Kingfluencers at OMR 2024

We were back again this year at the OMR in Hamburg! This time with much more insights, stories, great panels, speakers, and most importantly – a lot of fun and inspiring takeaways. Let’s take you through the 2 days of great and interesting networking and learning.

This year the OMR has had over 70k visitors, 4 expo halls with 500+ exhibitors (including Kingfluencers), 7 stages with 800+ speakers, 240 masterclasses, 100 guided tours, and afterparties. Once again, the OMR stood out for its extravagant speakers like Kim Kardashian, Rick Rubin, Sabrina Ellis, and many more.

In case you missed our exclusive newsletter or didn’t follow us along on LinkedIn and Instagram, here’s a short recap with our highlights and learnings.

On-Site Consulting, Exciting Booth Activations, and Fabulous Giveaways

Let’s start with our Kingfluencers booth: we were able to upgrade to a bigger space to offer you more entertainment, more fun, and most importantly: more Kingfluencers, located at Hall A3, Stand C09. Not only were you able to talk to our consultants, but you could also snatch a quick snack from our popcorn machine, get some cool gadgets like a phone ring light, or participate in our OMR quiz to upgrade your next trip.

Oh, and not sure if you saw, but Kim K visited us at our booth 😉

Did you miss this year’s OMR and didn’t have a chance to talk to us or want to continue the conversation?

No worries, you can always contact us or leave us a message.

Unlocking Expertise: Key Takeaways from Kingfluencers’ Masterclass Sessions

1. Decoding social communities

The focus of this masterclass was how brands need to understand communities, communicate with them as equals, and give them a platform to generate sustainable brand love and brand loyalty. So, how do you decode social communities?

Content is the heart of TikTok

Importance of Content: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri emphasizes that views and likes are more important than follower numbers. TikTok prioritizes relevant content, leading to the formation of communities around specific interests, such as BookTok, FashionTok, and FoodTok.

Characteristics of Social Communities

  • Themes: Wide variety of topics with sub-themes (e.g., 5AmClub with Morning Person with ADHD, Women in Business).
  • Language: Unique terms and codes to bypass algorithms (e.g., “#Seggs” instead of “sex”).
  • Aesthetics: Visual and cultural expressions enhance the sense of community.

Brand Strategy: Brands should speak the language of these communities and provide a platform for them to foster sustainable brand loyalty.

Be in the right space for the right reason

“The rise of a new marketing zeitgeist has shifted the paradigm for marketers. Although many might not be fully aware! We all know digital is key for example. But merely existing in the digital sphere or focusing on general metrics such as having the biggest share of voice is not a basis for competitive advantage and doesn’t lead to success anymore perse; instead, it’s all about getting the right message out in credible ways to the right people, being truly seen, heard, understood and appreciated, or even loved, by forging meaningful connections with one’s focus consumers and communities.” – Yoeri Callebaut, CEO at Kingfluencers

Tools for Decoding Social Communities:

  • AI-Based Content Screening: Analyzes shared content.
  • AI-Based Community-Feedback Screening: Examines comments.
  • Search Screening: Analyzes TikTok search queries.

Benefits: These approaches help brands better connect with social communities, develop targeted campaigns, and identify specific audiences for paid media strategies.

2. The Tiktok Creator Game

Redefining Engagement: TikTok’s Masterclass in Community Strategy

TikTok’s latest masterclass has changed the game for digital engagement. The big lesson? Brands should be “always in,” not just “always on.” Here’s how this approach can transform your brand strategy:

  • Community-Centric Engagement:
    Move beyond a constant presence to active participation within your target communities. Genuine interactions build deeper connections with your audience.
  • The Spillover Effect:
    Influencers and creators transfer their authentic connections to your brand, boosting visibility and credibility.
  • “Stay & Play” Strategy:
    Identify your core community (“stay”) but also explore new, unexpected spaces (“play”). For example, a fashion brand can thrive in Hashtag#FashionTok and make a splash in Hashtag#FoodTok, reaching new audiences with surprising content.
  • Authentic Connections
    Combine maintaining your core identity with exploring new avenues to create dynamic, authentic engagement.
  • Amplify Real-Life Engagement
    Be genuinely involved in community activities to create a more immersive and impactful brand presence.

Culture First, Community Second, Commercial Follows

“Brands must actively engage with and contribute to culture. Consider FC St. Pauli von 1910 e.V.’s commitment to social justice, community engagement, and alternative culture; or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that evolved from a sport to a culture brand by putting their community first. In today’s world, brands must establish a world around their brand and create a space where their community wants to belong. By doing so, commercial success will naturally follow.” – Dominique Hufschmid, Director of Strategy, Marketing & Innovation at Kingfluencers

3. TikTok Retail Revolution

In this masterclass, they showed measurement metrics and methods presented by TikTok Germany. It was also shown how to measure the impact of TikTok campaigns on retail/offline/in-store shopping and they displayed a Unilever case study. The main key takeaways are:

  • TikTok offers 3 methods for customers to include offline data: (1) offline API (2) manual upload (3) third-party solutions
  • TikTok facilitates the same consumer needs as a shopping experience: convenience, comfort, confidence
  • TikTok partners closely with brands and develops technology to track consumer behavior in detail
  • TikTok wants to prove its relevance and power in the offline world
  • Effective measurement principles by TikTok that allow clients to measure consumer journey from TikTok interaction to full conversion (including offline events such as in-store visits)
  • The TikTok experience satisfies the same needs that consumers have in store: convenience, connection, confidence

4. Reddit

This Reddit Masterclass taught us how to use contextual information to make the brand stand out and even sell products and services. Additionally, it also talked about how to involve the brand in the communities and be part of the talk and how to generate brand connection. The key takeaway points are the following:

  • 90% of consumers don’t trust influencers according to Reddit -> Reddit serves as an additional channel to verify based on user feedback and thereby is basically a UGC platform
  • Cookies are phasing out -> there is a need for a new way to target audience
  • Brands can have profiles/pages and a significant presence on Reddit
  • Privacy statements and rules are more and more stringent so also here it becomes more and more difficult to target people
  • Reddit remains rather anonymous 
  • +100k communities in various niches
  • Available in German as the first non-English language -> Germany (and DACH) is a big region for Reddit’s increasing impact

Influencer does not equal Influence

“True influence goes beyond superficial metrics and requires depth, authenticity, and meaningful engagement. Building influence requires creating genuine connections, fostering trust, and adding value to people’s lives. It’s about sharing authentic stories, championing causes, and inspiring others to take action. In today’s digital landscape, real influence is measured increasingly by the positive impact you make and the values you represent as a person.” – Dominique Hufschmid, Director of Strategy, Marketing & Innovation at Kingfluencers

Inspiring Voices: OMR Speakers Who Captivated the Kingfluencers Team

Kim Kardashian
Media Personality, Entrepreneur & Actress

About the difference between public perception and self-identification and her most important lessons:

  • Kim doesn’t view herself as an entrepreneur. Her answers reflect a confident mother making smart business decisions, but she prioritizes her public figure persona over a business identity. 
  • Kim gained fame through TV (and a tape, but TV made her a household name). This seems very early 2000s, but it remains a solid pathway to fame.
  • Be quick to adopt trends (her mobile game “Hollywood” & early VR adoption). Yet, she expressed caution and ambivalence about AI, which is surprising given Kris Jenner’s reputation for strategic planning.
  • The way she deals with negative comments is: “Post and Ghost” – to protect her mental health Kim posts and leaves the Instagram app.
Larisa Topalo

“Before Kim came on stage MC asked the audience how many are her fans. Out of 8,000 people, only about 70 raised their hand. And yet, she packed 3 stages at OMR (main stage & two livestreams). This feels like a great analogy for influencers in general – very few people publicly or in casual conversation, will admit to liking influencers, and yet as a society we are fascinated, curious, and following them by the millions.” – Larisa Topalo, Chief Influencer, Brand Strategy & Creative Officer at Kingfluencers

Scott Galloway
Professor of Marketing, NYU Stern & Bestselling Author

His top predictions for 2024

  • GLP-1s, a class of medication used for diabetes and obesity. Scott names The hype of wellness, health, and fitness and the demographic development trend towards more obesity as the main reasons why.
  • Meta’s next growth vehicle: To use WhatsApp as a Social Media tool. People read all the messages in WhatsApp, which makes it a great tool to connect with consumers.
  • The biggest impact of AI? Loneliness! Disproportionately concerning the male population which also explains the rise of AI Girlfriend.
  • Scott ended his Keynote encouraging attendees to connect with their close friends and to ask them “How are you doing?” and then ask them again “No, honestly, how are you?”

