2020 resolutions for influencer marketing: Taking responsibility and control

2019 was a tricky year for influencer marketing. It started with the release of Netflix’s ‘The Greatest Party That Never Happened’ which documented how Fyre Festival’s organisers used influencers to dupe consumers, and then it ended with three well-known UK influencers unknowingly promoting a diet drink laced with cyanide.

With the spectre of Fyre Festival hanging over the industry and warnings from the ASA about ad labelling, 2019 saw more scrutiny of...

10 January 2020 | Best Practice

Will Black Friday have all the influence in 2019? Why preparation and measurement are key

You’d never think looking at it now that 10 years ago Black Friday was relatively unknown in the UK. However, since the acceleration of the digital age and a more global marketplace Black Friday is quickly becoming one of the key dates in the retail calendar. Last year alone saw UK shoppers spend over £7billion as they hoped to snap up bargains in time for Christmas.

Of course the real winner for Black Friday is the online retailers as half the fun for buyers is...

22 November 2019 | Commerce

Safeguarding brand value: Why brands should take a data-first approach to audience integrity

2019 has been another important year for influencer marketing, as more and more brands wake up to the advantages of using influencer marketing to connect with their customers and drive business.

According to a recent study, the spend on influencer marketing is expected to reach $15 billion by 2022. The combination of an increasingly sophisticated consumer pool, massive upsurge in social media consumption and the rise in ad blockers that has made traditional advertising progressively...

21 November 2019 | Branding

NetBase: On using social listening and influencer marketing to ‘get more with less’ for campaigns

When the concept of social listening platforms first came about, it was that rarest of things in martech: a ‘solution’ which actually solved people’s problems. As data created on the social web reached ever-increasing levels, this made sense – but what’s more, being able to take this data and create insights from it was the real jam in the sandwich.

John Tyrrell (left), senior vice president EMEA at social listening and influencer marketing platform...

19 November 2019 | Automation

Instagram confirms it is hiding likes in the US: The agency and analyst perspective

Instagram has been dabbling in the waters of hiding likes, but with the news last week that the US was being tested the company jumped right in – and certainly made a splash in the process.

Speaking at the Wired 25 event in San Francisco, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri confirmed the rollout. The system, which has seen test initiatives take place in seven countries this year including Australia, Canada and Ireland, will mean some users, while being able to still personally see how...

18 November 2019 | Attribution

Demystifying influencer marketing: How brands can build relationships with a data-driven culture

When it comes to the practice of working with influencers, I come across a lot of fear and caution amongst marketers. Whether it’s the fear of influencer fraud, uncertainty around how to measure results, or an inability to understand the impact of their investments, people remain wary.

Yet, influencer marketing is one of the highest potential practices for brands. An influencer’s voice can often be seen as more credible than a brand’s own. So, it has never been...

8 November 2019 | Branding

Show and sell: The art of brand storytelling through content and influencers

Today’s consumers have trust issues. Wise to the tactics of marketers, they’ve become immune to most forms of digital advertising. Instead they look to peers, influencers, and online reviews to help them make purchasing decisions — and who can blame them? We don’t hop online in search of the next great advertisement; we’re looking to solve problems, explore the world, and make meaningful connections.

How can brands keep up in a digital landscape where...

4 October 2019 | Branding

SocialPubli: On the importance of micro-influencers and getting influencer marketing into a wider campaign

What do you think of when you hear the term ‘influencer’, or ‘influencer marketing’? The chances are that it’s someone who is either famous for being famous, or a bona fide famous person making a killing from some soulless shilling. Either way, you may wonder: just how are they getting the ROI from this?

At DMWF Global in London back in May, accounting software provider Sage made an interesting point. Could you name any big influencers in the accounting...

18 September 2019 | Advertising

Brands and influencers still at loggerheads over campaign control – but progress is being made

How much influence should an influencer have over the material they push? A new study from Takumi has found that half of marketers polled want complete control over influencers’ marketing posts.

The report (pdf, email required), which polled a mix of more than 4,000 consumers, marketers and influencers across the UK, US and Germany, found something of a disconnect between marketer and influencer trust. 86% of marketers polled suggested they trusted influencers, yet Takumi...

18 September 2019 | Branding

Deepfakes and distortions, scare tactics and suppression: NYU report examines social and the 2020 US elections

A new report from the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights has explored the various forms of disinformation which could predicate the 2020 US presidential election – and how social media companies need to react to it.

Allegations around interference from Russia in the 2016 elections continue to be prevalent. As the Mueller report put it – and as reported by CNN – Russian hackers compromised local election systems of two Florida counties in 2016....

4 September 2019 | Attribution