September 10, 2017 – The strategy behind Dior’s influencer-led (and first ever) charity campaign, why you may want to re-think your Instagram content strategy, the DL on Google & Microsofts new influencer patents, and what will Marc Pritchard say next?
Here’s what’s worth knowing and sharing this week:
For Your Coworker(s) Loving/Hating New T-Swift
Her reputation is not the only thing on the rise this week. The influencer-led #DiorLoveChain campaign supporting the Miss Dior fragrance relaunch is about to dominate your insta-feeds, featuring celebs (a la Natalie Portman, JLaw), insta-ambassadors (@margoandme), and YOU sharing a video response to the question, “what would you do for love?’ on Youtube, Twitter or Instagram to benefit WE Charity (backed by Portman).
What it means, IRL: This campaign gets today’s top billing as a product launch that’s at the forefront of influencer marketing trends. It’s not just in “the spirit of the times” to give people a voice (they already have one, #socialmedia); as it is intentionally integrating the voice of the consumer – critical to any modern marketing strategy, especially when it comes to winning in the attention economy. New research from HBS indicates that winning consumers’ attention requires optimizing creative execution you can control (like borrowing attention equity from influencers) while earning consumer attention over time through incremental, progressive storytelling.
Make it Work: This product launch (also Dior’s first-ever charity initiative) is designed around a social cause supported by its primary brand ambassador (Portman), requiring alignment of cause, product, influencer, and creative strategy early in the campaign planning process. As such, it leverages a cohesive influencer marketing mix that includes a spectrum of influencers and consumer advocates, each crafting uber-repurposable video content that ranges from short clips to cinematic experiences across platforms.
In the name of love relevance – if it works for a legacy luxe brand, it can work for you too.
But Wait, There’s More
Things can escalate quickly. In a not-your-average case of influencer-brand dissonance, L’Oreal cut DJ, activist, and model Munroe Bergdorf from its #AllWorthIt True Match campaign for violating brand values, following her Facebook post on racism in response to the violence in Charlottesville. Bergdorf, who had made history days earlier as the first transgender model hired by L’Oreal, was among five ambassadors to lead the diversity campaign.
When it comes to brands aligning their campaigns with larger social issues in hopes of gaining market share in today’s highly-charged political climate – things can get real complicated, real fast when brand, influencer, and consumer values and expectations are not 100% aligned from the beginning of campaign design (see also: Pepsi).
When Your ‘Grammable Moments Hit An All Time Low
Try a little less. Insta’s in-house experts report that the industry’s hit a tipping point – the flawless photos and carefully composed content that dominates your feed doesn’t produce the same results they used to.
Now that hyper-photogenic content has become the standard, it no longer commands the thumb-stopping power of consumer attention. The rapid rise of Instagram Stories suggests that consumers are craving a personal point of view, exclusive access, and genuine connection with the influencers themselves, rather than a contrived moment captured in perfection. It’s not just about the quality of content influencers create – but the unique experiences they can bring to life across brand experiences.
The End of Influencer Marketing as We Know It?
The ever-evolving influencer marketing GoT has two new players – both Google and Microsoft published patents this week to identify influencers and “trendsetters” – consumers who first notice and share viral content. Both moves come on the heels of Amazon’s and Facebook’s recent investments in their influencer capabilities, and could potentially challenge Facebook’s (and Instagram’s) network dominance over the industry.
It’s worth noting that the battle for influencer marketing domination will not be won or owned by one singular network or touchpoint, as each of these represent – but rather the ability to integrate influencer capabilities with the most valuable touchpoints and consumer relationships, as determined by data. Without further introduction (and a not-so shameless plug), we introduced the capability to do just that with the launch of our always-on Influence Plugin technology that enables you to identify and activate influencers across your customer experience based on first-party authentication.
Because You Want to Lead From The Front
Watch for P&G’s Marc Pritchard’s keynote at Dmexco on Tuesday. The impact of Pritchard’s proclamation earlier this year, which put the digital ad industry on notice for issues like fraud, brand safety, and transparency, is earning major attention from brand execs: P&G found that sales growth was unaffected by slashing $100M+ in digital ad costs.
The erosion of trust between brands, agencies, and major platforms like Facebook and Google is already being felt by major holding companies. The shift could hold major opportunities for earned media, PR and influencer marketing relations in particular, as brand execs embrace a counter-culture of authenticity, transparency, credibility, and ROI.
Quote to Note:
“Ultimately, it is about seeing one consumer and one budget, not different budgets for different parts of consumers’ [online] and offline lives.” – Unilever CMO Keith Weed
ICYMI
