ONE of the benefits of membership in the International Public Relations Association (Ipra) is its Ipra Thought Leadership or ITL essay series sent to its members composed of leading senior public relation (PR) professionals. The ITL series is in line with one of the PR organization’s main missions, which is to be at the forefront of PR education and development around the world.
One such recent ITL essay, written by Nicole Reaney, director of InsideOut PR and Social Influencer agency, deals with the growing trend in PR to engage social influencers, or influencers for short.
What exactly are influencers? These are persons in social media—bloggers, Tweeters and users of various other platforms—who, through their broad and in-depth knowledge of certain subjects, such as health, food, travel, fashion and so forth, have attained credibility and gained a wide following of people who believe in them and whose opinions and actions they are able to affect in one way or another.
Celebrity endorsements losing impact
IN a previous article I wrote for this column, entitled “Celebrity endorsements: The benefits and pitfalls”, I noted using celebrity endorsers have helped enhance the images of companies and boost their sales. Reaney, likewise, noted “companies were able to capture a personality’s established following and connect that audience to their brand. They could generate instant brand appeal from the likeability of the celebrity. When the association appeared credible, brands cashed in on this business exchange.”
However, if the celebrities become involved in controversies or scandals, they could cause damage on the companies they represent, which could take a long time for them to recover from. And even if the celebrities were able to avoid committing missteps, Reaney pointed out the believability and fascination accorded celebrities become diluted as “more and more companies pressed brands into the faces of consumers.” This is not to mention the costs of signing of celebrities can be expensive, especially in the case of entertainment or athletic superstars.
Engaging influencers can have a better return on investment since “while a single-paid celebrity partnership can dent a marketing budget, restricting the extensiveness of a campaign, multiple highly relevant influencers can be reached economically and achieve brand coverage in a measurable creative strategy.” The relationships with celebrities, according to Reaney, worked effectively back where consumers were less skeptical and in an era when marketing was seen as an authentic company voice. Besides, she felt consumers were becoming better conditioned to recognizing paid endorsements, thus diminishing the credibility of the celebrities further.
Influencers now a powerful entity
TODAY, Reaney further stated, social influencers are reining in the power of celebrities and journalism. “In their own right, they [influencers] are reaching a community status that positions them as a powerful entity for brands and messaging. The rise in everyday bloggers and social influencers has added a new dimension for brands. Generally affordable, flexible and relatable to the population, these marketing assets are making waves in brand campaigns.”
Without the complexity and within easy reach, social influencers are viewed as credible sources. A recent study revealed over 80 percent of consumers are highly likely to follow a product recommendation made by an influencer.
Another proof of the growing power of influencers presented by Reaney is finding that paid endorsements by online influencers are now used by 52 percent of online marketers—a number that is rapidly closing in on display ads (58 percent) as the top paid avenue for online advertising.
Flexible vehicle
ONE further advantage Reaney finds in influencers is they are a “flexible vehicle”. She explains this is because they can be utilized for reviews, integrating product use, blog and social posts, as well as pure advertising. Another plus is it is a vehicle that can be quickly executed to react to timely events.
Reaney declared “in a brand’s quest to deliver campaigns that maximize allocated budgets and create a more personal connection with consumers, taking the time to invest in social influencer strategies will realize the diminishing return of traditional celebrity partnerships.”
Trend also growing in PHL
THE trend toward the use of influencers has also been growing here in the Philippines, where the number of Filipinos using digital and social media as a medium of communication continues to expand, as the economy continues to improve, as incomes rise and as the telecommunications infrastructure further develops. Thus, tapping social influencers is a trend PR practitioners would do well to latch on to, if they have not yet done so.
Of course, there are also ethical and even legal issues that need to be managed and sorted out. But this is where the savvy, creativity and integrity of a good PR professional comes into play. As in all PR skills, the ones who can develop and master engaging influencers best will have the competitive advantage over the rest.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the International Public Relations Association, the premier association for senior professionals around the world. Rene Nieva is the chairman and CEO of Perceptions Inc.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.