Category: Influencer Marketing

Beyond Influence: The Powerful Opportunities within Digital Influence

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

At Kingfluencers, we understand that influencer marketing is part of a much bigger field. We encourage brands to think beyond influence to digital brand equity. In this blog series, we’ll cover how brands can establish, strengthen, and grow long-term brand equity through digital influence programs. First, we’ll explain what we mean by that and what lies beyond traditional influence.

What is Digital Brand Equity?

Digital brand equity is the value of brand recognition and brand perception in the digital space. Digital brand equity is a core pillar to competitive advantage. It has a positive influence on people’s purchasing decisions and is a key determinant of the brand’s overall success. 

→ Defining factors for a brand’s digital equity include:

digital brand equity

What is Digital Influence?

Digital influence is the online equivalent of brand equity. It refers to a brand’s ability to affect and strengthen people’s perceptions, opinions, preferences, and decisions related to your brand versus competing ones. Digital influence is the ability of a brand to take ownership of the influence they have to impact perceptions and – most importantly– decisions.

Like digital brand equity, digital influence is a key determinant of the brand’s overall success. Digital influence strategies enhance your brand’s ability to take that control and ownership to shape perceptions. It is a means to an end. You can build digital brand equity through a variety of digital branding and influencer strategies.

By impacting decisions, you can drive revenue by encouraging people to:

  • Purchase your brand over competitors by building competitive advantage and elevating brand preference
  • Increase expenditures through upgrades and additional purchases
  • Remain loyal customers over time to increase customer loyalty, generate more revenue, and improve profitability
  • Recommend your brand to their friends by sparking intrinsic advocacy and strengthening your brand community
  • Work for your brand, enabling you to recruit and retain the best employees and strengthen your employer branding
digital presence

Digital Influence = Huge Component of Overall Brand Equity

For many brands, the majority of customer interactions take place online. That means your digital influence is nearly synonymous with brand equity. Simply put, what people think of you online is what people think of you. Those brands who master their digital brand equity as first movers will gain an immense advantage and outperform their competitors moving forward.

Beyond Social Media

An influencer posts a positive review of your brand on Instagram. A content creator features your product in an entertaining TikTok.

Great! 

Influencer campaigns are excellent tactics for increasing awareness and connecting with your audience.

But that’s just it… they’re tactics – individual components of what must be a larger strategy in order to really make a long-lasting impact. So, what separates effective brands from those throwing campaigns at the wall and hoping something sticks?

How Can Brands Build a Foundation of Digital Influence?

A brand’s equity depends on your visibility, how you’re perceived, and your ability to connect in consistent ways to your audiences in today’s complex digital ecosystem.

Consumers rank trust as a top buying consideration. 81% need to trust a brand to consider buying from it. Nielsen reported that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family, and 70% trust online reviews from strangers. A strong digital presence and positive online reputation can help strengthen brand equity, in turn influencing purchasing decisions.

Consumer checking out a brand on social media

Proper digital influence strategies and tactics draw their inherent power from word of mouth (WoM) marketing principles. Building digital influence involves magnifying and elevating the impact of WoM through digital amplification. Digital influence enables brands to turn a 1:1 process into 1:many while maintaining credibility. Shifting from one to many amplifies a brand’s influence, which drives exponential gains, making digital influence extremely powerful.

Digital influence programs must focus on strengthening the brand’s digital presence and thereby positively influencing brand awareness and perception. 

consumer browsing on social media

The Amplification Effect

Individual marketing initiatives, such as SEO, can give your brand a boost. But the most powerful strategies work collaboratively to amplify one another.

With numerous people-centric tactics focused on advocacy, WoM, and authentic storytelling, you can achieve an amplification effect. More people will discuss your brand, activate audiences and communities, building more intrinsic advocacy and WoM from consumers and partners. Like the famous “Flywheel” model, customers become advocates and promoters who feed growth as they move through the phases of attract, engage, and delight.

Key Components of Building Digital Brand Equity

A strong foundation must run deep and wide. 

Doing these following things well and for enough time will improve your brand reputation and drive increased online visibility. You’ll be able to increase knowledge of your brand, and impact perceptions of your brand versus others.

  • Use your existing brand equity

Make use of the equity you already have. Build upon your brand’s reputation and standing in the market. Get ahead of the narrative and consistently convey your brand’s unique selling propositions.

  • Be consistent

Have consistent, coherent messages across all digital channels. Those messages should also be in line with consumers’ offline experiences. Consistency is key. 41% of consumers say branding (messaging) consistency defines brand loyalty.

  • Run people-centric campaigns

The participation of numerous voices, along with a consistent story, helps create positive digital brand equity and therefore digital influence. Work with multiple advocates and storytellers who can promote your brand authentically, including employees and senior leadership. Capture and make use of user-generated content.

  • Harness the power of advocacy & word of mouth

Advocacy is a key ingredient. Consider personal branding and working with corporate ambassadors. With an integrated approach, you can take control of the narrative surrounding your brand and boost competitive advantage and growth. 

An effective digital influence program will include multiple tracks such as social media, influencer marketing, brand and corporate ambassadors, personal branding, content creation, including UGC, and performance marketing. While these tracks can each deliver results independently, a program is stronger when they’re all in alignment. More to come in part 2!

Granfluencers: Engage Young Audiences with Older Influencers

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

Granfluencers are influencers of typical grandparent age, generally 60 or older. Some members of this Baby Boomer generation are building huge social media followings and partnering with brands.

These unique influencers present an equally unique opportunity for brands to connect with audiences of all ages.

Granfluencers are influencers of a typical grandparent age, generally 60 or older.

The Wealth of Older Generations

Brands have good reasons to target baby boomers.

Brands have good reasons to target baby boomers. Many say this is the richest generation of seniors we’ve ever had and will ever have. They have the highest incomes and the most real estate. Baby boomers have redefined aging and, more than previous generations, expect to be able to enjoy life.



"With the highest current disposable income of all generations, baby boomers have the greatest spending power of all generations… According to studies, they spend more than the average customer in almost all consumer categories." In Germany, the average wealth of boomers is higher than the population average, 30% higher than that of younger generations.

Authenticity that Appeals to Old & Young Audiences Alike

It’s easy to assume that older influencers appeal only (or primarily) to older audiences. But it’s important to consider that granfluencers don’t appeal only to older people. These influencers are attracting followers of all ages, and like all influencers, they create content on a variety of topics.

“While granfluencers speak to older generations, they can also attract younger audiences because of the fun and authentic way they represent themselves online.

Brands should consider partnering with granfluencers as a way of attracting Gen X, Millennials, or even Gen Z, as the older influencers are quite entertaining and engaging for these generations as well,”

said Sarah Schmid, Head of Marketing at Kingfluencers.

Sarah Schmid, Head of Marketing, Kingfluencers
I want to highlight that it’s OK to get older. I feel more authentic. I’m not afraid to be myself.

62-year-old Helen Polise has nearly 1 million followers on her TikTok account, “The Muthership,” which features paid tutorials on using TikTok. Polise affirmed the importance of authenticity,

“I want to highlight that it’s OK to get older. I feel more authentic. I’m not afraid to be myself.”

