2020 Influencer Marketing Trends - The Corner London
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Influencer
Marketing
Trends
2020
I N FLUENCER MARKETING
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Introduction
2019 was the year that influencer marketing went
from being ‘pitch candy’ or an added value, to a fully
fledged business function, pivotal to the success of “In 2019 we
many leading organisations.
We now know that 61% of consumers aged 18 to 34
collaborated with
have at some point been swayed in their decision-
making by digital influencers (MarketingWeek -
2019). The business results that occur as a direct
over 190 brands…
result of this industry are very real and rapidly
increasing. and have put our
The Corner were not only part of this surge, but at
its forefront. In the past year we’ve collaborated
experience into
with over 190 businesses and brands in the
influencer space. We’ve put our industry experience
into this document for your success in 2020.
this document”
Contents
01 05
Measurement and ROI
Influencers becoming activists
06
02 Shorter form video
Increased regulation
03 07
Long term influencer
The (continued) rise of nano partnerships
and micro influencers
04
Quality story telling
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1)
In fl u e n ce rs
Be co m i n g
Act i v i sts
Living ethically has gone mainstream.
The modern consumer uses social media to research There will also be a greater pursuit for self-
and discuss issues that are close to their hearts. acceptance and self-actualisation. Influencers will
The modern influencer uses it as a platform to fuel continue to champion themselves and encourage
activism. others to embrace their own imperfections. There
will be an increase in ‘unfiltered’ campaigns where
Celeste Barber is just one of many incredible influencers will talk honestly and frankly with their
activists who has leveraged the power of social followers, including discussing the up and down
media as a platform to spark international realities of their lives.
movements. She has raised a record breaking $50
million for the Australian bushfires through @meganroselane is a top
Facebook fundraising. advocate of embracing
body image and
2020 will see more digital personalities vocalise their postpartum journey,
opinions about societal, environmental and political overcoming self-judgment,
issues. and how vulnerability and
authenticity are the
When surveyed, a staggering 81% of global doorways to self-
respondents feel strongly that companies should confidence.
help improve the environment. The percentage of
‘Belief Driven Buyers’ - people who choose or don’t Brands who collaborate with influencers to not
choose a brand based on its societal stance - rose only promote, but build upon their CSR will see an
from 51% to 64% from 2017-2018 worldwide unprecedented uplift. 2020 will see a rise in cause-
(Edelman - 2018). Simply put, for the vast majority of led campaigns which have societal-benefits and
consumers, a key contributor in buying behaviours is align with the passions of influencers and in turn,
the brand’s CSR. their communities.
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2)
“Our message to brands and
In cr e a s e d influencers couldn’t be clearer. Be
upfront with followers.”
Re g u l a t i o n
ASA’S Chief Executive, Guy Parker.
Industry watch dogs are clamping down.
Undoubtedly one of the hottest and most widely Acceptable Ad Advertisement
debated industry topics of 2019 was the increased methods of
governance from advertising watchdogs - the ASA disclosure: Advert Paid Ad
and the CMA. After releasing an industry code of
practice in 2018, laws have become increasingly
stringent throughout 2019 and look to bear more
serious consequences for those not adhering in @emilycanham adopting correct declaration
2020, with influencers, brands and agencies all methods - content is clearly labelled as an ad.
equally liable. “The CMA definitely have teeth and
the severity of the possible punishments they’ve
announced shows how seriously they're taking
this.” (Influencer - 2019)
The ASA and CMA bear additional scrutiny of
influencers on the topic of transparency.
In the past, some influencers have done their best
to disguise the fact that they’re being paid to
promote a brand in order to maintain an ‘organic’
appeal. This is where watchdogs have drawn a line in
the sand. All influencer content which a brand has
had any level of control over, must be declared
upfront to audiences. In short, audiences must know
that a piece of content is an ad before they engage
with it. Additionally, for anyone who produces
content / ads for children it is important to
familiarise yourself with the Children’s Online
Privacy Protection Act.
