- Influence Weekly
- Posts
- Influence Weekly #339 - Sony Slams Marriott Hotel Social Media Team With $140M Copyright Suit Over Using Beyoncé, Bad Bunny Music on TikTok, IG
Influence Weekly #339 - Sony Slams Marriott Hotel Social Media Team With $140M Copyright Suit Over Using Beyoncé, Bad Bunny Music on TikTok, IG
Biden’s Secret Weapon To Win Over Gen Z? A $85,000 “Partner Manager” For Memes
Nii Ahene
May 31, 2024
Spotlight Stories
Biden’s Secret Weapon To Win Over Gen Z? A $85,000 “Partner Manager” For Memes
Sony Slams Marriott Hotels With $140M Copyright Suit Over Using Beyoncé, Bad Bunny Music on TikTok, IG
Xiaohongshu: How a Chinese influencer platform became a $20-billion empire
YouTube Unveils “Playables” With 75+ Free Games To Play Directly On The Platform
Great Reads
In an unorthodox strategy to reach Gen Z voters, President Biden's re-election team is hiring an $85,000 "partner manager" dedicated to collaborating with popular internet meme pages and content creators. The position will foster relationships with accounts posting viral jokes and images amassing tens of millions of followers - dwarfing Biden's own social presences.
The campaign recognizes younger demographics are disengaged from traditional political news, instead consuming commentary through the internet's meme culture. The tactic mimics how campaigning increasingly leverages influencer marketing after Obama's 2008 Facebook success.
While admittedly no fan of social media himself, Biden aims to enhance youth outreach by meeting Gen Z where they consume content most prolifically. For creator economy professionals, the hiring underscores influencer marketing's growing role in reaching fragmented audiences - even in the high-stakes arena of national politics.
Talent manager Chris Alexander is disrupting the traditional agency model with his new venture prscnt. The tech platform leverages automation tools to reduce overhead costs and charge creators more reasonable fees tailored per client, from 5-10% rather than the standard 10-30%.
A key differentiator is prscnt's emphasis on empowering creators over exploiting their labor. The platform will offer self-service brand deal sourcing and free resources like content calendars. Alexander aims to build a franchise model where other managers can join under prscnt's lean operating structure.
With a mission to put "people over profits," prscnt balances profitability and fairness through case-by-case fee negotiations. Upcoming initiatives include fully building the platform, collectivizing with other indies, and rolling out more free creator tools.
By prioritizing sustainability and creator interests through its automated, low-cost approach, prscnt represents an innovative new path for talent representation better suited to today's creator economy landscape.
Instagram is exploring adding a "Memes" option to its Reels editing tools, providing access to a library of popular, animated meme templates for users to overlay on their videos. The move aligns with Meta's push for more user-generated, participatory content as original posts decline on Instagram.
By making meme content easier to create and share, Instagram could incentivize more posting from users. The participatory meme trend gained major traction on TikTok through its open dueting and remixing features lacking on Instagram.
If successful, the Memes tool could reinvigorate the types of viral video remix trends that have been key drivers of engagement and creative expression in the creator economy. However, Instagram would need to continually update its meme template library to stay relevant.
Sponsored
How Spotlight Oral Care got over 6 millions views with micro influencers on TikTok
Spotlight Oral Care partnered with minisocial to amplify their Teeth Whitening Pen on TikTok and create videos featuring their product in action
Partnering with 50 micro influencers who together had a 548k followers, they were able to go viral with over 6 million views across videos
minisocial is a fully-managed solution that partners your brand with high-quality micro influencer creators who produce fully-licensed content AND share it with their followers! It's the best two-in-one solution out there.
Plus you can get 15% off just mention Influence Weekly.
Scared of commitment? Good, they don’t have any. Just pay per project you choose to spin up.
Campaign Insights
Sony Music Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Marriott International, claiming the hotel giant willfully infringed on copyrights by using songs in social media posts without permission. The lawsuit alleges that Marriott used 931 of Sony's sound recordings, including hits by Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, and others, in videos on Instagram and TikTok to boost engagement. Sony is seeking damages of up to $140 million, citing the Copyright Act.
The complaint claims Marriott strategically used popular songs to increase visibility, and that the hotel chain was aware of the impact of music on post engagement. This lawsuit is part of Sony's broader effort to combat unauthorized use of its intellectual property, following recent lawsuits against Gymshark and OFRA. The case highlights the importance of copyright protection in the digital age, and the need for companies to obtain proper licenses for music use.
