Balancing the real with the reward – authenticity versus accountability in influencer marketing

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Balancing the real with the reward – authenticity versus accountability in influencer marketing

November 4, 2020

The influencer marketing industry has grown exponentially in the last few years, partly because people – not consumers, people – are desperate for a personal connection. The irony of the world becoming more accessible through the web but also more insular due to current geopolitical tensions is not lost on the next generation, and it is causing them to actively search for the real in the world.

They are no longer content to be viewed as consumers. They are people and they want to connect with other people. They want to be seen as people and treated as people.

Above all, they want honesty. This is where the tension in the influencer marketing industry is beginning to rise.

Influencers know that their audience wants real stories, real experiences and real connections to the brand.

Brands need to accomplish goals and ensure they maintain and expand on their brand equity.

Influencers want to showcase their creativity and have the freedom to be themselves.

Brands are risk-averse and seek to direct and control how, when and where the influencer engages.

Influencers need to ensure their reputations live up to the brands’ values.
Do brands do the same for the influencers?

With accountability being the go-to word of the moment, every aspect and detail of public figures’ lives is under scrutiny. From their current opinions to their history. From who they follow to who follows them. A scandal, even a minor one, can ruin an influencer. A small mistake can lose them followers. And a brand will not hesitate to cut an influencer loose if they feel the influencer may be bringing negative press their way.

The influencer often doesn’t have the same recourse. If a brand does something that goes against the current zeitgeist, the influencer is, by association, also caught up in the ensuing storm and their reputations are damaged.

So, how do we ensure that the rights and reputations of both influencers and brands are protected?

It seems obvious on a surface level that the influencer should be responsible for everything that they post, and that they should be forthright and honest about their pasts. They are, after all, being paid to be the ideal version of themselves for the brand. But remember, influencers are people. They make mistakes, just like all people do. The only difference is that their mistakes can damage a brand.

At the same time, brands are these monolithic entities that often take on a life of their own. They are businesses and so it would seem simple to keep themselves out of the negativity spotlight. But they are staffed by people, they are run by people. And, as we have mentioned, people make mistakes.
This is where the words dreaded by creative and free-spirited influencers and the teams that run the marketing for brands makes its appearance – contracts and management.

The only way to ensure the reputations of all parties is to have contracts in place. Creative minds look on contracts as some form of stifling document that they must sign in blood, while brands and corporates see contracts as legal minefields in the event something goes wrong.

They shouldn’t. A proper influencer contract set up by experts and managed by experts in influencer marketing takes the risk away from everybody. The influencer now knows what is expected of them and is secure in the knowledge that they will be paid and will be protected. The brand knows that they are not dictating terms, they are partnering for mutual benefit and that they too have a responsibility toward ethical behaviour.

Two of the biggest issues during this time of global uncertainty brought on by the COVID pandemic is the abrupt cancelling of work by brands leading to financial losses by influencers, and the unheard-of restrictions that are limiting how influencers can go about their work leading to a dip in the brand’s perception and reach. Tailored contracts give influencers protection from loss of income due to no fault on their part. Contracts also give brands protection from loss of exposure or negative exposure during a crisis.

Expert management gives both influencer and brand a far greater benefit than just protection, it gives them access to teams that are able to help them through any crisis, advise them on how best to manage situations and ensure that a positive outcome is available to everyone.

At R-Squared Agency we have a global connection to influencers and brands and we know how the industry can shift and change. Our expertise allows us to manage the processes and ensure professionalism, protection and positive outcomes for all parties.

Influencer marketing, by its very nature, is fluid. Our presence on various international boards means we are able to both see where the industry is moving and help guide its course. But it will take more than oversight to ensure the validity and growth of influencer marketing, it will take partnerships and understanding.

True partnerships between brands and influencers and the understanding that we are people working with people for people.

With all the flaws and mistakes, the laughter and the tears, the good times and the bad times that come with them.

October 28, 2020

The exponential growth of the influencer’s space

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The exponential growth of the influencer’s space

October 28, 2020

Influencer marketing has come a long way since the early days. When social media exploded across the globe and people began to realise that channels like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter gave them access to an audience of millions, the beauty, fashion and travel industries saw an amazing opportunity to tap into a vibrant, fast-moving and ever-changing culture. And people realised that they could monetise their passions by giving their audience a glimpse into their glamorous worlds.

As with all things, times change and the frivolous soon gave way to a more serious study of the effects of influencers – and the birth of a modern, professional and highly effective new industry.

A lot of people – businesspeople, marketers, brand managers, advertisers – still see influencer marketing as the ream of superficial and vacuous wannabe models trying to score a free lunch on a Mediterranean island, not something that would fit into their business models or goals.

This is far from the truth.

Agencies and brands are seeing the results of effective and expert influencer marketing. And the top shops around the world know that, whatever their industry, there is an important (some would say critical) place for influencer marketing in their comms.

The results speak for themselves. Genuine content creators are becoming ever more trusted. Their personal recommendations are more influential than traditional and often generic big brand ads. Their ability to speak honestly and directly to a receptive audience gives brands and messages a believability that is lacking in more traditional marketing that is trying to speak to the widest audience possible.

And that is invaluable.

But is there a place for influencer marketing in all industries? Surely, a good-looking world traveller has nothing to offer the mining sector? Can a home-schooling mom really have anything valuable to offer a pharmaceutical brand?
The answer to this is a resounding YES – and no. Yes, influencers can benefit every industry. No, a travel blogger probably wouldn’t add much value to the mining sector. This is where the influencer marketing industry is destroying the traditional marketing models, because when you find the RIGHT influencer for your market and your audience you unleash the power of personal, resonant and genuine engagement.

Take the mining industry for example. Beautiful photos of exotic destinations will not convince the audience that you know what you are doing. But a message from a mining expert, set in the context of the needs of the sector, and delivered to an audience that lives, works and breathes mining – that is powerful.

And that is influence.

Harnessing the power of influencer marketing relies on three important aspects:

Finding the right influencer.
This is business, not a popularity contest. Fame is not what you need. A genuine understanding of your industry, expertise in what they are speaking about, and a tone of voice that reflects your purpose will make your influencer believable and relevant.
Telling the right story.
The power of influencer marketing comes from the human touch. Our decisions – whether they are purchasing decisions, business decisions, political decisions or just what to wear today – come from an emotional reaction. By telling the right story an influencer engages the emotional response of the audience to become a trusted and persuasive voice.
Working with the right experts.
Finding the right influencer to tell the right story does not magically happen. You need to have experts who know the when’s, where’s, why’s and who’s of successful influencer marketing. R-Squared, for example, have dedicated teams who know where to look for the perfect influencers, local and global. They also know when to engage a macro influencer and when to engage a micro influencer. Remember the travel blogger/mining industry example earlier? Imagine a travel blogger talking to the efforts a mining company is making to reduce their footprint in a specific area. A micro influencer for the mining sector with a macro influence on the appearance of the company around the world.

So, does my influence look big in this?

The effect of influencer marketing can make a significant difference in any sector and for any business. When you have a trusted voice speaking from a position of authority and expertise to an audience that is primed to receive your message you are able to create a literal bond between them and your brand/company/product/message.