As the influencer landscape continues to ramp up,
so too do industry regulations - and rightly so.
Influencers’ true strength comes from the trust
audiences have in them and this trust must be
upheld.
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3)
Th e (co nt i n u e d ) r i s e o f n a n o a n d
m i cr o - i n fl u e n ce rs . Myth!
Myth!
Influencer Marketing is a new thing Influencers are just YouTubers or
Connectors
Technically, no. Influencer marketing is essentially an evolution bloggers, right?
of celebrity endorsement, a practice which dates back to Knowing which influencers are available to you, and which
the 1700s when the Royals were used to promote Wedgwood are right for your brand, is essential for running a successful
pottery. Brands have been using individuals in a position of influencer program. To get granular, you can usually categorise
2020 will see brands increase / shift budgets
influence for centuries to lure customers in through aspiration,
towards Nano and Micro influencers. Generally
expertise or relatability. In fact, the creative methods have
• Macro - 100,000 +
influencers into one or more of the below tiers.
speaking,barely
thesechanged
two tiersin thehave a years.
last 70 lowerThe
CPE* andshift in
recent
higher CTR**.
perception is largely due to the domination of social media,
and the birth of influential people who have learned to harness
• Micro - 30,000 +
that
Influencers power
are for their
beginning toown
be popularity.
seen as more than a
distribution channel. The fact is that different • Nano - 10,000 +
influencer tiers produce different results.
(followers)
* CPE - Cost Per Engagement
** CTR - Click Through Rate
Who they are What they are How to use them
good for
Influencers with traditional & Traditional & social media Brand “Face”, event press
social media status reach and impressions coverage, and social
media partnership Celeb / Elite
Following of over 100K on a Large scale social media Brand “Face”, event social
single social media platform reach and impressions coverage, and social Macro
media partnership
Following of 30K - 100K on a High social media Social media
single social media platform engagement partnerships Micro
Renowned expert in Industry approval Written content,
a particular field speaking occasions, Authority
social promotion
Journalists Press coverage Press trips, written
content, social promotion Media
Following of under High social media Social media
30K on a single social engagement in a partnerships Nano
media platform specific field
Influencer gatekeepers, Consideration & Product gifting, event
i.e. agents/managers infiltration amongst invitation, experiences Connectors
influencer circles
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3)
Th e (co nt i n u e d ) r i s e o f
n a n o a n d m i cr o -
i n fl u e n ce rs .
In terms of immediate and attributable ROI (clicks,
conversions, sales), Micro and Nano audiences are
usually more effective.
The smaller an audience, the closer the relationship
between creator and follower: hence the stronger It is crucial to understand the
the level of trust. Smaller audiences are often hyper
local, less diverse and more engaged. In fact, Micro objectives of a campaign from
influencers are 10% more likely to influence decision
making than Macro influences.
the outset and find the right
influencers to help achieve them.
The key here is in the selection process. It’s crucial
that influencers are vetted and their audience data
scrutinised in order to maximise effect.
Average Impressions (per post) Cost per click
Impressions CPC £
30
110000
22.5
82500
15
55000
7.5
27500
0
0
208,000 136,000 44,000 14,000 208,000 136,000 44,000 14,000
Followers Followers
Results from a recent campaign run by The Corner with a mix of Macro, Micro and Nano
influencers. It was clear that while impressions were higher from the Macro influencers, cost per
clicks was lower on the nano side.
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4)
Genuine “The responsibility sits equally with
the creator and the brand to ensure
S to ry te l l i n g that their stories align”
Influencers are born story-tellers.
In many cases, their audience have been following
their story for years. Consumers are intrigued and
captivated by the lives of influencers, but they’ve
become more savvy and can spot a disingenuous
post instantly.
An influencer authentically displaying how a product
or service fits into their own life, helps to paint a
picture of how it could fit into the audiences’.
