Sermo digital influencer index 2016 (high res)

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THE SERMO DIGITAL INFLUENCER INDEX March 2016


EDITOR'S LETTER Welcome to the SERMO Digital Influencer Index. Last year, we published our first global index of the people shaping the blogging industry. Things move fast in the digital world and this year’s updated index includes more vloggers, Instagrammers and other social stars than before. To reflect this change, and because there’s no such thing as a straightforward blog anymore, we’ve renamed the index the Digital Influencer Index.

– some price themselves out or operate more like celebrities. The index then ranks the influencers in each of the network’s 16 markets, using our algorithm. It also profiles SERMO’s top 16 digital influencers worldwide – the ones we think should be on the radar for all leading global lifestyle brands. And as things change so fast, we also look country by country at the rising stars, so you can keep an eye on who to work with at the vital early part of their careers. Finally, we set out guidelines on how to build rewarding relationships with digital influencers.

Working with digital influencers* is a mainstay of any communications strategy. Understanding who to work with usually starts with mining the data. But that’ll only give you a big list. We believe you also need the judgement that comes from experience and human insight to be able to understand the value of their influence. In the world of luxury and lifestyle, the power of influence is not just a numbers game.

I hope you find this an interesting and useful read.

Quantifying that human judgement is not an exact science. So SERMO has developed its own algorithm for measuring digital influence. It takes into account each influencer's reach across all their key platforms, as well as a relationship score, making the index more rigorous and analytical than before (see our methodology on page 7).

Let me know your thoughts and if you’ve got any tips for next year’s index.

SERMO’s 15 agency partners have submitted their local top 10 luxury and lifestyle digital influencers, based on their relationships with and experience of working with these influencers. Not all the big name, usual suspects are on the lists

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

Tanya Hughes President SERMO Communications T: +44(0)207 268 6120 | E: tanya.hughes@talkpr.com *Digital influencers are simply defined as individuals with online influence that are making waves on specific online or social media platforms. These include, but are not limited to, bloggers, vloggers, Instagrammers, journalists, models and celebrities. Therefore, having a blog is no longer an entry requirement for this report.

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CONTENTS Key Findings

Key & Notes

Influence Scoring Algorithm

4-5

6

SERMO Digital Influencer Index: Global Top 16

SERMO Digital Influencer Index: Top 10 by Country

8-17

18-51

7

Rising Social & Digital Stars 52-64

Nine Top Tips for Building Rewarding Relationships with Digital Influencers 65

3


KEY FINDINGS: 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW GOING UP, GOING DOWN

Bloggers and other social stars work in a multi-platform way to extend their influence and reach, each posting frequently to a minimum of two platforms. In many cases, bloggers’ readership figures have dwindled since their efforts are now more focused on platforms such as Instagram that have higher engagement levels.

MULTI-LINGUAL

Digital influencers, particularly vloggers, are creating content in multiple languages to attract a larger and more global audience. Make that easy for them!

GIRL POWER

In the luxury lifestyle world, female commentators dominate – only 2 of our top 16 influencers are men. It’s worth seeking out male influencers – they’ll only get more popular.

BEAUTY QUEENS

Beauty is a dominant subject online, particularly on Instagram. The Middle East’s Huda Beauty is queen of Instagram with a 12.3mn following, three times the following of our second highest Instagrammer, Camila Coelho from Brazil. We think other brands can muscle in on the action.

IT’S ALL ABOUT LIFESTYLE

Health, fitness and food blogs have overtaken pureplay fashion blogs. And digital influencers are increasingly multidiscipline, or ‘lifestyle’. They are sharing every aspect of their glossy, fabulous lives and showing followers ‘how to’. So brands need to be open minded about who to work with. © SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

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INSTA-POWER

The data shows that Instagram leads the way in all markets except Germany and Poland where blogs are still the most popular platform. Don’t forget Weibo dominates in China. This is no surprise - Instagram is the perfect platform for brands to be visually appealing and demonstrate a luxurious aesthetic. Instagram now dwarfs both Facebook and Twitter as a social platform, and Instagram’s engagement rates is over 10 times higher for brands in the fashion and beauty space. So invest in styling and a picture to tell….

NEW KIDS

Once the preserve of school kids, newer platforms such as Snapchat are starting to be used by brands. Jump on the band wagon. Quick.

ALL CHANGE

Only 52 out of 160 digital influencers featured in this year’s Index, were included in the 2015 SERMO Blogger Index. All the more reason to make sure you and your agencies have got their ears to the ground.

MONEY TALKS

Many of these influencers have built fully-fledged businesses out of their commercialised online and social platforms; they make their money from a string of brand collaborations and affiliate sales. Some are charging upwards of £5,000 for a post featuring a product and £10,000 for a personal appearance. Be realistic about the cost of collaboration. To help here, SERMO’s set out a three tiered rate card*.

MILLENIALS MATTER

Instagram and YouTube are a crucial channel for millennial marketing – they influence the purchasing decisions of 31% of millennials, particularly in the beauty category (WWD). If that’s who you’re after, get shooting.

*To see a full standard digital influencer rate card for top tier, second tier and rising stars, please get in touch with SERMO’s Global Network Director, Katie Brafman (E: katie.brafman@talkpr.com)

5


KEY & NOTES

SECTORS COVERED

DIGITAL ALIAS DIGITAL INFLUENCER'S NAME

DIGITAL INFLUENCER'S LOCATION

MDV S T Y L E MARIANO DI VAIO

ITALY

INFLUENCE SCORE

99 BIO

In March 2012, model Mariano created MDV Style, a blog dedicated to fashion, sport, travel and general lifestyle. He’s since expanded his profile via social media and is now known as one of the world’s most influential fashion bloggers.

