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- Influence Weekly #354 - How Target Is Courting Pet Owners With a Collection Designed by ‘fur-fluencers’
Influence Weekly #354 - How Target Is Courting Pet Owners With a Collection Designed by ‘fur-fluencers’
How Notion Recruits Creators To Glamorize Productivity
Nii Ahene
September 13, 2024
Spotlight Stories
How Target Is Courting Pet Owners With a Collection Designed by ‘fur-fluencers’
Viral TikTok Saga – Who TF Did I Marry? Heads To TV, Starring Natasha Rothwell
How Notion Recruits Creators To Glamorize Productivity
Why Is China Cracking Down On Live-Streamers?
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Great Reads
NASA is inviting up to 50 digital creators to attend the launch of the Europa Clipper spacecraft on October 10th at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Selected applicants will receive media access to view the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch, tour NASA facilities, and interact with mission experts.
The event aims to connect space enthusiasts active on social media platforms to engage audiences with the Europa Clipper mission, which will conduct approximately 50 flybys of Jupiter's moon Europa to study its subsurface ocean. Applications opened September 3rd with a deadline of September 9th.
NASA is seeking creators with established social media presences who produce multimedia content and have the potential to reach large audiences. The invitation reflects a growing trend of major organizations leveraging influencers to connect with younger demographics.
The Webby Awards, known as the "Internet's highest honor," is launching its 29th annual call for entries with a new focus on content creators. The awards are expanding their recognition categories to keep pace with the growing creator economy. A dedicated suite of "Creators" awards aims to highlight outstanding content producers across multiple mediums like art, business, comedy, fashion, food, gaming, and sports.
New Creator Excellence honors will recognize achievements such as Best Brand Endorsement, Best Community Engagement, and Best Editing. The Video & Film category is also being expanded to honor independent productions, series, channels, and specials across genres.
Additionally, a "Brand of the Year" award will recognize the brand with the most success across the competition. Notable new judges include influencers like Amelia Dimoldenberg and industry leaders like the CEOs of Tubi and Roc Nation. The early entry deadline is October 25, 2024.
Support for a U.S. government ban on TikTok has plummeted to 32%, down from 50% in March 2023, according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted in July-August 2024. The decline crosses party lines, with Republican support dropping from 60% to 42% and Democrat support falling from 43% to 24% over the same period.
While 61% of TikTok users oppose a ban, non-users are split. Notably, half of Americans believe a TikTok ban is unlikely, reflecting skepticism across party lines and usage patterns. Despite ongoing scrutiny and a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban, public opinion appears to be shifting against prohibiting the platform.
Campaign Insights
Target is launching a new pet product collection called The Cuddle Collab, featuring over 180 items designed in partnership with popular pet influencers or "fur-fluencers" across Instagram and other platforms. To promote the limited-edition line, Target created a reality TV-style social series, national ads starring its Bullseye mascot, strategic out-of-home placements, and influencer marketing activations.
The campaign aims to connect with Target's large base of pet-owning customers and provide some lighthearted entertainment amid societal tensions. The initiative marks Target's first pet-exclusive collection and signals the growing role of creator culture in its marketing strategies under a newly aligned creative leadership structure.
Needed, a perinatal brand, launched Needed Academy, an innovative Instagram-native learning center aimed at combating misinformation surrounding pregnancy and parental health. The program requires Needed's brand partners and influencers to complete evidence-based educational modules before representing the brand.
Developed with input from over 4,000 health professionals and backed by 630 research studies, the curriculum covers various aspects of perinatal nutrition through bite-sized, Instagram-friendly lessons. By providing easy access to accurate information and setting strict prerequisites for content creators, Needed Academy establishes a new standard for responsible health advocacy on social media.
With over 15,000 followers and growing community adoption, the program is pioneering the way brands tackle misinformation while democratizing access to crucial health knowledge.
The Chinese Embassy in Kenya is offering select Kenyan online creators an all-expenses-paid trip to China in late September as part of a cultural exchange program. The trip aims to inspire creativity through visits to major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing, where participants will explore the economy, culture, and history while engaging with local figures and landmarks.
To be considered, creators must follow the embassy's social media accounts and share the campaign post with a specific hashtag. The embassy will choose 3-4 creators for this opportunity, framed as an educational journey but also a platform to reach new audiences and explore business prospects in China.
TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, previously faced scrutiny in Kenya over data privacy concerns, though a ban was ultimately opposed. The embassy's initiative comes amid a significant drop in Chinese direct investment in Kenya over the past three years.
Travel media brand Lost In, led by former Jukin Media executives, is expanding its digital footprint by acquiring several popular travel-related social media accounts. The recent acquisitions of accounts like Travelgram and View from My Window bring over 5 million followers to Lost In's network.
