Concept as a word sounds simple and likely resonates in some way with all listeners. However, the word may mean different things to different people. According to the web's most used encyclopedia, a concept can mean six different things, ranging from a four-page grid paper script for an oral presentation to something else entirely. But why design influencer marketing? Troot designer Reetta Kallio explains.
A concept is the foundational structure of influencer creation, a framework upon which influencers can create content that reflects their own style and speaks to their own audience. A concept provides the conditions for effective influencer marketing, as it is based on the brand's business challenge, the stated objective, and insight found in the target group. It ensures that the influencer package does not remain isolated, i.e., a so-called "random act," but is linked as part of the brand's other activities. In concept design, we analyze and research what is happening in the industry in the context of influencer marketing – has an idea, for example, already been implemented by a competitor? The concept also takes a strong stance on influencer profile: who matches the brand's story in a way that resonates with the viewers of the content. Based on our experience, it is easier for an influencer to take on a given brief and be inspired by it when the approach has already been thought through in the form of a concept.
Influencer marketing can be done without a concept, but it's a different question whether it should be. Before contacting influencers, a brand and an expert in influencer marketing must pause and consider the matter. Product-in-hand ads produce numbers and reach eyeballs, but the opportunity for emotional impact among the audience is small. This does not mean that product presentations don't have their own place: according to our latest research, audiences crave information about new products, but it is still important to consider whether the product could be presented to the influencer's audience in a more interesting way that offers a touchpoint to the audience's life. Let's take a practical example: you're having coffee with a friend and they tell you about their new partner. Which description is easier to relate to?
A joint outdoor trip is planned very quickly based on the latter description. Similarly, when a brand shares its values, attitudes, and tells a story, it is much easier to relate to.
A brand's influencer marketing always stems from a larger marketing or content marketing strategy. Despite this, the mass campaign messages shown during commercial breaks on television Saturday evening prime-time entertainment programs do not necessarily resonate on the channel of an influencer with a tight target group. Refinement is often warranted: who is being spoken to, why, in which channels, how, and with whom.
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