B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Cavalli | Brunello Cucinelli | Gucci

T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

4,500,000

2,800,000

GLOBAL TOP 16 PROFILES

120,000

DIGITAL ALIAS DIGITAL INFLUENCER'S NAME FEATURED IN SERMO'S 2015 BLOGGER INDEX

CAMILA COELHO Camila Coelho INFLUENCE SCORE

96

SECTORS COVERED

4,020,000

2,666,022

TOP 10 COUNTRY PROFILES

2,326,493

SECTORS: FA S H I O N

T R AV E L

TECHNOLOGY

ART

BEAUTY

FOOD & DRINK

BUSINESS

CELEBRITY

GROOMING

INTERIORS & DESIGN

AUTOMOTIVE

LIFESTYLE

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

FITNESS

S O C I A L A N D D I G I TA L P L AT F O R M S : I N S TA G R A M (FOLLOWERS)

FA C E B O O K (PAGE LIKES)

TWITTER

(FOLLOWERS)

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

YOUTUBE

W E C H AT

(SUBSCRIBERS)

(AVERAGE NO. VIEWS PER ARTICLE)

WEIBO

V K O N TA K T E

(FOLLOWERS)

(FOLLOWERS)

BLOG

(MONTHLY UNIQUE VISITORS)

6

S N A P C H AT


INFLUENCE SCORING ALGORITHM The SERMO network has developed its own digital influence scoring algorithm for the Digital Influencer Index. An overall ‘influence score’ is calculated for each influencer by giving a 70% weighting to their ‘data score’ and a 30% weighting to a unique ‘relationship score’.

o Professionalism: they are collaborative and understand the value of your working relationship, they are quick and flexible, and they are reliable and straightforward to deal with

Each influencer’s 'data score' is calculated by taking the sum of reach on the top three online or social platforms the influencer operates on, divided by the highest total reach amongst the identified influencers in each local market.

o Creativity: they come up with compelling, creative content ideas that are innovative and engaging

Their ‘relationship score’ is based on each SERMO agency’s experience of working with the influencer.

o Influence: considered influential beyond their reach and an expert in their field

The score is the total of three scores out of five, for each of the following categories (maximum score of 15):

The overall 'influence score' for each digital influencer is used to rank the local market lists from each agency. The overall global top 16 comprises the top ranking influencer from each market.

70% + 30% = D ATA SCORE

R E L AT I O N S H I P SCORE

7

INFLUENCE SCORE



S E R M O D I G I TA L INFLUENCER INDEX: _ G LO B A L TO P 1 6


MISS MA LINI MALINI AGARWAL

INDIA

INFLUENCE SCORE

100 BIO

Malini is widely regarded as India’s first celebrity blogger. Formerly a popular DJ on Mumbai’s Radio One and Head of Digital Content for Channel V India, she founded Miss Malini in 2008, covering the latest gossip, news and trends from the worlds of Bollywood, fashion and lifestyle. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Balmain | Forest Essentials | Marriot T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

149,000

848,067

100,000

MDV STYLE MARIANO DI VAIO

ITALY

INFLUENCE SCORE

99 BIO

In March 2012, model Mariano created MDV Style, a blog dedicated to fashion, sport, travel and general lifestyle. He’s since expanded his profile via social media and is now known as one of the world’s most influential fashion bloggers.

B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Cavalli | Brunello Cucinelli | Gucci

T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

4,500,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

10

2,800,000

120,000


D REA C HO NG ANDREA CHONG

SINGAPORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

98 BIO

Andrea Chong is a Singapore-based fashion blogger and host of the fashion show "That F Word" on Clicknetwork.tv. She posts about her love of fashion, travel and food. In the recent inaugural Singapore Social Media Awards 2015, Andrea was voted and presented with the Fashion Icon of the Year Award. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Michael Kors | DKNY | Virgin Active T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

220,000

20,310

2,845

HU DA BEAU TY HUDA KATTAN

UAE

INFLUENCE SCORE

98 BIO

Huda Kattan has made a career out of showing women how to channel their inner Kardashians — at least from a make up perspective. The 32-year-old is in charge of a budding beauty empire that includes a two-year old product line called Huda Beauty whose false lashes have become best sellers in the Middle East.

B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S S e p h o r a | To m F o r d | C h a n e l T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

12,300,000

11

453,000

1,200,000


GO GO BO I YE SI CHINA

INFLUENCE SCORE

98 BIO

Ye Si is one of the most popular and influential fashion bloggers in China. Instead of simply dressing to impress, he gained his reputation through witty commentary on what celebrities are wearing. Today, many of those Chinese celebrities take his humorous judgement seriously, due to the influence he holds.

B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Uniqlo | H&M | Chanel

T O P 2 P L AT F O R M S

4,944,449

100,000

MA FFA SHIO N JULIA KUCZYŃSKA

POLAND

INFLUENCE SCORE

98 BIO

Julia Kuczynska is a model and blogger. The combination of her passion for photography and contemporary sense of style have been key to her blog’s widespread success. Julia has fronted ad campaigns for numerous fashion brands and has had her own successful clothing line "Staff would Maff” since 2012. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Bershka | Hector & Karger | Danone T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

53,380

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

12

533,228

555,000


SA SHA SPILBERG SASHA SPILBERG

RUSSIA

INFLUENCE SCORE

98 BIO

Sasha is a singer/ songwriter and keen YouTuber, uploading a new video every Friday. Whether she’s performing R’n’B songs, promoting fashion brands or talking about her travels, at 18 years young, Sasha has global social media reach and her glamorous lifestyle is one to watch. She produces videos in both Russian and English. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S P& G | A b e r c r o m b i e & F i t c h | P e p s i T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

