- Creative direction for campaigns with influencers and how your brand can benefit from them
- Published 17/10/2023
- 6 min Read
- Written by Anastasia Zaichko
Table of contents
Influencer marketing is undergoing significant evolution. While many associate influencers with celebrities and high follower counts, successful influencer marketing involves authentic influencers who genuinely connect with their audience. It’s less about popularity and more about trusted influencers who can spotlight a brand meaningfully. The influencer landscape is diversifying, with micro and nano influencers gaining traction due to high engagement rates. The rise of platforms like TikTok has emphasized short video content, with more and more marketers planning to use it. Overall, influencer marketing reached $16.4 billion in ad spending in 2022, in comparison with $13.8 billion in 2021, according to the InfluencerMarketingHub data.
Another important trend is that the industry is shifting towards creative direction for influencer marketing campaigns, focusing on more collaborative and strategic relationships, driven by influencers’ authentic understanding of their audiences. 2021 saw brands forming long-term partnerships with influencers, launching influencer programs. Moreover, many brands start treating influencers as creative directors for their campaigns. As content creators increasingly build and monetize their own brands, the dynamic between them and traditional brands is changing, with a shift from transactional relationships to deeper collaborations. The experts of Famesters influencer marketing agency also acknowledge that the evolving nature of advertising makes influencers even more crucial, as they uniquely influence and shape culture through their direct connection with audiences.
WHY IS IT BETTER FOR BRANDS TO GRANT INFLUENCERS CREATIVE FREEDOM AND OPT FOR CREATIVE INFLUENCER MARKETING CAMPAIGNS?
Influencer marketing has become crucial for many brands, but historically, there’s been tension between brands wanting image control, and influencers seeking creative freedom. The evolution in brand-influencer relationships hinges on trust. At the beginning of a partnership, brands might be overly controlling due to trust issues, leading to subpar content. However, a successful relationship recognizes the influencer’s expertise in content creation and their audience understanding. Brands should familiarize influencers with their values and products before granting them creative autonomy. The suggestion is for brands to build a relationship with influencers, align in values and relevance, introduce them thoroughly to the brand’s ethos, and then allow the influencers’ creativity to shine.
Brands are increasingly hiring influencers not just for content creation but also as consultants. Companies like Gymshark and PrettyLittleThing are now incorporating influencers in roles such as creative directors, emphasizing collaboration.This new role sees influencers assisting brands in areas like ideation for different media, product development, and other creative inputs. These collaborations are unique and should be compensated similarly to how a creative director would be paid. The specifics of these deals are unique and often private.
ITV Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague appointed as Creative Director at PrettyLittleThing
When considering influencers for a creative director role, brands should prioritize professionalism, creativity, reliability, and a deep understanding of the brand’s social community. Such a position is similar to the role of a brand ambassador. A prime example is PrettyLittleThing’s appointment of Molly-Mae Hague, a former Love Island star, as their UK/EU Creative Director. Hague’s prior association with the brand made her a natural fit, as emphasized by CEO Umar Kamani. Successful influencer collaborations like this hinge on authenticity, especially when the influencer has a strong link with the brand or its target audience. The shift towards such genuine collaborations indicates a maturing and promising future for influencer marketing.
Genuine collaborations have the potential to target specific audiences, create buzz, and deepen mission-driven campaigns. For instance, Tony’s Chocolonely partnered with Pharrell Williams based on a shared vision of combating inequality. While big names can add value, there’s also importance in supporting emerging talents. Prada, for example, collaborated with Theaster Gates to launch a program in Chicago that aids underrepresented artists and designers of color, providing them with vital connections in their industry.
KEY ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE INFLUENCER MARKETING CAMPAIGN
An influencer campaign is a digital marketing strategy where brands collaborate with influencers to promote their products or services to a predefined audience. Instead of the brand creating the content, the influencer takes charge based on the brand’s objectives. Common goals of such campaigns are to expand brand reach, personify the brand, or boost conversions via influencer endorsements. These campaigns predominantly happen on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Influencers are categorized based on their follower count:
- Nano-influencers: 1K-10K followers.
- Micro-influencers: up to 100K followers.
- Macro-influencers: up to 1M followers.
- Mega-influencers: over 1M followers.
Read more on the topic:
Choose the right influencers
It’s essential to pick influencers whose audiences align with your target demographic. Size isn’t everything; engagement and relevance play a crucial role. The strength of influencer marketing lies in its ability to establish trust and authenticity. Since the influencer crafts and delivers the message, it’s often perceived as more genuine by their audience.
