The Future of Influencer Marketing
We recently attended The Future of Influencer Marketing event to hear from influencers, creative agencies and ASA stewards about the pressing issues and emerging trends impacting the industry.
We’ve helpfully summed up the key take-outs. You’re welcome.
- Data: Data. Data. Data – not the mobile kind. FORGET the number of followers already. Brands can get hung up on the number of followers an influencer has, but the introduction of more sophisticated metrics will be used to drive strategies forward and introduce never-before-seen KPIs to our evaluations. We’re talking direct impacts on sales, sales percentage increase, brand impact and campaign specific bespoke measurements.
- Content creation: One of the most immediate trends we’re expecting to see is how influencers will become an extension of a brand’s creative production team – with the skills to produce and represent a visual identity, create quality assets and provide exclusive insights on how to broadcast a brand’s message.
- Greater transparency: As the industry becomes more regulated, influencers are under increased pressure to document every campaign they work on, gift they receive or event they’re taken to. With greater transparency, influencers will be even more picky about which brands they’re aligning with. This will strengthen the value of their endorsements. Rather than spreading themselves too thin, influencers and brands will focus on fewer but better relationships that consistently push standards for quality and innovation.
In addition to these three trends, we also believe there’s untapped potential in working directly with consumer advocates to turn them into influencers in their own right. We recently launched Boxset Sabbatical with NOW TV, giving uber-fans the opportunity to become a ‘Professional Bingewatcher’ by demonstrating their love for their favourite TV shows. Our winner was Mari Burkinshaw who has already taken the bull by the horns and set up a dedicated Instagram channel for her new career, with her creative talents easily on a par with what you would expect from an established influencer.
So, while influencer marketing is making great strides at reassuring brands on transparency and effectiveness, we think the opportunities it offers have never been broader or more compelling.