All you need to do is find the real.

October 20, 2020

Standing the test of time

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Standing the test of time

October 20, 2020

A taste that stood the test of time. Every South African knows these words. It elicits an almost Pavlovian response to raise a glass and shout out: To Charles!

You may be wondering what sparked these thoughts. Well, the big news for R-Squared Digital was our move into stunning new offices at the Old Castle Brewery in Woodstock, Cape Town. This bright, airy and amazing new space is sure to get our creativity and our joie de vivre amped up to record levels.

But it also had another effect, on me anyway. Walking around this building, seeing walls that have been here since 1901, imagining what has happened, what people did, how they lived and what they dreamed about in an iconic location that is over 100 years old got me thinking about our modern life and, in particular, our modern industry of Influencer Marketing.

And what history will say about our young industry in 100 years. Will we still be relevant? Will we still have a place in the bigger scheme of things?

I must say that I believe that the answer is a resounding ABSOLUTELY YES!
History has shown the power of having a recognised face to drive interest in your brand. Aunt Jemima (controversial now, but a major turning point for how advertising became personal), Santa Claus (Coca-Cola), the Marlboro Man, George Clooney and Nespresso.

Influencer Marketing took this lead and amplified it exponentially by giving brands the power of a personalised voice, authentic engagement with an audience that was receptive and opted-in to the messaging. And it has proven to be massively effective, especially in the modern pandemic times where people are looking for connections in a time of quarantine.

The future can only build on history. We will learn from our successes and our mistakes. We are already aware of how our audience reacts to false impressions and fake endorsements and it’s driving the industry to actively create unique and authentic content that resonates. It’s showing agencies and clients that Influencer Marketing is about more than a face, it’s about a connection, a personal touchpoint that is a part of the influencer’s life story that is then woven into the fabric of the campaign.

And we are just scratching the surface.

Already we are seeing virtual influencers becoming a part of the story. Whether or not they will become entrenched is something we will only see in the future. At the moment they are a fad, a trend that is different and new and therefore interesting. How audiences respond in the long run is unknown but we are watching – and participating with great interest.

Advertising and marketing have been around for thousands of years.

Wherever someone has something to sell, whether it’s a product, an idea or an innovation, you will need people who best know how to reach and engage with an audience. That will never change. What will change is how. Technology, human needs and interests, the situation, the world are all mutable, are all ever-changing. And how we interact changes with them.

But one thing never changes – our yearning for a human connection, our need for validation and recognition and the understanding that comes with finding someone who shares our voice.

September 14, 2020September 14, 2020

R-Squared partners with iProspect and Posterscope

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R-Squared partners with iProspect and Posterscope

September 14, 2020

R-Squared has announced its formal partnership with industry leaders iProspect and Posterscope of the international Dentsu Aegis Network. The move from informal collaboration to a formal syndication partnership aims to provide all R-Squared clients with a syndicated network of expert skills and services to amplify their influencer marketing campaigns.

R-Squared partners with iProspect and Posterscope

“We often find that influencer marketing campaigns are siloed by clients outside of their normal paid-for media and social commerce strategies. With this move, we empower clients to truly integrate influencer marketing into their overall marketing and advertising strategies,” says Stéphane Rogovsky, CEO of R-Squared.

The agency says that it works with existing client agencies where available, but should there be a need for further syndication assistance, the agency partner network is ‘at the ready’.

Services offered by the agency include:

digital OOH to broadcast influencer messages across innovative channels,
the marrying of paid media with influencer marketing campaigns to optimise budgets, and
performance marketing through opted-in audiences and social commerce by bringing shoppable posts into influencer’s feeds.

“Programmatic can also be used to bring the world of programmatic into your sphere of influence and to bring the authenticity of an influencer into the world of programmatic,” says Rogovsky.

Clare Trafankowska, managing director at iProspect South Africa, says, “We are delighted and incredibly excited to be able to partner with R-Squared on what we believe to be a pioneering approach to influencer marketing.”

According to the partnership, expert syndicated partnerships can bring authentic, personal messages to a wider audience and ensure that influencer marketing campaigns take place within an ecosystem where reach is amplified by emotion, where the human touch is enhanced by technology.

“Influencer marketing increasingly offers brands opportunities to address consumers with greater relevancy and perspective but with authenticity and credibility provided through the association,” says Trafankowska.

“Taking it to the next level and augmenting these influential conversations within the broader digital ecosystem not only enhances the influencer profile and visibility but also enables the brand to broaden its scope of reach and brand saliency,” Trafankowska says.

“We are proud of our syndicated collaborations with truly powerful agencies around the world. Together, we are creating real personalities for real brands. While not every client requires this type of syndication model, we believe that it’s an essential service offering for influencer marketing both now and in the future,” concludes Rogovsky.

August 19, 2020

A Measure of Success

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A Measure of Success

August 19, 2020

Influencer marketing continues to change how brands can have one-on-one conversations with their audience through an authentic influencer that they trust. All too often, however, the question is asked: “How do you measure your work?”.

For most other channels, measurement is simple. You can see how many people visit a website. You can count your CRT. You can see likes and comments. Or, in the most commercial sense, you can tell by an increase in your sales.

Influencer marketing works on an entirely different level. Rather than a Call To Action, influencer marketing gives an audience validation. It is validation in their choices or habits or lifestyle or fashion or financial decisions. The audience chooses to follow an influencer because they see something in that person that they trust. It could be a celebrity. It could be an investment banker. It could be a doctor. For whatever reason, that choice comes with an inherent degree of trust in what the influencer has to say or how that influencer is acting.

So rather than having a measurable metric, influencer marketing offers something far more valuable: brand awareness, brand love and brand loyalty. It’s a lot like a marriage. Most people try to put a metric on marriage. How long have you been married for? Is this your tin wedding anniversary or your diamond wedding anniversary? How many people try to measure how much love is in the marriage rather than how much time?

Influencer marketing brings the love and trust, things that can’t be measured. For now.

While experts in influencer marketing like R-Squared use traditional metrics to monitor and give a sense of measurement during a campaign, we know that these metrics are not the right ones to capture the efficacy of influencer marketing. We know that, while there are a vast number of different ways that digital can be measured, there are also a vast number of different ways that those numbers can be ‘massaged’ or bent to reflect a desired outcome.

And that is NOT what we foresee for an industry that has so much potential to make meaningful change in the world.

As the Chair of Influencer Marketing for the IAB SA, our CEO, Stéphane Rogovsky, is working with experts from around the world to find ways of measuring the true impact of influencer marketing on brands and on consumers. It’s a new discipline and requires a new way of showing the world just how effective it is.

For now, influencer marketing works very much like the old school big brand adverts worked – the ones you used to see at the cinema, or on prime-time TV, or at the Superbowl. It creates brand awareness for a new audience. It provides validation for your active audience. And it builds love for a brand by showing your audience that they matter, that you acknowledge them, that you are as invested in their time and interests as they are in you.

Like the love that powers a marriage through the good times and the bad, in sickness and in health, it’s not something that is easily measured but you can see and feel it across a room.