Advertisers need to be wary of:
1) smothering influencer creativity
2) appearing out of place on an influencer’s page
It’s important that a partnership between brand and
influencer has a background story and context is
given to audiences. Collaborations that feel
insincere can have a negative effect on both the
brand and influencer.
@hawkinsandshepherd content for Neutrogena talks
about the reality of living in London and the less-
than-glamorous effect it has on his skin.
Take away points:
• In 2020, brands will allow influencers more creative
freedom to speak to their audiences in a way which
feels natural. The process will become more and more
collaborative.
• Consumers have become disengaged with
unauthentic branded content. Brands need to allow
the influencer to add some real emotions to their
@tobyandroo produced this campaign for Heinz
content so that it resonates with their audience.
Beans showing unreservedly the state of her kitchen
during renovations. Heinz is an everyday product for
• Keep influencer briefs open to interpretation. Allow
everyday people. This post exceeded KPI’s and
influencers creative freedom to speak to their
received 90% + positive sentiment from followers
audience in the way they know best.
because it was relatable and sincere.
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5) “First, think about the actual objective you are
trying to achieve. What do you want influencers
M e a s u r e m e nt to do? Then, set KPIs you can achieve, and find
what’s working and what’s not.”
a n d RO I - Carlisle Campbell, Senior Director of
Communications, Capital One
The first step to measurement, is setting clear
objectives.
57% of influencer marketers see measuring ROI as Use audience
their biggest challenge (Zine, 2019). As brands continue sentiment in
to increase their influencer marketing, spend, there is reporting
understandably an equally increased demand for
justification. Before brands try to create KPIs for an The comments
influencer campaign, they must first decide what they sections of an
are trying to achieve and how influencers can help. To influencer post
create a successful influencer marketing strategy, are essentially
they must first understand what actions or free focus groups.
behaviours will impact their business goals. Use comments in
your reporting to
indicate audience
Clicks, video views, or even sales? sentiment.
To date, impressions and engagement have been the
most common metrics brands have looked-to when
measuring the success of an influencer campaign.
However to fully understand the impact that an As the value of influencer marketing becomes more
influencer campaign has had, a more holistic approach widely understood and brands begin to see greater
should be adopted. By using a personalised uplift from their influencer campaigns, more diverse
combination of measurements that align with their strategies will be implemented. It is important that
goals, brands will be able to truly measure influencer within this, there is a focus on measurable goals.
activity.
Some measurable KPI’s could include:
Clicks Leads Sales Audience sentiment
Engagement Content usage rights App Downloads
Increased followers Event Attendees Product Reviews
Voucher Downloads Impressions Reach
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6)
“Instagram stories will replace
S h o r t (e r) fo r m likes. Stories allow for so many
more means of engagement
video than grid posts ever could”
WhatsApp
Creative, short form video has been identified as one
of the most effective way of getting Gens Y & Z on
Messenger
board.
Todays youths are so well conditioned to rejecting
TikTok
TikTok
content that doesn’t appeal to them. If marketers Facebook
want to have any cut through with these generations
(the fastest growing population cohort) it’s imperative Instagram
that we listen to what does appeal, and respond
accordingly. Youtube
Short form video has typically referred to video Twitter
content with a duration of less that 15 minutes. In
2020 this refers to content shorter than 15 seconds. 0 60 120 180 240
In a world of four-second attention spans, the Top Global App Downloads - Q1, 2019
usability of Instagram stories and Tiktok videos are (Sensor Tower - 2019)
incredibly welcome. Vast databases of audio and
filters, coupled with the ease of editing makes
uploading content far easier than before.
Additionally, engagement is enhanced by the
constant update of features from social media
Instagram stories were perhaps the biggest disruptive platforms. Fun filters, voice modifiers and stickers
innovation to the influencer marketplace when
are interactive, enjoyable and memorable.
released in late 2016. They contributed over 1/3 of all
#paid posts on the platform throughout 2018.