An Australian bikini brand owner was shocked by the high fees demanded by influencers for promotion on social media. One influencer with 210,000 followers quoted $4,500 for an Instagram post, while another with 86,000 followers wanted up to $3,000. A major influencer asked for a staggering $82,000 for a TikTok video. Influencer marketing experts say pricing is like the "wild west" with no standard framework.
While influencers with massive followings can demand premium rates, smaller creators often quote arbitrarily high fees. However, industry insiders caution that influencer marketing doesn't guarantee sales conversions, especially for niche products like bikinis. They advise startups to carefully evaluate the potential return before investing heavily in influencer promotions, treating cash as "gold" in the early stages. The incident highlights the complexities of navigating the booming but unregulated influencer economy.
TikTok has released its first report on removing covert influence operations from its platform, highlighting 15 influence campaigns originating from various countries, including the United States. The report reveals campaigns aimed at swaying public opinion and political discourse, including a Chinese campaign targeting U.S. audiences and a network promoting pro-Iranian narratives in the U.S. and U.K.
Other discovered networks include those amplifying pro-Ukrainian narratives in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and influencing discourses in various countries. The report details TikTok's methodology for detecting and removing covert influence operations. The findings come as concern grows over social media manipulation ahead of the 2024 U.S. election and global elections.
Spotify's latest report, '2024 Podcast Trends Tour', reveals a surge in video podcast popularity, particularly among Gen Z. The audio streaming giant saw a 39% increase in daily video podcast streams globally, with a 64% year-over-year increase in video episodes and a 78% rise in video shows on its platform. Notably, Gen Z is 18% more likely to watch video podcasts compared to other podcast consumers.
This demographic is driving the trend, with the most podcast streams year-over-year, followed closely by Millennials. The report also highlights Gen Z's interest in arts and international content, with 55% of UK podcast streams coming from international shows for 18-24-year-olds. Additionally, podcast hosts, or 'podfluencers', are gaining influence, with 63% of respondents trusting them more than social media influencers.
Interesting People
Architect Cliff Tan has carved an unlikely niche by pivoting to become a leading influencer teaching the ancient practice of feng shui for modern home design. During the pandemic, Tan's spontaneous TikTok videos explaining feng shui concepts like optimal furniture placement went viral.
He now boasts millions of followers across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, amassed through an authentic, unpolished content approach tailored to each platform's audience. Tan has personally consulted over 3,000 fans worldwide and published a multi-language book to educate audiences while debunking misconceptions around feng shui.
The Singapore native believes the creator economy rewards genuine passion over polish. He advises pursuing it to forge meaningful connections, not just influence. Tan exemplifies how niche expertise can drive influencer success by tapping into audience demand for ancient wisdom reinterpreted for contemporary living.
Social media influencers in South Africa have stepped into a new role ahead of this week's national election - political mobilizers targeting the large youth voter bloc. With 42% of registered voters under 40, popular influencers like TikToker Karabo "Kay" Mahapa are using comedy, personal stories and trending content to encourage young people to participate.
While some are being paid by political parties to sway audiences, many are independently urging critical thinking and research on candidates rather than outright endorsements. The phenomenon highlights influencers' growing power to drive narratives and turnout, especially among youth disillusioned with politics.
As the governing ANC faces challenges after decades in power, influencers' authentic voices could impact an election where opposition parties hope to erode the ANC's majority. Their mobilization efforts reflect how social media is shaping political discourse by providing youth with easier access to election information and inspiration to engage civically.
The newly launched 500 MGMT is taking an innovative approach by tailoring long-term growth and monetization strategies for each creator client. The agency commits to a minimum 500-day partnership, providing dedicated teams including managers, strategists and PR support.
Rather than one-size-fits-all, 500 MGMT customizes plans to expand creators' audiences, launch new content formats, optimize for platforms, and diversify revenue streams across 12 monetization channels. Key focuses include fair compensation aligned with the value creators deliver, and empowering them with data-driven earnings guidance.
With a decade of influencer marketing experience, founder Johan Kristensson emphasizes staying ahead of trends through constant research into emerging platforms and formats. By investing upfront in understanding each creator's goals, 500 MGMT aims to build symbiotic, long-term partnerships facilitating sustainable growth.
The comprehensive, creator-centric model represents a shift toward more methodical, diversified development of influencer businesses and income sources beyond short-term campaigns. 500 MGMT exemplifies how savvy agencies are evolving to guide creators' sustained success.
