going on with influencers and influencer marketing.
INFLUENCER MARKETING BOUNCES BACK STRONG AS PANDEMIC LINGERS
Some marketers are continuing Facebook boycotts or social-media pauses. And the pandemic put many other plans on pause, took whole industries like travel largely out of the market, and made the self-indulgent tone of some influencer content seem wrong.
That should mean trouble for influencers. Yet influencer marketing appears to be bouncing back nicely from its early pandemic dip—and far faster than the broader marketing and media economy. Indeed, the field is even getting a boost from the crisis as some brands turn to independent creators amid production restrictions that make it harder for other production crews to do new work.
Branded content from influencers was up 21% in July from March across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, according to Shareablee, which tracks content and engagement with content from more than 1 million companies and 9 million influencers. This comes despite sponsored influencer posts plunging 85% on Instagram and 57% on Facebook in April vs. a year earlier.
AMERICA’S ORIGINAL INFLUENCER, BUGS BUNNY, JUST TURNED 80
Bugs recently turned 80 on July 27. But unlike most Hollywood stars in their golden years, Bugs is still enjoying the limelight. Aside from having starred in 175 films and having a star on the Walk of Fame, Bugs also starred in his own video game franchise and still sells more merch than your average boy band.
On July 12, clothing retailer Kith rolled out a birthday collection for the rabbit—including a $220 Bugs Bunny crew neck sweater—and everything sold out in 24 hours. HBO Max has put most of the Bugs Bunny archive on its platform. Even the United States Postal Service is saluting Bugs with a series of stamps.
In fact, aside from that mouse from Disney, Bugs Bunny is the most famous cartoon character in history. An influencer decades before influencers were even a thing.
HOW THE CLOROX COMPANY IS RETHINKING INFLUENCER MARKETING
The Clorox Company is no stranger to hiring influencers better to connect with shoppers. The CPG manufacturer isn’t afraid to experiment with atypical marketing strategies, either, such as when it created a mysterious musical artist known as CLRX, who attracted fans on social media with her debut single “So Clean.”
While few brands have been as in-demand during the pandemic as Clorox, earlier this month The Clorox Company reported that each of its business divisions saw double-digit growth during the three months ending June 30. In total, net sales for the quarter rose to $1.98 billion, a 22% increase compared to the same time period last year.
MSL MAKES PUSH TO DRIVE EQUALITY IN INFLUENCER MARKETING
MSL, Publicis Groupe's global public relations and influencer marketing agency, has outlined four measurable commitments to address the lack of diversity and other inequalities affecting influencers who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), which they look to address by the end of 2020.
Through its proprietary influencer marketing platform Fluency, MSL aims to embrace human intelligence, machine learning, and a scalable tech stack to create a sophisticated influencer engagement and management platform to implement diversity, inclusion, and equal pay measures to create a more diverse and inclusive industry.
BRANDS WANT CELEBRITY SPOKESPEOPLE TO BE POLITICAL NOW
Typically, when brands hire a famous actor, musician, or athlete to help sell insurance or tampons, the idea is to select an individual with widespread appeal. At least, that’s how it used to be.
Experts in the business of matching brands with celebrities and influencers say this strategy is shifting—and fast. After years of divisive politics under the Trump administration, the looming threat of climate change, Black Lives Matter protests, and an election year that grows more contentious by the tweet, companies are beginning to align themselves with spokespeople openly dedicated to a cause.
“The tide is changing,” said Marc Ippolito, president of celebrity marketing agency Burns Entertainment.
INFLUENCER MARKETING PREDICTIONS AND TIPS
Danielle Wiley, Founder and CEO of Sway Group, an influencer marketing agency in the SF Bay Area had these predictions and tips to offer:
“It’s not exactly an easy time to be in the business of looking ahead as a marketer, as the ever-changing Covid-19 situation continues to impact consumers and businesses. Challenging as it may be, however, this is when retailers need to start thinking about holiday plans — and preparing for what is likely to be an unusual shopping season.
At my influencer marketing agency, we’ve been working with clients to get a jump on their holiday outreach with some forecasting and campaign planning. While we all wish we had a crystal ball that could tell us exactly how things will unfold over the next few months, I can offer four tips along with some predictions and example tactics for brands that are thinking of working with influencers this holiday season”.
THE LAUNCH OF A SENIOR POLITICAL INFLUENCER NETWORK
“Despite all of the discourse about turning out the youth vote and ‘will millennials turn out?’, elections are generally decided by seniors,” says Main Street One Founder-CEO Curtis Hougland. “55+ — that’s who votes.”
That reality is why Hougland’s influential New York-based political strategy and communications shop is launching the first-ever network of senior content creators and social influencers—a 600,000-member progressive “digital army,” as he calls it, ready for “deployment in political and social cause campaigns,” as well as for market-testing and message-amplification for major brands.
SOUTH KOREA BANS INFLUENCERS FOR PROMOTING PRODUCTS WITHOUT FULLY DISCLOSING CORPORATE TIES
South Korea is banning social media influencers from promoting a product or service on their online platforms without revealing ties to corporate sponsors. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the country's Fair-Trade Commission said under the new rules, social media influencers are required to clearly state if their product endorsements are "financially rewarded or intended for promotion". Vague phrases such as "thanks to" or "reviewer group" will be forbidden in videos.
The commission added that the revised ad guidelines for social media platforms will come into effect next month. Influencers and corporate sponsors who violate the rule will face a fine of up to 2% of related sales and revenue or about US$422,000, Yonhap added.
As always, if any of this has piqued your curiosity or you simply want a more confidential discussion on any topic and the marketing implications and advertising opportunities let me know.
And stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay sane.
Cheers
Darren