The Democratization of Influence - How Gen Z Led a Content & Creator Revolution - Corinne Rose Guirgis, Curium Agency
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In this talk, we will discuss the declining role for the mega influencer in digital marketing campaigns, and the rise of the “every day” nano creator. This shift has highlighted the importance of authenticity to a generation of digital natives who don’t want to be “sold”, and how building a community of users who are authentic advocates for your brand online can best support your mission. Key Takeaways: 1) A Brief History of Influence - How Social Channels Have Evolved & How They Shape Influence 2) The Content Evolution and Rise of Social Video 3) The Democratization of Influencer Marketing – The Rise of the Everyday Creator 4) Gen Z – the Bellwether for the Future of Social 5) Shifts in Influencer Marketing & Tips for Future-focused Creator Marketing.
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The Democratization of Influence - How Gen Z Led a Content & Creator Revolution - Corinne Rose Guirgis, Curium Agency
- 1. KEYNOTE PHOENIX, AZ ~ NOVEMBER 13 - 14, 2023 DIGIMARCONSOUTHWEST.COM | #DigiMarConSouthwest Corinne Rose Guirgis DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY CURIUM AGENCY The Democratization of Influence: How Gen Z Led a Content & Creator Revolution towards Authentic Marketing
- 2. THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF INFLUENCE How Gen Z Led a Content & Creator Revolution (and what that means for brands)
- 3. TODAY’S AGENDA 5 Shifts in Influencer Marketing & Tips for Future-focused Creator Marketing 1 A Brief History of Influence - How Social Channels Have Evolved & How They Shape Influence 3 The Democratization of Influencer Marketing – The Rise of the Everyday Creator 2 The Content Evolution and Rise of Social Video 4 Gen Z – the Bellwether for the Future of Social 6 Core Platforms & Best-in- Class Examples
- 4. Some food for thought - your community wants to experienXe your brand! So let's let them! LET’S TALK ABOUT SHIFTS
- 5. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SOCIAL CONTENT MARKETPLACE
- 6. 2007 2008/9 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2004 2005 2006 2010 2019+ 2013 2016 2011 CORE PLATFORMS PLATFORM INNOVATIONS & KEY DEVELOPMENTS LAUNCH YEAR KEY COMPETITOR (Exclusive User Pilot) (All Users) THE EVOLVING USE CASES OF SOCIAL
- 8. EVOLUTION OF CONTENT MARKETING – SETTING THE STAGE While many credit Facebook as the key founder of mainstream social media, YouTube sparked mainstream video content. Video has stayed popular across generations and gives us the biggest clues as to the direction of social content marketing Video is also critical for brands to break through with consumers - but it may feel expensive/intimidating Dear Video… “You were always the one.”
- 9. EVOLUTION OF CONTENT MARKETING – COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE Time for a game of…. COMPETITOR CAT & MOUSE Platforms compete on video innovation and engagement. YouTube sets the standard.
- 10. GREATER ROLE FOR SHORT FORM VIDEO Cultural Relevance Tapping into current trends and formats keeps your brand fresh and resonant with younger demographics Omnichannel Marketing Distribute short videos across multiple platforms to maximize reach and frequency Data & Testing Viewership metrics and built-in testing features allow you to iterate and optimize your short video content across channels Short-form vertical video has become ubiquitous across social media. Platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels meet modern consumers' demand for bite-sized, entertaining content. Leveraging these channels benefits brands through: Wider Use Repurpose influencer content into short videos to extend their value and get more mileage from your collaborations Getting your brand in front of new audiences on emerging video platforms, while also interconnecting with existing marketing, is essential for continued relevance and growth. Short-form video provides engaging new canvases for brands to create moments that matter.
- 11. IG REELS Build frequency with existing on- platform audience (one of the world’s largest and most engaged) and introduce them to new content TIKTOK Reach new culturally-relevant audiences whose average daily sessions on- platform are notably longer than competitors YOUTUBE SHORTS Capitalize on YouTube’s competitive rates, robust consumer interest targeting and algorithmic prioritization of Shorts as their answer to TikTok SHORT FORM VIDEO BY PLATFORM Each short-form video channel offers unique opportunities to grab attention, engage mobile-first users, and complement your existing marketing mix.
- 13. CYCLE OF INFLUENCE THE MARKET THE MESSAGE THE MESSENGER THE MEDIUM MAPPING MODERN MEDIA – 4 M’S OF INFLUENCE The cycle of influence has four key elements: • The Message • The Medium • The Messenger • The Market Looking at influencer marketing through history shows how these elements have shifted over time. Who is the intended audience or end user? Who is doing the sharing? What is the content being shared? What platforms is it being shared on?