3,096,465

1,500,000

458,000

FLEU R D E FO RC E FLEUR BELL

UK

INFLUENCE SCORE

98 BIO

Fleur De Force is one of the most successful beauty and fashion vloggers in the UK. She has a serious nose for business and commands an audience of millions. She was voted InStyle magazine’s ‘most outstanding YouTuber of the year’, has landed a bestselling book deal with ‘The Glam Guide’ and has launched her very own make-up line with FeelUnique.com. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S E y l u r e | B a t i s t e | To p s h o p

T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

1,355,101

13

736,000

293,000


LAU REN C U RTIS LAUREN CURTIS

AUSTRALIA

INFLUENCE SCORE

97 BIO

Twenty one year old Lauren Curtis is an unassuming Western Australian who dominates the enigmatic empire of homegrown beauty guru-dom. With humble beginnings in her teenage bedroom just three short years ago, Lauren’s channel has since acquired international recognition due to her infectious personality and never ending stockpile of tips and tricks. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S MAC | Sephora | Nars T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

3,300,000

2,049,891

1,400,000

SO NG O F STYLE AIMEE SONG

US

INFLUENCE SCORE

96 BIO

Aimee Song is an LA-based interior designer and personal style blogger. Her blog and social platforms define what’s buzz-worthy and trendy by giving unedited, uncensored commentary to a global audience. Song has appeared in high-profile publications and guest-edited Korean Vogue. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Piperlime | 7 For All Mankind | H&M Home

T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

3,200,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

14

689,000

225,270


SO SU E ME SUZANNE JACKSON

IRELAND

INFLUENCE SCORE

96 BIO

Sell out events, two books, a beauty line, and millions of adoring readers – Suzanne Jackson has built an empire from her beauty blog. Jackson commands big bucks for workshops, events and appearances and was recently voted Ireland’s Best Blogger by Stellar magazine.

B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S YSL | BooHoo.com | MAC

T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

1,100,000

214,000

164,000

DAGI BEE DAGMAR NICOLE OCHMANCZYK

GERMANY

INFLUENCE SCORE

96 BIO

Dagi Bee may only be 21 years old, but this doesn’t stop her travelling the globe and filming herself along the way. She’s become one of the most successful German YouTubers with her cool, contemporary style and lighthearted videos that offer make-up tips and present her purchases to millions of teenagers worldwide. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S H&M | Calvin Klein | Maybelline

T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

2,565,000

15

3,000,000

1,565,000


C A MILA C O ELHO CAMILA COELHO

BRAZIL

INFLUENCE SCORE

96 BIO

Coelho launched her eponymous blog in 2010 and has since garnered millions of followers worldwide. She’s an expert in Brazilian beauty and a fashionista, taking in fashion weeks all around the globe. She now resides in the US, adopting a bit of American glam while simultaneously bringing her Brazilian flair to North America. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Nars | Ralph Lauren | Jimmy Choo T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

4,020,000

2,666,022

2,326,493

ENJ OY PHO ENIX MARIE LOPEZ

FRANCE

INFLUENCE SCORE

94 BIO

Marie is a blogger and YouTuber with three channels: Enjoy Phoenix, Enjoy Vlogging and Enjoy Cooking. Between the three channels she has close to four million subscribers and shares all aspects of her life from her style, favourite recipes, to her travels. She’s got a bestselling biography, has appeared on France’s Dancing with the Stars and fronted YouTube’s first ad campaign in France. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Benefit | Primark | Disney T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

2,400,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

16

2,200,000

45,000


LOV ELY PEPA ALEXANDRA PEREIRA

SPAIN

INFLUENCE SCORE

91 BIO

Alexandra founded Lovely Pepa in 2009 as a virtual window to share her three passions: fashion, photography and travel. Six years later, it’s one of the most read fashion and style blogs around and has been nominated for numerous awards. She’s published two books and is regularly featured in international fashion titles. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Loewe | Louis Vuitton | Piaget

T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

1,011,838

403,122

100,000

ELVA NI ELVA NI

HONG KONG

INFLUENCE SCORE

90 BIO

Elva Ni is a model, TV host and former Miss Chinese Toronto Pageant winner, best known for her ‘get the look’ hair and make up tutorials. She’s a self-confessed ‘yogi’ and enjoys travelling the world, trying new foods and features regularly in high profile lifestyle publications. B R A N D PA R T N E R S H I P S Lane Crawford | Burberry | Net-a-Porter