London-based influencer marketing agency The Good Egg is taking an unconventional approach by thoroughly vetting creators to ensure successful brand partnerships. The agency, which prioritizes "good results by good people", uses a combination of technology and rigorous human review to assess whether creators' voices and values align with client brands.
Beyond just looking at data, The Good Egg manually checks creators' past content and comment sentiment before collaborating. The team also accounts for cultural nuances across markets and gives creators freedom to adjust branded content for authenticity.
Founder Natalia Cortazar believes providing true multifaceted value, not just middleman services, is key for agencies thriving in the rapidly evolving creator economy. As AI streamlines operations, she advises creators to build longevity through tangible product lines beyond just social platforms.
"Rakugo Media, the company created by an entrepreneur at Loyola Law School, is taking the most professional yet entrepreneurial approach as possible in the creator economy space. Attorney Jake and team focus on "skilled dealmaking" - by leveraging detailed legal expertise and creators' analytics, without infringing on creative vision and coming across overly restrictive.
Their goal is creating win-wins for brands and creators by applying contract best practices to paid content rollouts for maximum monetization. Rakugo will consult to standardize language, processes, and analytics sharing across deals - an unusually rigorous structure uniting business negotiations with content creation.
This effort at professionalizing the often "wild" style seen on the creator side aims to establish more polished collaboration norms considered overdue by some. Rakugo's blending of legal mastery into creative spaces may shape the standard for more entrepreneurial yet disciplined influence across the creator world."
Industry News
Boutique London agency TheInfluencerPA is thriving by offering white-glove, personalized influencer management catered to each creator's niche. Founder Megan Johnston prides herself on being a single point of contact providing 360-degree services like securing brand deals, handling invoices and facilitating major opportunities beyond Instagram.
Key to attracting talent is Megan's intentionally small "family" approach enabling closeness and immediate responsiveness. While adeptly navigating platform shifts like TikTok's rise, she counsels creators to establish authentic brands rather than trend-chasing.
A major challenge is the inconsistent workload cycle leaving some influencers income-insecure during fallow periods. As AI becomes a gatekeeper analyzing audiences, Megan aims to protect the human connections driving brand trust.
By focusing on curated opportunities and prioritizing engagement over follower counts, TheInfluencerPA exemplifies how boutique agencies balance personal touches with deft expertise - a delicate formula for influencer marketing's volatility.
Snap has rolled out a new Chrome extension that brings back the popular augmented reality (AR) Lens feature previously available through the separate Snap Camera app. The Snapchat Camera for Chrome extension enables users to overlay Snap’s AR Lenses on their webcam video feed during video calls and live streams.
“Elevate your webcam experience with Snap AR Lenses. Whether you’re in professional meetings, catching up with friends, or live streaming, our extension brings the creativity of Snap AR Lenses directly to your webcam,” the company stated on its website.
The Snap Camera app, which allowed users to apply AR effects during video calls, was discontinued in January 2022 as part of broader cost-cutting measures at the company. The new Chrome extension restores that functionality.
As the creator economy booms, Snap is taking steps to prevent its platform from being misused to spread misinformation during the upcoming EU elections. The company is reconvening its election integrity team to monitor for misleading content from influencers and creators. It's also implementing new policies like displaying AI symbols when creators use AI tools and not allowing its virtual assistant to engage on political topics that could be used to mislead.
Snap is working with fact-checkers to vet political ads from creators, only allowing vetted ads and not allowing its platform to be abused for misinformation disguised as creator content. With billions expected to be spent on creator marketing in the coming years, Snap sees preventing platform abuse as key for both election integrity and protecting the creator economy business model.
TikTok has launched a new platform called "TikTok Studio" to empower creators on the video-sharing app. The Studio provides a suite of free tools for creators aged 18 and over to create, edit, upload, and manage content.
The platform allows creators to edit videos using auto-captions, photo editors, and video trim tools, and to review performance metrics, audience demographics, and behavior patterns. TikTok Studio also includes the company's Creator Academy educational hub, providing resources and best practices for maximizing the TikTok creator experience. The beta Android app has rolled out in select regions, with further rollouts planned for iOS and more users over the coming weeks.
Dentsu, a global advertising holding company, has formed a partnership with Snap Inc. to offer augmented reality (AR) ad solutions using Snapchat's technology. The initiative, called "Catalyst," will provide Dentsu's UK clients with access to Snap's AR tools and data analytics capabilities.
The partnership aims to help brands create more immersive and measurable AR ad campaigns by combining Snap's AR platforms with Dentsu's creative services. The offering includes creative strategy resources from Snap and will work closely with Dentsu teams through immersion sessions.