CrunchyTales.com, the magazine on a mission to reset the meaning of middle age, wrote about the appeal of granfluencers.

“Well known for their authenticity and reliability, they don’t try to be something they’re not and are comfortable in their own skin. This makes them appealing to their followers, who appreciate their genuine approach. Thanks to their ability to create a sense of community, engaging with their followers, responding to comments and messages, they are also able to create a strong sense of belonging.”

Pro-Aging, Pro-Living

There’s been a growing recognition of the need to fix toxic beauty standards on social media. Often, this involves featuring models of varying sizes and not using filters to artificially make skin appear flawless. But even with this increased focus, elderly models are still somewhat rare. Showing people of not only different shapes and sizes but also ages is another positive development in the growing popularity of granfluencers.

With over three million followers on Instagram, Helen Vanwinkle describes herself as,

“Stealing Ur Mans Since 1928.”

The 94-year-old American posts bold, colorful outfits.

The 94-year-old American posts bold, colorful outfits.
“All about fashion and confidence as style has no age!”

Many granfluencers communicate pro-aging messages, such as Grece Ghanem who’s bio states,

“All about fashion and confidence as style has no age!”

Joan MacDonald shares her fitness journey, which began when she was 70 years old. She writes,

“To all the incredible women out there, let's come together and challenge the misconceptions about aging. As we pull back the veil on all we've been fed about getting older, we are empowering ourselves to embrace the beauty of aging.”

These messages resonate with a younger audience that hasn’t yet reached that phase of life.

Joan MacDonald shares her fitness journey, which began when she was 70 years old. She writes,

More Diversity and Inclusion

“I see the development of granfluencers as positive. It shows that diversity and inclusion can be done in different ways. I imagine that we will soon be able to observe this trend in Switzerland as well. At Kingfluencers, we already see the relevance of influencers from other generations in addition to Gen Z,” said Tamara Glück Gonzalez, Senior Influencer Strategist, Kingfluencers.

Kingfluencers recently wrote about the popularity of TikTok beyond Gen Z. Just because Gen Z may have led the way doesn't mean other generations haven't also moved to embrace TikTok.

Propa shares adventures such as a hot air balloon trip, cooking-related content

Another popular granfluencer on TikTok is 89-year-old Propa, who shares adventures such as a hot air balloon trip, and cooking-related content, and has partnered with HelloFresh Deutschland.

Capture Attention with a Distinct Approach

Merely by nature of being distinct, granfluencers can capture attention. As unique individuals on platforms with numerous young and beautiful creators, elderly influencers stand out from the crowds.

Similar to Seth Godin’s famous Purple Cow analogy, granfluencers can help brands capture attention, which is vital in an increasingly noisy world.

Granfluencers. Seth Godin’s famous Purple Cow
Erika Rischko is an 83-year-old fitness junkie. Granfluencers

For example, Erika Rischko is an 83-year-old fitness junkie and author of,

“Für Fitness ist es nie zu spät.”


Erika posts many workout videos, some of which are quite intense and impressive, including suspension training.

Her content stands out among the many posts tagged with “suspension training.”

Tips for Brands Working with Granfluencers

The process of partnering with a granfluencer is the same as with an influencer from any generation. Some quick tips include:

1. Be sure they’re a good fit with your brand.

2. Give them a briefing, but enough freedom to connect authentically with your audience.

3. Remember that granfluencers are not digital natives.

While those who’ve built a large following are likely as tech-savvy as any Gen Zer, don’t assume.

Connect and have a quick chat to confirm your influencer’s understanding of relevant issues, such as social commerce features or music rights.

Granfluencers as tech-savvy as any Gen Zer,

4. Consider an account takeover, enabling a granfluencer to bring all their authenticity, fun, and wisdom to your brand for a day.

5. You can run campaigns such as:

Granfluencers Staying fashionable
  • Staying fashionable as you age
  • Cooking tips for senior citizens
  • Traveling while elderly

Or simply run campaigns on fashion, cooking, and traveling without specifying that the influencers are elderly – similar to how not every fashion campaign featuring a Gen Z influencer is titled, “Fashion tips for Gen Z.”

With 4.2 M followers, Jaadiee is a popular multigenerational TikTok account. Jaadiee runs the account and describes himself as the

“personal photographer and grandson of Gramps.”

After seeing his grandpa’s love for streetwear evolving, Jaadiee decided to capture his joy and passion and spread it with the world. While Gramps is the main subject of most TikToks, Jaadiee also appears on camera occasionally.

Granfluencers Jaadiee

Contact Kingfluencers to explore how we can help you team up with influencers – “Grand” or otherwise – to build campaigns that amplify your brand messages.

Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing

Fuse the Excitement of an Event with the Power of Influencer Marketing

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

How to be Another Success Story at StreetParade & Beyond

If you ask yourself what "the Power of Influencer Marketing at Events" brings for your brand and how to maximize your impact for your next campaigns, then read on.

The term “event marketing” conjures up images of exhibitor badges, giveaways, and sponsored cocktail hours. For marketers, it means a lot of logistics work. Influencers, on the other hand, are often associated with campaigns confined to social media – viewed as an entirely distinct marketing channel.


But by incorporating influencers into events, you can fuse the excitement of the event with authentic brand advocacy. The result is a synergy, with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

Power of Influencer Marketing at Events

Events are a Vital Marketing Tool

For 61% of marketers, events are their most vital marketing tool. Many events, such as the annual Zurich StreetParade, already have huge visibility, making them excellent channels for brands to engage their audiences. Impressively, event participation leaves 98% of users feeling more inclined to make a purchase. Sponsorship of events helps to facilitate brand engagement for a whopping 98% of cases. 

Coachella, a music and arts festival held annually in California, generates buzz through multi-faceted marketing, including big brand sponsorships, influencer marketing, and social media. When influencers attend and create content, the audience shares in their unique, personal experience of the festival, which is authentic and relatable. Brands foster content creation with experiences such as Absolut Vodka’s "Absolut Ultimate VIP Coachella Experience" contest. Such luxurious settings are often “Instagrammable,” driving the creation of beautiful, engaging content. Research shows that 40% of consumers become brand loyalists after a brand activation event.

The Power of Combining Influencers & Events

Similar to social media in general, brands can engage in their own marketing activities at an event-- without influencers. But, again like social media, influencers provide brands with a way to stand out from the noise. Influencers give brands a real face that people relate to and help connect to consumers.

In 2022, the World Cup was hosted in Doha, Qatar, a city not previously known as a soccer hub. To promote the tournament, FIFA immersed 17 influencers in Doha’s culture. The campaign included influencers representing 5 countries that are major soccer hubs in order to deliver the necessary large, international exposure. The team achieved a total reach of 10 M, with a total engagement of 127K.

(Brands + Influencers) + Events = Synergy

With the proper strategy, brands can partner with influencers and use the marketing power of events to engage audiences.

Kingfluencers serves as a link between brands and creators.

Last year, in collaboration with StreetParade Zurich, we created an exclusive Kingfluencers VIP Stage and shared the experience with over 250 influencers. Under the hashtag #KingfluencersXStreetparade, the influencers shared the unforgettable day live with their communities. The creators published a total of 71 posts on Instagram and TikTok, achieving over 1.8 M impressions.