T O P 3 P L AT F O R M S

351,000

17

96,000

212,000



S E R M O D I G I TA L INFLUENCER INDEX: _ TO P 1 0 BY COUNTRY


AUSTRALIA TOP 10

LAUREN CURTIS

SHAAANXO

Lauren Curtis

Shannon Harris

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

87

97

3,300,000

2,049,891

2,900,000

1,400,000

2,100,000

CHLOE MORELLO

TUULA VINTAGE

Chole Morello

Jessica Stein INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

59

62

1,500,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

1,500,000

1,000,000

2,200,000

614,000

20

1,000,000

37,300


GARY PEPPER GIRL

SARAH 3LLEN

Nicole Warne

Sarah Ellen

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

49

1,500,000

373,452

47

186,677

924,000

DANIELLE MANSUTTI Danielle Mansutti

MARGARET ZHANG Margarat Zhang

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

315,000

45,338

670,000

61,000

WENGIE

MIMI ELASHIRY

Wendy Huang

Mimi Elashiry

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

36

823,000

157,000

262,000

37

39

973,975

824,000

23,200

32

38,000

811,000

21

5,700

2,100


BRAZIL TOP 10

CAMILA COELHO Camila Coelho

GAROTAS ESTÚPIDAS Camila Coutinho

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

48

96

4,020,000

2,666,022

2,326,493

1,700,000

616,655

THÁSSIA NAVES Thássia Naves

JULIA PETIT Julia Petit

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

45

2,000,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

390,817

241,835

40

84,817

468,000

22

234,523

833,249


LALA RUDGE Lala Trussardi Rudge

VIC CERIDONO Victoria Ceridono

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

38

1,200,000

154,620

31

194,850

392,000

HELENA BORDON Helena Bordon

LALA NOLETO Lala Noleto

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

29

674,000

464,000

132,149

68,136

29

124,000

848,000

121,574

BLOG DA MARIAH Mariah Bernardes

LU TRANCHESI Lu Tranchesi

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

29

27

5,804

118,147

181,632

340,000

23

18,382

127,020

1,314


CHINA TOP 10

GOGOBOI Ye Si

猫力MOLLY Zichuan Wang

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

98

4,944,449

63

100,000

2,777,561

摄影师童梦 Meng Tong

CHRISON克里森 Chrison INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

54

2,134,682

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

10,000

39

30,000

963,271

24

300


ANNY_STYLEONTOP Annie Fan

BAGS包先生 Tao Liang

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

37

886,953

33

50,000

575,971

黎贝卡的异想世界 Rebecca

叶子LEAFGREENER Leaf Greener

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

29

82,874

45,000

28

100,000

273,840

1,000

山茶花CAMELIA Daisy Song

唐霜TS Shuang Tang

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

27

176,236

23

30,000

44,298

25

8,000


FRANCE TOP 10

USERPHOENIX NAME ENJOY Full Name Marie Lopez

USER DE NAME LE BLOG BETTY Full Name Betty Autier

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

94

2,400,000 XXXX

2,200,000 XXXX

48

45,000 XXXX

777,000 XXXX

650,698 XXXX

45,000 XXXX

USER NAME VUTHEARA Full Name Vutheara Kham

NAME PARIS USER IN FOUR MONTHS Full Name Carin Olsson

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

46

1,200,000 XXXX

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

11,400 XXXX

43

XXXX 3,150

832,000 XXXX

26

20,964 XXXX

15,000 XXXX


MAKEUSER MY LEMONADE NAME Lisa FullGachet Name

THE SOCIALITE USER NAME FAMILY Constance Full Name Gennari

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

34

169,000 XXXX

53,904 XXXX

30

150,000 XXXX

28,300 XXXX

USER NAME ADENORAH Full Name Anne Laure Mais

USER NAME FRERES AINSWORTH Full Name Jordan Henrion

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

29

INFLUENCE SCORE

31,610 XXXX

15,000 XXXX

52,100 XXXX

11,300 XXXX

XXXX 5,000

USER NAME JEANNE DAMAS Full Name Jeanne Damas

USER NAME RAPHAEL SIMACOURBE Full Name Raphael Simacourbe

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

28

INFLUENCE SCORE

24

INFLUENCE SCORE

155,000 XXXX

70,000 XXXX

29

INFLUENCE SCORE

128,000 XXXX

20,268 XXXX

XXXX 3,570

XXXX 1,004

95,200 XXXX

27

11,400 XXXX

XXXX 2,130


GERMANY TOP 10

DAGI BEE Dagmar Nicole Ochmanczyk

SAMI SLIMANI Sami Slimani

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

60

96

2,565,000

3,000,000

1,502,000

1,565,000

1,200,000

LAMIYA SLIMANI Lamiya Slimani

DOUNIA SLIMANI Dounia Slimani

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

46

711,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

699,000

754,000

40

398,000

576,000

28

456,000

217,000


FASHIONHIPPIELOVES Anna-Lea Popp

MASHA SEDGWICK Masha Sedgwick

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

37

968,000

56,151

49,000

31

84,000

117,913

83.500

63,000

ZUKKERMÄDCHEN Franzi Albrecht

SHOPPINATOR Nadine Müller

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

27

27

59,100

15,914

114,000

4,362

THIS IS JANE WAYNE Sarah Gottschalk & Nike Vandinther

STYLERANKING Daniel Verovic

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

24

124,928

34,000

21

20,400

44,930

29

22,500

24,300


HONG KONG TOP 10

ELVA NI Elva Ni

A PAIR & A SPARE Geneva Vanderzeil

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

89

90

351,000

96,000

525,000

212,000

100,000

153,000

TINA LOVES Tina Leung

THE WANDERLISTER+ JJ. Acuna

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

36

87,200

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

36,300

31

8,600

14,200

30

11,000

7,500


SAM IS HOME Samantha Wong

EDWARDKB Edward Barnieh

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

31

48,000

31

9,000

139,000

VNIKALI Veronica Li

MELLOWMAYO Mayo Wo

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

29

19,300

12,500

2,000

50,200