Alisa Jahnke
Co-Founderin PURELEI

Key strategies that helped PURELEI grow through the Covid crisis

  • Profit goals instead of revenue goals
  • A 1% price increase made the most impact, followed by 1% COG reductions. While a 1% volume increase and 1% overhead reduction didn’t have a huge effect.
  • Higher barriers of entrance resulted in 40% less order but 70% more profit for Purelei. Focus on the high-end customers instead of hoping low-end clients might eventually have a high CLV.
  • Have fewer options. Focus on your heroes, and build new products based on what you know already works, for example, variations and extensions of your hero products.

Philipp Westermeyer
Founder OMR 

Roland Eisenbrand

Editor-in-Chief OMR Daily & Head of Content OMR Festival

The 4 Cs of AI

  • Content: How to utilize AI generated Content wie Content KI-basiert erstellt und genutzt werden kann
  • Cost Efficiency: Bundling Customer Feedback for Advertisement quickly and get real added value 
  • Concern: The technology does come with security risks such as digital robber barons stealing data from competitors
  • Customer: AI can influence purchasing decisions

Winners & Losers

  • Loser: Second-Tier Companies in the Tech Sector
  • Loser: Trust, as more misinformation and fake content is spread
  • Winner: Book Clubs spread like wildfire thanks to formats like #BookTok
  • Winner: Recognition through Signature moves
  • Winner: India is experiencing exponential growth 

#OMR24 was a blast!

Exciting talks, inspiring speakers, masterclasses, and a lot of lasting impressions.

And WOW, what a cool team we have at Kingfluencers! A huge thanks goes out to our team for making this event an unforgettable experience off and behind the scenes. The team spirit and cooperation once again showed what we can achieve together.

Any feedback, questions, or comments, or wanna chat over coffee?

Kingfluencers goes OMR

At the beginning of May, we experienced two intense but super exciting and above all inspiring days full of infotainment at #OMR23 in Hamburg. 

70k visitors, 4 expo halls with 500+ exhibitors (including Kingfluencers), 7 stages with 800+ speakers, 240 masterclasses, 100 guided tours, and afterparties…

In case you missed our exclusive newsletter or didn’t follow us along on LinkedIn and Instagram, here’s a short recap with our highlights and learnings:

At our Kingfluencers Booth on-site, we were able to have exciting conversations with our customers as well as new brands, creators, and visitors and test their knowledge with our KF Quiz.

In addition, we met many German creators at the Influencer Brunch at WeCreate, met TikTok to further expand our joint partnership and stay ahead of the trends, had many insightful conversations with other exhibitors, tasted our way through the food mile, and celebrated together with brands, creators, and speakers at the afterparties.

Our Key Takeaways

1. SOCIAL SELLING AND EMPLOYER BRANDING FOCUS

Britta Behrens: «Break with the algorithm, sometimes step out of line but stick to it, use it constantly and regularly.»

Great that we just launched our B2B Influencer Marketing Service, where we also offer Corporate Ambassador and Employer Branding programs for B2B clients. B2B influencers can contribute their expertise to help drive brand awareness and support business development by building trust, credibility, and interest around your brand.

2. GOODBYE CREATOR CLICHÉS: The real influencer marketing

Carmushka: «You are not just born as an influencer. Only with hard work you can build such a large, committed community and make a difference.»

As an influencer, you also carry a great responsibility, because you are a role model for many people and become the face of a brand. Let us help you find out which influencers fit your brand and your values. 

As the link between creators and brand, we feel obligated to advocate for more awareness in social media. That’s why we’re especially proud of our partnership with the Conscious Influence Hub. «We have developed a Code of Conduct for influencers which supports them in acting with respect, empathy and transparency. The Code of Conduct will be a key instrument in encouraging all community members to use their influence consciously.»

3. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS OMNIPRESENT

Frank Thelen: «It is not AI that will take jobs away from people, but those people who can use and operate AI properly will do so, very soon. Time to jump on the “AI hype” (which will obviously last), otherwise you will miss great opportunities.»

Ryan Broderick«AI will not be the end of social media. However, we must learn to distinguish AI-generated content from real content. Visual content that is fake, for example, reveals itself through the intensity of colours of the added person, the person is always placed in the middle of the picture and there is usually not much to see in the background of the picture.»

Luckily, you have subscribed to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, where we always present the latest trends in the industry.

4. COMMUNITY FOCUS IS KEY

Pamela Reif: «Strong communities are essential and target group-oriented communication is crucial.»

Carsten Maschmeyer: «Networking is a constant taking and, above all, giving, something you have to build up and maintain, whether with clients, partners or creators.»

Whether from a corporate or influencer perspective, it’s important that you engage with your community and offer them the content they want to see. We are happy to help you with your Community Management and are also available for tips & tricks in the form of a workshop.

Moreover, with our TikTok service, we can make anyone an expert, and aim to turn any brand into a TikTok rocket with the workshops we offer!

5. SOME INSPIRING QUOTES

Serena Williams: «Go through life by always pushing your limits, never settling for less and always giving your personal best in everything you do!»

Scooter Braun: «It doesn’t matter what you do in life as long as you are passionate about it and happy at the end of the day.»

We also believe that you should follow your dreams and always believe in yourself because only then, you can achieve anything. Are you ready to go #BeyondInfluence with us? Reach out to us anytime.

Do you want more inspiring quotes and exciting talks? Then be sure to check out the recorded live streams on the OMR site.

And according to OMR’s founder, what’s hot?

«The big players for search, cloud, and hardware are still GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon), new players have very high market entry barriers. But there is a great fragmentation of the advertising space, everyone wants a piece of the pie, even those who were previously completely active elsewhere. In addition, sports streaming is booming at the moment and one should keep an eye on the climate tech industry; worldwide, 1/4 of venture capital flows into climate tech companies that address the impact of global warming.»

Philipp Westermeyer
founder OMR

OMR's founder. Kingfluencers OMR.

Even though more and more brands are fighting for the scarce resource of their customer’s attention, we help you to stage your perfect ad space with Influencer Marketing and top creators so that your brand stands out from the crowd, for B2C brands from various industries but most recently also for B2B brands.

#OMR23 was a blast!

Exciting talks, inspiring speakers, team building, and a lot of lasting impressions.
See you next year OMR!

Author: Ramona Kälin, Digital Marketing Coordinator @Kingfluencers

Is the TikTok ban coming?

We have noticed some restrictions, but TikTok still remains the place to connect. But what is really going on behind the hotly debated #TikTokBan?

Currently, a “TikTok Ban” is on everyone’s lips, especially in the US. Montana recently became the first US state to talk about banning TikTok on personal devices. TikTok is suing Montana, arguing the ban violates the Constitution by limiting the company’s right to host and distribute user-created content. TikTok is asking the court for an injunction to block the ban, which, if granted, would allow the app to conduct business as usual in the state while the courts sort out the relevant issues. Additionally, five TikTok creators filed their own lawsuit against the state, arguing that the Montana ban violates the First Amendment.

Like the TikTok company itself, Kingfluencers is closely monitoring current events. While a ban is less likely to occur here in the DACH region, we’re exploring what it would mean.