July 8, 2020August 7, 2020

Freedom through syndication

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Freedom through syndication

July 8, 2020

We know the value of syndicated thinking and working between agencies, between influencer marketing, creative agencies, PR firms and paid media. But there is another aspect to syndication that is especially relevant to influencer marketing:
The syndication between influencer marketing agency, the brand and the influencer.

At R-Squared, we put this collaboration to the front of everything we do. It is what guides our strategic thinking, and it is what sets us apart – because it all comes from a belief in freedom.

There are many agencies who keep a ‘book’ of influencers, people they work with on a regular basis, people they know they can call and direct to add their campaign to the influencer’s feed.

Our thinking is a far more innovative and, together with other true influencer marketing experts, is fast becoming the way forward for this industry: find the influencer that fits the brand and message, not fit the brand to the influencer.

We do not keep a ‘book’ of influencers. Our clients have faith in us and give us the freedom to search out the influencer that will best suit the campaign. Which means we can find that person or persons who actually have an interest in our campaign, who have knowledge of our subject and who believe in what they are telling their audience. It tends to lead to a far more honest and resonant campaign.

Because added to finding the perfect fit is the giving of freedom. Our influencers have the freedom to be themselves, to speak as themselves. By finding the influencers in their own environments, in their own countries, we engage with the audience in their own language, their own style and their own culture. Influence is all about resonance, about believability and authenticity which you only achieve if your influencer is being open and honest – and having the freedom to add your message to their existing voice.

Giving someone a script makes them an actor. Giving someone the freedom to be themselves makes them an influencer.

This is not to say we let them loose like a kid in a candy store. Our expertise comes in the careful management of the campaign. We create a framework that combines the brief, the strategy and the influencer. They know the goals. They know the product. They know the audience. And they know the environment, including all local and international regulations and nuances. Everything is set up with an almost scientific attention to detail.

And then we give them their freedom.

This approach is only possible through syndication, through collaboration and trust between every person involved from the influencer to the agencies to the brand. By having the freedom to work with the best of the best we are able to offer you, the brand, the best. The best influencer, backed by the best influencer marketers, supporting the best creative, social media, PR and paid media agencies.

To bring you the best, most resonant marketing campaigns for local and global audiences.

We call it authenticity. And it will make a huge difference to your campaign.

Stephane Rogovsky

Stephane is a 41-year-old Belgian citizen. He grew up in Brussels, lived in Switzerland, before moving to South Africa. Authentic conversations with real people inspire Stephane, an entrepreneur with more than 15 years’ leadership experience, utilising strategic foresight, analytical abilities, and trend spotting in diverse areas. He founded R-Squared Digital, a leading Influencer Marketing Agency that partners with some of the largest brands, media, and advertising agencies in South Africa and internationally.

July 2, 2020August 7, 2020

One Voice Can Make A Difference

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One Voice Can Make A Difference

July 2, 2020

It’s what makes putting paid media behind your influencer marketing such a great idea. You get the power and reach of paid media, the vast audiences with their volume of impressions but with a select voice giving you true authenticity and bringing focus to your campaign.

Think of it as an orchestra. Paid media bring in the violins and flutes, the bassoons and clarinets, woodwind, strings, brass, percussion – all combined to give us a classical feeling of grandeur. Add in a perfect voice, a pure soloist rising from the background to emphasise, to counterpoint, to add goose-bumps that run along your arms, and you have a nuanced and impactful campaign that resonates with its audience.

At R-Squared, we are leading the move to integrate experts from every field into one powerful orchestra that gets brands the maximum reach and the maximum impact. We believe that syndicated partnerships between local and global experts, from big agencies to small boutique shops, is the way forward for the industry.

Paid media and influencer marketing – our particular area of expertise – is a case in point.

Paid media offers us a channel that reaches millions – billions – of people. The potential within that audience is massive, but the dangers of these unsolicited impressions is that once the user scrolls past, the message may be diluted by other unsolicited messages in a feed.

For influencer marketing, the opposite is often true. Here we have a specific audience that are looking to a specific influencer for views and opinions. But it is a much smaller audience.

Syndicating these two channels brings an entirely new dynamic to the partnership. Now we have the huge reach of paid media enhanced with the one-on-one focus of influencer marketing. Which leads to that audience engaging more with the paid media, and the paid media audience being led to an authentic and resonant opinion leader for validation. And this builds and builds and builds to a crescendo for brands.

Add in a maestro conductor, an expert in collaborative thinking and execution, and you are practically guaranteed a virtuoso performance.
This collaborative thinking, not just between paid media and influencer marketing but between any teams working on a brand’s image and message from creative agencies to social media to paid media to production to editing and everything in between, is how we take individual skills and turn them into a symphonic, harmonious whole that raises a brand beyond the ordinary.

While the R-Squared expertise is in the influencer marketing sector, our knowledge, skill and experience, locally and internationally, is helping this change from silo thinking to expert syndication. Our partnerships with other experts in the marketing world – from paid media, to PR firms, to big agencies and boutique specialists – and our on-the-ground teams have the resources and expertise to hand-pick the voices you need to add to your creative campaigns and your paid media and make you stand out.

Stephane Rogovsky

June 24, 2020August 7, 2020

The Perils of Isolation for Brands

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The Perils of Isolation for Brands

June 24, 2020

The traditional marketing model has undergone a dramatic shake-up that began before this world of isolation and quarantine. Old-school ad agencies have found themselves stretched thin through a fast-growing and technology-led hunger for new content and new ways of serving that content.

This was the birth of specialist digital agencies and media houses, of production studios set up to develop content for a new generation that lived with technology in their pockets and with instant access to the world and to the world’s views and opinions.

It also led to a growing sense of compartmentalised thinking and agencies working in silos. This sense of isolation often worked against the brand’s interests. Where you had a great idea for a campaign, the execution often seemed to lack that spark that elevated it into something extraordinary. It’s a natural progression when it comes to tech-led innovation. The innovators bring it to market. The early adopters test it out and work through issues. It becomes more accessible, recognised and accepted. And then gains traction with a wider audience.

This where you need proper syndication. As experts in influencer marketing, R-Squared are well aware of how the industry is changing to incorporate collaboration to a much greater extent.

Our dealings with the big creative agencies and the teams of smaller experts have given us a unique insight into how things have been operating and how they need to change. We are finding, more and more, that our value goes beyond the influencer marketer role and has become an integral part of expert syndication leaders. With the creative agencies creating content, the production houses producing content and the paid media agencies seeding content, we saw the social media and influencer marketers being led by that content in a top-down approach. Our model, that we and other industry experts are showing should be the industry standard, is to use the content to create unique pieces that come from unique influencers to bolster and emphasise that content.

It’s an approach that has also led to us becoming experts in the coordination and collaboration between agencies to truly amplify a brand and message.

By syndicating our thinking and output, by collaborating with best of breed from an agency creative to a PR firm to a digital studio to a paid media agency to our own specialisation of influencer marketing – and then coordinating every aspect to work seamlessly together and build on a campaign rather than plug into a campaign – we are able to create something truly remarkable, impactful and memorable.