- 14. CYCLE OF INFLUENCE THE MARKET THE MESSAGE THE MESSENGER THE MEDIUM PHASE 1: PRE-ONLINE ERA OF INFLUENCER (PRE-2008) Pre-internet influence was centralized with media and celebrities. Limited options but high impressions. Gen pop with access to and interest in mainstream media Unilateral & Controlled Producers, publicists & journalists Typically Boomer & Gen X News outlets Tabloid Magazines Reality Television
- 15. CYCLE OF INFLUENCE THE MARKET THE MESSAGE THE MESSENGER THE MEDIUM Early online influence just moved traditional media online. More user voices emerged. PHASE 2: TRADITIONAL INFLUENCE GOES ONLINE (~2008-2014) Millennial Adults in early 20s to mid 30s New Parents Curated but open to user input Shareable & accessible Millennial Journalists & Bloggers; Photographers Early Adopter Celebrities Online Publications Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
- 16. PHASE 3: GATEKEPT SOCIAL INFLUENCE ERA (2015 – 2019) CYCLE OF INFLUENCE THE MARKET THE MESSAGE THE MESSENGER THE MEDIUM Cross demographic, native digital users, platform dependent Interactive, independent, influential Polished and well curated Creators & Influencers – all ages, millennial focus Social Video - Instagram, Snapchat Twitch, TikTok Social media opened up influence opportunities. Influencers gained reach. Authenticity posed a challenge.
- 17. CYCLE OF INFLUENCE THE MARKET THE MESSAGE THE MESSENGER THE MEDIUM Phase 4: The Democratization of Influence (2020- 2023) Millennials, Gen Z’s and “Z- lennials” aged 16 – 25 THE MESSENGERS ARE THE MARKET – THE CONSUMERS ARE THE CREATORS Creator fueled & owned Limitless & unregulated Authentic, unpolished & raw IG, Twitch, TikTok & BeReal NFTs, Web3 & The Metaverse Now everyone can be an influencer. Consumers are creators. Emphasis on authenticity. Brands must adapt.
- 18. MODERN INFLUNECE THE MESSENGERS = THE MARKET
- 19. Rethinking Influencer Success Winning on TikTok and YouTube Shorts can't be measured apples-to- apples against reach and impressions on mature platforms like Facebook and Instagram. In today's digital landscape, reaching audiences WHERE they are most socially engaged is just as crucial as reaching the masses. Can’t Measure Apples to Apples While measurement metrics differ across channels, exposing your brand to new demographics in a culturally relevant way expands your impact. And forgoing these trending platforms risks missing a generation of emerging consumer power and influence. Younger, influential audiences skew toward short-form vertical video platforms. Meeting these digital natives where they spend time and communicate on their terms is increasingly vital for brands. Meet Audiences Where they Are Influencer success today means showing up authentically wherever attention is shifting—even if it looks different. Your presence and resonance with audiences matters more than pure scale. Prioritize Authenticity Keep up with Culture
- 20. Authenticity & Accessibility Community & Connection Positivity & Humor Integration & Inclusion Cultural Relevance Pragmatic Approach Social Good Content should feel real and relatable as consumers want open dialogue Help build online communities & Facilitate bonding over shared interests Counter negativity and news with humor and positivity Create inclusive spaces people feel they belong Align with current trends Immerse in culture authentically Focus on value over loyalty Appeal to practical purchase habits Reflect consumer values Stand for more than just sales KEY PILLARS OF TODAY’S CULTURE OF INFLUENCE
- 21. INFLUENCER MARKETING: EVOLVING USE CASES Influencer marketing is now no longer just about awareness. It’s about consideration, community & content creation. Influencers have become affordable content studios for brands and do so in ways that can be even more impactful and cost effective than large ad studios - because they know their community and they have their finger on the pulse of culture.
- 22. SHIFTING SCALE OF INFLUENCE MEGA & MACRO TO CREATOR (MICRO/NANO) • Micro and nano influencers are more impactful than mega influencers now when it comes to engagement and authenticity. • Data suggests consumers are more likely to see micro- influencer as ‘someone like me’, driving credibility and relatability • As a generation that grew up as creators, many young micro- influencers create high quality content that feels native to the platform
- 23. RISE OF THE NANO AND USER-GENERATED CREATOR
- 24. A Fine Line: Nano Creators meet UGC Brands can and should use real customer content just like influencer content. This performs well and platforms reward it. The line between creators and consumers is blurring. User generated content is very powerful for EARNING CONSUMER TRUST
- 25. SO HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? MEET OUR BELLWETHER: GEN Z WHO ARE THEY, AND WHY SHOULD I CARE (EVEN IF THEY AREN’T MY TARGET!)