Why is TikTok Being Banned?

The concerns driving TikTok bans are:

  • Accessibility of dangerous content
  • Personal data being transferred out of the EU
  • The Chinese government could access sensitive user data, like location info 
  • China could use it to spread misinfo

In January, EU Commissioner for International Market Thierry Breton expressed concerns about the easy accessibility of dangerous content on TikTok, as well as journalists being spied on, and personal data being transferred outside Europe. Breton spoke with TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew and emphasized the need to comply with EU legislation including privacy laws and the new EU Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA, which will apply to major platforms on 1 September, is a set of sweeping rules that will require platforms to reduce harmful online content and combat online risks. “We will not hesitate to adopt the full scope of sanctions to protect our citizens if audits do not show full compliance,” Breton said.

Since TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, governments are concerned that may grant the Chinese government access to sensitive user data, like location information. The New York Times writes that these concerns are due to laws that allow the Chinese government to secretly demand data from Chinese companies and citizens for intelligence-gathering operations. TikTok has long denied these allegations. Governments are also worried that China could use TikTok’s content recommendations to spread misinformation. Chinese ownership seems to be the main issue, according to the New York Times. TikTok said recently that the Biden administration wants its Chinese ownership to sell the app or face a possible ban.

EU Commissioner for International Market Thierry

Where is TikTok Banned?

Numerous government bodies have recently banned the app from official devices, including the US federal government, Canada, the executive arm of the European Union, Australia, and the Parliaments of Britain and New Zealand. Again, these bans apply only to official government devices and have no impact on what private citizens choose to use on their own mobile devices.

India banned TikTok outright in June 2020, along with 58 other Chinese apps, to curb the perceived spread of Chinese influence in the country.

In late February, the Swiss Federal Chancellery told RSI that there are currently no plans to ban TikTok in Switzerland. The federal administration could ban the use of individual apps at any time, but at the moment such a ban is not intended for TikTok. Mauro Tuena, SVP national councilor and head of the security commission stated that the security of user data should always be the top priority, although a nationwide ban would go too far. Some elected officials believe a TikTok ban should be discussed if the platform repeatedly failed in protecting user data.

TikTok now has more than 150 million monthly active users in the US. With a total population of 332 million, that’s approaching half! Clearly, the app is popular with Americans, making a ban highly unpopular.

How is TikTok Responding?

​If EU governments were to begin debating a ban, we would expect TikTok to adjust guidelines voluntarily in order to remedy the concerns and allay the need for a ban.

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has fired four employees who illegally accessed the personal data of two journalists on the platform. The company has stated that it takes data security “incredibly seriously”. Regarding the EU ban on TikTok on official devices, a TikTok representative said: “We are disappointed with this decision, which we believe is wrong and based on fundamental misunderstandings. We have contacted the Commission to set the record straight and explain how we protect the data of the 125 million people in the EU who use TikTok every month.”


Yoeri Callebaut,

I do not believe that TikTok will be banned in Europe. European governments may apply pressure and they will come to an agreement in the end. Should TikTok be banned, there would be some eager replacements on the market very fast. While that would be exciting to see, I don’t think it will come to that point.

Yoeri Callebaut, CEO Kingfluencers

Impacts of a TikTok Ban

Brands value access to their target audiences as well as high engagement, and TikTok influencers deliver both. TikTok now has the highest engagement rates of any social media platform, 5.69% per post, compared to Instagram’s 0.47%. A TikTok ban would mean creators would lose the audiences and engagement they’ve spent time building. 

Additionally, TikTok emphasizes discovery, enabling posts from users with a small following to go viral. This makes the platform an excellent venue for new creators to achieve success. A TikTok ban would of course be detrimental for creators and brands alike, although other platforms, such as Meta, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat, could benefit as audiences shift.

How Can Brands & Influencers Mitigate Damage in this Unlikely Event?

There are a few things creators can do to mitigate the negative impact.

  • Diversify Your Online Presence

Work to build an audience on other social media platforms. You can upload your videos to YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and Snapchat’s Spotlight while continuing to make TikToks.

The content creator and food blogger Jey Cis (@cookingwithjey) also follows this strategy: “I generally try to spread myself across several platforms and have now also started a blog. Because in these fast-moving times, you never know what’s coming next. You should always have a plan B at the start or diversify.”

  • Develop Various Income Streams

You can monetize your audience by selling physical and digital products or services such as Cameo.

Again, the ban seems very unlikely, but these steps can benefit creators in any case. Brands can also benefit by partnering with influencers who have engaged audiences on multiple platforms


Jey Cis

If it [the TikTok ban] should happen, then a change is also a new chance to develop and grow. But of course, it would affect and worry me, because a lot of love and hard work was invested to create such an engaging account and community. Even if many out there still think that I “only make videos”.

Jey Cis, Content Creator

The Fact Remains: TikTok for Businesses Works

TikTok is still THE place for brands to reach and connect with Gen Z and, but also older generations. Working with dozens of leading TikTok-centric content creators, our expert team delivers and implements high-performing TikTok ad strategies or influencer campaigns. Developing and implementing a successful TikTok strategy will generate multiple tangible benefits, today and in the future.

Our success stories include:

Contact us to get started on TikTok ad strategies for your brand to shine.

Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing

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

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.

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

Study Report

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.

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.

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:

Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing

2023 Trends: A Look Ahead

What’s Emerging and What Should Brands Be Doing About it?

Last year, we published, “13 Social Media & Influencer Marketing Trends to Look For Now,” many of which are still relevant for 2023. So, what new trends are emerging now, and what’s changing? Most importantly, what should brands be doing about it?

1. Social Media is More Deeply Intertwined with Life, as People Share Everything

While people have long used social media to share life’s fun (and sometimes not so fun) moments, posts were often carefully curated and edited.

Social media is now becoming increasingly entrenched in people’s lives, as people share everything in the moment, on the go. Users are sharing every second via video on TikTok, SnapChat, and BeReal in ways that are less pre-planned and polished than typically seen on Instagram. On the popular Netflix show “Emily in Paris,” the protagonist livestreams her visits to popular tourist destinations – free of edits. The Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau posted where to find the main locations in the series to help people see the city through Emily’s eyes.

For Pro Juventute, we organized a campaign against cybermobbing in which three TikTokers, including Kris G, authentically shared their experiences with cyberbullying along with tips on how to deal with offensive comments and messages.

The Takeaway: Create brand content and select influencers who embrace this instant authenticity people crave.

2. Moving Even More Toward Everything Video

In our 2022 guide, we noted that video is increasing in relevance and importance, leaving other formats less likely to be noticed. As platforms adapt, they’re converging on video, specifically on-the-go storytelling. Sprout Social predicts that businesses will put more money behind video production.

PPCexpo states the video is, “The single most important content marketing strategy today.” Both video and authenticity continue to grow in importance. Social Media management platform Later notes video content is already shifting towards casual, off-the-cuff storytelling. “Even video editing is becoming more about telling a story, like using multiple apps to create clever edits.”

The Takeaway: Allocate sufficient budget to video production and select influencers with proven ability to create engaging videos. Also consider innovative use of your influencer video content with Kingfluencers “Influencer TV Spot,” a new exclusive advertising format that we launched last year, to take storytelling to a whole new level.

3. Performance Marketing Grows in Importance, as Brands Focus on KPIs

Many brands are still struggling to figure out how to monetize their social media presence. Brands want to ensure their initiatives, including IM campaigns, pay off, but tracking KPIs can be challenging.

As 2023 progresses, IM will be more tuned into sales and focused on conversion. Kingfluencers’ Head of Creative Strategy, Larisa Topalo, stated, “Conversion will begin to overtake awareness as the key goal.”