Xiaohongshu, a Chinese lifestyle and shopping app, has grown into a $20 billion empire by combining influencer marketing, AI technology, and soft selling tactics. Founded in 2013, the "Instagram meets Pinterest" platform relies on popular influencers or "KOLs" sharing relatable content like travel tips and makeup tutorials. Its AI then surfaces similar posts to keep users engaged. With 300 million monthly users, mostly affluent young women, Xiaohongshu has attracted major brands like Dior to set up virtual stores.
Though an IPO has stalled amid China's tech crackdown, the app's innovative "content seeding" model and ability to drive e-commerce sales have enabled impressive profits of $500 million in 2022, beating larger peers. As competition intensifies, Xiaohongshu must maintain its differentiation to gain further market share in China's booming influencer economy.
As TikTok faces potential restrictions or a ban in the United States, rival social platforms are making overt and subtle pitches to advertisers to be part of their TikTok contingency plans. Snapchat has directly told marketers it can be a reliable alternative investment. Meta has emphasized money-making opportunities on Reels at recent events. Pinterest has shared research comparing its viewership to TikTok's.
Reportedly, Google has instructed employees to highlight YouTube's brand safety efforts to encourage TikTok ad budget shifts. While none explicitly mention TikTok, agency executives say the timing and messaging imply these platforms want to capitalize if advertisers need to pull spending from the embattled app.
Tactics include promoting creator monetization tools, highlighting engaged audiences, and offering spending incentives - playing up strengths that made TikTok appealing for brands. As uncertainty around TikTok's future persists, its competitors are jockeying to swiftly acquire the ad dollars that could become up for grabs.
YouTube has introduced a new feature called "Playables" that allows users to play over 75 free games directly within the YouTube platform. The games are lightweight and include popular titles like Angry Birds Showdown and Cut the Rope. Users can access Playables by selecting it from the YouTube home page or Explore menu on desktop or mobile.
Players can save their progress, track high scores, and share with friends. The feature is currently available to a limited number of users in select markets, but YouTube plans to roll it out to more users over the coming months. The company is encouraging user feedback through an in-game "send feedback" option to improve the Playables experience..
Registration Required
Pilots and flight attendants are emerging as unexpected influencers on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. By showcasing their careers through relatable content - from day-in-the-life vlogs to travel tips - they are inspiring the next generation of aviation professionals.
Southwest's Ernie Meeks started a YouTube channel to persuade his daughter to pursue flying, amassing over 57,000 subscribers. United's Paul Holte shares "behind the scenes" glimpses to his 300,000+ followers across social media.
While creating awareness, these "employee creators" also represent major airline brands. Companies increasingly leverage their influence, with some offering partnerships or sponsorships. Research shows informative influencer content positively impacts consumer trust and purchase intent.
American Express is tapping into the creator economy and Canadians' penchant for travel in its latest digital brand push. The finance giant partnered with VFX creator Edwin Chung to co-create surrealist stop-motion videos showcasing AmEx Platinum travel perks. The social-first content aims to authentically engage Gen Z and Millennials by leaning into TikTok's appetite for creative freedom.
AmEx sees the creator collaboration as an underutilized opportunity in the financial sector to develop platform-native marketing. With Canadians ranking among the world's highest vacation spenders, the travel-themed videos align with pent-up demand.
The innovative approach combines AmEx's traditional brand pillars with emerging content trends like the creator economy. As brands explore new ways to reach younger, influential audiences, AmEx's creator partnership exemplifies how co-created social content can boost loyalty and engagement among key demographics.
TikTok fashion influencer Madeleine White is leveraging her popular "get ready with me" videos to launch her first fashion brand - See You Tomorrow, a sleepwear line. The brand's debut collection features nightgowns, camisole sets and pajamas priced $105-$145 with butterfly motifs, inspired by comments from White's 4.6M followers.
With a background in sewing and DIY fashion videos, White aims to bridge lingerie and loungewear with flattering yet camera-appropriate styles. The launch taps into her combined expertise in content creation to drive viral marketing and apparel construction knowledge.
While an influencer clothing brand is not new, White believes her dual perspectives designing for her audience's needs and promoting it authentically will differentiate See You Tomorrow. The sleepwear debut is just the start, with plans to expand into ready-to-wear and position the brand as a social media-born lifestyle label.
As influencers continue to monetize their followings, White exemplifies how creator-founders can leverage their platforms and behind-the-camera skills to launch fashion ventures tailored to their community's interests.