Celebrities have been highlighted by mainstream media for hundreds of years. From John Wayne to Kim Kardashian, they’ve been a hugely influential part of pop culture. On the other hand, social media influencers have only been in the public eye for a few decades, but they’ve already replaced traditional celebrities in online marketing campaigns.
Two pivotal characteristics make influencers much more successful at suggesting products to their audience: the viewer’s identification with the influencer and that same person’s perceived credibility.
The audience’s identification with a content creator is based on how well they see themselves, or their attainable ideal selves, in the person they’re watching. The effectiveness increases when consumers want to look like or have the influencer’s lifestyle and feel that this goal is attainable – think of Alix Earle or Steven Kelly. A 2020 study found that influencer endorsements lead to much higher wishful identification and trustworthiness and, in turn, brand engagement than endorsements from traditional celebrities.
So, what does this mean for the future of social media campaigns?
With more rising influencers on every platform, each person’s niche allows them to more authentically endorse products within their realm. So, when you’re on the hunt for influencers for your next campaign, go the extra mile and work with influencers who organically align with your brand.
One well-known example of a seamless influencer campaign is the partnership between Charli D’Amelio and Dunkin’ Donuts. Charli has been known to always be swirling her iced coffee, so when she partnered with the brand in 2020 to create her signature drink (a cold brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl), her audience saw the collaboration as a genuine support and promotion of the brand. She is still a Dunkin’ Donuts partner and her TikToks promoting the brand continue to be on-brand and full of actual enjoyment.
More recently, Curtis and Danielle Taylor (@pompeohome on Instagram) partnered with Home Depot during their move. Their promoted content highlights Home Depot’s paint and painting accessories in this reel. The Taylors create home DIY and renovation content, so this collaboration blends well with the rest of their content, making the suggestion to use Home Depot paint to get your deposit back a trustworthy and plausible one.
However, this type of promotion requires influencers to maintain a credible and relatable relationship with their audience, especially because most celebrities can’t cultivate this type of community.
By Mel Johnson