Syndication is how the modern world will move forward. In marketing, in business, in politics and human interaction. Isolationism and silo-thinking are shown to be ineffective at best and detrimental at worst. And it will take the experts to prove to the world that this unifying of talents and specialisations will lead to a whole, and to outcomes, that are far greater than the sum of their parts.

Stephane Rogovsky

June 11, 2020August 7, 2020

Success comes from an accurate focus on influencer marketing

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Success comes from an accurate focus on influencer marketing

June 11, 2020

Influencer marketing is one of the most powerful channels of communication for any marketer – if it is done properly.

There are tons of horror stories out there, from celebrities to beauty queens to sports stars, of social media going absolutely postal over a tweet or post that is either not appropriate for the audience or racist / sexist / homophobic / just plain wrong.

So how do you filter who gets to be the face of your brand or the mouthpiece for your message?

You speak to experts.

Not everyone with access to a Twitter feed or Instagram account knows what they’re doing. And not every influencer marketing ‘professional’ understands the importance of getting the right person for the right job and the right audience. Many agencies have a set book of influencers with whom they have relationships, and they try to force fit these influencers into their campaigns. With disastrous results.

Context is king in influencer marketing. The right person, at the right time, for the right client, with the right message.

For example, would you believe a famous chef if they were giving you beauty advice? Chances are, probably not. Stick to your recipe, Gordon!

BUT, what if it was Nigella Lawson giving skincare advice? A beautiful, powerful, successful woman who spends her days in a hot, humid, smoky, steamy commercial kitchen?

Different story.

Successful influencer marketing needs to focus on getting the mix right. You need an agency that has the ability, and the influence, to attract influencers from anywhere in the world. You need an agency that knows that a fitness product needs an athlete for maximum exposure, but also has the intelligence to realise that a busy female executive can also appeal to office workers looking for exercise equipment and tips. And can open up an entirely unexpected direction and market.

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ methodology to creating a successful influencer marketing campaign. It needs proper thought, careful strategies, proper budgeting and expert management.

And it starts at the beginning. From the strategy stage, influencer marketing should form a part of any campaign. It is a top down approach that helps to eliminate any risks of bias or conflict of interest and brings the perfect person or people into your campaign to give an authentic voice in a world that is on the hunt for falsity and deception.

Stephane Rogovsky

June 4, 2020August 7, 2020

Is influencer marketing a new phenomenon?

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Is influencer marketing a new phenomenon?

June 4, 2020

In 1890, Nancy Green became the face of “Aunt Jemima”. She was hired by RT Davis Milling to be the face of their pancake mix. She was a pioneer in influencer marketing (she was the first black female model and activist, and she was the first face of a brand), influencing a generation of readymade pancake mix buyers.

In 1905, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle (American silent movie actor) endorsed Murad, Turkish cigarettes. This paved the way for celebrity endorsements.

Before 1931, Santa Claus was depicted as a gaunt man, an evil-looking elf, alternately wore a bishop’s robe and a Norse huntsman’s animal skin. Artist Haddon Sundblom painted the Santa we know today, drinking a bottle of Coca Cola. This was the first time a fictional character became the face of a brand.

MTV began as a 24-hour platform for music videos and debuted 1 August 1981. The network struggled in its early years, playing clips repetitively, until the launch of the “I want my MTV” campaign. MTV’s Les Garland convinced his friend Mick Jagger to shout the line into the camera. The campaign steamrolled from there with artists like David Bowie and Pete Townshend jumping on board, causing a significant rise in cable tv subscriptions.

The rise of social media created a platform for a new category of influencers to arise, and for all categories, celebrities and other, to share in their own way online, splitting the market. Before, the influencer was in a tv ad campaign (highly scripted) or on a billboard, versus influencer marketing where influencers share personal messages in their own voice.

We recently discussed the rise of virtual influencers and avatars, and we questioned their relatability and whether virtual influencers become a real and significant part of the marketing landscape in the future. What do you think?

Michelle Marais

Michelle Marais is the Digital Marketing Manager at R-Squared, a leading influencer marketing agency partnering with some of the largest brands in South Africa and internationally. Our team focuses on out of the box solutions for authenticity in influencer marketing.

June 3, 2020August 7, 2020

Creating connections in a time of isolation

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Creating connections in a time of isolation

June 3, 2020

If the recent global lockdowns, social distancing and isolation have proven anything it’s that – even in this digital age – we are a social animal and we crave personal connections.

And that this is the time for influencer marketing – true influencer marketing – to really take the lead for the future of brands and information. It is the time for influencer marketing to become part and parcel of your marketing communications. Not just an afterthought by a marketing assistant who has a friend with an Instagram account, but a well thought out, budgeted and strategically aligned pillar of your communications.

I was struck recently by the impact many celebrities have been making on social media – through words of support, through actions, even with how they are engaging with their fans about their everyday lives and the normalcy of their times with their families.

And then we have the celebrities who have struck an incredibly tone-deaf chord with their social offerings.

Keep in mind, these celebs are not doing what they are doing to make people mock them (well not all of them anyway), they genuinely believe that their posts, instas, and tweets are making a difference, are imparting wisdom and happy feelings.

They genuinely believe that they are creating a connection.

So, where did they go wrong?

This is where a proper influencer marketing model comes in.

Your audience needs to make a connection. A billionaire telling me how delicious a packet of two-minute noodles is will make me switch off – probably snort in derision first and then switch off. But a billionaire telling me a story about how those same noodles were what got him or her through college while they were still dreaming about changing the world? That is a different story.

Why?

Because I can relate to it. I can see myself sitting in a dorm room, fork buried in a microwaved bowl of noodles as I doodle my ideas onto a pad of paper.

Why?

Because it is genuine. It is a real moment, in a real person’s life. It is an authentic connection.

And connections are what make influencer marketing one of the most powerful tools in modern marketing.

Followers are not connections.

The word ‘influencer’ has taken on a negative connotation. The hordes of entitled demanding free drinks or meals or holidays because they will give you ‘exposure’ to their hundreds of followers are NOT influencers.

Ryan Reynolds inviting you into his home to share his experiences and family situation during lockdown – HE is an influencer.

A mom showing you how to create delicious meals on a minimal budget that are healthy and nutritious for your kids – SHE is an influencer.

Each of these people, in their own way, is defining a trend or setting an aspirational goal or demonstrating expertise. One might have millions of followers while the other only has a few hundred, but they share one thing in common: authenticity. And each has a very defined role to play in the influencer market – trendsetter, innovator, expert, reliable source, trusted caregiver, the characters in this play of life are endless.

All you need to do is find the one who resonates with you, your brand, your message, your dream. The one who really believes in your vision. The one who connects with you.The one who is real.

Influencers are real.

Real people with real lives and real stories and real experiences. In a world that is absolutely jam-packed with messages, it is the real voice that stands out. Finding that voice is not always easy.

For companies like R-Squared, it is our life’s work. We make connections. Not between brands and products and consumers and ROI and target audiences. Between people.