This roll-up strategy, backed by $4 million in seed funding, aims to leverage strong brand names and engaged online communities. Lost In plans to continue posting new content on these accounts while using them for cross-promotion and content testing. With an eye on larger acquisitions, the startup is in discussions to raise additional funds targeting companies with revenues between $7-30 million.
A new study by creative effectiveness platform DAIVID finds that 84% of branded content on TikTok is underperforming, generating below-average levels of positive emotions, attention, and brand recall. The research evaluated 50 TikTok videos from major brands across various sectors, measuring emotions elicited, attention generated, and impact on brand metrics.
Only 16% of videos scored higher than average on a composite metric combining attention, emotions, and memory. 60% were deemed "forgettable," evoking below-average brand recall and negative emotions like confusion and boredom. 24% prompted intense negative emotions like anxiety and disgust, risking brand reputation damage.
Overall, TikTok content was 9% less likely to generate intense positive emotions and attracted 2.5% less attention than global averages. As TikTok's ad market share grows, the findings highlight challenges brands face in creating effective content on the platform.
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is strategically engaging global influencers to enhance the country's tourism sector and attract younger travelers. Despite a limited advertising budget, KTB has initiated an influencer marketing campaign targeting millennials with significant spending power.
It hosted prominent UK travel influencers to explore Kenya's attractions and share their experiences through digital platforms. This final phase follows successful engagements with influencers from the East African region.
With the influencer marketing industry's rapid growth, valued at $21.1 billion in 2023, KTB aims to create personal connections with potential tourists and showcase Kenya's cultural heritage, landscapes, and wildlife experiences through authentic storytelling by influencers.
A new study reveals 28% of U.S. content creators have been approached to produce political content ahead of the 2024 presidential election, signaling a major shift toward influencer marketing by political campaigns. Both Republican and Democratic parties are actively engaging influencers, with the GOP's "Send the Vote" PAC featuring popular YouTubers and the DNC granting media credentials to 200 influencers at their convention.
However, consumer sentiment is mixed - 52% welcome some political creator content but 30% oppose it during elections. Age plays a role, with younger voters more receptive. The study suggests organic over sponsored content is more effective in encouraging voter participation. But lack of Federal Election Commission guidelines makes tracking paid political influencer posts challenging, raising transparency concerns.
Banks are leveraging social media influencers to counter proposed Biden administration regulations on the consumer finance industry. The Consumer Bankers Association has launched a campaign featuring six TikTok influencers with over 14 million combined followers to educate young adults on credit card basics.
This move aims to oppose caps on late fees and overdraft charges being considered by regulators over concerns consumers may be unaware of such fees. The use of influencers in public affairs campaigns is growing across industries and political spheres as a way to reach younger audiences on social media platforms they frequent.
Notion, a digital productivity tool, is leveraging creator partnerships to market its product. The company targets creators with passionate niche communities, showcasing diverse use cases from work to personal organization.
Key strategies:
Creators share personal stories and customizable templates
Focus on visually appealing Notion setups to drive engagement
Positioning the product as versatile for various interests (e.g., recipe organization, vacation planning)
Notion maintains creator relationships through a dedicated newsletter, providing product updates and business insights. This approach recognizes creators as both content producers and entrepreneurs. Danielle Ito, Notion's influencer marketing manager, emphasizes associating with existing passions and offering ways to enhance them. Social media manager Niki Frias notes the product's flexibility as key to its appeal across the creator economy.
Interesting People
The rise of content creators is reshaping influencer marketing strategies. Traditional influencer collaborations focused solely on follower counts are giving way to partnerships driven by authenticity and impact.
Content creators prioritize producing valuable, original content over amassing followers. They offer brands cost-effective endorsements, long-term advocacy, and the ability to resonate with niche but highly engaged audiences.
As consumer behavior evolves, brands recognizing the value of impact over superficial metrics are more likely to forge meaningful connections. The shift towards content creators signals changing dynamics between brands and consumers, emphasizing authenticity and substance over transient clout.
The viral TikTok series "Who TF Did I Marry?" by creator Tareasa "Reesa Teesa" Johnson is being adapted for television. Actress Natasha Rothwell will star in and produce the show for ABC Signature after her production company secured the rights.
Johnson's account of her marriage to an alleged pathological liar resonated widely, earning her over 3 million followers in just two weeks and 450 million impressions across platforms. The openness about her experiences struck a chord, leading to TV appearances. With Rothwell attached, known for her Emmy-nominated role in "The White Lotus," the adaptation aims to bring Johnson's story to an even bigger audience.
Everbloom, a fintech startup, aims to transform content creators into media moguls by offering financing solutions tailored to their unique needs. The company provides creators with up to 50% of their previous year's earnings as an investment, allowing them to expand their production capabilities, build studios, and grow their businesses.
