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

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.

Kingfluencers’ Creators Event in Ticino

CIAO TICINO!
KINGFLUENCERS ORGANIZES THE FIRST CREATOR EVENT IN TICINO

The Swiss Digital Influence Agency Kingfluencers points the spotlight at the most important influencers from the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. To ensure that the creative Ticinesi are not forgotten in other parts of the country, the agency organized a big welcome event for creators from the beautiful Svizzera italiana last week at Lago di Lugano.

Switzerland is more than just Zurich, Bern, or Roger Federer. The Swiss Confederation consists of four beautiful parts of the country. It represents many other languages in addition to the four official ones, which should always be taken into account in national campaigns. The great diversity of little Switzerland is also reflected in the Kingfluencers database; the full-service agency not only employs people from more than ten different countries, but also has influencers from all parts of the country and beyond. In concrete terms, Kingfluencers’ creator database includes over 3,000 creators of various sizes and from a wide range of sectors.

Creator-event in Ticino

In order to draw attention to this diversity, the Digital Influence Agency organized a “Get-together” on October 6, 2022, for around 30 new and familiar Ticino creators. One main aim of the event at the Porto Bello! restaurant in Lugano was to get to know Ticino’s creative influencers and inspiring sides. “The personal exchange with the creators was significant to us,” says the Co-CEO of Kingfluencers, Anja Lapčević. Every artist’s personality is equally valuable, no matter which part of Switzerland the creators come from.

Together with influencers from Italian-speaking Switzerland, such as Yari Copt, Ely Giglio, or Alessandro, the Kingfluencers team wanted to draw attention to the fact that no part of Switzerland should be left out when it comes to campaigns and the entire creator economy. Unfortunately, creators from the “Swiss Sonnenstube” are often forgotten. “The fact that a Swiss agency also takes care of creators from southern Switzerland is not at all self-evident,” says Ticino landscape photographer Daniele Nevano. For the Ticino travel duo, Luke & Martina, such an event in the Southern canton of Switzerland, organized by a Zurich agency, also means a lot: “For us in Ticino, it has always been a bit of a struggle to be considered and respected by the rest of Switzerland,” said Martina and Luke. The Kingfluencers event now shows that the Digital Influence Agency sees a potential market and business perspective in Ticino and trusts the work of the Italian-speaking creators.

More diversity

As part of its six corporate values, Kingfluencers not only wants to draw more attention to creators from the beautiful Svizzera italiana, but also advocates for even more diversity in general. “Diversity is inspiring for everyone,” says Co-CEO Anja Lapčević. Every person is unique and special in their own way and that is what Kingfluencers loves. To inspire is one of the six company values, along with being curious, future-oriented, cooperative, conscious, and multicultural.

«Water Lover Challenge»

The annual internal Kingfluencers team-building event took place one day after the creator event in Ticino. In addition to various workshops, creator Noam Yaron from Western Switzerland was supported in his “Water Lover Challenge“. The whole agency team participated in the extraordinary challenge. “We at Kingfluencers not only try to preach our values but above all try to live them,” says Yoeri Callebaut, Co-CEO about the Kingfluencers’ corporate value of awareness. In collaboration with Biotherm and the Objectif Environment association, the nationwide collection of cigarette ends will take place until October 15, 2022. Kingfluencers has already started the clean-up campaign in Lugano. The result: the largest political municipality in the canton of Ticino is now 1000 cigarette butts cleaner!

Author: Sandra Miletic, Junior Marketing Manager @Kingfluencers