Street Parade Zurich Kingfluencers VIP Stage

Join the Party, Share the Good Vibes

Building on the success of 2022, Kingfluencers was again part of StreetParade this year and hosted an event in which content creators celebrated brands, combining the excitement of the event with brand advocacy. Enjoying the comfort and support of ON RUNNING shoes, influencers danced in the exclusive VIP zone with the best view of the main stage. ON RUNNING shoes also provided a cool and refreshing installation, and our brand partner Maybelline delivered an onsite get-ready booth and amazing giveaway products.

Highlights include 2.2M (4.8M*) impressions, 210k (358k*) engagement, and an engagement rate of 7.0% (10.9%*).

*KPIs were estimated using internal artificial intelligence-based technology. The actual KPIs generally correspond to the figures in brackets, as significantly more was posted than tracked.

Some of the created content pieces by our influencers on-site can be found below:

Nikita Noemi & Alessandra Spataro for Maybelline L’Oréal

Nikita Noemi & Alessandra Spataro
for Maybelline L’Oréal

Tobias Burger & Edamey Hugentobler
for ON RUNNING

Tobias Burger & Edamey Hugentobler for ON RUNNING

Kingfluencers’ content creators that were invited, such as Sven Ivanic, had a wonderful time:

The StreetParade itself is already a highlight, but the Kingfluencers team simply takes it to an even higher level. Great view of the main stage, great people from different areas, and good vibes. What more could you want?

- Sven Ivanic

The huge visibility of the event delivers the perfect opportunity for brands to generate buzz around your product or service in a fun atmosphere, surrounded by people enjoying themselves. Content creators can share authentic good vibes and promote your product in a way that doesn’t feel like a promotion.

Contact Kingfluencers to discuss how your brand can benefit from joining next year’s party.

Street parade crowd

12 Ways to Maximize the Impact of your Influencer Partnerships at Events like StreetParade

Involving influencers raises awareness of the event itself as well as awareness of your brand. Consider the following additional, creative steps.

1. Offer an exclusive, thrilling influencer experience

Delivering an immersive, exciting time for your influencers can build and strengthen their love for your brand, driving more impactful, authentic advocacy. This can also foster more content and higher content quality.

Together with L'Oréal Switzerland, Kingfluencers organized a pre-event for some of the influencers that were invited to the Swiss Influencer Award Show. Professional L'Oréal make-up artists and hairstylists pampered 20 influencers, including Alessandra Spataro. The fun experience also featured beautiful floral decorations from Blumenpost, some tasty bites from Eat Unique, and delicious rosé wine from Piu Vino.

L'Oréal Pre-Event - Get Ready for Swiss Influencer Award Show Power of Influencer Marketing at Events

2. Ask influencers to invite their community to try your product at the event

Engaged community members can post genuine reactions and reviews, further expanding your reach.

3. Consider an account takeover

Enable an influencer to share their event experiences with your brand’s audience.

4. Try some guerrilla marketing by using the elements of surprise and wonder.

Event attendees are already expecting thrilling, unique experiences. Join the fun with experiential marketing and unconventional and inventive displays. For example, the "Amex Experience" lounge at Coachella offered American Express cardmembers fun activities such as printing their photo onto a limited-edition Coachella tote bag.

5. Run contents & challenges before & during the event

Add to the anticipation in advance of the event by hosting contests and challenges. Keep the content going throughout the event and involve your influencer partners in activating their communities over a longer period of time.

Stimorol x ZOA x Kingfluencers campaign Power of Influencer Marketing at Events

Kingfluencers ran a campaign for Stimorol in combination with Zurich Openair (ZOA) which achieved excellent KPIs: 2.2M impressions and 45K engagement. In the first phase, influencers promoted a contest before the event to win tickets to ZOA thanks to Stimorol. In phase two, influencers were onsite at the festival, interacting with the community doing Stimorol samplings and funny interviews and challenges.

6. Repurpose the content afterwards

Use the content created during the event across multiple channels. Consider hiring photographers and videographers to create high-quality content with your influencers.

7. Partner up with another brand

In addition to partnering with influencers, consider teaming up with another brand to expand the audience you can reach. By pairing up with a complementary brand, such as food with beverage, you can create delightful experiences for your combined audience.

8. Livestream the event

Share the fun in real-time live on social media, streamed as part of an account takeover by an influencer or marketing agency, or by internal brand employees.

9. Offer branded goodie bags

Everyone loves some swag, and unboxing a goodie bag is fun content to share. Harness the power of FOMO by offering giveaways to event VIPs and influencers.

Interestingly, FOMO is an especially helpful marketing tactic if your target audience includes millennials. 69% of millennials experience FOMO, the highest percentage in any age group. Include branded items like clothing and gadgets to mix the digital with physical experience.

FOMO among millenials

10. Promote incentives

Offer special promo codes for your influencers to share with their community during the event. Consider making the offers short-term to further drive action.

11. Create online event resources

Build assets such as unique landing pages on your brand's website. Make sure your audience knows the scope of your involvement in the event so they can participate by attending in person, watching your live stream, joining your content, etc.

12. Plan properly & clarify expectations

Regardless of which of the above ideas you incorporate, make sure expectations are clear and your brand can expect a return. Well-structured campaign must include clear briefs and expectations to avoid misunderstandings and disappointment. For example, share a “script” of key message points with influencers to maximize content usability after the event.

Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing

Top 5 B2B Influencer Marketing Myths

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

The term “influencer marketing” is often associated with lifestyle influencers promoting products such as makeup and shoes to consumers. Should such influencers also promote cybersecurity platforms, employee training services, or corporate lease accounting software?

Yeah, probably not. To be fair, the B2B tech brand, the influencer, and their followers would all be displeased with such promotions!

The proper match between influencer and brand is vital. But is the concept of influencer marketing a fit for B2B brands?

B2B influencer marketing is growing, consistent with the common pattern of marketing practices becoming widespread in B2C before expanding to B2B. Despite this growth, many misconceptions around B2B influencer marketing still persist. We’re highlighting the most common myths and debunking them with the facts, so you can consider adding this impactful, effective marketing tactic to your mix.

B2B Influencer Marketing Myths

Myth #1: Influencer Marketing Drives Emotional, Impulse Buys & is Therefore Irrelevant to B2B

B2B buyers are making decisions that impact the future of their careers. While consumers might seek approval and validation from friends, B2B decision-makers desire the approval and validation of their professional peers. 

Thomas Ordahl, chief strategy officer, of Landor Associates, states, “B2B buyers are making decisions every day that can change their careers. That’s inherently emotional – more than we even like to admit.” 71% of buyers who see a personal value in a B2B purchase, will end up buying the product/service.

While B2B purchases are often less impulsive than B2C, it’s still important for sellers to tap into buyers’ emotions while building trust. Interpersonal connections are particularly vital. “92% of B2B decision-makers trust a person more than a brand even if they don’t know the person.”