Eric Amstein, Kingfluencers’ Chief Strategy & Digital Influence Officer, stated, “Brands need to use every digital communication channel more and more strategically. Getting ahead of the narrative across all stakeholder interaction will be crucial to stay relevant and commercially successful. These investments will drive stronger results in digital brand building, digital reputation, positive eWOM, driving better performance of marketing activities and ultimately conversion rates.”

Fohr, influencer marketing agency and platform provider, also predicted, “Brands this year will be highly focused on ways to track conversion and their return on ad spend (ROAS).” In addition to a prioritization on conversion, Fohr predicts a rise in multi-touch attribution models that follow a longer customer journey.

The Takeaway: Allocate some of your campaign budgets to performance marketing (boosting organic content to reach even higher KPIs). Establish specific campaign goals and closely monitor quantitative KPIs, in addition to nuanced measurement with qualitative analysis. Consider multi-touch attribution models and use every channel more strategically.

2023 Trends a Look Ahead. Performance Marketing.

4. IM Content Gains More Ground

According to a study from eMarketer, “Influencer marketing spend is projected to grow 23.4% in 2023 and 15.9% in 2024.” But we don’t expect IM expenditures to be restricted to traditional campaigns.

Instead, IM content will continue to spill over into other domains and serve as the basis for performance marketing campaigns. Brands will use the power of that content to convey their value, get attention, and further capitalize on their IM investments.

Larisa said, “We’ll see more influencers, more content, more platform changes. Integration of influencers into traditional marketing activities will continue, for example PR events, capsule launches, product co-creation, TV advertising. There is a lot of room for creativity, and we’ll see even more unusual collaborations, viral campaigns, and clever integrations.”

Influencer marketing will also continue to expand beyond consumer products, impacting B2B purchase decisions and integrating the influence of corporate leaders. We expect B2B influencer marketing to take off, but it needs the requisite tools and processes. It can be time-consuming and difficult to find B2B influencers, making the support of agencies that much more vital. (And yes, Kingfluencers is already part of this take off!)

The Takeaway: Allocate funds for IM as an integral part of your marketing efforts. Yoeri Callebaut, Kingfluencers CEO, advises, “Take the time needed to strategize, plan, and allocate budgets. IM can’t be an afterthought at which you throw leftover budget. It’s important for brands to have a diversified and smart approach to social media and constantly reinvent how they communicate, spending more time on content to stand out. The storytelling train is moving fast. You need to get on now and come with brand stories, characters, and room for influencers to be creative.”

5. Social Media Platforms & Creators Continue to Innovate… Beyond TikTok

Platforms have long been accused of copying one another, which we expect to continue. However, some innovative channels are still emerging and growing as they target unique niches, such as Twitch.

2023 Trends a Look Ahead. Success Story Street Parade

Larisa expects IM campaigns to become more creative, complicated, and elaborate. GoPro demonstrated their trust in the unbridled creativity of influencers at the recent GoPro Creator Summit. The brand invited 42 creators to a four-day, all expenses-paid jaunt to Interlaken, Switzerland, an experience one summed up, “A brand threw me out of a plane.” GoPro didn’t give creators any specific assignments or content mandates.

In collaboration with Street Parade 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.

The Takeaway: While it’s important to stay informed of the latest platform innovations, brands must move toward a community-centric approach. Focus on your target community and build an approach that includes which platforms to use to reach them. Think beyond Meta (Instagram) and  TikTok and include other platforms like Twitch (especially for men), Pinterest (especially for women), and YouTube. Kingfluencers will continue to help you stay informed with our new upcoming study coming out mid-March with insights into digital influence on Swiss consumer behaviors like inspiration searches, purchase decision-making, and platform usage.

6. TikTok Remains a Driver, as Platforms Strive to be More Entertaining and Engaging

Fohr thinks, “TikTok will stay as a cultural engine, as the platform matures, creators could bring their communities elsewhere.” The agency and platform provider has seen reports of slower follower growth and fewer views on creator content, which means new opportunities for YouTubers, bloggers, newsletters, or live streaming.

TikTok has been banned in government agencies due to cybersecurity risks in several US states. Fear of TikTok bans persist, but restrictions are likely to remain limited to government agencies or individual corporations.

“In my opinion, other platforms now see the entertainment approach is working, and are launching more features to make the platform both more entertaining and more engaging. Impacted by TikTok’s success, platforms are striving to create community feelings and engagement, stimulating interactions with features such as chat, video calls, groups, and audio rooms. These are big factors that make people stick to the platform, contributing to the success of social media,” said Yoeri.

“Sparking connections between people over what they find,” is among Instagram’s priorities in 2023, alongside inspiring creativity, and discovering new things.

The Takeaway: TikTok remains a vital channel to connect with consumers, and don’t disregard the opportunities for engagement elsewhere. Entertaining content is great, but people stay when they can connect and interact in a community.

7. Focus on User Generated Content (UGC)

Nearly 80% of consumers surveyed say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. Recognizing this value, brands are making increasing efforts to capture a greater variety of voices, such as consumers and employees. Through consumer advocacy efforts, they’re working to capture UGC and use it wisely, building a squad of voices to deliver a broad range of support.

Salesforce is one very impressive success case. The brand revamped their social ambassador program and turned 25,000 employees into social brand ambassadors in 21 months by leveraging Haiilo.

The Takeaway: Make plans to capture and leverage UGC. Don’t leave it to chance. Give your consumers creative freedom to showcase how your product can solve a key pain point of your community. The authenticity of such real stories makes IM powerful and can result in highly successful campaigns.

2023 Trends a Look Ahead. User generated Content.

8. Scrutiny & Oversight of Platforms + Influencer Guidelines

Recent events at Twitter have unleashed many questions and increased scrutiny. Specifically, how do platforms really operate? How fragile are they? What impact do they have on democracy?

Social media is becoming a topic of geopolitical interest, amid growing concerns about the power and instability of platforms. We’ll likely see increasing demand for more oversight and regulation.

Greg notes that Twitter could become more interested in the creator economy to generate new revenues. While some brands have reduced their Twitter marketing spend, the platform still provides great opportunities. For example, Shakira sang about her ex Gérard Pique’s new girlfriend, “You traded a Rolex for a Casio.” Casio responded and has been having great fun on Twitter.

Anja Lapčević, Kingfluencers Co-CEO & Chief Influence Officer, stated that France is now another country that has planned to implement guidelines for influencers. “We will also focus on further developing the Code of Conduct and expanding the Conscious Influence Hub, in addition to recruiting more creators, agencies, brands, and individuals to work with association. We believe that as a community we can use the positive power of social media to strengthen digital togetherness.”

Sprout Social wrote how brands talk about sustainability, specifically, will change, with many opting for a quieter approach amid fears of being called out for greenwashing.

The Takeaway: Contribute to social media as a force for good. Ensure public statements are always transparent and sincere.

Code of Conduct

9. Brands Will Hire Influencers to Run Their Accounts & Work Onsite

Manor TikTok Videos

Shopify states, “If an influencer has a track record of going viral with their own accounts, chances are they can replicate the success for a brand.” In addition to their knowledge of what engages communities on social platforms, they also have friendships with other influencers that can further help brands extend their reach.

Kingfluencers manages Manor’s TikTok account, where our team also engages with their communities via the creators T-Ronimo and Ericwdrae. Another successful example is influencer lala who creates TikToks for the German grocery store EDEKA.

10. In-Store Influencers

Based on their global consumer study, the Qualtrics XM Institute has declared 2023, “the year businesses rediscover the human connection.” “But in the rush to digitize everything, and drive operational efficiency, many companies left their humanity behind. And now, they’re paying the price as consumers demand deeper, more human connections with the companies they buy from.”

Influencers can play a part in building more human connection. As published by Trend Hunter, “Brands are inviting influencers to their brick-and-mortar retail locations for more interactive and engaging partnerships. These collaborations are often realized as consumer-facing marketing resources, or a way for the brand to help influencers supercharge their social media content.”

