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Back-In-Black Series 2
What influencer is winning the fight for a marketing agency's attention?
When the COVID-19 shutdown first began in March 2020, there was a concern about the extinction of influencer marketing. After a careful review of the marketing strategies in 2020, it is clear that influencer marketing will be going nowhere anytime soon. Prominent digital marketing firm A&E (not the network) conducted a study in 2020 about the effect of COVID-19 on an influencer's brand. According to the Effect of The Pandemic on Influencer Marketing Study, COVID-19 has positively impacted influencers with an increase in engagement on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube with a jump in likes by 67.1% and comments by 51.3%. As a result, influencers have increased the pricing of their posts by 3.1% continuing, to make unique content that is fresh and relevant to the pandemic focusing on loungewear and stay-at-home workout videos; to meet the new demand.
However, during a recent interview with New York City-based fashion blogger and social media influencer-Coco Bassey, she stated the challenges of meeting the new demand while still maintaining an authentic brand.
"Some brands struggled in 2020, and others came out really strong. The same can be said about influencers space. I think it’s not only a shift in influencer culture but, it’s also a shift in consumer culture. People are just not going to buy Victoria's Secret lingerie anymore because it’s cute. People also want to know what the brand stands for. Who are you? How do you use your platform for good? This past year has shown us that the platform you're given shows your responsibility and morals. It’s moved beyond beautiful girls and pictures on social media. People are more interested in the message behind that.”
When the world was grieving the tragic death of George Floyd, many influencers were ranked on their social awareness and were almost required by followers to speak out about political issues in regards to race. If an influencer failed to speak about racism and inequality in the Black community, then the individual would be condemned into,"cancel culture.”
"Whenever I speak out about a matter, I try to be careful about the words that I use. I’ve always remained authentic to my point of view when it comes to equality and empowerment. Instead of me posting infographics on social media, last year I tried to give a real perspective of the situation and if there are any shortcomings on my lack of experience, then I want to know and be able to amplify the situation and speak to the fact that there are multifaceted Black experiences in the United States. There isn’t just one way to be Black, and there isn’t one way to be a Black person in the United States.”-Coco Bassey
For many influencers, Black Lives Matter gave them an opportunity to expand their audience while tapping into the trending wave of social responsibility-emphasizing mental health, sustainability, physical health, and supporting businesses in marginalized communities. However, despite influencers posting positivity on social media, it can be difficult; to determine if socially responsible actions beyond social media platforms are a part of their everyday lifestyle. Regardless, the socially responsible message has effectively translated to consumers encouraging them to support POC and possess a minimalist mindset by only purchasing necessities.
"There has always been a discussion about sustainability versus affordability. When it comes to NYFW, I’m wearing media samples that have been pushed out, and I’m wearing them in respect to the designer; who shows I’m attending. I’m not pushing people to consume. When it comes to pushing content, it’s about educating, inspiring, and informing." -Coco Bassey
A recent study conducted by Chen Lou and Shupei Yuan explored the message of influencer marketing. The researchers used an online survey among social media users who followed at least one influencer. According to the research, Partial Least Squares (PLS) path modeling results showed the informative value of influencer-generated content, influencers' trustworthiness, attractiveness, and similarity to the follower. Followers trust in influencers branded posts, which subsequently influence brand awareness and purchase intentions (Chen, 2020). In other words, the followers of an influencer regard their sponsored posts to be a genuine recommendation of credibility for endorsed brands.
Although the influencer market is booming, a new competition has arrived: AI influencers. For those who have not had the opportunity, meet Shudu, the world's first digital supermodel who synonymously resembles Alek Wek. Apparently, that is not the case, London fashion photographer Cameron James Wilson gained inspiration from a Princess of South Africa Barbie doll with the intention of the AI model only being a creative outlet representing his views. This new form of AI influencers is generating a conversation with marketing agencies looking at the archetype as a lens into the future of what tomorrow's population of social media stars could look like.
"My hope is that humankind is not satisfied by the simulation of machines and robots. I hope that there continues to be an appetite for real stories. There would definitely be some sort of strategic change. Of course, I hope when people follow and connect [with my platform] it’s because they want to connect with me. I worked towards building a community to make people feel comfortable in expressing themselves in any way that they can".-Coco Bassey
Chen Lou and Shupei Yuan study supports Coco's statement and is sheer evidence that human connections will never dissolve but, with the rise of influencer ad prices, it is safe to say that the AI influencer is here to stay. AI influencers are exclusively controlled by marketing agencies and are programmed to sell anything the creator(s) want without alienating the brand. This strips away the authenticity of a brand but, anonymous whistleblowers have stated that more marketing circles are looking into CGI. The key benefits are control over the content, eliminating opinionated influencers creating controversy, and operating at a fraction of the cost. However, COVID-19 has challenged this notion and has made it evident that human interaction is imperative for society.
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Sources:
Beganovich, Amra. “Effect Of The Pandemic On Influencer Marketing Study.” A&E, 26 Nov. 2020, www.amraandelma.com/effect-of-pandemic-on-influencer-marketing/.
Hawley, Dustin. “The Rise of A.I. Influencers and What To Expect in 2020.” Viral Nation, 6 Nov. 2020, www.viralnation.com/blog/the-rise-of-a-i-influencers-and-what-to-expect-in-2020/.
Lou, Chen, and Shupei Yuan . “Influencer Marketing: How Message Value and Credibility Affect Consumer Trust of Branded Content on Social Media.” Taylor & Francis, www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15252019.2018.1533501?journalCode=ujia20&.
Shudu, editor. Instagram, 22 Feb. 2021, www.instagram.com/shudu.gram/.
Taylor, Charles. “Is COVID Making Marketing Influencers More Influential?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 31 July 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/charlesrtaylor/2020/07/30/is-covid-making-marketing-influencers-more-influential/?sh=305ecced4200.
“This Instagram Star Isn't Real, but Brands Don't Seem to Care.” YouTube, 25 June 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbXhuOPDK4c&feature=emb_title.
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