Everbloom's revenue model is based on a flexible revenue-sharing agreement that scales with the creators' monthly earnings, enabling them to manage cash flow fluctuations effectively. Beyond financial backing, Everbloom offers an accelerator program, providing creators with valuable industry insights, data analysis guidance, and support from experienced professionals.
The company's success stories include helping creators like Andreas Eskander establish dedicated studio spaces and assisting Jimmy Zhang in developing his reality TV show on YouTube. Everbloom's CEO, Lukas Runte, envisions the startup's role in shaping the future of the creator economy, where technological advancements like AI and changing consumer trust dynamics will drive industry shifts.
Runte predicts AI will accelerate content production, content syndication will unlock new revenue streams, and brand-influencer relationships will evolve as trust shifts towards individuals. Everbloom plans to expand its reach beyond YouTube, addressing the financing needs of creators across various platforms, including Patreon, Facebook, Snapchat, and emerging channels like TikTok Shop. The company aims to empower creators to build their brands and unlock the highest equity value by becoming independent entities.
YouTuber Nikocado Avocado, known for his extreme mukbang videos, revealed he secretly lost 250 pounds over 2 years while maintaining an online persona of continued weight gain. In a new video titled "Two Steps Ahead", he disclosed this radical transformation to his 3.9 million followers, shocking the internet.
The YouTuber claims he privately focused on his health by pre-recording old content to keep up appearances. His revelation sparked viral reactions across platforms, with fans expressing surprise and support at his complex social experiment exploring people's reactions to weight struggles. While offering few details yet, Nikocado Avocado hints at sharing more about his weight loss journey soon.
The UK Creators' Rights Alliance, representing over 500,000 professional creators, has issued a letter demanding transparency and compensation from AI companies using copyrighted works for training models without permission.
The alliance outlined seven key demands, including providing transparency on works used, obtaining advance authorization, offering remuneration, giving attribution, engaging in licensing negotiations, and respecting creators' rights to withhold consent.
This move reflects growing concerns in the creative community over AI's impact on intellectual property rights, as major tech firms have been found using content from thousands of YouTube videos and other copyrighted materials to train AI models without creators' knowledge or consent.
Industry News
Gen Z is abandoning the practice of "googling" information and instead turning to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram as their primary search engines. A survey found 45% of Gen Zers are more likely to use "social searching" compared to only 10% of Baby Boomers. Social media sites have become a go-to resource for this generation to find information on brands, products, services, and local businesses.
Gen Z's shift away from traditional search engines poses a challenge for Google, which has invested in technologies like augmented reality and AI to adapt to visual and conversational searches preferred by younger users. As Gen Z's spending power grows, their reliance on social media for information highlights an opportunity for platforms to capitalize on e-commerce integration and targeted advertising.
Wasserman, a global sports and entertainment company, has strengthened its creator division by acquiring digital talent firm Long Haul Management. The deal brings onboard Long Haul's staff and diverse roster of creator clients across gaming, sports, and lifestyle verticals.
This strategic move aims to unlock larger opportunities for creators while Wasserman expands its influence in the booming creator market. However, the company faces recent controversy after allegations of sexual misconduct against its chairperson surfaced. As the industry matures, players like Wasserman are actively positioning themselves amid shifting consumer trends, emerging platforms, and regulatory changes impacting this dynamic space.
YouTube is implementing new policies to limit exposure of teenage users aged 13-17 to content that idealizes certain body types, fitness levels or promotes unhealthy physical standards. The platform will adjust recommendation algorithms to prevent repeatedly suggesting videos with such content to young viewers, citing concerns about negative impacts on self-perception and wellbeing.
While the videos remain accessible, YouTube aims to reduce the emphasis placed on potentially harmful messaging around appearance and physical attributes for this vulnerable age group. The move aligns with the UK's new Online Safety Act requiring protections for minors from harmful online content.
YouTube is introducing new AI tools to help creators control and manage content using their likenesses. These include technology to detect AI-generated singing vocals and visuals depicting their faces. YouTube aims to give creators more control over how their voices and appearances are used in AI content on the platform.
The company emphasizes AI should enhance human creativity, not replace it, while adhering to policies around consent and ethical use of training data. The moves address concerns around unauthorized commercial use of creators' work to train AI models.
YouTube's gaming viewership reached a record 6 billion monthly views in June 2024, according to a report by Tubular. This surge represents a significant increase from late 2022, driven by a growing appetite for long-form gameplay content showcasing video game walkthroughs, tips, and tricks.
The report highlights the rise of "machinima" – curated entertainment series mimicking popular video games – as an emerging trend. Top creators hailed from the U.S., India, U.K., Canada, and the Philippines, while popular game titles like Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto, Roblox, and Fortnite dominated the viewership.