We find the real people, with the real stories. And then we let them tell their stories to the world. We do not tailor-make, we tailor source. We take your product, and we search out the people that actually connect with it. And that connect with others like them.

When a campaign is designed, executed and managed by experts, you go from a product endorsement to a life affiliation.

Budgeting for billions.

This is why influencer marketing is growing into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Pre-COVID estimates were that the influencer market would be worth over $10 billion in 2020. With the pandemic upon us, it was expected to slow down, but the opposite seems to be happening.

This time of isolation and increasing tension is showing us the real need for human-to-human connections. The bombardment of brand messages and unbelievable endorsements is coming to an end. Real people and real experiences are rising. Whether it’s a mom with a few hundred followers or a movie star with a million fans, people want genuine in a world filled with false promises and false hopes.

A personal connection.

Personally, I find this a very exciting time. A time of change and innovation for sure, but more a time of building humanity and building human connections – real human connections.

I have been at the helm of R-Squared for six years and have watched, and involved myself in, the growth of this incredibly exciting industry. I have seen it falter (see the entitled ones comment above) and I have seen it truly put the best of human empathy and emotion on display (see the switched-on celebs comment above).

As an agency shortlisted for Best Global Boutique Influencer Marketing Agency (holding thumbs for the awards in September), R-Squared is at the forefront of making influencer marketing an essential resource for brands and an authentic experience for people around the world.

Our mission is simple: keep it real.

Stephane Rogovsky

May 11, 2020August 7, 2020

Influencer Marketing: Adapting to Markets and Cultures

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Influencer Marketing: Adapting to Markets and Cultures

May 11, 2020

Managing influencer campaigns within specific territories or cultures can be very challenging, particularly for brands and marketers who don’t have expertise within particular regions. There are challenges related to culture, audiences and legislative requirements and restrictions.

At R-Squared, we operate globally, running influencer campaigns for multi-national groups in a variety of vertical markets. We have expertise in managing campaigns within a range of regions and cultural realities. We believe that understanding how influencer marketing differs from region to region is fundamental to the overall success of a campaign, affecting engagement and campaign costs.

Setting individualised missions for influencers is essential, factoring in all of the market and influencer-related specifics. Questions to be considered include market maturity – is influencer marketing well established in the region, or is it still a developing market? The answers will affect how competitive the market is, whether an audience will click on a link (conversion rate), influencer fees and influencer availability.

Once a brand or agency has established the above in the specific local markets internationally, and has created a brief for the influencers, the brand or agency should work with the influencer to understand their lifestyle, and how to integrate the brand concept into authentic content.

By sending one brief to all influencers for the same campaign, all influencers will produce very similar content. Within specific verticals, there is often an audience overlap, in which case, followers following several influencers who are all part of the same campaign will see the same type of content produced, which may alienate the audience. At this point, the importance of influencer mission setting plays a role in the success of the overall campaign.

It’s paramount to match the missions to the influencers and not the influencers to the missions. With the influencer tailoring lifestyle journeys, the content the influencers’ create will reinforce the brand message in their signature style. The tasks the brand or agency set should be a framework for the influencer to work from, not a script.

Thinking out of the box is necessary when it comes to dealing with influencers. It’s all about creating the perfect framework that allows for full creativity, authenticity and engagement while remaining aligned with the brand’s objectives and protecting its brand equity. Authenticity in the content is crucial to ensuring the message resonates with the target audience, in a way that is original and organic. In our opinion, agencies discussing individual missions with the influencers, and agreeing on those missions and objectives together, ensures that the content perfectly tells the influencer’s story, while aligning with the needs of the campaign.

Michelle Marais

May 7, 2020August 7, 2020

Influencer Marketing Agency Selection Checklist

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Influencer Marketing Agency Selection Checklist

May 7, 2020

To many brands and agencies, influencer marketing is a significantly rising need. Like any segment of marketing, influencer marketing comes with very specific processes and risks, and requires a SIGNIFICANT level of specific expertise. But as the industry is growing, so is the number of influencer marketing agencies and platforms. Which one should you choose?

We’ve compiled this checklist to assist you in selecting and vetting the right one.

Michelle Marais

Michelle is the Digital Marketing Manager at R-Squared, a leading influencer marketing agency partnering with some of the largest brands in South Africa and internationally.

April 21, 2020August 7, 2020

Influencer Marketing Reimagined

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Influencer Marketing Reimagined

April 21, 2020

The effect of Covid-19 on influencer marketing

R-Squared has created a State of Influencer Marketing Slideshare to assist marketers.

Slide content:

