As ad blockers hide more traditional forms of advertising and consumers disengage with brands preaching to them on social media, influential individuals are providing an important link to consumers. We talk to The Social Club co-founders Justin Clark and Georgia McGillivray on how they’re connecting brands with eyeballs in New Zealand and where the industry is heading in 2017.
You don’t need to look far to find detractors of influencer marketing. Campaigns are difficult to track, audiences are spread across the world and every celebrity is only one faux pas away from a downfall. However, as Kiwi entrepreneur Iyia Liu tells us, influencer marketing also has the the potential of spreading a brand’s message rapidly. And it’s something the 23-year-old has harnessed frequently in building a multi-million-dollar enterprise from the comfort of her Auckland home.
For years brands have been at ‘arms length’ and somewhat out of touch with the reality of the customer experience, says Jenene Crossan. But influencer marketing, which is driven by brands shifting away from push-style ads towards ‘an enhanced word of mouth strategy’, has the ability to change that.