- B2B influence is the ‘sleeping giant’ set to drive sales and lives beyond LinkedIn
- Inclusive influence equals better results, but mind the pay-gap
Dubai UAE : Ogilvy PR’s 2022 Influence Trends Report reveals how influencer marketing is set to radically change next year – and how brands can be ahead of the curve, both in the real world and the new virtual realms. Unveiled during Ogilvy’s signature digital series, Ogilvy On, the report explores the emerging trends, hot topics and strategic approaches that will define campaign activations next year and beyond.
The report reveals that influence work performs best when integrated into the wider communications and marketing efforts. By integrating with paid media and testing against traditional ads, it can be evidenced how influencer-led creatives impact the bottom line. Ogilvy found that for every channel that influence is added to, the potential to increase ROI by up to 30% is introduced. At the intersection of the marketing mix, PR and influence are increasingly integrated.
“Influence is a key ingredient, not a garnish. It’s growing, and growing fast. In the last 11 years, I’ve seen the industry mature right from its infancy, through to the bourgeoning adolescent we know today, with no sign of slowing down. Throughout our report we showcase the key growth areas – the industry’s confidence and indeed the newfound infrastructure which makes its positioning undeniable. The future of influence is the future of marketing, and in 2022, the brands who recognise this will be the brands that we’re talking about in 12 months’ time,” Rahul Titus, Ogilvy’s Head of Influence for UK & EMEA said.
In 2020, the B2B influencer industry was estimated to be worth $4.6 billion and counting – with this trend expected to continue in 2022. The report shows the reason for this shift is that online content drives purchase decisions, no matter the industry. But for B2B influence to be effective, brands must identify the right people and platforms for content. Ogilvy’s insights show that best B2B influencers can be a business’ own employees – serving as a real human face for products, addressing audiences as individuals. Beyond LinkedIn, the report reveals some of the best channels can be podcasts or audio, where longer-form storytelling can shine.
Ansley Williams, Ogilvy’s Head of Influence for North America, said: “I’ve been fascinated to watch and grow with the influencer space since it was called ‘blogger marketing.’ But 2022 is truly the resurgence of real, we’re growing up. The industry is focused on real people calling brands out for not being real regardless of platform, environment, or experience changes. It’s doubling down on real and dropping the “r” from Influencer Marketing to focus on real influence.”
Insights from the report are clear: inclusive influence equals better results – but brands must mind the pay-gap. Data showed how certain demographics were being underpaid. In response, Ogilvy has launched the Maximum Margin Rate, the first initiative of its kind, to ensure influencers will be paid fairly for their work. Ogilvy now also runs quarterly diversity audits for its influencers in the UK. This has increased diversity casting across Ogilvy UK campaigns from 5% to 15%, a number which is reflective of the UK population. And individual brands within Ogilvy’s roster have now increased diversity in casting by 46% as a result.
In the report, Ogilvy also explores what the metaverse will mean for influencer marketing. Although the plans for the metaverse will not be fully realised for at least 5 to 10 years, consumers are already gravitating towards the technological suite that underpins the concept. The report predicts that authenticity will be the key draw for audiences. Post-pandemic, the façade of many digital personas is fading, allowing raw, unfiltered personalities to prevail.
To find out more, download Ogilvy’s 2022 Influence Trends Report.
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About Rahul Titus
Head of Influence, UK & EMEA
Rahul.Titus@Ogilvy.com
Rahul Titus has been a prominent player within influencer marketing right from its’ infancy. As the head of influence across EMEA, he is in charge of setting the strategic direction of the Ogilvy influence proposition that covers the full spectrum of influencer work, from celebrities all the way to micro-influencers. Rahul Titus heads up a team of creative experts who are responsible for delivering best in class influencer marketing for clients including Walgreens Boots Alliance, Bacardi, Unilever and Nestle.Before joining Ogilvy, Rahul set up and ran MediaCom’s global influencer offering and has also served as Director of Social Talent at the YMU Group (formerly James Grant) looking after some of the world’s leading social-first talent.
Under his direction, Ogilvy has been the most awarded influencer marketing agency three years in a row. He has also been named one of the Top 50 global players in Influencer Marketing for the last two years running.
About Ansley Williams
Head of Influence, North America
Ansley.Williams@Ogilvy.com
Ansley Williams started working with influencers when they were called "bloggers." She’s spent a decade honing skills including creative copywriting and social media strategy for a breadth of knowledge that feeds into truly integrated influencer work.As a passionate intrapreneur, she grows the influencer business with a perfect marriage of creative and strategy. She joined Ogilvy almost two years ago and heads up the North America division, with team members across 5 different offices.
During her time at Ogilvy, she’s grown the team by 900% and increased revenue two-fold. Her team of experts run the gamut in expertise, with clients from B2B and technology to D2C, consumer packaged goods, and other globally known brands including Tyson, Jollibee, IBM, PPG, IKEA, CeraVe, IHG, and many, many more. Each member has a sharp edge, bringing a unique value proposition to the team with a depth of experience from affiliate marketing to managing talent to paid media expertise, and comes from a range of backgrounds.
Before joining Ogilvy, Ansley built a large influencer team and worked on a range of campaigns from celebrity work in commercials to social-first work for a variety of clients including Toyota, SunTrust, and more.
© Press Release 2021
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