Consumers are increasingly looking at influencers for insights into different products or services, as they are often shown in the moment or in use. Both, brand and influencers, ensure through in-store creator events to provide real, authentic experiences instead of putting the purchase decision in focus. 

Some of our influencers participated in such a in-store creator event for the opening of the On Running flagship store in Zurich, together with other talented content creators. It was a fun (and sporty!) event, full of laughter, music, good vibes, and refreshing drinks.

Brands will increasingly focus on reviving brick-and-mortar retail experiences, especially with influencer opening events or visits, because that makes retail fun and more human-centric! Even employees can act as in-house influencers and become a crucial part of your branding.

The Takeaway: Consider enabling creators to manage your account or just take it over for a day. Give creators freedom to generate content for your brand. While influencers are often associated with social media, consider partnering with them for in-store collaborations.

On Flagship Store

11. Need to Compete with AI (Artificial Intelligence)

Chat GPT

New use cases for artificial intelligence seem to occur on a daily basis. Launched in November 2022, ChatGPT is a chatbot that’s shockingly decent at creating unique content. Social Media Today writers suspect that many websites will use AI-generated content for generic overviews, helping cut down on SEO time. “The end result, then, is that people – like, actual, real humans – will be less and less engaged by the generic, which could open up more opportunity for better copy to stand out.”

On the other hand, the OpenAI Terms of Use states, “Due to the nature of machine learning, Output may not be unique across users and the Services may generate the same or similar output for OpenAI or a third party.” Therefore, by using AI-generated text, you could end up with duplicate website content, thus incurring Google penalties.

AI-generated art has also been growing, with some unique results such as every country as a super villain

AI may be progressing in creating text and imagery, but it doesn’t seem capable of making fun TikToksyet.

Content, whether for SEO, email, or social posts, must resonate with people. As reiterated by many surveys we’ve quoted here, people crave authentic human connection. It’s crucial to share emotional, sincere posts from real people that consumers can relate to. AI can’t come close to achieving that vital depth of connection.

The Takeaway: Influencers will have to compete with AI in creating content. Brands should carefully vet influencers – especially writers – so you can be certain the content they’re creating is unique. Real people are needed for real human connection. But also consider including some fun, fascinating AI-generated imagery as a complement to your authentically human campaigns.

12. Preventing Burnout & Improving Mental Health Will Be Priorities

With all the new trends and innovations, it’s important to maintain a focus on wellness, both physical and mental. Behind every smiling face on social media is a person with doubts and problems. That’s why we’re introducing a new format on our channels: Monthly Mental Health Check-in. We at Kingfluencers want to bring attention to the topic of mental health and share very personal and close experiences. Our January topic was comparing yourself on social media and was extended in February with our #NoFilterFeb Challenge. In our 2nd part of the Mental Health Campaign, we highlight how social media distorts reality and provide tips and tricks.

Talking to The Media Leader, Phil Rowley, Omnicom Media Group’s head of futures, commented on the need for social media to positively impact mental health. “We love social media, but we hate it too, and we certainly can’t stop using it. So the only long-term solution is to find a model that scratches all of our itches but doesn’t make us feel terrible in the process.”

The Takeaway: Consider how your social media interactions will impact anyone who encounters them. Refer to the Conscious Influence Hub Code of Conduct for guidance.

Post #NoFilterFeb

Soon, But Not Now:

Live Commerce

Live commerce is gaining ground worldwide, although it’s not yet common in DACH. The Drum reports a recent shift in understanding and engagement of live shopping in Europe.

Many platforms offer their own shopping features – with social commerce, brands can handle the entire customer journey within one platform – from the initial inspiration to the purchase of a product. This gives social commerce an advantage that traditional online commerce cannot offer and also increases the impulse of purchases. According to the Swiss Mail Order Association, which brings together more than 320 online retailers generating around 50% of Swiss B2C online sales, manufacturers and brands are investing heavily in their online format to increase sales and improve the customer experience.

Although the topic is still very young in Switzerland, it will become increasingly relevant and also be used more and more. 

Metaverse and Web 3.0

Fastcompany says: “In 2023, the Metaverse is likely to grow exponentially, becoming more immersive and more expansive. With advances in technology, we are likely to see more realistic avatars—the figures that represent you in the Metaverse—that allow for more complex interactions in virtual worlds.”

At Kingfluencers, we expect the metaverse to grow significantly  in 2023 both on the side of brands and users presence – although perhaps not at the speed sources like Fast Company predict just yet. In Switzerland and DACH, we assume that it might still take a little while and foresee the boom rather as of 2024-2025 for a number of reasons such as complexity for people to get involved in areas like NFTs (requiring NFT wallets etc) and general access to the Metaverse with multiple ‘Metaverses’ like Sandbox existing without any of them being the true leading one. We do believe that in the next 2 years clearer dominance of certain Metaverses will become apparent, which will help adoption as people and brands will know where to go – Metaverse-wise. Furthermore in order for Metaverse to become more popular and gain traction, access to Metaverse and Web 3.0 should be simplified and potential users need easily accessible guides and information or education concerning how to participate – from buying NFT’s to generation avatars and being ‘on the Verse’. Once how to gain access is more clear or simplified consumers and brands are likely to find their way to the world of web 3.0 a lot faster and the exponential boom can begin (much like it happened with social media in general). 

The real trend we expect is that specialized  stakeholders  in this industry such as web 3.0 developers but also some leading frontrunner brands outside the web 3.0 technology zone will make access to the Metaverse and Web 3.0 easier or more attractive in order to stimulate adoption. This will be done for example by simplifying systems and procedures related to access and ownership of digital assets, so that  more people will find their way to it without much ‘technology hassle’. Some of this will require real ‘reengineering’ of certain systems and processes related to these fields. Forward looking companies and brands will continue to invest in innovation in all areas as well as NFTs throughout the year and with good reasons.  

Supporting Your 2023

If you have any more questions about the emerging trends listed or would like to chat about other trends on the horizon, feel free to contact us right away. 

Kingfluencers can help you to initiate and integrate the trends into your marketing strategy, be it general marketing trends, social media management, influencer marketing, TikTok, or even a TV spot.

Author: Yoeri Callebaut, Kingfluencers AG

Today for a better tomorrow – #KFcares

Why #KFCares?

At a time when posting has felt so useless, we wanted to change something. And so, we came up with the idea of doing good with every post – together, for a better future. That’s why Kingfluencers has launched the #KFcares initiative. An initiative that aims to make a difference, and has been doing so since March 2022!

Now to the current situation, we have planned to help the people in need in Syria and Turkey with our #KFcares initiative. Not only have we dedicated the #KFcares initiative to the Austrian Red Cross (Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz), but we have also collected and already handed over donations in kind.

In this article, we would like to give you a little insight into our #KFcares initiative, show you how it works, how it is supposed to help, and how you can support it.

The founding story of the initiative

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February, every post has felt pointless and wrong. No matter what we posted or wanted to share, it didn’t feel right. We quickly realized that we would like to contribute to making the world a little better, not only, but especially in such hard times.

In March 2022, we launched our own project: the #KFcares initiative. From now on, each of our posts has added value and meaning – for a better tomorrow! Besides founding and launching the initiative, we also published a blog article on responsible posting about war and in times of crisis.

How does #KFcares work?

Since March 2022 we have been donating CHF 1 to non-profit organizations for every post, including all influencer campaign posts with the hashtag #KFcares. It doesn’t matter if it’s a story, a picture, a TikTok, or a LinkedIn post. Every month, we choose an organization that is close to our hearts – often related to current topics.

As of January 12, 2023, we have already donated CHF 2,521.

It fills me with joy to be able to accompany so many great people on their journey. I’m also very proud of our #KFcares initiative, which gives new meaning to our work and allows us to support important organizations every month.