Therefore, one of the worst mistakes marketers
(Marketing Land - 2019) could make when working in such a raw medium, would
be to approach this audience with a traditional
According to data from analytics site Sensor
advertising mindset. It’s important to give influencers
Tower, TikTok has hit 1.5 billion total downloads.
guidelines and key brand messages, but short form
videos are often where influencers truly express
Nothing has landed the same impact since - until themselves. It’s imperative this integrity is upheld.
TikTok. TikTok has seen unprecedented growth not
only in the UK market, but world-wide. Never before
For mediums like TikTok and Instagram stories,
have we seen an app so quickly adopted by an entire
influencer marketing is likely to be one of the most
generation. Short form videos feel more authentic.
effective forms of marketing in 2020. Influencer
Creators often post behind-the-scenes, off-the-cuff marketing works best when audiences and influencers
content which they’re less fussy about. Videos are feel relaxed and comfortable - to modern audiences
also better seen vertically, so phones are great for
this medium really hits the mark.
generating this type of content, meaning the creation
is often inexpensive and informal.I N FLUENCER MARKETING
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7)
Lo n g - te r m In fl u e n ce r
Pa r t n e rs h i ps
Influencer marketing hasn’t always been regarded as a
method for customer retention. However, as spending “Long-term influencer partnerships
grows, brands will become more strategic, which
includes trying to increase and retain brand loyalty.
require more upfront work, but the
This is where longer-term partnerships with return appears almost immediately and
influencers have been showing real value. Collaborating
on an extended term with influencers allows for both over time. One-off collaborations
consistent messaging and stronger alignment between
talent and brand. require seemingly less effort but can
bog down a marketing team’s
productivity with wasted time, money,
and resources” (MediaKix - 2019)
Warren Nash’s contract with ‘Lego Family’
channel, in a 6-month partnership,
produced 4 videos a week for the brand
throughout the duration. @alexcrockford
has a 1 year
partnership with
Under Armour.
Pro’s of long term agreements: Alex is
contracted to a
- Economies of scale (discounted influencer fees)
4 posts a month,
- Likelihood of extra posting / added value
but offers far
- Exclusivity of the talent within brand sector more value than
- The power of repetition his contracted
- Added reach if influencer following grows deliverables
- S t r e n g t h e n i n g o f a ffi l i a te m a r ket i n g
arrangements
- Long term partnerships are considered more
formal and respectable
- The influencer is more involved in the brand and
can provide valuable insights
Cons of long term agreements:
- If you have selected the wrong influencer, you’ll
be hitting the wrong audience continually
- Much higher upfront costs
- Longer time needed for planning
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Conclusion
In 2020, quick and easy ‘pay per post’ influencer partnerships will begin to be phased out, and emphasis will be put on
finding experts in a relevant field to contribute authentically to your brand promotions.
At The Corner we put an emphasis on matching well informed strategy with best in class creative. We’re often asked if
we have a ‘little black book’ of influencer names. Generally the answer to this is ‘no’. Of course we have extensive industry
network. However, having contributed to hundreds of influencer campaigns - we’ve found that it’s important to get to
the core of a brands’ problem and then strategically onboard the right influencers to help solve these.
Campaigns with a focus on real stories and emotions are the right way forward. The entire industry is founded on trust.
If an influencer is able to uphold this trust, add value to audiences and convey brand messages - all three parties will
benefit.
Influencer marketing as an industry is still developing. Base regulations are still being determined, various tactics are
being explored and influencer specialisations are still to be discovered. The one constant is that businesses are seeing
unprecedented results by implementing influencer strategy.
In 2019 people spent 128% more time on social media than in 2011 and still ad budgets don’t reflect this pattern (Thinkbox
Global Web index - 2019). Now is the time to solidify a brands strategy and industry foothold, while the fees are still
disproportionate to the results.
Credits
louis.cosyn@thecornerlondon.com
alexandria.zaphiri@thecornerlondon.comThe Corner, London. 1 Richmond Mews, London, W1D 3DA, UK thecornerlondon.com/influencer
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