Communication is constantly changing according to the trends of the world it expresses. In digital marketing, new trends are steadily emerging to become real strategies for promoting goods and services: influencer marketing is one of these. Companies need to make careful choices when approaching the topic of influencers.
Influencer marketing is the communication strategy that makes use of a message delivered by public figures, via social media platforms, capable of influencing the purchasing decisions of their audience. A successful strategy is to target a small fanbase, but one that is very connected to the talent because it is functional to obtain better results in terms of engagement and CPM.
The pandemic crisis of the last two years has led to exponential growth in this sector globally. In Italy, the ever-increasing phenomenon will record a +12% increase in investment by 2021. The figure, provided by UPA president Lorenzo Sassoli de Bianchi at the Influencer Marketing 2021 conference, shows an estimated investment of 272 million euros.
The conference held on 24 September 2021 in Milan, organised by UPA (Utenti Pubblicità Associata), analysed the phenomenon from different points of view, creating space for debate among the parties involved. Three sessions of interventions: scenario, opportunities and challenges; strategy & inspiration; processes and measurement.
For those who would like to see videos of the conference, a playlist is available on YouTube.
Event materials are also available at this link: https://www.upa.it/it/influencer-marketing-2021-i-materiali-dell-evento.html
Many of the speeches delivered during the conference emphasised the importance of this communication strategy in reaching an increasingly wide audience. Fundamental characteristics are creativity, uniqueness, talent, community and impact.
Choosing the talent before having the creative idea would be like casting the lead actor before having the film script: a process error that detracts from the value of the story.
Alberto Bommartini, Head of Influencer Marketing at The Story Lab
How to prevent risk profiles and act in case of issues
In Influencer Marketing there are several risks that need to be considered before any investment. Assessing the legal aspect of any marketing activity cannot be a secondary consideration.
The legal aspect in influencer marketing is as important as developing business, creativity and measurement. The rules of transparency in online communication are among the priorities to be known and examined.
Transparency of advertising means the recognisability of the advertising message as it is.
Paolina Testa, Lawyer for FTCC Studio Legale Associato
During her speech, Lawyer Testa gave the reasons for this principle, mentioning consumer protection and the protection of competitors.
Companies operating in the market must appropriately focus on the economic terms of contracts. In this regard, Mauro Festa, Lawyer, Founder & Managing Partner for LegalFor, explained the aspects of the economic negotiation of agreements between companies and influencers.
In her intervention, Lawyer Ilaria Gargiulo, Head of IP&Advertising team, Studio Legale DGRS, underlined 3 practical advices:
- “Prevention is better than cure” training and contracts
- “Care for details” data monitoring and analysis
- “At a standstill” policy as a defence tool for brands and as an added value to the services of agencies and influencers
Practical tips to preserve brand values that are communicated during campaigns, keeping in mind that each type of communication directly reflects on brand value.
Legal assistance, the formation of a contract and a clear and detailed brief are useful tools to protect companies and brand value. Monitoring data is important not only to assess KPIs and ROI but also to verify the transmission of the company’s values during the influencer’s communication.
Finally, legal policies are a valuable ally for companies, communication agencies and influencers themselves. These policies allow them to conserve time and resources, to be ready for any situation, and finally, they are a competitive asset.
Creator: influencers on TikTok
The creative importance of influencers emerged several times during the conference. In addition to conveying important messages for brands, they communicate and embody the values of the company.
We call them creators and not influencers precisely because on TikTok content is at the centre, and it is therefore on creativity, and not on popularity, that creators manage to build deeper connections with the community. In this sense, creators are also fundamental allies for brands who, thanks to their creative contribution, can develop authentic content and messages, capable of involving and connecting even more effectively with our community.
Giorgia Capponi, Agency Partnerships Lead at TikTok Italia.
Hungarian market dominated by YouTube
The influencer marketing industry in Hungary also shows a growing trend. According to last year’s data and the opinion of experts in the field, the size of the influencer market in Hungary would exceed 1 billion HUF per year.
Here social interfaces have a very young audience, compared to traditional media, the most active age group on social is 18-24, which remains variable between communities on different platforms. Research shows that the most profitable platform for influencer marketing is Youtube, which would even have greater effects than traditional media.
From online communities to events in Budapest
The figures of influencers are very popular in social media communities, to the point of becoming a presence in the daily lives of users who spend part of their time on the platforms. It is interesting to see how the dynamics on social media create real links between influencers and communities, allowing the organisation of events where there is a space for interaction beyond the social world.
Among the events launched in Budapest in recent weeks: the one on Saturday 25.09.21 in Kemenes Cukrasda which featured the well-known Hungarian influencer Zsofia Kelemen, and the one a few weeks ago at Flow Specialty Coffee Bar & Bistro during which Lina, (linaxxpanni) met her community in Budapest.
Sources: upa.it | kreativ.hu | iab.hu |
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