Anja Lapčević, Co-CEO & Chief Influence Officer

Our organizations

The first #KFcares organization, that we chose to support, was the Ukrainian organization Voices of Children in March 2022. Since 2015, it has been helping children to deal with the trauma of war, providing psychological emergency aid, and helping with the evacuation process. Children should never lose their voice, but use it for a future and a better world.

KFcares initiative for a better tomorrow. Our organizations.
#KFCares February, 2023 – Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz

In April 2022, #KFcares chose Essen für Alle (=Food for all) as its donation recipient. A charity in Zurich that provides basic food and resources to people in need.

For May 2022, our donation went to Unicef. Unicef advocates for the rights of children and young people in more than 190 countries, helping them to survive and reach their full potential.

In June 2022 we supported Pro Juventute and in August 2022 we donated to Caritas International. For October 2022, we have decided to donate to Syria and the organization Glückskette. We had the pleasure of attending the opening night of the Zurich Film Festival, where we watched the movie “The Swimmers” together with our creators – a story based on true events in which two sisters flee from the war in Syria to Germany. Swiss Solidarity focuses primarily on the survival of affected people on the site. With partner organizations, they treat the sick and injured and provide people with the food they need. 

One of our donations we are very proud of is the Center for Human Rights organization, to which we donated in November 2022. The heartbreaking images and videos that reached us daily moved us to help the people of Iran. Since mid-September 2022, thousands of people have been demonstrating against the political leadership in Iran, which has made it mandatory for women and girls to wear a headscarf from the age of seven. People are taking to the streets, risking their lives, and fighting for women’s and human rights.

At the end of the year 2022, we made a donation to the children’s charity Petite Suisse. An organization that fights for the rights of all children for health, survival, and education, as well as protection, violence, and exploitation since 2007. With Christmas coming up, Petite Suisse has decided to make Christmas gifts from donations and give the children Christmas joy. We started the year 2023 with a fundraising campaign for the organization SOS Kinderdörfer for Education. With January 24th being the official World Education Day, we would like to contribute to the support of education.

A heart initiative that makes us proud

We at Kingfluencers are very proud to have started an initiative that gives a whole new meaning to our work. Having the feeling of doing something good through posts and motivating people to donate as well fills us with joy and pride:

“I think it’s so great that each of our posts can provide added value to people in need of help. One of the posts where I have the most fun preparing it for social media and sharing it with our community,” says Sandra Miletić, Junior Marketing Manager.

This is how you can support Kingfluencers’ Initiative

We want to encourage all helpful people and brands to also do something for a better future and a better tomorrow. That’s why we’re calling for you to join our #KFcares initiative for. #KFcares for the month of February goes to the people in need in Turkey and Syria, together with the Austrian Red Cross. 

To do so, simply use the hashtag #KFcares on social media and tag @kingfluencers, because: each hashtag equals 1 CHF. 

Kingfluencers also calls on companies to launch their own initiatives with their own hashtag, for example. Together we can achieve so much more and ensure a better future!

Author: Tijana Simic, Marketing Support @Kingfluencers

Trends Observed in 2023

In early 2023, we published, “13 Social Media & Influencer Marketing Trends to Look For Now.” We’re looking back at 2023 to see some examples of these trends… and one where we got it wrong.

1. Social media platforms are experimenting

Trends Observed in 2022. Metaverse.

2023 saw no shortage of innovations in social media! The biggest of which is the metaverse. We’ve written a series of 4 articles now. One key takeaway: it’s still early days, but the metaverse is currently a huge green field with many opportunities. We’ve predicted that a critical mass of users is still three to five years away, but brands should start thinking now about how to engage communities there. The guidance of experts and support from agencies will be more critical than ever.

Users have been wanting more authenticity in social media, and the hot new app BeReal is meeting that demand. BeReal has been downloaded millions of times, held the No. 1 position in the App Store, and received interest from investors.

Social media platforms have long copied one another and BeReal seems to be the one to emulate. Instagram launched a new ‘Dual’ camera mode, and TikTok announced the expansion of their suite of creation tools with TikTok Now, “a daily photo and video experience to share your most authentic moments with the people who matter the most.”In July, NPR wrote that Facebook is making radical changes to keep up with TikTok. Despite efforts to copy it, TikTok continues to dominate.

Trends Observed in 2022. TikTok

2. Social Media Platforms Emerge to Target Increasingly Smaller Niches

Our second trend is the one we admit we got wrong. Some influencers are focusing on increasingly smaller niches, making nano-influencers effective partners for brands to connect with their target audiences. We did also see platforms, such as BeReal, grow and expand, but that app was founded in 2023 and while it has a unique appeal, it’s not targeting a small niche.

However, 2023 didn’t see the emergence of any entirely new platforms targeting a small niche, so we acknowledge that this prediction was inaccurate

3. Digitalization of everything, including growth VR/AR & metaverse

We wrote about emerging retail trends, some of which fuse the physical and digital. 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.

According to Accenture, 39% of consumers have had a consultation in a virtual or augmented reality environment on topics from health and wellness to DIY projects.

4. More love for nano and micro-influencers

Lauchmetrics found that micro- and nano-influencers made up the most Media Impact Value (MIV) in beauty. At Kingfluencers, we added 98 new nano influencers in 2023 into our creators’ community. Kingfluencers has run numerous successful campaigns with micro- and nano-influencers.

One highlight was Vacherin Fribourgeois. We ran a campaign to build awareness and create a sense of belonging to a community through the “Instants Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP.” Our concept encouraged influencers to talk about their different traditions while eating fondue and the secret ingredients they use to make it an even better experience. Over 3 weeks, 5 micro and 1 mid-tier influencers made a total of 69 posts on Instagram and Facebook. Total impressions were 232K, 60% higher than forecast, with over 1.239K interactions and a total engagement rate of 4.81%.

5. Creator content will become more widespread

The domain of influencers continues to expand beyond social media platforms. Kingfluencers was part of the opening night of the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF). We welcomed the biggest Swiss content creators on the ZFF Green Carpet, including two of last year’s Swiss Influencer Award winners: Adrian Vogt and Brian Havarie.

As Fabian Plüss, our Co-Founder said, “We’re proud to see that the work of content creators is also recognized and respected by the ZFF. This shows that the festival has a diverse perspective on video productions of all kinds and thus welcomes the creators’ scene.”

For Pro Juventute, we organized a campaign against cybermobbing in which three TikTokers, including Kris G, shared their tips on how to deal with offensive comments and messages. The reach of the campaign expanded beyond social media, as it was also featured in an article on Watson.

6. Creator economy will boom as content becomes currency

One fascinating, innovative use of influencer content is the “Influencer TV Spot,” a new exclusive advertising format that we launched last year. In case you missed our “2022 Recap” article from 13.01.2022, we dove into this new exclusive advertising format in our, “Exciting News” section.

Video is dominating

Video is one of the most important formats on social media. PPCexpo states it is, “The single most important content marketing strategy today.” Video has revolutionized marketing across all channels. Landing page videos are able to increase conversion rates by 80%. 92% of mobile video consumers share videos with their social network, and over 80% of businesses say video generates a good marketing ROI. The number of digital video viewers is expected to reach 3.48 billion in 2023. With video content dominating, YouTube is now the second most popular website in the world.

Short-form videos are also an excellent tactic for informing and connecting with your audience, such as the Pro Juventute campaign against cybermobbing. Pro Juventute offers children and young people a confidential telephone line to talk about their concerns, as well as helpful tips on its website 147.ch. Six influencers, including Kris G, talked about their own experiences with mental illnesses in a total of 6 TikTok videos. Impressions were more than 866k with a reach of more than 598k, achieving a 26.7% engagement rate and 45.13% growth in followers. The campaign was also featured in an article on Watson.