18,000

FAYEVORITE Faye Tsui

CINDIDDY Cindy Ko

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

2,000

704

29

28

16,000

720

9,000

25

25,000

34,300

31

16,000

4,900


INDIA TOP 10

MISS MALINI Malini Aggarwal

THAT BOHO GIRL Kritika Khurana

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

100

40

149,000

848,067

10,758

100,000

181,000

LOVE AND OTHER BUGS Shereen Salwan & Kayaan Shiraaz Contractor

LA CHICA LOCA Aakriti Rana

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

38

40,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

4,878

30,000

37

88,000

142,000

32

6,000

30,000


GIA SAYS THAT Gia Kashyap

STYLDRV Ayushi Bangur

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

36

24,000

108,003

36

30,000

74,700

THE STYLE EDGE Santoshi Shetty

AKANKSHA REDHU Akanksha Redhu

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

31

101,000

10,000

15,000

26,300

39,905

THE GIRL FROM FUSS Rhea Gupte

NAINA REDHU Naina Redhu

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

10,549

20,000

30

26

22,200

62,00

20,000

25

2,221

18,100

33

13,247

18,700


IRELAND TOP 10

SO SUE ME Suzanne Jackson

PIPPA.IE Pippa O’Connor

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

42

96

1,100,000

214,000

144,000

164,000

CHLOE BOUCHER Chloe Boucher

INFLUENCE SCORE

35

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

142,000

143,000

ANOUSKA Anouska Proetta Brandon

INFLUENCE SCORE

137,000

126,000

35

1,986

90,000

34

13,000

50,000


THUNDER & THREADS Leanne Woodfull

RETRO FLAME Erika Fox

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

32

72,000

56,000

32

80,000

43,400

13,800

MY NAME IS VOGUE Vogue Williams

JAMES PATRICE James Butler

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

31

92,100

27

5,000

19,900

PENNY AND POLAROIDS Nuala Gorham

CIARA O'DOHERTY Ciara O'Doherty

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

24

17,800

7,964

20,000

3,139

24

20,000

16,800

35

6,914

10,000


I T A LY T O P 1 0

MDV STYLE Mariano Di Vaio

THE BLONDE SALAD Chiara Ferragni

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

99

4,500,000

2,800,000

96

120,000

5,600,000

553,740

THE FASHION FRUIT Veronica Ferraro

CHIARI NASTI Chiari Nasti

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

59

305,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

2,500,000

1,202,767

41

311,700

1,100,000

36

357,800

27,200


JOU JOU VILLEROY Eleonora Carisi

VALENTINA FERRAGNI Valentina Ferragni

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

35

464,000

41,800

35

65,400

877,000

ALL THE PRETTY BIRDS Tamu McPherson

LINDA TOL Linda Tol

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

31

65,900

7,830

10,100

231,000

2,700

FACTORY STYLE Valentina Siragusa

THE ATELIER Patricia Manfield

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

9,810

5,200

31

30

53,400

1,359

34,290

27

6,887

230,000

37

12,600

4,298


POLAND TOP 10

MAFFASHION Julia Kuczyńska

JEMERCED Jessica Mercedes Kirschner

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

98

52,380

533,228

62

71,700

555,000

166,745

BYĆ IDELNĄ Paulina Kruszec

SASZAN Roksana Pindor

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

58

34,860

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

464,219

381,000

51

25,000

26,800

38

206,278

177,000


MOJE WYPIEKI Dorota Świątkowska

PANI EKSCELENCJA Katarzyna Pytel

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

44

49

70,539

256,161

20,340

23,600

MACADEMIAN GIRL Tamara Gonzalez Perea

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

178,997

37

70,000

29,100

113,383

54,300

WHAT ANNA WEARS Anna Skura

FASHIONELKA Eliza Wydrych Strzelecka

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

36

15,000

137,000

DEYNN Marita Surma

42

58,104

132,105

89,153

34

60,000

36,286

39

69,395

22,600


RUSSIA TOP 10

SASHA SPILBERG Sasha Spilberg

ELENA KRYGINA Elena Krygina

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

43

98

3,096,465

1,500,000

567,589

458,000

470,000

MAGA UMKHAEV Magomed Umkhaev

FEDRAFEDRA Alexandra Fedorova

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

28

22,600

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

1,072

15,958

27

4,500

48,400

40

1,356

2,000


53,486

KYKLA MASHA Maria Kolosova

DARIA KUNILOVSKAYA Daria Kunilovskaya

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

27

25

5,642

2,300

21,100

SOPHIE’S AVENUE Sophie Eliseeva

PAVEL BOBROV Pavel Bobrov

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

23

77,300

2,760

5,000

26,100

500

RITA GALKINA Margarita Galkina

VICTORIA PLATINA Victoria Platina

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

2,076

4,800

22

21

77,300

46,473

4,500

21

5,500

49,600

41

1,388

2,000


SINGAPORE TOP 10

DREA CHONG Andrea Chong

BENJAMINKHENG Benjamin Kheng

INFLUENCE SCORE SCORE INFLUENCE

INFLUENCE SCORE SCORE INFLUENCE

76

98

220,000

20,310

139,000

2,845

13,600

BELLUSPERA/COLLATEHELABEL Velda Tan

HEYROZZ Rosalyn Lee

INFLUENCE SCORE SCORE INFLUENCE

INFLUENCE SCORE SCORE INFLUENCE

64

131,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

4,980

13,949

63

86,100

10,600

42

41,527

340


NARELLEKHENG/ THE SAM WILLOWS Narelle Kheng

CATSLAVERY/FLEAANDTREES Bella Koh

INFLUENCE SCORE INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE INFLUENCE SCORE

61

86,100

36,100

45

6,608

52,900

SAVINACHAI Savina Chai

VETTYKING Yvette King

INFLUENCE SCORE SCORE INFLUENCE

INFLUENCE SCORE SCORE INFLUENCE

45

70,400

4,683

10,686

18,500

5,951

MUSINGMUTLEY Norman Tan

TRACY JOY PHILIPS Tracy Philips

INFLUENCE SCORE INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE INFLUENCE SCORE

