Your Weekly Creator Marketing Update
29.02.2024
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
Breaking news! Your weekly (now called Creator marketing) update is coming back. It’s been nearly two years since the last edition - and we’re so excited to get things going again. I’ve decided to leave 2K for a new adventure and will be announcing more information tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the newsletter!
BRANDS ARE MULLING THE UGC VERSUS INFLUENCERS CONUNDRUM
TL;DR
Some brands are becoming increasingly more interested in exploring ways to harness UGC instead of relying on paying creators for commissioned content.
Headline Quote
“A lot of millennial consumers that we engage with don’t trust highly touched up, highly produced videos - - - They’re looking through the lens of authenticity.”
Our Take
I have always been extremely interested in UGC - after all that’s what everything started with in 2013 when I wrote my marketing dissertation. When it comes to creator / influencer marketing, I believe community sits at the heart of everything.
Some observations;Giving up (editorial) control is (still) a challenge.
For some, control of the narrative still outweighs the potential windfall that creativity brings to the table - as per the article;”But UGC doesn’t work for every brand. Andrei Reborn, CTO and co-founder at perfume subscription service Scentbird, said the company doesn’t use any UGC in its marketing. Rather, it has an agreement that it uses with paid influencers that lets the brand use the content in other spots. This allows for better brand control, he said.”
I don’t think the question is whether it “works” or not - rather whether you think the risk outweighs the reward, which is an entirely different conversation, and I think that brands that embrace authenticity and creative freedom will outpace those that prioritise the opposite.
Community is (sadly) not getting enough attention.
Who’s looking after all those pieces of UGC, who’s building relationships with the community? Who’s getting valuable community insights? Chances are - it’s … no one. The below quote from the article covers the extent of how community is considered first and foremost an asset; “…operates an affiliate program for people who get free products in exchange for posting honest reviews and feedback. Those, in turn, get amplified for being in the TikTok creator network. But the UGC flexes a different muscle, with people sending in videos or images via direct messages.”Why does it have to be a conundrum - or a x versus y conversation?
Make sure you dedicate enough resources to think about UGC as well as content creators. There’s no no need to choose one of the other. Utilise both. it provides opportunities for a more encompassing and sustainable long-term strategy.
WILL “MICRO-INFLUENCERS” SWAY TIGHT U.S ELECTION RACES?
TL;DR
U.S creator agencies are betting big on micro-influencer programmes to help influence the outcome of the upcoming elections.
Headline Quote
“It’s been a trend line since 2016 that the most powerful messengers in politics have been real people, people from the community that look like your neighbours, and he forecast that 2024 would be the “most robust social media influencer campaign cycle that we’ve ever seen”.
Our Take
I can’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that comes with the lack of regulation around paying creators to support political messages, on either side of the political spectrum.
Secondary to that, I wonder about its true efficacy when it comes to securing “new” voters. Employing an agency to identify relevant creators will more than likely lead to reliable, non-controversial creator-picks that are not necessarily reaching “new voters” - but rather cementing existing ones.
Instead; this micro-influencer / flood the internet approach embodies the shift in the “battle for eyeballs” for me; away from what used to be CNN & FOX - now focusing on social media through content creators. I’m expecting an increase of already a worrying amount of misinformation as we get nearer to November. The closing paragraph says it best;
”when it comes to deciding who is going to be our political leaders, I would prefer there was a different set of incentives in place”
🏭 This week’s must-reads
Asos relaunches influencer programme
Asos has relaunched its influencer programme "Asos Insider", whereby a group of current employees showcases products across the retailer's social media channels.
Instagram Reigns Supreme With Influencers, But TikTok Gains Ground
While Instagram remains the reigning champion, TikTok is making its presence known. In a sign of its growing influence, 41% of creators reported using TikTok more in the past year compared to the previous year.
Celebrities and influencers join forces to tackle loneliness
Eastenders star Bobby Brazier and Love Island finalist Tasha Ghouri are among the TV personalities and social media influencers working to normalise loneliness among young people as part of a new Government campaign.
Why angry ‘anti-fans’ turn on the influencers they once loved
we almost never hear about an arguably more dedicated group: their anti-fans. These are the people who unite around a shared hatred of particular social media stars. They post on sites such as Tattle Life, Guru Gossip and Reddit’s Blogsnark.
Where everyone’s an influencer and everything’s for sale
The app resembles TikTok, if TikTok were filled exclusively with ads for shoppable products from direct-to-consumer brands. The startup has raised $95 million and is currently pouring money into a growth scheme where new users get anywhere from $30 to more than $100 credit when they join through a friend’s referral. It’s a well-worn strategy: an influx of venture capital money subsidizing a too-good-to-be-true deal that gets users hooked on a service or product. That Flip referral “money” can then be used to cover up to 95 percent of a purchase.
It’s Never Too Late to Be a Style Influencer
Lyn Slater, 70, was deemed the Accidental Icon by a college fashion student. She now has nearly one million followers on social media and is upending notions of aging.
In a ‘great signal for creators,’ YouTube star Marques Brownlee adds a corporate gig to his résumé at accessories company Ridge
Marques Brownlee, a digital creator who has built a business empire based on his 18.5 million YouTube subscribers, is adding a new title to his résumé: board member and chief creative partner at accessories company Ridge.