Influencer Marketing Reimagined: The effect of Covid-19 on influencer marketing
Overview: The uncertainty around Covid-19 is extreme, to the point of threatening business continuity. We need to find certainty despite the uncertainty. Statistically, brands that are optimistic towards media placements during a recession or crisis are far stronger after it’s over. Right now, the human touch is needed in marketing. This is what will be needed by an audience now, in order to strengthen the existing relationship and convince them to purchase products or services later.
Landscape: Many industries cannot operate. There is a significant limitation. Those industries that cannot trade as usual, have either cancelled or reduced their budgets, while others are still communicating or increasing communications with their audiences. This is where audiences need human connection rather than brand messaging.
Landscape: Global statistics are not applicable to South African buying behaviour due to the severity of the lockdown (South Africa’s lockdown is the most severe internationally). What we have seen is that there is a significant cut in ad spend. We know there is a partial shift to digital, as OOH and sports sponsorship is unable to run.
Landscape: There is a risk of breaking a strong bond that was built over years with audiences if there is no communication now. Keep the communication open, even if a company can’t trade, so that the brand will be the first ones to be remembered by the consumers at the end of the lockdown. We believe that for most brands, it is no time to sell, it is time to be there for an audience, and to strengthen the brand affinity.
Landscape: Fohr is an influencer membership network, and their research shows that the average screen time is up to 5h40 per day, an 18% increase during the Covid crisis. They noted that because screen time is increasing, so is the standard of content. Their statement is “As more and more people turn to e-commerce, there is an opportunity to put out impactful messaging that will nurture your current customers and provide value to them during these completely unforeseen circumstances.” Source: https://www.socialmediainformer.com/edition/weekly-communities-social-media-2020-04-04?open-article-id=13434383&article-title=the-impact-of- covid-19-on-influencer-marketing&blog-domain=later.com&blog-title=later
Landscape: Followers are paying attention to this new era of content creation, with nearly 80% of influencers reporting higher engagement from their followers. The opportunity here is to engage audiences with content that is hyper-aware of and sensitive to its surroundings. People are much more likely to engage with content that is authentic and tasteful, than that which is ignorant of extenuating circumstances. Source: https://www.socialmediainformer.com/edition/weekly-communities-social-media-2020-04-04?open-article-id=13434383&article-title=the-impact-of- covid-19-on-influencer-marketing&blog-domain=later.com&blog-title=later
Landscape: The Fohr survey also found that over 40% of influencers currently are reducing their normal rates, and the reductions average at 30%. Fohr concludes that optimal influencer marketing over the Covid crisis is to build brand communities. Source: https://www.socialmediainformer.com/edition/weekly-communities-social-media-2020-04-04?open-article-id=13434383&article-title=the-impact-of- covid-19-on-influencer-marketing&blog-domain=later.com&blog-title=later
Context: Regardless of whether people have a good job or bad job, whether they have children or not, whether they have financial means or not, whether they’re in a relationship or single – we’re all in the same boat.
Context: Even if an influencer is endorsing a brand, never has messaging through influencer marketing been more relatable. Whatever an influencer endorses right now relates to all of us, whether the content is branded or not, the audience relates much more to authentic influencers at the present time.
Context: Working with each influencer individually as to how they will execute their mission in their own way, is key for authenticity and resonates with their audience.
Context: When influencers share what they miss about a product or experience, one visualises what they share. They create the dream for an audience.
Context: Investing in increased communications during a recession or crisis results in long term gain. The natural approach is to cut spending (as a result of general fear or uncertainty), harming consumer relationships built over years. Agility and innovation in communication must be applied to strengthen the customer relationship, rather than putting it at risk.
All generations have shifted primarily to online streaming and online video consumption, as a result of Covid-19. This is the first time ALL GENERATIONS are consuming their media in the same way. When sharing personal content, videos also capture the emotion and the authenticity in a much stronger way, which is even more powerful when coming from influencers with a person to person message, sharing real emotions.
Media Consumption: Gen Z • Online videos • Online / TV streaming. Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/media-consumption-covid-19/
Media Consumption: Millennials • Online videos • Online / TV streaming. Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/media-consumption-covid-19/
Media Consumption: Gen X • Broadcast TV • Online Streaming. Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/media-consumption-covid-19/
Media Consumption: Boomer • Broadcast TV • Online Streaming. Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/media-consumption-covid-19/
Media Consumption: Millennials are the most active. Searches for Coronavirus, listening to music, and watching movies/shows have the highest activity. Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/media-consumption-covid-19/
Buying Behaviour: In the USA and other international markets, consumers can still shop online. A survey of 1’000 US adults in Mid March discovered 42% of consumers were shopping more online, with only 8% saying they were engaged in less e- commerce. Source: https://www.valassis.com/infographics/latest-changes-in-consumer- behavior-amid-covid-19/
Buying Behaviour: The virus also appears to be motivating many consumers to try on new shopping behaviours. Valassis (an advertising and marketing intelligence company that predicts consumer behaviour) found that at least under the circumstances, brand loyalty was being impacted: • 48% are remaining loyal to their usual/familiar brands. • 21% are purchasing a mix of usual and new brands. • 13% are “taking the opportunity to discover new brands.” • 19% are feeling less brand loyal, buying what’s available. Source: https://www.valassis.com/infographics/latest-changes-in-consumer- behavior-amid-covid-19/
Social Media Usage: Social media usage in the United States is up. The same study found that 39% of respondents have increased social media usage, while 7% have decreased it. The remainder are consistent in their social media behaviour. South Africa hasn’t released statistics to support this, but due to the parameters of the lockdown, we believe these stats will reflect a far higher usage of social media. This also factors in that many who do not have access to data on their phones have access to wifi at home. Source: https://www.valassis.com/infographics/latest-changes-in-consumer- behavior-amid-covid-19/
During the Covid-19 crisis, influencers have the capacity to create a much more powerful emotional connection and resonance to the brand by showing agility, innovation and creativity in producing content that will really show influencers and the audience are in the same situation, missing the same things.
Market Examples – Automotive: Moms can relate to privileged moments with their kids. Roadtrips, driving the kids to their grandparents, or visiting a farm. When parenting influencers post content expressing how much they miss this experience, we relate and connect emotionally, even if the post is branded by an automotive manufacturer.
Market Examples – Alcohol: In South Africa, buying, selling and transporting alcohol is illegal under the lockdown. Many of us are in fear of running out of wine or beer before the end of the lockdown. When an influencer shares a throwback picture with an alcohol brand, he knows he will be unable to purchase again until the lockdown is over. Every sip he takes and shares online makes us feel like we can’t wait to try this wine, and this will probably be the first bottle we want to buy afterwards. This wine becomes the dream.
Market Examples – Travel: The longer we’re in a lockdown scenario, the more we need to escape, and we dream of travelling. We all want to travel / get out of home. When travel influencers cannot travel and relive their last travel experience by sharing beautiful pictures and videos of their last trip, the audience shares the dream, even if the content is sponsored by a hospitality brand.
Market Examples – Health and Medical Insurance: By being locked down, we all face the option of staying in bed more, exercising less, eating more comfort food, and not respecting or staying in a healthy routine. Influencers face the same challenges in their commitment and cannot go to gym. They would become increasingly aspirational by showing how to respect or start a healthy daily routine from home, from exercise to eating habits.
Market Examples – Entertainment: Is working with the level of commitment, while home schooling your kids a challenge? It’s also a major challenge for influencers, who often also have a 9 to 5 job. Homeschooling while working from home can be exceptionally difficult. It’s hard to focus while children need attention. Influencers can bring awareness to this, showcasing how children stay entertained, while they’re learning, in partnership with gaming platforms and educational entertainment through streaming media channels.
Market Examples – Education: Bored at home? Tired of not going out or going to work? eLearning channels can sponsor influencers’ education for the duration of the lockdown. Further, the education can be both professional and personal, focusing on upskilling knowledge and expertise, but also focused on learning how to paint, do yoga etc. Influencers can demonstrate their own personal journey to enlightenment.
Market Examples – Virtual Experiences: Are you missing meeting up with friends and family? Influencers have the same experience. They can however connect virtually. They can invite their pods to Zoom meetings, challenging each other to select lookbooks from retailers’ websites. An example of an engagement mechanism could be: “I’ve found a picture of what I’d like to purchase after the lockdown lifts, what colour should I buy?” This could be a teaser, before the brand sends the products at the end of the lockdown.
Conclusion – It’s critical to stay in contact with an audience, in a meaningful way. Everybody in a non-essential industry is stuck at home. Connect on a person to person level, and any brand will preserve the relationship with that audience in the future. One needs to be agile at this difficult time. Influencer marketing is not only for immediate sales but is powerful and maintains and/or creates excitement and brand love.
Thank you: Are you a brand or an agency? Contact us to leverage your brand love through influencer marketing: partners@r2digital.co.za

Michelle Marais

Michelle is the Digital Marketing Manager at R-Squared, a leading influencer marketing agency partnering with some of the largest brands in South Africa and internationally. Through this crisis, our team has seen a change in the marketing landscape, and we’re sharing this with you now.

April 15, 2020August 7, 2020

How can a brand advertise when it can’t trade?

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How can a brand advertise when it can’t trade?

April 15, 2020

My name is Michelle Marais. I’ve been involved in all aspects of Campaign Management for several years at R-Squared, and have recently been appointed as the Digital Marketing Manager. I feel strongly about how brands have adjusted their marketing efforts during this crisis (some have kept limited communication open, and others have closed communication channels due to being unable to trade immediately during this period, disregarding their long term consumer relationships), and I’ve written this article to share my opinion on how brands can communicate efficiently with their audience, maintaining brand love, even if unable to trade as usual.