9,120

1,798

36

31

7,279

18,200

1,800

26

247

9,373

43

960

2,686


S PA I N T O P 1 0

LOVELY PEPA Alexandra Pereira

COLLAGE VINTAGE Sara Escudero

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

91

1,011,838

403,122

68

544,164

100,000

361,248

DULCEIDA Aida Domenech

AM LUL Gala Gonzalez

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

63

538,745

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

154,331

60,000

58

55,000

531,866

44

248,813

20,000


LADYADDICT Silvia Cuesta

BARTABAC Silvia Garcia

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

56

194,176

292,351

47

160,000

307,954

MY PEEPTOES Paula Ordovรกsla Ordov

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

180,948

38

40,000

232,854

79,518

HERMANAS MIRANDA Miranda Makaroff

HONEYDRESSING Mirian Perez

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

31

114,757

160,000

TRENDY TASTE Natalia Cabezas

47

354,492

40,160

21,076

20,000

26

2,000

98,401

45

21,843

20,000


UAE TOP 10

HUDA BEAUTY Huda Kattan

SECRET SQUIRREL Karen McLean

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

95

29

12,300,000

453,000

116,000

1,200,000

5,117

THE FIERCE DIARIES Nadya Hassan

ESTHER QUEK Esther Quek

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

27

125,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

10,385

4,000

26

19,000

26,300

46

10,070

4,000


EMKWAN Mohsin Khan

SHUSTOVA Natalia Shustova

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

22

24

10,600

3,552

15,890

66,600

ELIAS Elias El Indari

ANDY Andy Scott

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

22

30,200

26,000

4,000

12,000

9,000

FIVE FIVE FABULOUS Natalia and Reem Kanj

TRAVEL JUNKIE DIARY Michelle Karam

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

15,500

4,130

21

20

44,400

5,000

103

20

15,300

44,400

47

8,550

5,395


UK TOP 10

293,000

FLEUR DE FORCE Fleur Bell

STYLE BUBBLE Susanna Lau

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

98

1,355,101

736,000

48

277,000

293,000

264,000

A MODEL RECOMMENDS Ruth Crilly

WE THE PEOPLE Jessie Bush

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

42

308,719

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

137,000

88,530

38

101,910

213,000

48

153,000

41,705


LIBERTY LONDON GIRL Sasha Wilkins

REALLY REE Anne Marie Lodge

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

33

104,610

109,854

35

38,200

56,520

LA PETITE ANGLAISE Ella Catliff

WISH WISH WISH Carrie Harwood

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

14,000

24,510

130,000

53,220

THE CHIC GEEK Marcus Jaye

THE LIFESTYLE EDIT Naomi Mdudu

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

30

15,750

13,400

13,700

36

34

52,800

27,600

22,800

29

3,622

9,516

49

4,410

2,432


US TOP 10

SONG OF STYLE Aimee Song

SINCERELY JULES Julie Sariñana

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

78

96

3,200,000

689,000

3,100,000

225,270

51,000

THE MAN REPELLER Leandra Medine

I AM GALLA Adam Gallagher

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

61

1,200,000

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

521,070

241,020

59

350,000

1,600,000

50

47,550

500,000


AMBERFILLERUP Amber Fillerup Clark

WE WORE WHAT Danielle Bernstein

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

50

1,100,000

172,000

47

500,000

1,100,000

111,720

FASHIONTOAST Rumi Neely

EVACHEN212 Eva Chen

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

41

650,000

700,000

39

120,000

525,000

135,000

SOMETHINGNAVY Arielle Charnas

DAMSEL IN DIOR Jacey Dupri足足足

INFLUENCE SCORE

INFLUENCE SCORE

32

800,000

120,000

12,000

23

9,150

300,000

51

93,720

20,000



RISING SOCIAL & D I G I TA L S TA R S


INTRODUCTION While many of our global and local digital influencers featured in the index are A-list influencers who command big budgets and earn a full-time living through their brand collaborations, that’s certainly not the case for all of these individuals….yet. Each of our SERMO partner agencies were asked to name two social or digital influencers working in the luxury lifestyle space whom they think are starting to make waves in their market.

building their profiles. For brands with limited budgets, these rising stars can offer cost effective ways to engage consumers and drive sales. All are multi-platform by nature, so listed here are the platforms that they are most prominent on, and post most frequently on. It’s no surprise that the majority of our rising social and digital stars live primarily on the global, imagebased platform, Instagram (outside China that is, where Weibo rules).

These rising social and digital stars have real clout and although some have a relatively small following now, they’re ‘ones to watch’ as their online influence is growing fast. Many are at the early stages of their careers (some still students, others in full-time jobs) but they’re quickly

AMANDA MABEL AMANDA MABEL

AUSTRALIA

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 30,100 Fashion photographer and travel blogger, Amanda is also a Vogue Australia Spy Style blogger residing in Sydney. She is currently studying a Masters in Digital Communication and Culture and has shot for brands such as Officeworks, SK-II, Lancome and Frank Body Scrub.

ELEANOR PENDLETON ELEANOR PENDLETON

AUSTRALIA

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 51,400 Editor and Publisher, Eleanor Pendleton is an award winning beauty editor. She’s edited Cosmopolitan, FAMOUS, InStyle and has consequentially launched her own beauty blog ‘Gritty Pretty’. She’s SK-II’s first Australia beauty Ambassador and has worked with numerous international and national brands.

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

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LELE SADDI LELE SADDI

BRAZIL

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 141,000 Lele’s high energy and good humour has gained her a loyal following over the last few months. She’s certainly “in with the in crowd” and mainly posts about her attendance at VIP and social events. Her parents own Itatiaia, the main distributor of Mercedes Benz in Brazil.

2BEAUTY

MARINA SMITH

BRAZIL

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 101,000 Advertising grad, Marina created her blog 2Beauty in 2007 that talks to women about beauty (tips, reviews and tutorials), sitcoms, recipes and other fun topics. She’s partnered with Sephora to create her own line of successful beauty products.

晚晚_

WANWAN LEI

CHINA

# OF WEIBO FOLLOWERS 471,905 Lei is a Beijing-based art collector who recently co-founded the privately-owned contemporary art museum M WOODS in Beijing's 798 Art District. Her blog (Wanwanleiprojects.com) and Weibo mainly cover art, travel and leisure – she’s a keen globetrotter and foodie.

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张大奕EVE ZHANG YI

CHINA

# OF WEIBO FOLLOWERS 3,479,015 Zhang Yi is a model and social media personality whose main passion in life is fashion and style. She describes herself in her Weibo bio as “Not short of money but not too unethical to share money”.

PETITS BEGUINS MAIA PUTELAT CANET

FRANCE

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 40,000 Graphic designer and freelance photographer, Maia has a sharp eye for culinary design and specialises in food, health and lifestyle. Her blog Petits Beguins (or "Small crushes") focuses on easy, everyday recipes.

