Inside the Creator Economy

The Past, Present and Future of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has been around longer than people give it credit for - though in its current form it might look a teensy bit different to how it did in the ‘90s or even earlier. We’re taking a trip down memory lane, looking at the brand collaborations and marketing moments that laid the foundation for influencer marketing as it exists today in all its measurable, strategic glory.

From there we’ll be jumping forward in time for a glimpse at what the future holds for the channel, offering the three trends Cure Media believe will come to define the next era of influencer marketing.

We’re talking about:

• Pop culture moments that set the scene for influencer marketing’s place in the spotlight
• The biggest changes between influencer marketing then and now
• And what comes next in the channel’s evolution

Sustainable Fashion: The 2022 Playbook

Sustainability is ranking higher and higher on the priority list for marketers, consumers and the human population at large. And for fashion brands, that means taking a hard look at the way they currently manage their supply chain and their business.

But while change is necessary, it might not take the shape you think.

Looking at the next-generation solutions available, we sat down with Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy, a leading environmental not-for-profit, to discuss how Canopy’s work with industry leaders such as H&M, ASOS and Zalando and reshaping the way we think of sustainable fashion. 

Find out:

• What innovative actions fashion brands can take to reduce environmental impact
• Why this is a commercial consideration as much as an ethical one
• And how you can get the message of your good work across to shoppers

Brand Building with Influencer Marketing: The MADE.com Approach

From their envy-inducing feed posts to their heartwarming community MADEovers, the MADE.com social aesthetic is as iconic as it is individual. And make no mistake - that’s not something that happened by accident.

We invited Lauren Spearman, Head of Consumer Communications and Social at the trendy interiors brand, into the studio to give us a glimpse into what it takes to build a recognisable brand on social media without falling into the cookie-cutter trap, and how brands can nurture relationships with influencers that will help them achieve that. 

We’ll look at:

• How to avoid consumer cynicism on social media 
• How MADE.com maximises the efficacy of their influencer content
• And how they found their USP in a competitive landscape

Are You Using the Wrong Tactics for Your Influencer Marketing Goals?

As a brand today, it’s important to understand what you’re hoping to achieve within influencer marketing - because from there you can learn which tactics are best suited to your unique offering and goals. Otherwise, you risk not getting the most out of your investment in the channel. 

In this episode, Holly and Frida will guide you through the different influencer marketing tactics; the big collaborations, ambassador programs, one-off campaigns, affiliate marketing, gifting, and last but not least, always-on. How do the tactics differ from each other and which ones suit your influencer marketing goals the best? 

We’ll cover:

• Why one tactic doesn’t need to replace the other 
• The most suitable influencer size for each tactic 
• Why you should look at these tactics as a pyramid 

Reaching Gen Z: 4 Top Tips for Beauty Brands by MakeupMekka

For beauty brands to be top-of-mind and reach the ever-changing consumers of Gen Z, they need to have their ears to the ground and learn where this group spends time and what they look for in brands. 

To offer the best advice in this area, we invited Berit Sjovik, CEO at MakeupMekka to the podcast studio. MakeupMekka is a Norwegian based beauty brand founded in 2009 that develops and sells their makeup brand online.

In this week’s episode, Berit shares insights on how to reach and attract the Gen Z audience. More specifically, we discuss how brands can turn them into loyal buyers, as well as what content appeals to Gen Z and how to involve them in your product development process. We wrap up with a discussion of how influencer marketing plays into Makeup Mekka’s larger business strategy.

Amplify Your Influencer Marketing with Paid Social

Today’s marketing landscape is constantly updating, and brands need to stay up to date on the most relevant ways to communicate with their audiences in order to stand out from the crowd. With this constant development comes new tactics to leverage on, not only for marketing in general but also for influencer marketing. 

 

In this episode, Sam Foroozesh, CEO & Co-founder at Cure Media will guide you through how to amplify your influencer marketing investment and impact through paid social. More specifically, why brands need to leverage on this tactic, the benefits of peer-to-peer content in a paid social context, and what results it can bring. 

We’ll cover:

• What influencer paid social means and the evolution of this tactic
• The benefits of adding paid social to your influencer strategy
• How influencer marketing comes into peer-to-peer marketing 

 

Find Your Best Fit Influencer Marketing Partner

While there are undoubtedly a number of challenges you might face when looking to incorporate influencer marketing into your strategy, one major one comes up time and again: resources. With so many agencies now crowding the market, how can you know which is the right pick for you?

In this podcast episode, we’ll be guiding you through the different influencer marketing approaches out there and help you find the best-fit influencer marketing partner for your goals. 

We’ll cover:

• The difference between a full-spec media agency, a PR agency, and an influencer marketing agency 
• Three different influencer marketing agencies and their approaches to the channel 
• The technical capabilities you should consider before partnering up with an influencer marketing agency

 

How Missguided Uses Influencer Marketing to Build a Fashion Empire

In this episode, we are excited to share insights from one of the top players within the social media and influencer marketing landscape: Missguided. Vicky James, Missguided’s Head of Brand Marketing, reflects on how the fashion brand has become one of the UK’s most popular among Millennial and Gen Z shoppers. 

Vicky James also discusses her view on brand-building in an evolving marketing landscape, and what it really means to build a brand in today’s world. We finish up with an enlightening discussion about Missguided’s approach to diversity and inclusivity.

We’ll cover:

• How Missguided attracts Millennials and Gen Z
• The role of influencer marketing at Missguided 
• How Missguided measures their branding activities 

How to Win Customer Trust with Peer-to-peer Marketing

One of the top influencer marketing trends for 2022 is that Gen Z and Millennials expect brands to be authentic and transparent - and consumers’ demand for authenticity is here to stay. To meet this need, it’s important that brands adopt the right approach and style when trying to connect with their target audience.

In this podcast episode, we’ll focus on the benefits of using peer-to-peer marketing tactics compared to brand-to-peer tactics. More specifically, why Gen Z and Millennials favour P2P, the benefits of this marketing tactic, and how brands can make the most of P2P via influencer marketing.

We’ll cover:

• Why peer-to-peer marketing is more effective than traditional marketing
• How influencer marketing comes into peer-to-peer marketing 
• The modern consumer behaviour and how it affect brands 

 

What Brands Need in an Influencer Marketing Platform

For too long, influencer marketing was a channel shrouded in mystery; traceable ROI was allegedly evasive and audience size was practically the only metric that mattered. While creativity and aesthetic might still reign supreme for most of the market, times have changed and at Cure Media, we look at things a little differently. 

In this week’s episode, we invited Babak Faramarzian, Co-founder and Head of Product at Cure Media to sort out what brands need to look for when choosing an influencer marketing platform and what role data and technology have in this growing industry - both today and in the future. 

We’ll cover:

• The most common technology approaches to influencer marketing 
• How the right technology can help overcome your biggest challenges 
• What to ask for when partnering up with a data-driven influencer marketing agency