Myth #2: B2B Decision Makers Don’t Pay Attention to Influencers

This myth persists because of a common association with the term “influencer” with people like Kim Kardashian. Sure, people aren’t consulting beauty influencers when selecting a cloud computing provider. But B2B decision makers do consult a variety of subject matter experts.

According to Forrester, B2B buyers go everywhere for information. “They talked to peers, industry experts, and various provider representatives to get their specific questions answered. They also did a lot of self-directed research checking all sorts of sources, from social media to syndicated content to category- or industry-specific resources.”

As Nielson stated further in its report, “expert content has a greater impact than brand content in the stages like brand familiarity and affinity.” Gartner reports that B2B buying groups spend 27% of their time conducting independent online research. B2B buyers are increasingly relying on guidance from peers throughout decision-making processes that are growing longer. The Demand Gen 2022 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey asked respondents about changes to their buyers’ journeys. The added processes include spending more time using social media to research vendors and solutions (31%) and relying more on peer recommendations/review websites (29%).

B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. Distribution of buing groups`time by key building activities

Myth #3: There Are Too Few B2B Influencers Available for My Brand to Do Influencer Marketing

You don’t need many influencers; you just need the right one(s).

B2B influencer marketing is more feasible than many perceive it to be. When you partner with the right voices in a well-structured campaign, individual people can make a difference and change the narrative to your brand’s advantage.

There are likely multiple thought leaders in your industry who create helpful content your target audience relies upon… but they simply aren’t partnering with brands. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t team up with your brand. You simply need to approach them and negotiate terms, including having a well-structured process and agreement. That’s where relying on the expertise and the enriching B2B creators network of an agency like Kingfluencers can set you up for success. 

A well-structured campaign includes reinforcing your brand’s key messages across multiple channels, including your owned properties. You can use multiple voices to discuss the challenges your audience faces, so you address multiple factors that impact their decision. Most importantly, you already have B2B influencers… your employees! Which brings us to our next 2 myths.

Myth #4: We’re Working to Build Our Brand’s Digital Influence. There’s No Place for Individual People to Share Our Messages

People want to see authenticity and real people – even B2B buyers. A people-centric approach can make a big difference, particularly as your brand stands out among the overload of bots and obviously automated, impersonal social selling. In particular, the consistent engagement of senior leadership on social media can have numerous benefits for your brand.

B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. Employees would prefer to work for a CEO who uses social media

Individual employees working as ambassadors don’t detract from your efforts to build your brand’s digital influence. As employees, their contributions positively enhance your brand’s digital influence, working synergistically. By engaging on social media, employees can provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse, authentically revealing how engaged and happy employees are. In turn, this demonstrates how motivated staff is to develop quality products, provide good service, and remain with the company to deliver consistency.

Myth #5: Employees Must Be Trained! We Can’t Use Our Staff for Influencer Marketing

If an employee is going to be interviewed by the press or speak at a conference, we definitely recommend they are press trained! But many employees can be recruited to help amplify your messages and build digital influence. Employees in various departments can be among your various ambassadors, each adding a specific angle and unique value. Additionally, you can opt to provide comprehensive training to selected staff in order to help them become brand power voices.

B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. Employees Must Be Trained
B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. Employees Must Be Trained
B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. We Can’t Use Our Staff for Influencer Marketing
B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. We Can’t Use Our Staff for Influencer Marketing
B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. Myth #5
B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. Myth #5
B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. Comprehensive training
B2B Influencer Marketing Myths. Comprehensive training

Kingfluencers Helps You Build B2B Digital Influence

Reach out to Kingfluencers and let’s discuss how we can help you:

  • Select influencers to reach and engage your target audience
  • Negotiate terms and execute well-structured agreements
  • Build personal branding campaigns for selected executives and employees
  • Measure KPIs and build on the success

Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing

How Influencer Marketing Supports the B2B Buyer’s Journey (Part 3)

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

The buyer’s journey is often classified into 3 stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. These can be visualized as a funnel or flow chart, progressing from one stage to the next. However, according to Gartner’s B2B Buying Journey, “Buying jobs don’t happen sequentially but more or less simultaneously. And if we were to map out a real B2B buying journey, it would look a lot less like a step-by-step linear process and a lot more like a big bowl of spaghetti.”

HubSpot describes a “flywheel” cycle in which customers become advocates and promoters who feed growth as they move through the phases of attract, engage, and delight.No matter how you visualize it, navigating this spaghetti wheel is challenging for buyers. B2B influencer marketing adds value, supporting buyers throughout this complex process.

Working with Influencers Solves B2B Sales & Marketing Challenges

Influencer marketing is often viewed as a way to get in front of an audience, similar to traditional television advertising. In reality, IM can deliver a much broader scope of benefits for all types of brands. (We’ll cover this and other myths in our upcoming article, “Top 5 B2B Influencer Marketing Myths BUSTED.”) For B2B brands in particular, IM can solve many pressing, current challenges.

Mann mit blauem Anzug

Gartner identified six B2B buying “jobs” that customers must complete in order to finalize a complex purchase. Buyers, “use both digital and in-person channels with near equal frequency to complete each of the six B2B buying jobs more or less simultaneously.” “Every one of these moments is a potential driver of looping, revisiting or re-evaluation. As a result, customers are trapped repeating each job over and over until all six are locked in simultaneously.”

  • Problem identification
  • Solution exploration
  • Requirements building
  • Supplier selection
  • Validation
  • Consensus creation

In Winning The New B2B Buyer, Forrester writes, “Your job is no longer to convince customers to buy, but rather, to help them buy.” 

To help buyers throughout their journeys, B2B brands must deliver:

  1. Frictionless experiences with immediacy
  2. Open access to information
  3. The support of information connectors
  4. Peer validation
  5. Technical and industry knowledge

1. Frictionless Experience with Immediacy

Assisting buyers includes making the entire journey as frictionless as possible. Particularly once your prospects have begun evaluating vendors and are aware of your brand, they should be able to access the information needed both quickly and easily. 

Some ways you reduce friction and provide immediacy are with helpful chatbots, virtual assistants, and third-party marketplaces. Influencers can also serve to provide this vital assistance, even directly enabling transactions.

2. Open Access to Information

Forbes Business Council writes about the impacts of buyers conducting more independent research online. “This transition [between marketing and sales] has become fuzzier as more buyers are reliant on self-serve, online research. This often results in pressure placed on a company’s online presence to do the heavy lifting for both the marketing and sales teams.”

With this added pressure on your online presence, partnering with influencers provides additional ways to educate your audience on the value of your solution.

  • 70-90% of the B2B buyers’ journey is complete before engaging a vendor
  • Consumers engage with an average of 11.4 pieces of content prior to making a purchase

In Winning The New B2B Buyer, Forrester writes that B2B buyers “expect to be treated as equal partners, through experiences that are increasingly open, connected, intuitive, and immediate.” Empowering buyers with open access to information displays a respect for their preference for a self-guided experience… and a recognition of their ability to understand that info.Working with influencers to share information further demonstrates how your brand is open and transparent. Influencers who are well-informed about your solution can connect with your target audience, helping facilitate and develop connections to your brand.

