Protecting Brands from Pitfalls of Rogue Influencers
In an era where influencer marketing has become a cornerstone of digital strategy, Ogilvy, the WPP-owned advertising powerhouse, is taking a bold step to address the growing concerns surrounding influencer partnerships.
The agency has announced the launch of “Influence Shield,” a groundbreaking service designed to protect brands from the potential pitfalls of influencer collaborations.
The Rise of Influencer Marketing
The influencer marketing landscape has exploded in recent years, with brands allocating significant portions of their digital budgets to this channel.
Ogilvy reports that its clients now invest an average of 35% of their digital spend on influencer marketing, with some allocating up to 70%.
This surge in popularity is not without reason – influencers offer brands unparalleled access to niche communities and authentic engagement that traditional advertising struggles to match.
However, as Rahul Titus, Global Head of Influence at Ogilvy, points out, “Influence is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ for brands, it’s a business-critical channel.”
With this elevated status comes increased risk, making robust risk management strategies more crucial than ever.
Navigating the Minefield of Social Media
The rapid growth of influencer marketing has coincided with a period of intense political polarisation and social upheaval.
This volatile environment has amplified the potential for PR disasters, as brands find themselves caught in the crossfire of contentious issues and cultural debates.
Toby Conlon, Global Head of Crisis and Risk at Ogilvy PR, amplifies the gravity of the situation: “Influencer marketing has become such a dominant force it represents the new frontier for brand reputation. Many businesses are finding out the hard way.”
Influence Shield: A Comprehensive Approach
Ogilvy’s Influence Shield service offers a multi-faceted approach to mitigating these risks:
24/7 Monitoring: Round-the-clock surveillance of social media activity to catch potential issues before they escalate.
Crisis Management: A dedicated team ready to develop and implement strategies for emerging PR crises.
Proactive Vetting: Thorough examination of potential influencer partners’ social media history to identify any red flags.
Risk Assessment: Tools to help brands categorise and evaluate threats to their reputation.
Influencer Protection: Measures to safeguard influencers themselves from inadvertent backlash.
Learning from High-Profile Mishaps
Recent incidents underscore the need for such a service.
Brands have had to distance themselves from major celebrities embroiled in scandals, such as the case with US rap mogul Sean Combs.
Even traditional advertising campaigns aren’t immune, as evidenced by Adidas’s recent withdrawal of ads featuring super-model, Bella Hadid amid controversy.
The Future of Brand-Influencer Relationships
As the creator economy continues to boom – valued at $250 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $480 billion by 2027 – services like Influence Shield are likely to become increasingly vital.
They represent a maturing of the influencer marketing industry, acknowledging that with great influence comes great responsibility – and risk.
For marketers, this development signals a new era of influencer partnerships.
One where the excitement of tapping into an influencer’s engaged audience is balanced with a prudent approach to risk management.
As brands continue to navigate this complex landscape, tools like Influence Shield may well become as indispensable as the influencers themselves.