SOUK AND PIX SONIA

FRANCE

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 40,300 Sonia is an Art Director and creative Instagrammer. She partners with many luxury brands eg. Chanel and Guerlain to showcase “the wonderful things in her life’. She’s the official Instagrammer for glossy high-end French magazine, Citizen K.

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CARO DAUR CARO DAUR

GERMANY

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 497,000 Twenty year old Caro Daur is currently based in Hamburg. Her blog covers her passion for style, fitness, travel, photography and food. Caro was recently awarded a ‘New digital faces in fashion’ award by BUNTE Magazine.

EBBA ZINGMARK EBBA ZINGMARK

GERMANY

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 132,000 Ebba Zingmark is a 20 year old model from Sweden, currently based in Berlin. She loves taking photos, modeling and travelling. Ebba’s blog has attracted the attention of news channels around the world such as Aftonbladet and Västerbottensnytt. She’s appeared in ELLE Russia, Vogue Korea and Nylon Japan.

XOXOFEI

FEIPING CHANG

HONG KONG

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 16,600 Feiping currently resides in Hong Kong but was born in Taipei and has lived all over the world. Her blog and social platforms bring together shopping ideas, style tips, travel advice and recipes through a curated collection of articles and luxury brand collaborations. She has worked with esteemed brands such as Louis Vuitton, TOD’s, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ralph, Lauren and Lane Crawford.

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SUECHANGG SUE CHANG

HONG KONG

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 167,000 Celebrated Korean-Chinese illustrator, Sue Chang moved to Hong Kong at the age of seven. She’s fluent in Chinese, Korean and English and first made a name for herself through her YouTube channel which focuses on Korean popular culture. She’s a regular columnist for Apple Daily, U Magazine and East Touch.

MERRYLIN BORO MERRYLIN BORO

INDIA

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 98,900 A true-blue Insta-star, Delhi based model Merrylin Boro has amassed a mega social following with her left-field style and fun take on all things fashion. Her Instagram page is a one stop destination for the latest trends and styles.

RASNA BHASIN RASNA BHASIN

INDIA

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 18,400 Fashion student and blogger, Rasna Bhasin, may be just 22 but she already has an intricate understanding of the fashion industry. She loves blank spaces, communicating the art of fashion and is obsessed with David Beckham.

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

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LAUREN BEJAOUI LAUREN BEJAOUI

IRELAND

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 22,400 Teenage fashion blogger, Lauren Bejaoui, is a bonafide Instagram star. Between her work managing the Temple Bar branch of the impossibly hip Folkster and her to-diefor social media snaps, the 19-year-old is a rising style star.

THE DAILY S'ELF

NADIA EL FERDAOUSSI

IRELAND

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 8,243 Nadia is Founder of Irish lifestyle blog, The Daily S’elf which combines travel, beauty, food and style and has been featured on Xposé, Matador Network and The Huffington Post to name but a few. She’s also one of Ireland’s top make up artists and an emerging vlogger.

CATHERINE POULAIN CATHERINE POULAIN

ITALY

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 118,000 Catherine Poulain is an international model and influencer contributor to GQ Italia. With a passion for social media and a love for art and fashion, she’s become an icon for many girls (and guys) around the world, talking about all aspects of her life and the latest trends via her social platforms.

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IVANO MARINO IVANO MARINO

ITALY

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 126,000 Boasting an impressive social media following, male model Ivano Marino first made a name for himself on Channel five’s hit talent show "Jump! Tonight I dive!". He has two law degrees and features regularly in international and national media titles.

EKSKLUZYWNY MENEL KAMIL PAWELSKI

POLAND

# OF FACEBOOK PAGE LIKES 128,409 Kamil set-up his men’s fashion blog, Ekskluzywny Menel, two years ago. For the last 10 years he’s been working in the retail sector in the textile industry. He’s published his own biography and features regularly on Polish TV shows such as Good Morning TVN and TVN Style, as well as in national newspapers.

MR. VINTAGE

MICHAŁ KĘDZIORA

POLAND

# OF FACEBOOK PAGE LIKES 35,377 Michał runs a successful blog called Mr. Vintage focused around men's fashion and style coaching. He is also the author of the book "Objectively about men's fashion" which is a bestseller on the Polish publishing market. Michał has collaborated with brands such as Braun, Ford and Ballantines.

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

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HOW TO GREEN

ALEXANDRA NOVIKOVA

RUSSIA

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 40,600 Alexandra is the daughter of one of the most famous and successful restaurant owners in Russia. She debuted at Russian Tatler’s ball last year after graduating from London College of Fashion. Currently living in Moscow, she runs her blog “How to Green” which is focused on her love of food and healthy lifestyle.

POLINA RAI

POLINA RAISKAYA

RUSSIA

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 66,900 The incredibly beautiful and stylish Polina Rai is a singer, fashion blogger and student at The Moscow Art Theatre School.

LENNARDY

LENNARD YEONG

SINGAPORE

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 38,200 Lennard Yeong began his blogging journey after his breakthrough on "MasterChef Asia". At 27, Lennard is a qualified engineer with a passion for food and all things culinary. He says he learnt everything he knows about cooking from watching YouTube videos.

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TABITHA NAUSER TABITHA NAUSER

SINGAPORE

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 25,600 Singapore Idol singer, host and a radio DJ at 987FM, Tabitha Nauser is a rising star in Singapore. While many are tuning in daily for her radio show “Turn it up with Tabitha”, more so are checking out her edgy fashion sense on Instagram. Follow her for a good dose of sexy and casual chic all at once.

MARIAFRUBIES

MARIA F. RUBIES SOLERSOLER

SPAIN

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 46,597 Maria is a 19 year old Spanish model and social media star. With an MA in fashion and luxury brand management under her belt from Milan’s Istituto Marangoni, she’s just been signed as the new face of lingerie brand, Intimissimi.