Apple Macbook am Arbeitsplatz

3. The Support of Information Connectors

“Helping B2B buyers buy isn’t a sales problem, it’s an information problem,” as Gartner states.

It might appear that the solution to such a problem might simply be… more information! Not so fast.

Simply dumping yet even more information on buyers isn’t the solution. Rather, Gartner research shows that successful sales reps focus on “helping customers sort through information already available — acting as a kind of ‘information connector’ to provide the frameworks and tools customers desperately need to efficiently organize and align their thinking.”

To succeed, brands must drive purchase ease, which requires curating information.As subject matter experts, influencers can bring this crucial support to your buyers by curating information and providing their unique perspectives on your industry. In the, “B2B Buying Journey,” AIMultiple writes, “Customers desire adjustments that address the complexity of B2B buying, like obtaining a personalized account with modified catalogs and exclusive pricing along with consideration to product availability.”

4. Peer Validation

The reviews and insights of peers are vital components of the buying process, B2B included. “To demonstrate their empathy with and commitment to customers, organizations will need to ‘enable’ buyers, just as they currently enable their sellers, with new perspectives and tools, such as facilitating more peer-to-peer conversations.” 

Active online communities exist for every type of enthusiast – including buyers making purchase decisions. People can connect with peers to compare notes and gain insights. Forrester notes, “As the B2B buying ecosystem expands, third parties, not vendors, are becoming the buyer’s preferred sources of information.” The role of millennials in B2B buying continues to expand, and they also prefer peer insights and validation over vendor claims.

5. Technical and Industry Knowledge

Marketers of all kinds are accustomed to the challenge of capturing our audience’s attention. B2B brands are faced with additional complexities, including shortcomings in the capacity of sales staff. 

In, “Future of B2B sales: The big reframe,” McKinsey notes, “Talent needs to be reassessed as businesses face both the attrition brought on by the pandemic and hyper-informed customers expecting more.”While your employees should be the best subject matter experts on your product’s specifications, leveraging thought leaders outside of your company can help fill industry knowledge gaps. In particular, influencers can show how your solution fits in your customers’ organization within a broader solution scope.

Build Digital Influence to Support Your Buyers' Journeys with Kingfluencers' Full-Service Approach

To learn more B2B IM, check out our 2-part series, “4 Reasons Why You Should Do B2B Influencer Marketing (Part 1)" and "How.” Contact us if you’d like to explore how we can help you build your brand voice with B2B Influencer Marketing and beyond. Kingfluencers pulls it all together in a way that’s impactful for your brand.

Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing

Kingfluencers’ Mental Health Initiative

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

Social Media – the platform for inspiration, motivation, information, and entertainment. The goal: to open the app and feel good about it. At least that's how it should be. But what is really behind it? What is the real picture behind all the faces we see on our smartphones day by day?

It is clear that behind every smiling person there is also a person with doubts and problems and that not everything is always as it seems.

With our new format "Mental Health Check-in", we at Kingfluencers want to draw attention to the topic of mental health and share very personal and close experiences with our community.  

In this article, we introduce you to our new format, which we launched in January this year, and take a look at our topics covered so far.

Our mental health series 

Comparing yourself on social media

We dedicated the first post to a widespread and above all current topic on social media: "Comparing yourself on social media". We invited content creator Greta and had the pleasure of interviewing her about her personal experiences. We captured the whole campaign in a reel. «It’s quite normal for people to compare and use filters on social media», says Greta. She has also often experienced that she has compared herself with other influencers. She told us of the time she met an influencer she followed regularly who suddenly looked completely different from her Instagram pictures. When using filters and editing pictures, it's very easy to distort reality and turn yourself into a completely new person and suddenly you think you look beautiful only with filters.

According to statistics from the University of Alberta, about 90% of all women compare themselves with other social media users. For men, this number is 65%. Almost 40% of these people have developed a negative self-image because of comparisons on social media.

Mental Health Initiative. Comparing yourself on social media
Mental Health Initiative. NoFilterFeb challenge.

#NoFilterFeb

In light of numbers like these, Greta and we at Kingfluencers called on our community to take part in the #NoFilterFeb challenge. The result of us can be seen in our Instagram post: Kingfluencers in the office. Authentic, spontaneous, without any form of preparation or briefings – just us, completely real and free of any editing or filters.

In Part 2 of our 1st Mental Health Campaign "Comparing Yourself on Social Media", we discussed what it can look like behind the scenes, even if the story on Instagram conveys happiness and joy. We talked about how to deal with the pressure to post content continuously and gave ideas for when you run out of inspiration.

Greta says that compared to the past, people on social media are now much more open and authentic and also admit when they are not doing well. It is important to see and recognize that you are not alone in this. Influencers like Mimoza or Fiona have started to share authentic and real pictures, such as messy rooms or mental health problems.

The pressure to post constantly is also enormous. A survey of ours showed that 90% of content creators feel pressured to keep their community entertained.

Here are a few tips from us: Just show your community your relaxing Sunday at home, your new favorite series on Netflix, or treat yourself to a day off. The most important thing is to stay authentic. «Just the fact that you admit when something isn't working can help,» says Greta.

Social Media Consumption

In March, we talked about social media consumption in part 3 of the Mental Health Format. It was important for us to address the need to be aware of the impact that social media has, especially on our energy and well-being. Because social media should always "work for us and not against us".

According to Statista, about 7.29 million people in Switzerland use social networks. Of these, two-thirds are active on social media every day. Due to this high number, we have listed the following tips and tricks for you in an Instagram post on how to build a healthier relationship with social media:

  • Schedule fixed social media times
  • Delete apps when you realize that consumption is too high
  • Unfollow people who are not good for you and mute posts
  • Turn off push notifications
  • Realize that you are not missing out
  • Replace bad habits
Social Media Consumption.

You are a role model for respect and empathy

The months of April and May were dedicated to the topic of "being a role model", including our partner @consciousinfluencehub. We are all role models in one form or another. But especially influencers and creators who take others with them and inspire them in their everyday life have a great role model function.

We talked about role models in our Instagram post. Ramin, Content Creator, and Chief of TikTok & Trends at Kingfluencers told us in a video that as an influencer you have to take on the role of a role model. You are automatically a role model for your community and especially for the younger followers. Respect and empathy are expected from role models. You should therefore not only think about what you communicate, but also how you communicate it, because you inspire others with your behavior and your content. A little tip: Think about what you would like your role models to do, because now it's your turn!

Become a member of the CIH and join us in supporting the conscious use of social media.

Mental Health Initiative. Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct. Kingfluencers against HateSpeech.

With Kingfluencers against #HateSpeech

We are aware of our responsibility because as the center of successful campaign implementations and a link between brands and creators, we feel obligated to also create awareness for unpleasant topics and to pick up where others look away. «In addition to successful campaigns, it is even more important to us to convey the right values and guidelines and to serve as a support for creators in order to professionalize the Swiss influencer market,» says Tamara Glück Gonzalez, Senior Influencer Strategist at Kingfluencers.

Whether on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok: Hate comments and hate speech are widespread and unfortunately already part of "normality" nowadays. We want to set an example against hate speech and organized the influencer event "With Kingfluencers against HateSpeech" to bring more attention to this important topic.