“If companies can create true desirability for their brands, customers will not only be loyal, they will also act as brand champions.” A bold statement, from the IEDP (International Executive Development Program – part of the ESADE Business School), who believe that desire is the philosopher’s stone of brands.

We’re all affected by COVID-19, every single one of us. For some, the lucky ones, they can continue trading despite the restrictions placed by government, and so their business models are sustainable despite this life-changing global event.

Other companies and industries can’t trade at all during the lockdown. But this doesn’t mean they should cut all communication until they can trade again. There is a risk of breaking a strong bond that was built over years with their audience. Keep the communication open, even if you can’t trade, so that you will be the first ones to be remembered by the consumers at the end of the lockdown. At R-Squared we believe that for most brands, it is no time to sell, it is time to be there for your audience, and to strengthen the brand affinity. But how? Let’s explore it in this article.

I believe that this pandemic will change the global mindset and landscape. But it’s also essential that brands stay in business, preserving jobs until the end of the crisis. It’s important to find creative, alternative ways to maintain their relationships with their audiences through this. It took many years to build that relationship, and some clients have incredible brand loyalty, staying faithful throughout their lives. It’s valuable to acknowledge and reciprocate that investment of loyalty.

Professor Oriol Iglesias, author of Brand Desire, says, and I agree implicitly as it perfectly illustrates the current scenario, that “brand desire explains how companies can engage customers emotionally and create value for them.”

Yes, it’s a time of economic uncertainty, brands can drive the vision of their business. I’ve seen fantastic brands suddenly cut communication with audiences – no more mailers, digital marketing or other forms of touching base with us, their dedicated fans. They just disappear into thin air because they can’t sell at this moment. I realise spending is sometimes pulled back in difficult financial periods, but why would they retain my loyalty as a consumer when the market lifts? Why shouldn’t I shift my brand loyalty to a competitor that demonstrates their consistent care for me? This leads me as a consumer to believe they’re only interested in me when it’s good for them. It’s not a time to focus on hardcore sales tactics right now. I want to see the relationships and brands I’ve been loyal to demonstrating that they value my business, even when consumerism isn’t possible. Create a concept that will captivate me until the crisis is over, and you will reinforce all the reasons why I’ll go back to you as soon as it is.

Crocs on LinkedIn, demonstrating the human touch in the Coronavirus crisis — This example of content posted by Crocs in the USA on LinkedIn demonstrates that they have stayed connected, and really care about people. It’s not about sales. It’s about showing they care, and people will remember this after the crisis.

Even though most of us are housebound and frustrated, we’re living in a digital age. I spend time communicating with friends and loved ones through social media, not because of the pandemic, but as an extension of its impact in my social life. I can’t experience the dinners, the getaways, the retail purchasing that makes me happy when everything is business as usual. I can dream though. And that dream is what sustains me, until there’s an upturn again. The fact that I can watch influencers who share their dreams, means I share a stronger emotional connection with them, and with what they’re sharing.

I love spending time with my children. I really miss the time spent with them at the park and at other outdoor events. I’m sure other moms can relate to this – privileged moments with our children, before they grow up. Roadtrips, maybe driving the kids to their grandparents, or visiting a farm. When I see influencers who are young parents creating content, expressing how much they miss this experience too, I can strongly relate, because we are in the same boat; and even if the content is branded for a car, I can feel that they’re authentic and really feel the loss of freedom through the lockdown, which emotionally connects with me in a stronger way. This is true word of mouth – people really connecting with each other.

Everyone, from CEOs to secretaries, from celebrities to influencers, are all in the same boat. Nobody can travel. I can’t take a roadtrip with my kids, but neither can anyone else. This makes everyone relatable to me in a way not possible in normal circumstances.

Another example in South Africa, the trade of alcohol is forbidden during the lockdown. My colleagues and I have a passion for wine. As a team, every Friday afternoon we talk, laugh, have a drink and look back at the week that’s passed. I can watch an influencer share a throwback picture with your alcohol brand. When a South African influencer shares his favourite wine, he knows he can’t purchase again until the lockdown is over. Every sip he takes and shares online makes us feel like we can’t wait to try this wine, and this will probably be the first bottle I want to buy afterwards.

Taking the same example further, the travel industry, which is facing a world-wide shutdown. After a long period under lockdown, after working frantically throughout, I’m going to need a holiday, a happy getaway from the four walls surrounding me. From the time I could travel, I’ve aspired to visiting Zanzibar. It’s a country with so many facets. There is no greater dream I have than tasting the flavours, shopping the markets, imbibing the scent of the natural environment. My boss challenged us to a set of milestones, which are underway, which will ultimately lead to my staying in Zanzibar for a holiday, but the reality is even if I had achieved my milestones today, I still wouldn’t be able to travel to Zanzibar. These travel restrictions related to Covid have ensured that. I nevertheless follow travel influencers on Instagram, and I’m amazed at the lifestyle images they have previously taken in the locations I look forward to staying in. Influencers showcasing pictures of their last trip in Zanzibar sponsored by someone in the hospitality industry, by sharing their dreams of returning, even if they were sponsored by brands, by giving us their amazing experiences, enables me to share their dreams, and want to visit the same places they visited.

Influencer in Zanzibar — This influencer projected me into her Zanzibar dream

I can’t go to Zanzibar, take my boys to the park, or even buy a bottle of wine right now. But neither can celebrities and influencers who are also under lockdown. Everyone in South Africa is facing the same restrictions. It’s a level playing field. This is the first time in my life that there are no barriers in society. Whether you are in a relationship or not, whether you’re in a good job or not, this is a time when people can truly relate to others. We’re all in the same boat.

Influencers are real humans facing all the same restrictions I am. Whether they are rich and famous or not, have a fantastic job or not, whether they have a beautiful family or are single, have a big house or live in the same flat, when I see their content during this period, I can feel that we are all in the same boat, and all missing the same basic goods and experiences, so when they endorse a service or product and dream about it too. Brands that haven’t cut contact or shared a corporate message with me, but who shown me that they care, are the ones I’ll turn to when the lockdown is lifted.

This is a human crisis, and we all need the human touch right now.

Michelle Marais

Michelle is the Digital Marketing Manager at R-Squared, a leading influencer marketing agency partnering with some of the largest brands in South Africa and internationally. Through this crisis, our team has seen a change of behaviour and attitude from audiences and influencers who are connecting at a much deeper level, and we wanted to share this experience with you.

March 23, 2020August 7, 2020

Influencer Marketing During Coronavirus | Guidelines and SWOT

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Influencer Marketing During Coronavirus | Guidelines and SWOT

March 23, 2020

Some things will change due to crisis management during Coronavirus, but the following guidelines are nevertheless true at all times.

Strategies: Ensure that your dedicated influencer marketing strategic direction is aligned with the external circumstances, eg. online buying in a time of real-life isolation (buying from the safe comfort of your sofa), confirmed information about product availability, delivery etc by a trusted influencer who has direct confirmation with the correct brand information.