MÓNICANOZ MÓNICA ANOZ

SPAIN

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 111,000 With her own unique personal style, Mónica Anoz is an Instagram favourite both in Madrid and London. She’s currently studying fashion design at London’s Istituto Marangoni and has recently been featured on ASOS and Bershka’s blogs.

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

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LEBRASSE

KAT LEBRASSE

UAE

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 17,700 Australian-born Kat is a freelance stylist with a background in retail fashion. Kat has always had a high level of interest in the fashion industry, with a serious case of wanderlust, which sees her gallivanting all over the world. Kat was nominated as Blogger of the Year in 2015 at the Grazia (Middle East) Style Awards.

STYLE IS NECESSITY SAMANTHA FRANCIS

UAE

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 6,112 Founder of Style is Necessity, Samantha Francis is a Dutch expat living in Dubai. Working as a stylist by day at Harvey Nichols, Sam is a devout fashionista with a love for food and travel.

LIVIA'S KITCHEN OLIVIA WOLLENBERG

UK

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 59,939 Founder of Livia’s Kitchen, 26 year old Olivia Wollenberg, has made life a little sweeter with her hip and certainly healthy range of sugar free, wheat free crumbles. Recently named by ELLE UK as one of 30 most influential game changers under 30.

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WE ARE TWINSET

SARAH TANKEL ELLIS & PHILIPPA BLOOM

UK

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 28,700 We Are Twinset is the brainchild of best friends stylist Sarah Tankel Ellis and fashion journalist Philippa Bloom who decided to combine their love of "shoes, bags and everything in between" to create their blog which has since gained a loyal following and garnered them a frequent spot on the LFW front row.

GAL MEETS GLAM JULIA ENGEL

US

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 700,000 San Francisco-based Julia is the founder of style and beauty blog, Gal Meets Glam which is a source for inspiration that covers everything from fashion and beauty to home and travel.

A GUY NAMED PATRICK PATRICK JANELLE

US

# OF INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 400,000 After living across the US and much of the rest of the world, Patrick settled in New York in 2011. After a couple of years working in the art department at Bon Appétit magazine, he stepped out on his own to forge brand partnerships, create secret pop-up gatherings and pursue a lifestyle worthy of the constant photos he posts to Instagram.

© SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

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9

TOP TIPS FOR BUILDING R E WA R D I N G R E L AT I O N S H I P S W I T H D I G I TA L INFLUENCERS

Working with bloggers, vloggers, social media stars - we call them digital influencers - is a mainstay of any communications strategy. Knowing who to work with requires not only mining reams of data but the judgement that comes with experience. But once you know who, how you work with these influencers, many of whom are still new to turning their passions into a business, takes a human touch to make sure it's a win:win for brands and influencer. Here are some tips for building mutually beneficial relationships with digital influencers: CO-CREATE - every digital influencer wants to be

generates high monthly views, link to less frequented sites that are spreading the messages you want your audience to hear. Another win:win.

unique, so tailor content, make it bespoke to them and easy to use. Or go one step further and pay them to cocreate content - think of them as a partner, not just media space.

GO FOR QUANTITY - of course quality matters. There are prizes for it. But don't underestimate the power of volume content to make your campaign unmissable. So keep volume content compelling and simple to use as this contributes to awareness.

DON'T FAKE IT TO MAKE IT - influencers know they need to build trust with their audiences. Promoting brands or content that isn't true to the personality and style of the influencer would be counterproductive. Make sure your brand fits the influencer and your content makes sense for their followers - authenticity sells, insincerity will push people away.

INVEST IN RISING STARS - this involves keeping your ear to the ground, trusting your agency's instincts and taking calculated risks. Not everyone you work with will become a megastar, but those who do go onto great success will remember who helped them along the way. Everyone deserves respect.

BE ADAPTABLE - whatever content you and/or your

digital partners create, make sure it's adaptable for social media use, in all its forms. If you want to bandy about some jargon, try 'platform agnostic content'.

BE PREDICTABLE - we all know when our favourite TV shows and magazines are on air/published. Smart digital influencers help their audiences find them by mirroring the scheduling patterns of traditional media. And brands need to do that too. Irregular, infrequent engagement is easily lost and forgotten.

BE GENEROUS - invest in training and education of digital influencers. Don't assume high levels of insights. Individuals who don't have the resources, knowledge base and sub-editors of a publishing house, might find accurate information hard to come by. Inform without patronising.

SCOPE OUT A RATECARD - there's no one-

size-fits all for working with digital influencers. So make sure you've got a realistic price range in mind for working with different tiers of influencer. The likes of The Huffington Post or The Daily Beast have gone so far beyond being blogs, that they will have a rate card as consistent and complex as a traditional publisher. But you may be surprised how much a single post from a top Instagrammer can now demand.

The same goes for images and film making - a workshop or simple tips can help up the aesthetics and therefore the engagement.

KEEP AN EYE ON SEO - 'organic' SEO is skewed heavily in favour of those who post frequently, fill their posts with searchable tags or phrases and link to sites further up the food chain. So if your brand's website

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SERMO is the first ever international luxury and lifestyle communications network. The SERMO network is made up of 15 independent boutique communications consultancies, all particularly experienced and connected in the fashion, beauty and luxury lifestyle sectors. We are all united in our passion for excellence and our global mindset. We combine strong connections, top level strategy and the latest communication tools with creative, executional brilliance. SERMO partners work with some of the world’s leading luxury and premium lifestyle brands.

WEBSITE: WWW.SERMOCOMMUNICATIONS.COM TWITTER: @SERMOCOMMS INSTAGRAM: @SERMOCOMMS © SERMO COMMUNICATIONS 2016

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