Together with Kris Grippo, Taulant, and other influencers and social media experts from Kingfluencers, we were able to launch a super important event. Jan from 20 Minuten was also there and conducted an interview with some of the creators, in which they shared their personal experiences of how they deal with hate speech. In the video, you can find out which hate comments reach the creators and how they deal with them.

We are super proud of our successful event and share the following tips that content creator Kris Grippo presented at the event:

1. Don't ignore the issue of hate speech, but ignore hate comments if they bother you
2. Remain polite and objective
3. Block or report the hate comment
4. Seek support
5. Set an example

Mental Health Initiative. Kris Grippo.

A format that raises awareness

We are extremely proud to have created a format that draws attention to an extremely important issue that should not be looked away from. You see hundreds of smiling faces on social media every day, but you can't tell if the smile is real or just posed for the photo. Therefore, it is of even greater importance to look behind the facade and draw attention to problems that everyone faces.

Chiara Rago, founder of our Mental Health Check-in format says: «Social Media can be an amazing place with lots of opportunities. However, mishandling its power can lead to harm. My purpose was clear – to raise awareness of the struggles and risks and to make an impact for the better.»

Anja Lapčević, Influencer Expert at Kingfluencers, is also pleased with the format: «I very much welcome the initiative, especially since it arose from a need of the creators but also of our employees. I am happy to be able to support the team with my expertise from the Conscious Influence Hub and I am looking forward to the upcoming topics.»

If you're excited to learn more about our Mental Health series, follow us on Instagram to stay up to date. Help raise awareness and be a role model by showing your community the importance of mental health.

Author: Tijana Simic, Marketing Support @Kingfluencers

How to successfully implement B2B influencer marketing (part 2)

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

In Part 1, we examined the reasons digital influence is a powerful tool for B2B brands, including the measurable impact of B2B influencer marketing, how it addresses difficult business challenges, and integrates with your existing marketing initiatives. B2B audiences are highly engaged and working with influencers can bring your brand’s core messages to life and create stronger connections with your communities.

The reasons why B2B brands should do influencer marketing are clear – but how to do it successfully requires knowledge and skill. We’ll dive into the key components of successful B2B influencer marketing campaigns to give your brand a personality and voice and generate digital influence to positively impact your business. Just as influencer marketing continues to grow and rise, so will B2B influencer marketing experience its growth. Globally, spending in the influencer advertising segment is estimated at around €24.59 billion in 2022. Experts suggest B2B influencer marketing could account for 40-50% of the influencer marketing sector revenue over the next 3 years.

Influencer Markt Schweiz
Source: Statista Market Insights, 2023

The Potential Power of Your Digital Influence

Establishing digital influence means communicating information, ideas, and viewpoints to target audiences with the potential to impact their views and preferences. Digital influence can benefit not only your brand but ultimately your audience – by helping them in their information searches and decision-making.

The Demand Gen 2022 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey describes how, “Buyers are taking the responsibility into their own hands by conducting independent, anonymous research, reaching out to peers for advice, and keeping an eye on social media.” Gartner reports that B2B buying groups spend 27% of their time conducting independent online research.

Developing your true potential digital influence requires building on every element that defines the true impact of your brand and message.

  • Discover your brand’s voice
  • Establish trust and a closer connection with customers and prospects
  • Create a cornerstone for your organizational and commercial success

So now we’ll dive into the “how” part.

The Building Blocks of B2B Influencer Marketing

Progressively build your brand’s digital influence with a well-structured process from preparation, through execution and optimization, starting with the following building blocks:

  • Purpose & Values
    Define your brand’s purpose, the foundation for your brand’s voice and influence
  • Clear Goals
    A key component of successful influencer marketing campaigns is to first of all set clear objectives and overarching goals
  • Credible Advocates
    Identify your internal and external brand advocates and storytellers who can effectively communicate and credibly amplify your messages and boost your credibility
  • Storylines
    Build purpose-centric storylines that allow your audiences to gain insight into your brand, become informed, and feel part of your brand’s journey
  • Message
    Craft the different messages you want to convey to your target audiences 
  • Digital Presence
    Map the right channels and formats to reach your audiences and establish digital influence
  • Verify
    Conduct due diligence to verify that potential ambassadors reach the right audience
  • Consistency & Continuity
    Establish continuous learning and improvement, generating ever more benefits and growing positive outcomes for your brand
  • Analyze & Optimize
    Measure outcomes and track KPIs

Support Complex Purchase Decisions with Knowledgeable, Credible Advocates

Let knowledgeable people speak for your brand in an authentic and credible way, boosting awareness and visibility and generating tangible returns.

B2B buyers are increasingly relying on guidance from peers throughout decision-making processes that are growing longer. The Demand Gen 2022 B2B Buyer Behavior Survey respondents indicated that the newly added processes to their buyers’ journeys include:

  • Using more sources to research and evaluate purchases (32%)
  • Spending more time using social media to research vendors and solutions (31%)
  • Relying more on peer recommendations/review websites (29%)

Partnering with B2B influencers who can provide guidance to your prospects can alleviate some of the burdens of the purchase process. 

Having the right partner is even more crucial when credibility is the key to success. Kingfluencers’ well-structured process delivers B2B Influencer Marketing in a synchronized way. 

  • Strong In-house B2B Community
    With our extensive creators' network, we can help you find and onboard your right influencers
  • Exclusive Collaboration with Kcore Analytics
    We use AI and social network structures to identify influencers from massive real-time online data
  • Quality and Performance-Driven Outcomes
    We assure great outcomes with rock-solid procedures and a proprietary campaign management platform with innovative AI forecasting
  • Distinct Storytelling & Narrative Tracks
    Working with various advocates, we can build multiple storylines and establish different storytelling tracks
  • Use of Direct & Indirect Channels
    Our B2B services leverage both direct (corporate channels) and indirect (via employees and others) networks on social media channels like LinkedIn and Twitter.

Selecting Ideal Brand Ambassadors

B2B influencers deliver authority, focus, and purpose. Multiplying these key attributes delivers real impact for your business. B2B Influencer Marketing campaigns must combine ambassador categories, with platforms and formats.

Making perfect influencer matches is vital. Influencer choice must align with your brand’s message and values, as well as your campaign objectives. Consider working with numerous brand ambassadors from the following categories:

Internal

  • Brand leaders (C-level)
  • Internal voices (your employees)
  • Partners (suppliers and tech partners)
  • Clients/ customers

With comprehensive training, you can turn your potential advocates and ambassadors into brand power voices.

External

  • Credible category professionals
  • Topic specialists
  • Thought leaders with affinity
  • Content creators with specific focus

It’s also crucial to work with credible influencers who are respected experts in their field. There must be a clear link between your brand and the person in order to keep your influencer marketing campaigns real. Trust and authenticity cannot be compromised upon. People connect with people and trust stories, not logos.

Target those with deep industry knowledge, individuals who can influence corporate buyers and tap into business-to-business conversations. Be sure to conduct due diligence, and consider which influencers are the right match with your platforms of choice.