Engagement Mechanisms: Set engagement mechanisms that are designed to trigger specific reactions according to the campaign KPIs. Don’t ask open questions, as this may lead to negative engagement (including competitive brand endorsements) from the influencer’s audience, especially in times of a global health crisis. People are more sensitive and reactive right now, so designing an engagement mechanism that will help in achieving the marketing objectives, while avoiding brand crises, requires a very specific skillset.
Vetting: Ensure that all your influencers are strictly and carefully vetted for content quality, relevance, relatability, engagement rate, conflicts of interest, and anything else that can backfire on your brand. Strict and masterful vetting by influencer marketing experts is mandatory during this global health crisis as no one can afford a brand crisis over and above the existing circumstances.
Briefing: Coaching and briefing of influencers by experts in the field, who will communicate the brand’s needs effectively, while having a sound understanding of the industry, able to anticipate all opportunities and challenges, and able to communicate these to the influencers in a format that the influencers are able to understand and adopt easily.
Contracts: Ensure your contracts are very detailed and adapted to the risk and process specificities of the influencer marketing industry, and tailored per influencer according to the individualised missions that have been set. The clearer and more detailed the contract, the lower the risk of misunderstanding and frustration (which may backfire online) and the greater the potential campaign success.
Content Validation: With consumers and influencers reacting to the Coronavirus crisis, it’s more important than ever that all content should, without exception, be validated before the pieces of content go live, to ensure full alignment and no misunderstandings with the brief. All regulations should be respected per the industry vertical, all reactive risks should be mitigated, and all CTAs (call to action) should be double checked, in order to drive the expected results.
Content Monitoring: Always on monitoring of posts and engagement, to ensure quick reaction times and reassurance to audiences when necessary. This transforms fear of no business continuity at a time of an impending health crisis, into trust and brand love. This is where real conversations about business continuity, product availability and delivery along with other business specific topics during this abnormal period will happen. These topics will be addressed to, and handled by, the influencer, so it’s of utmost importance that there is masterful influencer management in close partnership and collaboration with the brand

R- Squared is an international influencer marketing agency based in Cape Town, South Africa. We are experts in designing, building, and managing highly engaging and authentic influencer projects that tell a story and protect the brand equity, through innovation, partnership and masterful management. R-Squared’s CEO is in the Top 50 Global Industry Players’ list and is the Chairman of the Influencer Marketing Committee at the IAB South Africa.

March 17, 2020August 7, 2020

The Rise of Coronavirus, Influencer Marketing, and Business Continuity

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The Rise of Coronavirus, Influencer Marketing, and Business Continuity

March 17, 2020

While it’s not completely business as usual in light of the Coronavirus, R-Squared’s operations aren’t affected, and measures for business continuity have been taken in order to not disturb existing campaigns and projects, ensuring the highest levels of quality. Influencer Marketing, and communication through community leaders can be extremely powerful in times of crisis, so here are some critical precautions to ensure people and brand safety and the powerful dissemination of your messaging:

At this time of crisis influencers
will be extremely efficient in assisting to shift your digital efforts to
building awareness
This will drive online sales from
the comfort of your audiences’ sofa, all the while your audience is staying
self-confined.
Work with influencers to share
your brand’s message that you care for your audience, and these are the ways
your audience can now have access to your services or products while staying
safe.

Finance, insurance, and other service industries are able to work remotely, yet hand in hand with influencers, in sharing important tips on staying safe and efficiently looking after your finances during times of economic and health uncertainty.

During this time of crisis, if managed with significant expertise, content from influencers will be increasingly impactful. They are people speaking to people; it’s not a corporate message. People are concerned and need an emotional connection with someone they trust and follow, right now. Make it you.

If you are already a client of R-Squared, your Account Manager will be in touch to evaluate the needs to review the current or future campaigns. If you are considering working with R-Squared but are not a client yet, please communicate with stephane@r2digital.co.za or via WhatsApp at +27 (0)60 698 7204 to assess your brief and timeline against current capacity before sending your brief.

October 14, 2019August 7, 2020

INFLUENCER MARKETING BUDGETING 2020

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INFLUENCER MARKETING BUDGETING 2020

October 14, 2019

Statistics point towards increasing brand spend on Influencer Marketing for 2020. What does this mean for your company/brand? Recently, 60% of 18-34 years old in South Africa say that their purchase decisions have been swayed by influencers on social media. (source: eConsultancy). Statistics show that the recent attitude of consumers are fostered by trusted endorsements by persons they feel an emotional connection with – Influencers. Influencer marketing has been on the rise, both in South Africa and globally.

SocialPubli.com, the leading global micro-influencer marketing platform, released a 2019 Influencer Marketing Report: A Marketer’s Perspective report. The report revealed that over half of respondents (53%) allocate at least 10% of their marketing budgets to influencer marketing. When asked about their investment projections for 2019, 60% of marketers said that they plan to further increase their influencer marketing budget in the upcoming year. 30% plan to maintain the same budget and only 2.5% expect to decrease their

Influencer Marketing Hub in partnership with other researchers, conducted its sample study in the UK, and found that Influencer Marketing has continued to grow as an industry. It was a $1.7 billion industry in 2016, increasing to $3 billion in 2017. Growth continued to $4.6 billion in 2018 and is expected to continue its upward trajectory this year to potentially become a $6.5 billion industry for 2019-2020.
92% of the market surveyed believe influencer marketing is an effective form of marketing. And guess what? 86% intend to dedicate a high portion of their budget to influencer marketing. 63% of businesses who budgeted for influencer marketing intend to increase their spending over the next 12 months, with 17% expecting their influencer marketing spend to remain the same. 15% of respondents were unsure about what would happen with their influencer marketing budget, and only 5% intend to decrease their budget.

In
the US, Statists reveal a 39% decision by brands to increase their influencer
marketing campaigns; 35% of brands are uncertain yet; 21% will remain the same;
and only 5% of brands decided to decrease their budget on Influencer marketing
campaigns.While
some brands in South Africa have yet to embrace influencer marketing and some
are to set aside budget for influencer campaigns, most are taking advantage of
the new order.

At R-Squared we have seen this happen, as the average influencer campaign budget from our clients has significantly increased over the last 18 months. The key to success with Influencer marketing is having the right influencer marketing expert create a perfect framework.

Conclusion:
The statistics reveal influencer marketing has grown more than 3.5 times in less than 4 years because of its efficiency. We have seen globally in 2019 that 60% of marketers increased their influencer marketing budget. 86% in the UK have dedicated a significant portion of their budget to influencer marketing while 63% of businesses who budgeted for influencer marketing have decided to increase their influencer marketing over the 12 months. In the US, the decision by brands to increase their influencer marketing spend increased by 39%. Some of the most successful brands and agencies have moved a significant portion of their budget to influencer marketing.
Is your brand following the same trend

*Emmanuel Okonkwo works as External Communications at R-Squared Digital – a leading influencer marketing creative agency in South Africa that works with most of the best brands and agencies in the country and internationally. R-Squared Digital is known for its masterful management and its specific industry expertise in designing, executing and managing influencer marketing projects that are extremely engaging, authentic, and protecting the brand equity.

partners@r2digital.co.za
R-Squared Digital

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