Influencer Marketing Reimagined

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.”
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.

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.

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
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/media-consumption-covid-19/

Media
Consumption
Millennials
• Online videos
• Online / TV streaming

Media
Consumption
Gen X
• Broadcast TV
• Online Streaming

Media
Consumption
Boomer
• Broadcast TV
• Online Streaming

Media
Consumption
Millennials are the most
active. Searches for
Coronavirus, listening to
music, and watching
movies/shows have the
highest activity.

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.
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.

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.

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.

CREDITS: This presentation template was
created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon,
and infographics & images by Freepik.
Thank you
Are you a brand or an
agency? Contact us to
leverage your brand love
through influencer
marketing
partners@r2digital.co.za

Influencer Marketing Reimagined

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