7. Influencers face increasing pressure to innovate

TikTok released its Year on TikTok 2022 which included many innovations, such as a song set to Tariq’s, aka Corn Kid, enthusiastic description of his tasty snack. Among the breakthrough stars, “#SpaceTok opens up to a new dimension, thanks to European Space Agency Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who takes us on out-of-this-world adventures.”

Qualtrics spoke to more than 33,000 consumers in 29 countries to find out what businesses need to do to win their loyalty. The answer? Act more human.

Uster, the third largest city in canton Zürich, worked with Kingfluencers to emphasize the human impacts of littering. The campaign targeted young audiences to reduce littering in Uster and around Lake Greifensee. Comedy influencers communicated to their audience that littering is not cool under any circumstances. The curated content was very appealing to the audience, as shown by the immensely high engagement rate and the large quantity of positive comments. 3 macro influencers on Instagram and TikTok published a total of 12 posts (videos and stories) + 2 additional pieces of content. The interaction rate was 7.1%, and the engagement rate was 30.9%.

As influencers innovate, they must continue to be relatable and authentic. These attributes are what drive high levels of engagement. To their community members, an influencer can feel like part of their friendship circle. Partnering with influencers is a powerful tool for brands to build trust and connect to consumers, delivering exactly what consumers want – acting more human, and helping fuel growth.

8. Long-term partnerships between brands & influencers

Here at Kingfluencers, we’re thrilled to have ongoing relationships with influencers that are now stretching into their fourth year, including L’Oréal, Nestlé, and Mondelez.

Kingfluencers worked on campaigns to promote V6 chewing gum, a Mondelez brand. To highlight the unique health and well-being benefits of V6, the team chose influencers focused on health, nature, and an overall positive outlook. In one campaign, influencers shared a story in which they received the most beautiful compliment and why it made them smile, then encouraged their communities to share their own stories, achieving a total engagement rate of 3.9% on Instagram and Facebook.

Eyeglasses maker AFFLELOU worked with Kingfluencers on a campaign lasting 12 months, with the goals of expanding brand awareness in French-speaking Switzerland and generating new customers. Influencers were selected to inspire the audience with cool looks and give the brand credibility and familiarity. The campaign achieved a total engagement rate of 3.72% so far (the campaign is still running).

Longterm Partnerships

9. Heightened awareness of the risks of social media

Social media has had tremendous impacts that have reverberated throughout the year. We examined the complex issues around combating misinformation. Individual responsibility is vital. Stopping the spread of misinformation at scale is problematic. Algorithms haven’t proven effective at differentiating between criticism and advocacy.

As awareness of the potential downsides of social media increases, we’ve also seen a focus on the risks of toxic beauty standards. Governments have taken steps to combat toxic beauty ideals, while brands have actively promoted healthy attitudes toward beauty.

Unfortunately, no one is safe from fake followers, which can reduce your credibility on social media. Our article describes how to recognize them, how to remove them, and, above all, how to avoid them. Businesses of all kinds are aware of the many risks they’re facing. A PWC survey shows that more than 95% of businesses expect to face a crisis within the next two years. All of these issues reinforce the importance of crisis management, including ensuring your influencers know your contingency plans if things go wrong. While social media can be the source of a crisis, fortunately, it can also be a vital tool in managing one.

10. All about Gen Z

Generation Z

We predicted that the existing focus on Gen Z as a coveted demographic will continue, and recommended that brands should consider Gen Z in their campaigns. Kingfluencers is well-equipped to help our clients connect with Gen Z, as 37.5%* of our new creators are Gen Z (*of those Influencers who provided their birthday.)

But one trend that is not all about Gen Z is TikTok, as we wrote, Gen Z is not synonymous with “Gen TikTok.” Different generations use TikTok differently. 

In the next article, we’ll take a look at what trends await us in 2023 and also give the trends our personal Kingfluencers touch and evaluate the trends. Be curious and stay tuned!

Author: Yoeri Callebaut, Kingfluencers AG

2022 Recap: Exciting News, Productive Events, & Highlights from Our Growing Content Creator Network

Join us on a short trip down memory lane as we share some favorite moments from our fun and productive year. Kingfluencers started 2022 at our new office in the heart of Zurich. After the successful Q1, we not only redecorated our office rooms but welcomed over 10 new employees throughout the year.”

Campaign Highlights

In 2021, Kingfluencers completed over 150 campaigns. Our total increased to 213 in 2022 (+40%). Implementing all these successful campaigns was only possible thanks to our amazing creators. We worked with 308 different influencers in 2021, which increased to 346 in 2022 (+12%).

While it’s difficult to choose our favorite campaigns, we’ve selected a few highlights. 

Wakeaway enjoyed her Starbucks Signature Chocolate Drink for Starbucks Switzerland. Over 11 creators contributed to our Comparis campaign, including Janosch Nietlispach and Anaïs Decasper, who showed us what can happen if you don’t have the opportunity to compare services. 

We did a total of 46 campaigns for L’Oréal, and a campaign with Toblerone included a giveaway with Emma. For Pro Juventute, we organized a campaign against cybermobbing in which three TikTokers, including Kris G, shared their tips on how to deal with offensive comments and messages. The campaign was also featured in an article on Watson.

For Nesquik, Fabio Zerzuben shared the breakfast action movie soundtrack that he always wanted. Alayah made an excellent seasonal fall dish with Migros. Our annual Ochsner Shoes campaign included over 30 creators. Highlights include Aamina in December, Ana Maria Marković, and Alison Liaudat both in April, the latter one was used for our Influencer TV Spot, which we’ll dive into as part of our exciting news. 

But also our wonderful clients shared their thoughts on working with us this year:

Tatiana Traulsen, Marketing Manager @Nestlé Cereals:
“I have really enjoyed working with Kingfluencers for our two cereals campaigns this year. Everything went smoothly, even despite tight timings, thanks to very reactive and transparent communication, as always! Kingfluencers brought smiles and excitement and a perfectly managed successful campaign. Thank you for making it so easy.”

Rebecca Pohlmann, Digital Manager @Pierre Fabré Suisse:
“We are very satisfied with the cooperation with you. You work very reliably and bring a very high degree of flexibility to fulfill our wishes. We are very much looking forward to presenting our brand together with you in the next year according to the current social media trends in the networks.”

Our Growing Creator Team

In 2022, Kingfluencers welcomed 579 (vs. 489 in 2021) new influencers to our team. In this section you will find a small mini-honor from Kingfluencers to the categories:
Newcomers, Most reliable, Most creative, and OG Influencers. 

Starting with THE newcomers 2022: Noah Bachofen, who shares cooking tips with beautiful scenery. Cooking with Jey also shares quick and easy recipes from healthy to indulgent, along with glimpses of her adorable cat. Basel-based design and fashion influencer Gian-David posts funny videos on topics such as traveling and relationships. Kingfluencers’ most reliable creators in 2022 are Vivienne Burkhardt, Aline Made, and Ramona Brüniger. The most creative were SwissComedy, Margaux Seydoux, and T-Ronimo. We continue to run successful campaigns with our numerous OG influencers, including Alison Liaudat, Minea, and Family of 5.

Creators’ Favorites from 2022

Reflecting on the year past, our creators appreciated the nicely organized projects with pleasant and uncomplicated cooperation. Creator Alison Liaudat’s favorite campaign was watching the champions league finale with Just Eat in Paris, which included building brand awareness rather than specific product placement for a “natural approach.”

While creator Laura Bante struggled to select her favorite campaign, the Steampod launch campaign stood out for her. “I was able to closely experience the evolution of each generation and was able to test the latest generation before everyone else! This also contributed to the interest and curiosity my followers had to see what new features were in stock.” Fabio Zerzuben stated that, “all campaigns were unique and really cool. Especially Oreo (Batman), but also Generali were great collaborations.” Other highlights were the Rundfunk event and his visit to the KF office for an exchange “in real life.”

