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~ Coffee Corner ~

offee or tea? When and how?
‘Coffee! Black only, especially Americanos. But, only in Second, brands that force influencers to be exclusive also risk
Cthe mornings!’ seeming inauthentic. Yes, influencers can be loyal to one brand,
but – for example – no makeup artist uses only one brand in
What does the current influencer marketing market the real world. Therefore, it would be unwise for a brand to
look like? require that a paid influencer only uses their products. It simply
‘The good news is that the market has matured considerably. is not realistic, and audiences know that.
Unlike the early days, there are now many reputable agencies, Some brands can be hesitant to pay influencers. The bottom
platforms, and tools designed to help brands identify and line is this: influencers deserve to be paid for both their creative
work with influencers. There is also a broader understanding work AND for a brand’s access to the influencers’ carefully
of the space. Chief Marketing Officers curated audiences. In many ways,
(CMOs) now realise that influencers influencers are freelancers. No one
“THE AVERAGE
come in all shapes and sizes and that can pay rent with free products or
different tactics achieve different goals. promises of exposure.
MILLENNIAL, GEN-Y
Instagram stories versus TikTok versus
blog posts etc. Measurement is getting Lastly, trying to compare the cost of
OR GEN-Z CONSUMER
more critical and advanced every year. influencer versus digital ad spends.
The market is growing considerably, If a brand is asking “What is the
DOES NOT TRUST
and marketers are upping their CPM?”, chances are they do not
influencer spends every year.’ understand the huge difference
BRAND-PRODUCED in value between influencer
What are the biggest benefits of and display marketing. As said,
using influencers in your market- ADVERTISING.” influencer marketing is extremely
ing strategy? cost-effective when seen in the light
‘The average millennial, Gen-Y or of how much custom work goes
Gen-Z consumer does not trust into each sponsored post. Especially
brand-produced advertising. No one believes that a movie star as it is tailoring to specific audiences, with creative and reusable
uses drugstore shampoo. Consumers want to know that real content, that drives significant engagement.’
people use and advocate for the products they love – the more
authentic the endorsement, the better. Influencer content is Through which channels lie the biggest opportunities
powerful, relatable and engaging, when authentic. for influencer marketing?
‘Not surprisingly, we are seeing a lot more interest in TikTok.
Perhaps surprisingly to many, influencer marketing is highly It is a very creator-friendly platform for brands. I think we
cost-effective – especially compared to production costs, print have barely scratched the surface of what is possible with
advertising spends or television commercial time. Influencers brand collaborations there. More surprisingly, I believe
can create incredible content!’ Pinterest will see a creator revitalisation. Unlike TikTok or
Instagram, Pinterest posts are very sticky, and brands receive
When should brands, retailers, and others consider huge long-tail benefits from the content influencers who post
using influencers in their marketing mix? Why, or why there. Definitely keep an eye on that space!’
not?
‘Influencers can be effective at any stage of the marketing Speaking of opportunities, what are the biggest
funnel – if the program and strategy match up with the goals trends and changes that we will see in 2020?
of the program, of course. Influencers are not a magic bullet; ‘There for sure will be a continuation of a shift in brand
no influencer can inspire a consumer to go from product attention away from celebrities and mega-influencers to micro-
discovery to affinity to consideration to purchase to advocacy and nano-influencers. Folks with smaller followings have, by
with one Instagram post. As I said, different approaches and nature, higher engagement levels. We will see more of what
programming achieve different results. This is no different than I like to call the “TikTok-effect” as well. Content moving
with any other marketing tactic.’ away from the perfectly polished, pretty, aspirational looks so
popular with Instagram, and more to the imperfect, silly, raw –
When it comes to influencer marketing, what are the and yes – sometimes dumb, types of posts you see on TikTok
biggest pitfalls? and Instagram Stories. In the end, when it comes to influencer
‘Many things can go wrong. First, consumers are hungry for marketing, being “real” matters the most.’ ••
the truth. The more creative license and the less “brand-like”
an influencer can be, the more likely it is that their content
resonates. However, brands are still reluctant to hand over
creative control to influencers.

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