Focus on strategy
Effective influencer campaigns are rooted in strategy rather than assumptions. By identifying your target audience and understanding their preferences, you can collaborate with the most suitable influencers. Fameters experts know who you need to reach and how to do it. We analyze 50+ metrics to find the best influencers and to determine the right creative direction for your influencer campaign.
Measure and analyze
Implement a system to gauge the performance of your influencer campaigns. This helps in recognizing which influencers have the most impact, and refining your approach for future campaigns. Here at Famesters we use our own-developed Al to work with influencers around the world and create powerful and measurable influencer campaigns.
Turn to a good influencer marketing agency
Working with specialized influencer marketing agencies like Famesters can streamline the campaign process, from selecting influencers to tracking metrics, making campaign management more efficient. The Famesters performance-oriented efficiency along with human approach work best for your brand’s success.
Case studies
Gymshark’s influencer marketing success with “66 Days: Change Your Life” campaign
Campaign overview: Gymshark’s “66 Days: Change Your Life” was more than a trend, evolving into a 66-day event and competition. Participants aimed to build positive habits and had a chance to win prizes.
TikTok influence: Gymshark collaborated with prominent TikTok influencers, making video content central to their campaign. The hashtag #gymshark66 garnered 241.3 million views on TikTok.
Instagram presence: the #gymshark66 campaign also saw significant traction on Instagram with nearly 750,000 posts.
IGTV integration: Gymshark employed Instagram’s IGTV for their “Stories of the 66” video series. In these videos, participants shared their transformative journeys towards healthier habits over the 66 days.
David Laid appointed as Gymshark creative director
Levi’s “Buy Better, Wear Longer” campaign
Campaign objective: Levi’s launched the “Buy Better, Wear Longer” campaign to spotlight their sustainability efforts and address the fashion industry’s overconsumption issues.
Key influencers: singer and actor Jaden Smith, as well as influencer Emma Chamberlain, partnered with Levi’s for this initiative.
Central message: the campaign promotes mindful shopping, urging consumers to prioritize quality sustainably sourced materials. Smith and Chamberlain reinforce this message in videos, sharing their personal commitment to eco-friendly consumption and their preference for Levi’s.
Influencer reach: Chamberlain boasts 11 million YouTube subscribers and 14.4 million Instagram followers, while Smith has 17.5 million Instagram followers and 8 million Twitter followers.
Authentic representation: both influencers genuinely resonate with the campaign’s purpose, ensuring authenticity in their promotional activities and communications.
Joybird’s successful promotion of the Barbie Dreamhouse furniture collection
Campaign overview: in 2023, Joybird executed a standout influencer marketing campaign by collaborating with the Barbie movie. They teamed up with content creator @ChrissaSparkles to promote the Barbie™ Dreamhouse™ furniture collection. The campaign was multifaceted with sponsored videos and special content at Joybird’s showroom.
Authentic representation: @ChrissaSparkles has become an apt choice for this collaboration due to her alignment with Barbie’s brand values: she loves pinks and pastels, showcases vibrant home decor, possesses a humorous side, and sports a plethora of stylish looks. Furthermore, @ChrissaSparkles is not just a content creator; she’s also a performer, designer, pilates instructor, and has a popular satirical series, notably the “Only Child Barbie.” The collaboration leveraged these multifaceted aspects of her persona to create a resonating and impactful campaign.
WRAPPING UP
Brands are increasingly collaborating with influencers, valuing their creativity and audience insights. This movement towards genuine partnerships indicates the growing importance and respect for influencers in the marketing landscape.
Brands with roots in social media, like Gymshark, value influencer input since they’ve evolved alongside them. While traditional heritage brands have historically preferred a rigid brand definition, there’s also a shift occurring. Legacy brands such as LVMH and Diet Coke are now also appointing influencers like Pharrel Williams and Kate Moss as creative directors!
Long-lasting, meaningful partnerships between brands and social media content creators can be highly beneficial. Brands considering creative direction for their influencer campaigns should explore how their relations with chosen influencers can evolve, tapping into their unique experiences and perspectives.
If you want your brand to express its unique voice and authenticity it will be a good choice for you to turn to a highly professional team of the Famesters influencer marketing agency. We are ready to help you with the full cycle of your influencer campaign, whether you’re going to test waters for the first time, or create longer partnerships with influencers. Contact us to make your brand a really outstanding one.
TAGS :