- 26. Body
- 27. WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT GEN Z IF THEY AREN’T MY TARGET? The youngest generation predicts the next decade of digital, social and consumer trends. Gen Z’s predictive power is unique from their predecessors because internet and innovation are accelerating at unprecedented rates. They’re the first and only digital natives, meaning they’re shaping consumer cultural and digital behavior at an accelerated rate that influences brands, technology and people. They are reworking the creator economy by empowering themselves as both creator and consumer and as messengers are controlling the message, the medium, the market. Other generations respect and understand their hyper connectivity represent one third of the global economy and hold record-breaking purchasing power as the purveyors of influence and the closest point of contact to brands. PREDICTIVE POWER CREATORS AND CONSUMERS PURCHASING POWER CONNECTIVE CONOISSEURS Traditional demographics are quickly becoming obsolete as identifiers, with consumers tending to form communities around shared values.
- 28. BRANDS & THE CREATOR CONSUMER While a greater portion of millennial creators than Gen Z ones have posted about a brand on their social channels, Gen Z creators are more excited about brands using, reposting or partnering with their content.
- 29. Gen Z has huge influence as creators and consumers. Their content steers purchasing decisions across all ages and incomes. 1/3 of household shopping is influenced by Gen Z. PURCHASING POWER
- 30. THE MARKETING LENS: HOW DO BRANDS OPERATE IN THIS NEW ERA OF INFLUENCE?
- 31. INTEREST GRAPH NETWORK GRAPH CURATED, OVER PRODUCED, STATIC IN THE MOMENT, AUTHENTIC, VIDEO CONSUMERS ARE CREATORS CREATORS TALKING TO CONSUMERS ENGAGING FOLLOWING OUT WITH THE OLD…IN WITH THE FUN! ALOGORITHM CONTENT COMMUNICATION CONSUMPTION
- 32. So, do we still partner with megas? THE ANSWER IS YES! If the current creator economy is an airplane, the mega influencers act as the fuselage for the brand narrative to take off, and the micro/nano influencers are the wings that propel the movement/ momentum forward after initial launch.
- 33. COLLECTIVE POWER THE MIX The steady collective force of both megas and nanos keeps the brand narrative aloft and cruising ahead. NANO CREATORS The engines that keep the momentum going, spreading the message further and faster through their networks after take off. They sustain the brand movement's energy in the long run. MEGA CREATORS Provide the structure and framework to lift the brand message up and launch it out to a wide audience.
- 34. Each type of creator feeds into the other in a cycle that centers the proliferation of your brand and message CREATING AN AUTHENTIC STORY NANO CREATORS MEGA CREATORS
- 35. SUSTAINED STORYTELLING Create a library of cost effective content from diverse perspectives that sustains your online presence and message throughout the year ARMY OF AUTHENTIC ADVOCATES Naturally integrate your product into the consumer lifestyle by participating in the growing creator-as-consumer pipeline THE PRIMARY GOALS OF COMMUNITY CREATION
- 36. THE REAL DEAL
- 37. 20 YEARS OF EVOLUTION IN 60 MINUTES… LET’S RECAP
- 38. “SO WHAT” – A KEY TAKEAWAY RECAP Gen Z has played a key role in leading the creator revolution – moving away from traditional influence and into a world where everyone is a creator with great capacity to reach and influence just by participating. In the evolution of digital media and the creator economy, many new platforms have emerged and existing platforms have expanded their use cases to answer to their competitors and capture market share. As a result, Gen Z has heavily influenced the way that consumers from all ages and demographics interact with brands, creators and platforms and moved our online culture from a network/demographic graph to an interest graph – where people connect based on shared values/interests rather than age, gender or socioeconomic status. The early and sustained success of YouTube set the stage for our video-first online ecosystem, with Facebook playing a key role in what is now referred to as the “pivot to video” and disruptors like Snapchat, Twitch and TikTok forcing innovation amongst the core channels. There has been a dramatic shift from mega creator to community creator culture – where authentic, accessible user generated content form nano creators is a great compliment heavily branded high-cost production or one-time mega-influencer endorsements. Influencer culture has evolved through various stages to its current state of democratization where the consumer is the creator and the creator is the consumer.