The optimal video duration was between 1-2 minutes, though posting times varied. Gaming also ranked as the fifth-largest creator genre on TikTok, signaling the category's broader growth across platforms.
Spotter, a creator financing startup, recently raised an additional $7.4 million, bringing its total funding to over $200 million. The company provides upfront capital to YouTubers in exchange for licensing portions of their content, retaining the ad revenue to recoup its investment. Spotter has invested $940 million across 735 YouTube channels, including top creators like MrBeast and The Try Guys.
Concurrently, Spotter launched Spotter Studio, an AI-powered suite of tools for creators. While the creator financing model addresses gaps in traditional funding for profitable creator businesses, the space is becoming increasingly competitive with companies like Creative Juice and Jellysmack adopting similar approaches.
FamFluence is a leading influencer marketing agency exclusively representing family-focused creators. Led by CEO Jim Silver, President Kathleen Tomes, and SVP Alexa Vogue, the company emphasizes ethical practices and fair treatment of talent. They prioritize transparency, brand safety, and protecting children featured in content.
FamFluence caters to brands targeting millennial moms and families, offering long-term partnerships and strategic content cadence. Success metrics go beyond follower counts and engagement rates, considering audience demographics, view quality, and creators' authentic brand affinity. The agency champions inclusive family representation and supports micro-influencers through its MicroFluence division. Despite the industry's unpredictability, FamFluence remains committed to its family values and trusted creator partnerships.
Snapchat is introducing "Sponsored Snaps" in its main Chat tab, marking the first time ads will appear in this frequently used section. The sponsored messages will appear unread above regular conversations without push notifications, allowing users to open them voluntarily. This move comes as Snap faces financial struggles despite having over 850 million monthly users globally.
CEO Evan Spiegel stated that Sponsored Snaps will allow advertisers to communicate visually with Snapchat's community, unlocking its core functionality for them. While user conversations will remain private, the specifics on dismissing Sponsored Snaps without opening them were not clarified, raising potential privacy concerns. The addition of ads aims to boost Snap's revenue, but its timing after recently enhancing safety features for teens may face scrutiny.
Instagram has become the new résumé in the fashion industry, according to a recent Vogue Business survey. Over 90% of fashion professionals feel pressure to maintain a social media presence, with many reporting that their online profiles directly impact their careers.
Industry insiders, from stylists to journalists, are increasingly expected to showcase their work and personal brand on platforms like Instagram. This shift blurs the line between personal and professional accounts, with some professionals losing opportunities due to insufficient social media presence.
The trend has led to the emergence of new talent agencies representing creatives who work both behind and in front of the camera. While this evolution offers new opportunities, it also presents challenges. Many professionals struggle to balance their core work with the demands of maintaining an engaging online presence, highlighting the growing importance of personal branding in the fashion industry.
Registration Required
Despite a looming U.S. ban set for January 2024, TikTok is maintaining a business-as-usual approach. The company is confident in its legal challenge against the ban, which will be heard in a U.S. appeals court on September 16th. TikTok argues the law violates First Amendment rights.
Internally, TikTok continues to pursue aggressive business goals, including increasing advertising, boosting TikTok Shop sales, and growing its user base. The company is still hiring and expanding office space. ByteDance executives believe legal proceedings could extend into late 2025 or 2026, potentially outlasting the current administration.
TikTok continues lobbying efforts and communicating with government agencies about its data practices. For content creators and advertisers, TikTok's operations remain largely unchanged. The platform recently launched new features, renewed partnerships, and held events focusing on holiday season opportunities, without mentioning the potential ban.
China's livestreaming industry, valued at $840 billion, faces increasing censorship and regulation. While offering opportunities for social mobility and wealth creation, the sector is under scrutiny for promoting excess and inequality. Recent crackdowns have targeted influencers flaunting luxury goods, aligning with President Xi Jinping's "common prosperity" campaign.
Live streamers must navigate vague, constantly shifting rules to avoid bans or worse consequences. The industry employs 15 million full-time streamers, with top earners making millions. However, most earn modest incomes while working long hours. Streamers rely on intermediaries to stay updated on regulations.
An M&A spree in the influencer marketing industry is fueling growth in the creator economy. Major marketing firms like Publicis Groupe and Stagwell have acquired influencer marketing companies to tap into their technology, data and creator networks. Smaller firms are also snapping up influencer agencies to expand services and regional reach.
While other segments of the creator economy have struggled, influencer marketing aligns with established advertising budgets, driving its M&A appeal. Analysts cite influencer marketing as a key revenue driver underpinning the $250 billion creator economy valuation. From talent agencies to marketing tech providers, companies that enable influencer campaigns are attractive acquisition targets.