Exciting News

This year, Kingfluencers launched the “Influencer TV Spot” service, a new exclusive advertising format. Kingfluencers and Admeira give brands the opportunity to broadcast their influencer marketing content as a TV commercial. Merge the power of TV with the trustworthiness and unmatched appeal of influencer marketing to gain unbeatable reach at an accessible cost.

One of the first success cases was within the Ochsner Shoes yearly campaign which is based on seasonal events throughout the year, with influencers skillfully setting the stage for each pair of shoes. The Influencer TV Spot premiered on July 13, 2022, on SRF2, achieving a Gross Rating Point of 21.6% and more than 1 million impressions. Broadcast in November, the second Influencer TV Spot campaign with Ochsner Shoes and Christa Rigozzi achieved a Gross Rating Point of 32.0% and more than 1.488 million impressions. 

Kingfluencers also worked with a leading Swiss technology company in 2022, helping connect to their B2B audience and building an employer branding strategy. Finally, Kingfluencers also manages social media for Manor’s TikTok account since July 2022, where our team has enjoyed planning their account & engaging with their communities in regard to content creation with creators like T-Ronimo, Ericwdrae or Fatjona.

Productive & Fun Events

2022 was filled with a variety of exciting and productive events. In April, Kingfluencers and Pathé held an exclusive screening of the much-awaited “The Batman” movie.

Thanks to our new collaboration with the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF), Kingfluencers was part of the festival’s opening night in September. We welcomed the biggest Swiss content creators on the ZFF green carpet, including two of last year’s Swiss Influencer Award winners: @aditotoro and @briann. As Fabian Plüss, our Co-Founder said, “We’re proud to see that the work of content creators is also recognized and respected by the ZFF. This shows that the festival has a diverse perspective on video productions of all kinds and thus welcomes the creators’ scene.”

In collaboration with Street Parade 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. 

Also in September, we had the opportunity to celebrate one last beautiful summer night in Zurich at our exclusive client mingle event at Rundfunk, where we connected with some of our top clients and amazing creators in a fun and inspiring way!

In October, our team organized a get-together for our content creators in beautiful Ticino, providing an opportunity to better connect with our Swiss, Italian-speaking creators, while enjoying stunning views of Lugano Lake.

The 3rd annual Smile Swiss Influencer Award Show was held in November. With over 1,000 VIPs and a combined reach of more than 50 million followers, the event was a success with “Hollywood-ready social media moments,” according to Fabian Plüss, founder of SSIA and co-founder of Kingfluencers. Before the award show, we organized a pre-event with L’Oréal Switzerland, transforming our office into a beauty world. Makeup artists and hair stylists welcomed our lovely creators and styled them and our team for the big night.

In order for brand partners to benefit from impeccable and solid advice in the field of influencer marketing in the future, Kingfluencers will now also become the official sales partner. As the official distribution partner for #SSIA2023, we will offer exclusive partner packages.

Our autumn also included multiple speaking events at WebStage Masters, Startup Nights, Nights Conference, and Social Media Gipfel.

We finished up the year with our sparkly Kingfluencers Christmas Party, where we were spoiled with the best Swiss cuisine while creating some TikToks.

2023 will be an exciting and colorful year with a variety of thrilling events. Kingfluencers will also have a startup stand at one of the biggest marketing events – so stay tuned for what’s to come!

Joyful Team Building & Charitable Fundraising

In October, we held a team-building event where our Co-CEO Anja filled the day with creative challenges and a beautiful hike from Lugano to Gandria. Along the way, we were asked to build strong, cooperative teams and learn more about our corporate values in order to better live them in practice.

Reflecting on 2022, Anja said, “My highlight every year is my team and everything they do. It fills me with joy to be able to accompany so many great people on their way. I’m also especially proud of our #KFcares initiative, which gives new meaning to our work and allows us to support important organizations every month.”

Through our charitable work with #KFcares, we’ve donated a total of 2,521 CHF. Starting in March due to the Ukraine war, where every post felt so pointless and wrong, we launched our own #KFcares project. This way, each of our posts gets added value and meaning. In March we donated to the Ukrainian organization Voices of Children, and in May & June, our donations went to Unicef & Pro Juventute. For November we donated to Iran and the Center for Human Rights. An initiative we are very proud of! 

As of 13 December, we’ve made a total of 174 social media posts and 666 stories from our own Kingfluencers’ channels.

Coming up next week, we’ll take another look back. In early 2022, we published, “13 Social Media & Influencer Marketing Trends to Look For Now.” Throughout the year, we saw many excellent examples of these trends… and one where we got it wrong. Follow Kingfluencers on Instagram and TikTok to learn about 2023’s exciting events and even to occasionally follow along in real-time.

Author: Yoeri Callebaut, Kingfluencers AG

Swiss Influencer Award x Kingfluencers – a partnership since 2019

On November 17th, 2022, the Smile Swiss Influencer Award (SSIA) with over 1,000 VIP guests aka the biggest creator event in Switzerland took place for the third time in Zurich’s Kaufleuten. In addition to the musical performance by Kings Elliot and star DJ Cruz, the most successful and inspiring 10 influencers in Switzerland were honored – and Kingfluencers being part of the jury.

This year’s winners

The award show was celebrated with a following of over 50 million people in the sold-out Kaufleuten club. But who are this year’s lucky winners that will be following Mimoza, Aditotoro, Andri Ragettli, and others? The jury, consisting of Anja Lapčević (Co-CEO Kingfluencers), Farner, ElleSD, HWZ, and SSIA, evaluated the feeds by paying attention to creative, authentic, and diverse content. In addition, the reach, especially of the Swiss community, and the engagement rate of this year’s nominees also played a major role in the final evaluation.

And here they are, the winners of the Swiss Influencer Awards 2022:

The Newcomer Award, for which one could qualify by participating in various brand challenges, was won by Patrick Scherz. He convinced the jury with his innovative and entertaining content created for the Smile Insurance Challenge.

The Newcomer Award
Winners SSIA 2022

Kingfluencers as the new distribution partner

In order for brand partners to benefit from impeccable and solid advice in the field of influencer marketing in the future, Kingfluencers, which previously supported SSIA as a media and influencer relationship partner, will now also become the official sales partner. As the official distribution partner for #SSIA2023, we will offer exclusive partner packages. Brands from a wide variety of industries can benefit from a comprehensive presence on all channels with a unique combination of classic sponsoring elements and a new influencer marketing concept.

New challenges for 2023

After the Swiss Influencer Awards is before the Swiss Influencer Awards – the new challenges for the fourth edition of the #SSIA will start again on 1 January 2023. These newcomer challenges, where new talents are scouted with the help of micro-influencer campaigns by various brand partners, can last for several months until the nominated All-Stars and newcomer winners are presented at the end of October 2023.

Creators are not only creative people who offer brands perfect opportunities to get their messages across to their audiences in an authentic and impactful way. They provide their followers with daily information, inspiration, entertainment, and much more, which is why influencers have the ability to build bridges between people, brands, organizations, and their communities. “We are therefore very excited to have the opportunity at SSIA to further recognize these talented people as sales partners and acknowledge all the hard work they put into their art”, says Yoeri Callebaut, Co-CEO of Kingfluencers.

Eager to learn more? Check out some more info on the side or reach out to us anytime.

Swiss Influencer Awards

Great additions for #SSIA2023

Fabian Plüss, founder and initiator of the event is particularly satisfied: “The Smile Swiss Influencer Award was a successful evening with many unforgettable and Hollywood-vibe social media moments. It was absolutely great how many content creators were involved live on-site as well as online.” He goes on to promise “really great additions” for the next edition, so stay tuned!

Would you, as a brand, like to learn more about the #SSIA2023 partner packages? Reach out to our Consulting Team to get to know your opportunities. Would you like to get some insights into this year’s Smile Swiss Influencer Award Show first? Click here for the official after movie.

Author: Ramona Kälin, Marketing Support @Kingfluencers