Using social media 'fame' in advertising

We have all seen the people who are famous just from being on the internet? Believe it or not there are hundreds of 'celebrities' who have risen to fame just from publishing content on the internet... from Jenna Marbles, Zoella and Tyler Oakley, the Youtube 'vloggers' who have risen to fame, to Brittany Furlan and Dapper Laughs who created entertaining Vines to instagram stars like Amalia Ulman and Kordale and Kaleb Lewis.

Whether they create videos, blogs or images, these content creators have all been able to capitalise on their social media channels and become idols in their followers' eyes.

But what does this mean for brands?

Brands often struggle to create viral content themselves and therefore why not take something (or someone) that is already viral and associate yourself with it. These so-called 'stars' have allowed brands to be represented by people who consumers look up to, associate with, are already engaged in a two-way conversation with and mostly who they consider to be real people. 

Celebrities can be fantastic endorsers of brands however, as in a previous blog post, I spoke about the credibility of using movie stars/ singers with consumer brands... who actually believes said Hollywood actress actually shops at *insert low-cost store here*. However with these online social media content-creators, the idea that they are similar and relatable to by the target audience is a real selling point in the eyes of consumers. I think this article sums it up nicely.

How have brands been doing this already?

Sponsored videos/ blog posts/ tweets

Brands can pay those who they believe to be influencial/ have a viewing demographic which matches your target audience, who then review products or talk about their benefits and share the review with their users.
However, this can come across as inauthentic and consumers/ viewers are very aware of what is paid and what isn't. However, it certainly gets the brand out there and creates awareness. Brands also have to be conscious of how well the sponsoree can communicate their brand values/ product benefits.

Add to the quality of what they already produce

I believe this is an extremely effective tool, as you are no longer asking the endorser to do something they wouldn't usually, you are actually aiding them to achieve what they usually would and for the reason their subscribers/ followers like them so much.

A great example is Nikon, who teamed up with gay couple Kordale and Kaleb Lewis who's Instagram snap below went viral:

Being fathers is getting our daughters up at 5:30 am making breakfast getting them dressed for school and putting them on the bus by 6:30 .This is a typical day in our household . It's not easy but we enjoy every moment and eveny minute of #fatherhood . #proudfathers #blackfathers #prouddads #gaydads

A photo posted by Kordale N Kaleb (@kordalenkaleb) on Jan 14, 2014 at 7:17am PST

This was a great chance for Nikon to associate with great role models and ambassadors, who the spotlight is on at the moment. I also believe the collaboration is a great move, the digital camera industry is dying due to the use of smartphones and it is a great chance for Nikon to move into the 21st century and relate to hot topics.

The concept of gay marriage is highly debated and this will allow strong messages from both the couple and Nikon and in my opinion is a fantastic move for both parties. They created this brilliant ad:

Social media fame is on the rise

I believe all brands should ensure their marketers are active enough on social media to notice and understand who these people are, and what their stories are so that they can understand their value and relevance to the brands they work with!