B2B Influencer Marketing Success Cases

Financial service provider American Express hired a design industry blogger and a lifestyle presenter to promote acceptance of Amex credit cards to small businesses. Global technology company the Voith Group provides equipment for hydroelectric power plants. The company traveled with several energy experts to power plants in Europe and documented the tour to share on four different social networks. Würth featured carpentry on YouTube with Manni Dirsch. The tone appealed to the craftsmen and women who work with the tools and materials from Künzelsau.

Turn Presence into Digital Influence with Kingfluencers' Full-Service Approach

Building digital influence is achieved by developing a credible narrative and activating powerful brand advocates and supporters who help amplify your message and give it additional impact. Kingfluencers delivers a hassle-free approach, with a standard process to generate the best outcomes for your brand. Our team provides you with a full service including every aspect of social media.

Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing

4 Reasons Why You Should Do B2B Influencer Marketing (Part 1)

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

While there are distinctions between the B2B and B2C decision-making processes, digital influence remains a powerful tool for both. Influencers can bring your brand’s values and core messages to life and create stronger connections with your audience, moving your brand from supplier to ‘friend.’ 

B2B Versus B2C Influencer Marketing

B2B Versus B2C Influencer Marketing

Although the core principles of influencer marketing are almost the same for B2C and B2B, there are some differences that warrant a distinct B2B approach.

  • B2B sales processes are often more complex and require more information on both sides
  • The sales funnel consists of multiple, distinguished stages
  • Numerous people are typically involved in the decision-making process
  • Building a trusting relationship with the vendor’s representative is much more important

1. B2B Influencer Marketing is Impactful for Business and Will Move the Needle

B2B influencers deliver credibility, focus, and purpose. Multiplying these key attributes delivers real impact for your business, making it an important addition to your toolkit.

  • Credibility: B2B content creators and thought leaders have recognized expertise in their field. Their opinions are highly valued by their peers.
  • Relevance: When a professional decides to follow a B2B influencer, there is usually a very high interest in that influencer’s content and opinions, so followers are attentive (often higher than B2C).
  • Focus: Their content is often very focused on a specific topic, with the aim of providing guidance to fellow professionals.
  • Reach: B2B influencers can connect with your target audience, particularly at crucial times when they’re actively seeking info about the solutions you offer.

Understanding the important role of content creators, the Amazon Web Services Heroes Program “recognizes a vibrant, worldwide group of AWS experts whose enthusiasm for knowledge-sharing has a real impact within the community.” As the Marketing Director at a serverless security startup, Kingfluencers’ writer Megan Bozman reached out to several Heroes, including Yan Cui and Forrest Brazeal, who participated in our podcast.

Named a LinkedIn Top Voice in 2020 and 2022, Zurich-based Selma Kuyas also works as a resume coach and LinkedIn learning instructor. Also based in Zurich, Bertrand Blancheton, currently works as Head of Marketing at Braavos Crypto Asset Management, and writes about the metaverse, Web 3.0, crypto, decentralized finance (DeFi), and NFTs, including participating in LinkedIn Audio.

B2B brand ambassadors bring a lot to the table, including a unique point of view that can resonate strongly with your target audience. Original thought leadership makes your brand more visible and more desirable, positively impacting your target customers’ decision-making process.

94% of B2B marketers who've tried influencer marketing feel it's highly effective. Swiss B2B marketers indicate that B2B IM is higher on the agenda for 2023 than webinars (55%).

2. B2B Influencer Marketing Audiences are Highly Engaged

Kingfluencers LinkedIn Profil

Marketers need to not only reach their target audience but engage so their messages are received and understood. 

Professionals decide to follow a B2B influencer due to an interest in that person’s opinions, making followers very attentive. This increases the impact of B2B IM content, making it particularly effective. This is especially the case when the thought leader’s content is sought after as part of the research phase in a decision-making process. You can overcome even more difficulties by working with an agency. 9 out of 10 B2B companies prefer to let an agency manage their B2B IM efforts with a main focus being on content creation (55%).

3. B2B Influencer Marketing Integrates Very Well With Your Existing Marketing Initiatives

62% of Swiss B2B marketers say IM is high on the agenda for coming years, higher than webinars for example. 57% of marketers plan to fully integrate influencer relations into their activities by 2023.

B2B influencers are also relatively more likely to have in-person contact with their communities by speaking at conferences, trade shows, and local business and networking events. Their authentic professional credibility can help provide answers to your audience’s pain points and boost consideration and conversion.

B2B IM can even result in synergies, boosting other marketing initiatives such as SEO. You can repurpose content you’ve already created with various storytellers to amplify outcomes. For example, the content generated by influencers from IM campaigns can provide additional value with secondary or tertiary goals, such as increasing awareness. 

IM content can enrich traditional content across various channels, such as owned communities or other advertising platforms such as webinars. Repurposing existing content enables you to achieve your goals while also saving money. 74% of B2B marketers agree that influencer marketing improves customer and prospect experience with the brand. Kingfluencers can help you tie it all together with a holistic approach.

4. B2B Influencer Marketing Can Generate Competitive Advantages

B2B IM may be on your agenda as a hypothetical future possibility, but now is a great time to start. As the leading full-service social influence agency in Switzerland, Kingfluencers has established the tools, processes, and resources to do B2B IM efficiently.

Partnering with influencers is a marketing tactic many of your competitors may not be leveraging yet. Getting started now can generate unique competitive advantages for early movers. Most B2B organizations (85% of respondents to a study with TopRank Marketing) are planning influencer marketing campaigns. Additionally, the professionals, platforms, tools, and processes for IM are already well-established, lowering barriers to entry for B2B brands. B2B brands should capitalize on this opportunity and take a page from the well-established B2C playbooks in order to achieve similar successes.

Kingfluencers Delivers a Hassle-Free, Full-Service Approach

Our services guide B2B IM in a synchronized way, from strategy to ongoing community management. We help you develop your true potential social influence, building on every element that defines the true impact of your brand and message. Contact us and we’ll take a holistic approach to develop your brand voice and give that voice a positive impact, generating digital influence that goes beyond (B2B) influencer marketing.

Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing

Free Consumer Study Report – The Power of Digital Influence: What inspires and influences Swiss consumers

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

More than 85% of the Swiss population can be reached on social media and 40% follow influencers. Can they be influenced to make purchases through these channels? Our study on where and how Swiss consumers find inspiration and information about products and brands today, with an added focus on influencer marketing and the luxury industry, says yes. 

Influencer and advocacy marketing can nowadays be identified as Influence Marketing producing the pinnacle of purchase decision drivers, electronic Word of Mouth or eWOM. eWOM is impacting consumers through recommendations that feel as relevant as those of a friend or an expert. It's therefore no surprise that, according to our data, every third inspiration via a social media channel or influencer leads to a purchase in Switzerland.

We address the ongoing debate about authenticity and marketing power of influencers – do consumers trust them? Can they really sell products? We found that in the lifestyle and luxury sector, 78% of Swiss consumers who noticed paid influencer ads were inspired by them, and 40% stated they’ve made a purchase because of them. In other words, influencer marketing is a powerful form of marketing in Switzerland where authenticity and commercial opportunity co-exist.

