The Rise of Influencers
Influencer marketing is on the rise, and with all the different and new social media platforms available to utilise and post on today, an influencer or ambassador may be the key to improving your brand reach and engagement.
Influencers have changed the game, and recently a few key members of our Marketing Eye team, Anna D’Souza, Lennia Pedroso and Kate Hanly, created a podcast discussing the many ways an influencer can enhance, or dampen the message of your brand.
More and more businesses are acquiring recognisable people and celebrities to market their products rather than use traditional marketing practices, a technique that generally requires higher brand recognition and ROIs to work with. However, there is certainly more than one approach to utilising the power that influencers have over brand marketing in today’s society.
Too expensive for smaller businesses?
If you’re a budding entrepreneur in the midst of, or having just launched your small business venture, you’re probably thinking ‘this blog is a waste of my time, how could I possibly afford an influencer at this stage in the game?’
Although it can be difficult for newer businesses to acquire any big names to associate with their brand, there are many different types of influencers available for hire.
Smaller brands can actually reach out to smaller, local influencers and source them for a much smaller fee than big-time A-listers and celebrities. These ambassadors may not be as well known on an international scale, but they still have a healthy following in the local community and can generate a lot of traffic for growing businesses.
Starting out as a very small brand, influencer marketing was a great way for them to build up a following and get their app out there.
Although they could not reach out to high-end influencers at the start, Carry A Book got in touch with local influencers who would actually be interested in their brand, and managed to build their following quickly through them.
If the influencer promoting your brand genuinely cares and has a vested interest in its success, then they can create a sense of community with like-minded followers of the brand.
A great example that was discussed by Anna in the podcast was in regards to the owner of the U.S. makeup brand, Live Tinted, Deepica Mutyala.
Her powerful brand of makeup caters to people of colour, and those who find the more mainstream and well-known makeup brands to be unsympathetic or lacking in options for people with darker skin tones.
Deepica actually started out as a YouTuber herself, creating makeup tutorial videos before growing her brand and community until she was able to launch her own line of makeup and skincare products.
This is a great example of an influencer being genuinely passionate about their product and the people within their community who follow their influence, as Deepica created a brand knowing how her audience felt and how important this product line is to so many people.
When you see an influencer you admire and follow using a product that matches your personality or profession, it is more likely that you will be driven to purchase the brand they are promoting.
Another great example of brand and ambassador symmetry is George Clooney and Nespresso. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who does not know who George Clooney is and what he is known for, which is why Nespresso’s campaign with him as an ambassador has been so successful.
Their brand is smooth, sophisticated and appealing to all, attributes Clooney is known for and is assimilated with constantly.
The terrific pairing of brand and influencer is apparent in this marketing campaign, as the majority of people today would instantly recognise the advertisement or a variation of it within seconds of it playing.
The most recent example that comes to mind is Snoop Dogg and the Menu Log campaign, an ad that is so cringy and unmemorable that none of our podcast hosts could remember which food delivery service the advertisement was promoting.
When you consider how expensive it would have been for Menu Log to acquire someone of Snoop Dogg’s position, the fact that the brand in the ad is so forgettable shows that the campaign was most likely a large waste of money for the business.
That is why it is necessary for brands to acquire ambassadors who are actually passionate about the brand, rather than just signing a big name who is in it for the money.
More and more businesses are acquiring recognisable people and celebrities to market their products rather than use traditional marketing practices, a technique that generally requires higher brand recognition and ROIs to work with. However, there is certainly more than one approach to utilising the power that influencers have over brand marketing in today’s society.
Too expensive for smaller businesses?
If you’re a budding entrepreneur in the midst of, or having just launched your small business venture, you’re probably thinking ‘this blog is a waste of my time, how could I possibly afford an influencer at this stage in the game?’
Although it can be difficult for newer businesses to acquire any big names to associate with their brand, there are many different types of influencers available for hire.
Smaller brands can actually reach out to smaller, local influencers and source them for a much smaller fee than big-time A-listers and celebrities. These ambassadors may not be as well known on an international scale, but they still have a healthy following in the local community and can generate a lot of traffic for growing businesses.
An Example - Carry A Book
An example given by Lennia in the podcast was her work with Carry A Book as an ambassador, an app that connects you with book-loving companions with shared interests and ideas.Starting out as a very small brand, influencer marketing was a great way for them to build up a following and get their app out there.
Although they could not reach out to high-end influencers at the start, Carry A Book got in touch with local influencers who would actually be interested in their brand, and managed to build their following quickly through them.
Leveraging the power of an owner as the brand ambassador
By having a relatable and passionate figure who is friendly and inviting, your customers can associate with the brand much more easily.If the influencer promoting your brand genuinely cares and has a vested interest in its success, then they can create a sense of community with like-minded followers of the brand.
A great example that was discussed by Anna in the podcast was in regards to the owner of the U.S. makeup brand, Live Tinted, Deepica Mutyala.
Her powerful brand of makeup caters to people of colour, and those who find the more mainstream and well-known makeup brands to be unsympathetic or lacking in options for people with darker skin tones.
Deepica actually started out as a YouTuber herself, creating makeup tutorial videos before growing her brand and community until she was able to launch her own line of makeup and skincare products.
This is a great example of an influencer being genuinely passionate about their product and the people within their community who follow their influence, as Deepica created a brand knowing how her audience felt and how important this product line is to so many people.
The importance of the influencer/brand chemistry
It is imperative that businesses match their brand with the right influencer or ambassador.When you see an influencer you admire and follow using a product that matches your personality or profession, it is more likely that you will be driven to purchase the brand they are promoting.
Another great example of brand and ambassador symmetry is George Clooney and Nespresso. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who does not know who George Clooney is and what he is known for, which is why Nespresso’s campaign with him as an ambassador has been so successful.
Their brand is smooth, sophisticated and appealing to all, attributes Clooney is known for and is assimilated with constantly.
The terrific pairing of brand and influencer is apparent in this marketing campaign, as the majority of people today would instantly recognise the advertisement or a variation of it within seconds of it playing.
Brands that have done it wrong
There are plenty of instances where a business has got it wrong and chosen the wrong influencer for their brand.The most recent example that comes to mind is Snoop Dogg and the Menu Log campaign, an ad that is so cringy and unmemorable that none of our podcast hosts could remember which food delivery service the advertisement was promoting.
When you consider how expensive it would have been for Menu Log to acquire someone of Snoop Dogg’s position, the fact that the brand in the ad is so forgettable shows that the campaign was most likely a large waste of money for the business.
That is why it is necessary for brands to acquire ambassadors who are actually passionate about the brand, rather than just signing a big name who is in it for the money.
Recommendations for marketers going down the influencer path
Ultimately, there are some key points to take note of if you are thinking of obtaining an influencer to promote your brand in the future.- You need to know your brand and your target audience properly so that you can match the right influencer to your brand and your community.
- Do your research, make sure you know who it is you are engaging with - that you are bringing on someone who is passionate about your brand and can reflect it in a positive light.
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