In our Consumer Study Report about "The Power of Digital Influence", you will find profound insights into online channels, platforms, and content creators that inspire Swiss consumers and act as key decision-making levers in the purchasing process.

If you have missed our exclusive summary of the study in our public webinar with marketing.ch, where key results and insights have been presented by our CEO Yoeri Callebaut and Chief Strategy & Digital Influence Officer Eric Amstein, you can find the full recording here.

Downloadable Content

Study Report

Free Consumer Study Report – The Power of Digital Influence: What inspires and influences Swiss consumers

Click here to find out more about our areas of expertise and services like influencer marketing, influencer TV spot, social media services, and more.

Emerging Retail Trends: Fusion of Physical & Digital / Social Commerce, etc.

Posted on by Yoeri Callebaut

We recently wrote about how retail expanded from brick-and-mortar stores to include ecommerce and has been expanding further to also include social and livestream commerce. Many attributes of Switzerland and the Swiss people make us an ideal audience to target with new retail initiatives.

What trends are we now seeing within this new, broad scope of retail?

Merging the Point of Inspiration with the Point of Purchase

With the inclusion of social commerce and even AR, brands aren’t selling to distinct, separate audiences with isolated tactics. New retail involves connecting with your audience in innovative ways and merging the point of inspiration with the point of purchase.

Based on a recent survey, Accenture identified three emerging retail trends:

  • The anxiety pivot
  • The spending shuffle
  • The virtual reality check

Shopping for Real-Life Products in Virtual Worlds

The third trend includes a blurring and blending of physical and virtual worlds. “It is certainly true that some consumers who shopped online in 2020 and 2021 are likely to return to brick-and-mortar stores, and that the store of tomorrow will look very different… And what may be surprising is that people of all income levels and generations are interested in shopping for real-life products in virtual worlds.”

39% of consumers have had a consultation in a virtual or augmented reality environment on topics from health and wellness to DIY projects. In agreement with our own guidance, Accenture advises, “The metaverse has arrived, and the best thing that retailers can do today is starting to experiment.”

Collaborate Cohesively

Deloitte also emphasized the need for cohesion. “Social commerce trends are not only reshaping consumer shopping experiences, but unlocking new opportunities for platforms, brands, and creators. Social commerce success depends on collaboration and integration of key players in the ecosystem.” 

Deloitte provides social commerce services that solve operational and technical challenges, including architecting technology stacks to integrate brand and retailer e-commerce systems with platform systems.

Influencer Marketing Success Case

Cohesive integration of marketing campaigns between brands and influencers is equally important.

Kingfluencers recently executed a campaign in which influencers discussed how to start your day successfully with SUPER SHOTS by hohes C, while taking their communities along for the day. The communities showed high qualitative interest with an engagement rate of over 5%, and the influencers received many questions on where to buy the SUPER SHOTS. In addition to indicating high trust in the brand and the creators, this reveals how social campaigns can drive purchases from brick-and-mortar stores.

Emerging Retail Trends. Hohes C Super Shots
Anna Pfister
Emerging Retail Trends. Giulia Steingruber.
Giulia Steingruber
Emerging Retail Trends. Hohes C Super Shots mit Linda Fäh
Linda Fäh

Fusing Digital & Physical Experiences 

While we may think of ecommerce and retail stores as distinct modes of shopping, Deloitte’s 2022 Retail Industry Outlook describes the accelerating fusion of digital and physical experiences. “Over the next five years, leaders are buying into the prospects of digitization of the physical world, such as voice commerce, staff-free cashier-less stores, and the selling of digital goods.”

Burberry opened a shoppable digital version of one of its flagship stores. Customers can navigate themselves around the virtual store and purchase items by selecting digital icons.

Experiential Retail and Flagship Stores

To attract new customers and build loyalty, retailers are developing immersive shopping experiences and building innovative flagship stores. Athletic apparel brand On's first-ever flagship store, On Labs, is situated beneath its Zurich-based headquarters and features a foot scanner that details your shoe size to within 1.25mm of perfection. Kingfluencers’ team was part of the flagship store launch, sharing the good vibes, sporty challenges, and benefits of joining the club for running lovers with content creators like HaVy Nguyen. The campaign achieved over 1.6M impressions and a 3.11% engagement rate. 

Zurich is also home to the Freitag tower, made from used freight containers. The flagship store sells recycled, one-of-a-kind products, such as bags, smartphone cases, and wallets. Additionally, consumers can personalize their bags by becoming involved in the production process at the Freitag Sweat-Yourself-Shop.

Social Commerce on Instagram

Social commerce usually takes place on the move, i.e. via smartphone or tablet, as social media offers are preferably used via mobile devices. Brands can excel by building a social media strategy optimized to cash in on the movement and avoid losing out to competitors. 

Instagram enables you to use real-time and pre-made content to create an interactive, visual shopping experience that deepens connections with your community. With Instagram Shoppable posts, you can sell products directly from shoppers’ feeds. Product Tags let you highlight items from your catalog directly in your images and videos, so people can easily tap and learn more.

As part of our Instagram marketing services, Kingfluencers can help make your products easy to discover on Instagram. Earlier this year, Mondelez launched limited edition Oreos in collaboration with Warner Bros and the brand-new Batman movie. Kingfluencers ran a campaign in which influencers showed how biting the new cookies in a creative way can lead you from a serious world into a playful one.

Technology-Driven Convenience

Some retail trends originally expanded in response to COVID-19, such as self-checkout, buy online pick-up in-store (BOPIS), and contactless payment. These technology-driven experiences remain popular for convenience and their ability to reduce staff, (plus the preference of antisocial shoppers!). 

Retailers must also consider macroeconomic trends, including inflation. On July 26, 2022, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) wrote, “Several shocks have hit a world economy already weakened by the pandemic: higher-than-expected inflation worldwide – especially in the United States and major European economies – triggering tighter financial conditions.” Of course, inflation can lead to consumers buying fewer items and being more price-conscious about the items they do purchase. While many consumers worldwide are worried, CH inflation is expected to fall in the new year and Switzerland should avoid a recession.

Sustainability is Sought After

A 2022 report shows that two-thirds of consumers say they would pay more for sustainable products, and nearly three-quarters value product sustainability over brand name. Interestingly, retailers are largely unaware of the strength and prevalence of these preferences, creating a greenfield for savvy retailers.

Buying and selling secondhand products, referred to as “recommerce” is also on the rise, enabled by platforms such as Poshmark. In addition to helping buyers save money, it’s a sustainable practice. Some great options in Switzerland include Depop and Secondhandkiste for clothes. Tutti, Ricardo, and Brocki.ch are popular Swiss sites that offer a variety of items. 

Kingfluencers also had the pleasure of running a campaign for Ricardo focused on communicating the brand's USPs through interactive campaigns. Influencers were given various challenges when putting together hiking gear on Ricardo. The total engagement rate was 5.1%.To further encourage sustainability and low-waste products, Brocki.ch also worked with Kingfluencers on a campaign to promote their thrift stores all over Switzerland. Impressions were 41% higher than forecasted, and the total engagement rate was 5.0%.

Click on the case studies and get inspired:

Case Study Ricardo
Case Study Brocki

Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing