The BrainTrust Quarterly - Issue Seven - Winter 2018

Winter 2018

Influencer Marketing THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF AUDIENCE BUILDING AND DATA DECONSTRUCTION

O

ne of the real joys of the Holiday Season is the opportunity to say THANK YOU! I founded the BrainTrust based on my belief in the community built

by “we” vs. “I”. I’ve always prided myself in finding and working with smart people that I trust and who trust me to get the job done. It is this belief system that has carried us through another year of firsts, growth and has opened us up to new possibilities.

First and foremost, I must THANK my team for their hard work, dedication, support and constant encouragement. Without you and our values, we would not be here today with a growing business, amazing clients and sense of purpose. I am grateful for each person who shows up everyday to get it done. We aren’t

Letter from the Founder Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, Chief Digital Officer, CAA-GBG

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perfect, but we CARE, strive for greatness and get better with each passing day.

We are fortunate to have such a phenomenal group of clients who are our partners and sit side by side us to deliver results.

This year, we celebrated our third year with Sally Beauty, one of our longstanding agency partners. We traveled the US together, creating influencer experiences and events, and with each new event and location outshining the next.

From our Sally Beauty Carnival to Sean John’s 20th Anniversary

We continue to see influencers as a key component to success

to celebrating and activating this year’s 50/50 Day to Furbo’s

in the social space and as such, have seen tremendous growth

appearance on Ellen to all of our unforgettable client memories of

through in our influencer relations team and have included a

2018, we had a year of many firsts:

snippet of our Influencer Data Mapping white paper, trends in Influencer Marketing and a few of our predictions for the new year!

• First Year as a the digital division of CAA-GBG • Launched our first dedicated Beauty Division led by Brandon Carter • Launched our first dedicated Influencer Division led by Kim

Thank you to our clients, our partners and our colleagues, wishing you and your families a joyous holiday season and new year of happiness and success. //

Barbosa • Launched and scaled a full-service New York account team • Expanded our Paid Social Division with the launch of our Pinterest partnership • Executed our first 50/50 Day and Character Day activitations with Let It Ripple Studios • Launched Influencer Data Mapping, our first proprietary service + platform tool with Creator IQ and supporting white paper written by Kristi Bergeron • Hosted our first Social Media Week Event and Panel • Made our first appearance at Cannes Lions as BrainTrust CAAGBG along with participation on three panels • Worked with new clients, Naturalizer, Furbo, Lather, Fashion Trust Arabia, Caruso and Simon Ventures • Formed a partnership with TheCurrent to launch TheCurrent Mansion at SXSW Interactive March 8th - 10th, 2019

BrainTrust CAA-GBG is a specialized digital marketing and social media agency at the pulse of culture and creativity. We partner with the world's most innovative brands, people and institutions to develop and execute data driven socially led strategies and campaigns that boost awareness, demand engagement and impact the bottom line.

We are the future – nimble, fast, daring and mobile – mobile in location and mobile in technology. With a team of digital experts who have been leveraging both the social space and its consumers since its advent, we are fearless in our ability to trail blaze. We transcend the traditional agency model through the merging of our internal knowledge and extended braintrust that spans the entire marketing, communications and creative landscape.

Our backgrounds combine the training and expertise of PR, Marketing and Advertising. From our leadership team to our managers and specialists, we leverage the practical application and day-to-day usage of social media and the digital marketing mix to create omni channel solutions for brands that are rooted in the evolution of consumer behavior, consumption and purchase defined by cultural trends and global nuisances. This cross pollination of execution provides a streamlined approach for our clients allowing us to push beyond the boundaries of siloed resources and one dimensional strategies. It is this foresight and forward thinking perspective that allows our agency and clients to Think Ahead and leave a mark on the world.

braintrustcaagbg.com

@braintrustcaagbg

Spring 2018

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Table of Contents 2

Letter from the Founder

5

Letter from the Editor

6–7 8–15

BrainTrust CAA-GBG Launches: Influencer Data Mapping / by Kristi Bergeron Looking At Influencers Through Influencer Data Mapping: Food, Beauty, Style, Health/Wellness / by Elyse Wasserstrom, Jacqueline Dunderdale and Shelby O'Neill

16–17

Brand Spotlight: Kenneth Cole / by Kristi Bergeron

18–19

Leading with Data: CreatorIQ's Igor Vaks / by Elyse Wasserstrom

21

Talent in the Digital World: CAA’s Chris Wittine / by Shelby O’Neill

22–23

Partner Spotlight: CreatorIQ / by Kim Barbosa

24–25

Favorite Influencer Marketing Moments of 2018 / by Jacqueline Dunderdale and Shelby O'Neill

26–27

The Future of Retail / by Sheryl Marcus

28–29

Artificially Constructed Identities: The Next Wave of Digital Influence / by Taylore Robinson

30

How Multicultural Media Brands Target Audiences / by Jade Brito

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Letter from the Editor Mitzi A. Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief The BrainTrust Quarterly

A

s the year comes to an end, we take a look at the highlights and trends this industry brought, as well as where digital marketing is headed in the year ahead.

My time at Braintrust CAA-GBG has highlighted the importance of brands’ ability to keep up with consumer expectations, from product quality and packaging to providing immersive experiences, all while supporting inclusivity and positive messaging in their brand values. The use of AI and technology is a growing factor. Moreover, with the expanding definition of talent and influencers, coupled with the growing demand of data and analytics, our world has become or no doubt will be more efficient, accurate and transparent in brands’ effort to reach consumers through social media. These elements have been identified in years prior, but only seem to be growing in focus as consumers pinpoint these factors and share their thoughts instantly on social media, proving to be able to elevate or demote a brand’s influence.

Our team closes the year with more insight and knowledge on the evolution of the space and is prepared to continue to improve and grow our skills and ability to provide the service our clients deserve. In this issue, we address all of the mentioned factors and trends as we look forward to continuing to bring brands cutting edge tools and tactics in their digital marketing strategies. //

New Faces at BrainTrust CAA-GBG Mitzi A. Gonzalez

Taylore M. Robinson

Executive Assistant to the Chief Digital Officer and Department Coordinator BrainTrust CAA-GBG Los Angeles

Operations Coordinator BrainTrust CAA-GBG New York

Seeing the impact media made in her community growing

Originally from Wadsworth, Ohio, Taylore relocated to New

up, Mitzi developed a passion for amplifying messages and

York City in 2016. She began her career with Wilson Sporting

ideas with a purpose. She graduated from California State

Goods, assisting in marketing intelligence for their football

University, Fullerton with a degree in Communications, Public

and basketball department, where she was able to combine

Relations and quickly entered the entertainment industry. She

her love for sports with her curiosity for consumer insights.

interned at the National Association of Latino Independent

Taylore went onto intern within Small Girls PR's Innovation

Producers (NALIP), CBS Entertainment Diversity and went

Hub before being promoted to Executive Coordinator, work-

on to work her way up from the mailroom at Creative Artists

ing internally for 2 years under the CEO and Creative Direc-

Agency (CAA), eventually doubling as Executive Assistant and

tor. In a heavily project management role, Taylore cultivated

Coordinator to BrainTrust CAA-GBG’s Chief Executive Officer.

a passion for creative problem solving and brand storytelling, which she hopes to expand on as a member of BrainTrust CAA-GBG, where she currently serves under the Vice President of Digital Strategy.

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BrainTrust CAA-GBG Launches:

Influencer Data Mapping

by Kristi Bergeron, Vice President, Digital Strategy, BrainTrust CAA-GBG

O

n Wednesday, October 22, 2018, BrainTrust CAA-GBG joined forces with Igor Vaks of CreatorIQ, Liz Gray of Creative Artist Agency and Sarah Kirchner of Kenneth Cole to celebrate the launch of BrainTrust CAA-GBGs newest tool, Influencer Data Mapping. This service, plus technology, allows brands to dive deeper than ever before into influencer

data and make smart, strategic decisions about their campaigns, while giving them a real-time dashboard and analytics tools to measure their success along the way.

This 38 page white paper outlines the history of Influencer Marketing--starting with the “15 minutes of fame� prophecy from Andy Warhol in the 1960s, and traveling all the way through the rise of bloggers as talent to the implementation of data rich technologies designed to help brands move more nimbly, and of course with more precision, when engaging with influencers.

We additionally make a few key predictions for where we believe Influencer Marketing is heading and how they are positioned to help advertisers and marketers meet their goals no matter how ambitious or granular.

Influencer Marketing has seen rapid growth in the last three years, with the number of campaigns and posts increasing exponentially year-over-year since 2015. Influencer Marketing appears to be a go-to tactic for brands

looking to leverage the power of a highly-curated audience to help reach their goals.

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Throughout the paper, we showcase the brands we’ve engaged with and how they’ve leverage our tool to create impact across all phases of the marketing funnel. From driving awareness, to creating lasting affinity, and driving sales, you will read, learn how brands are leveraging the digital space and influencers to disrupt and redefine what it means to work with influencers.

One of our favorite examples is a data-deep dive of Kenneth Cole’s work with Mari Malek.

This influencer was part of Kenneth Cole’s Courageous Class Campaign and has posted about the brand almost 70 times, and as a result her audience has more of an affinity for Kenneth Cole than any of their competitors.

Other brands we highlight in the paper are Under Armour, Breville and Google’s Pride campaign.

Finally, (and perhaps the most enticing reason to download), is that we give you an insight look into the CreatorIQ platform that powers it all. This platform gives brands access to real-time information about the Influencers they are working with, as well as allows them to track the value of campaigns against those of a traditional media spend. //

To read the full white paper and learn more about the Influencer Data Mapping service we provide, please visit BrainTrustCAAGBG.com/InfluencerMarketing

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Looking At Influencers Through Influencer Data Mapping: Food

by Elyse Wasserstrom, Associate Manager, Influencer Relations, BrainTrust CAA-GBG, Jacqueline Dunderdale and Shelby O'Neill, Influencer Relations Coordinators, BrainTrust CAA-GBG

U

sing Influencer Data Mapping, our team has identified some of our favorite influencers across various categories focusing

on geotargeting, niche verticals, and 2018 social media trends.

We’re excited to share our findings on the following pages.

Whether it’s finding new recipes to try or simply scrolling through mouth-watering desserts, our team loves the food blogging scene. We’re excited to share a few of our favorites with you including Michael Chau, Samantha Roby and Ed Vinn.

Mike Chau @foodbabyny

Food-blogger Michael Chau, also known by his Instagram handle @foodbabyny, combines two of Instagram’s favorite topics: good food and cute babies. His blog began as a hobby, and he now has over 300 thousand followers. He features up-close food pictures with his three children under 5, Matty, Sammy, and Nicole. He also showcases some of the best restaurants in the New York boroughs.

308.1K followers

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Samantha Roby @chicagofoodauthority

Self-taught photographer Samantha Roby is a full-time food stylist, photographer and digital content creator. She can be found taking photos at local Chicago hot spots, under-the-radar restaurants and in her home studio, where she shoots full-time for top food and beverage brands. She began snapping photos innocently as a hobby and has since turned her hobby into a full-time career.

206K followers

LA Food Junkie @lafoodjunkie

We may be biased because he is local, but our team loves Ed Vinn for his witty captions and indulgent food choices. With its endless options, Ed gives us a glimpse into the Los Angeles food scene through his eyes. If we’re ever in need of restaurant inspiration, we take a look through @lafoodjunkie's page.

271.1K followers

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Looking At Influencers Through Influencer Data Mapping: Beauty 2018 has been the year of exploring new beauty trends. Three trends we’ve enjoyed via their Instagram presence are brow trends, dewy-glow complexions and Japanese-fusion nails.

Three beauty influencers we love to see showcase these trends are Nikki Amini, Nam Vo and Brittany Tokyo. These three women have been the pioneers of these hot trends from the beginning. Brows by Nikki has been around for the past four years doing brows for all of your favorite celebrities. Nam Vo is the “dewy dumpling” queen, starting from the bottom and becoming one of the most sought after make-up artists around. Fan favorite nail artist, Brittany Tokyo has created many of the nail art designs and trends we see recreated today. She is the on-call nail artist for everyone from Kim Kardashian to Hailey Baldwin.

Britney Tokyo @britneytokyo

It’s nearly impossible to make an appointment with Brittany Tokyo with appointments booked up with Hailey Baldwin, Simi & Haze and Kim Kardashian--just to name a few. She is a true nail artist based in Los Angeles creating nail-masterpieces themed “Tokyo meets LA”. We don’t think there’s a style that she can’t recreate in manicure form. From Marvel superheros to snake skin to rhinestones galore she continues to amaze us with each new design. We highly recommend taking a look at @britneytokyo on Instagram.

215.6K followers

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Nam Vo @namvo

Makeup artist Nam Vo is known for her signature “dewy dumpling” look. The highlighting queen is loved by celebs, including Chrissy Teigen, who claim this trend is here to stay. Nam has perfected the perfect balance of dewy and glowy making her a sought after makeup artist in NYC. Her career began in 2008 when she moved to NY with $35 in her pocket and the inspirational ambition to work smarter, not harder.

174.7K followers

Nikki Amini @browsbynikki

Nikki Amini is face behind @browsbynikki--the brow-expert based in Beverly Hills. She is the artist behind Kylie Jenner’s amazing brows amongst other celebrity favorites. Nikki comes from an extensive background of estheticians which has greatly influenced her professional and personal goals. Her background inspired her to pursue her career and master the skill of threading which she has been doing for over nine years.

146K followers

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Looking At Influencers Through Influencer Data Mapping: Style T

here has been significant growth in the niche market of male style influencers, and New York is one of the

biggest hubs for these influencers today. They all share the common ground of style but each offering varying layers of added expertise. Three male influencers we love admiring their style include Leo Chan, Brandon Bryant and Alexander Atkins.

Leo Chan @levitatestyle

Former finance analyst turned fashion and travel blogger Leo Chan has traveled to 41 countries and has done so with impeccable style. Leo was born in Hong Kong as now resides in influencer-fashion capital New York City where he continues working on his brand @levitatestyle.

113.3K followers

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Brandon Bryant @wallstreetpaper

Brandon Bryant is a New York City content creator who has been featured in Forbes 30 under 30. He is relatively new to the blogging scene with three years of experience under his belt, but has already created significant buzz. He’s been featured in GQ, Esquire, Fader and Complex, and we’re looking to see how his career as an influencer continues to develop.

204.1K followers

Alexander Atkins @mressentialist

Alexander Atkins is a Kiwi in NYC. His page features menswear and essentials for the stylish, sophisticated man. Alexander gives us glimpses of his everyday and travel while showing his audience essential skin-care products, stylish accessories and picturesque coffee shops. @Mressentialist does a great job at giving us a well-rounded look into his life.

75K followers

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Looking At Influencers Through Influencer Data Mapping: Health/Wellness I

nstagram and the influencer scene as a whole has made tremendous strides in support of the body

positive movement, celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes. Steph Claire Smith, Jenna Kutcher and Jessamyn Stanley are three influencers who inspire us through their personal journeys and emphasis on self love.

Steph Claire Smith @stephclairesmith

Steph Smith is a wellness blogger and co-founder of Keep It Cleaner, a brand dedicated to inspiring people to lead a healthy, clean and happy lifestyle. Steph shows not only her audience, but the world, that’s being fit is beautiful. She posts genuine videos, unedited photos and Instagram stories featuring helpful tips on self love to help empower women. She provides us with inspirational content through her authenticity and openness with her audience celebrating her successes and her struggles.

1.3M followers

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Jenna Kutcher @jennakutcher

Jenna Kutcher encourages self love and positivity in all aspects of life. She shows her followers how she’s learned to love her curves and feel her worth. She’s the host of Forbes top-rated business podcast, Goal Digger, which we love listening to for tips and overall inspiration. Jenna is vulnerable and open with her audience through her podcast and social channels, encouraging her followers to love themselves, stating “no critic can define your worth.”

681.1K followers

Jessamyn Stanley @mynameisjessamyn

Jessamyn Stanely’s motto is “seeing with [your] soul instead of [your] eyes” and is an icon for yogis of all shapes and sizes. She takes a welcoming approach through her social channels to connect with her followers and help them find body confidence through their own practice. She details her personal journey of reaching acceptance in herself and her practice in her book, Every Body Yoga. Today she travels the world giving seminars encouraging her motto.

368K followers Winter 2018

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Brand Spotlight: Kenneth Cole

by Kristi Bergeron, Vice President, Head of Digital Strategy, BrainTrust CAA-GBG

A

long-standing relationship for BrainTrust CAA-GBG is our work with the famed fashion brand, Kenneth Cole.

Our founder Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, sat side by side

with Kenneth for his first twitter chat, and introduced the brand to Influencer Marketing through her first company, Digital Brand Architects.

Fast forward a few years to where Kenneth Cole has been a banner client for BrainTrust CAA-GBG. We have leveraged amazing learnings from their influencer campaigns that have helped define the narrative of our Influencer Data Mapping white paper. This month Kristi Bergeron, our Vice President and Head of Strategy, sat down with Sarah Kirchner, Vice President of Digital at Kenneth Cole, to discuss: how this legacy brand

has used Influencers in the past; how they use them today; and where she sees the space evolving in the future.

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What roles have influencers tradition-

with an influencer who shared content

growing followings. It’s authentic to their

ally played in marketing for Kenneth

with one of our direct competitors the

brand & the experience they deliver—

Cole? Do you look to them primarily

same day they supported our campaign.

sometimes your best brand “influencers”

to drive product or further the brand’s

I think they need to really curate their

are right within the company.

purpose-driven message? If both, how

own personal brands and experiences

do you strike the right balance between

in order to remain authentic to their

What do you think will be the most piv-

messaging and sales?

audiences.

otal metric for picking the right influenc-

Influencers are an inherent part of our

What brands – outside of fashion – do

marketing mix. They are woven into

you think are doing really unique things

I think there will be more emphasis

any initiative we do, whether it’s driving

with influencers?

placed on sales and conversion rates (not

ers in the future?

awareness around our brand purpose or

just reach and engagement rates).

driving product sales. We think about

I think Soul Cycle (recently) has done a

our overall objective and then consider

great job at amplifying their instructors

What is the one tracking metric you wish

who would be the right advocates to

as influencers. They have placed empha-

existed?

support that message/objective. Usually

sis on highlighting the instructors across

they are different groups of individuals

their communications and positioned

“Influencer Conversion Value”—the

for branding (i.e., The Courageous Class

them as ambassadors for the brand,

propensity for an influencer to drive sales

campaign) versus product sales.

allowing the brand to tap into their

for your brand and audience. //

You’ve worked in digital for a long time, how has Influencer Marketing evolved since you’ve been working in the space?

What are your predictions for where it is headed next?

I think it has evolved from a marketing channel to a mindset, integrated into the full marketing mix. We now think about our influencer strategy at the onset of our seasonal campaigns, rather than as a channel to support the campaigns after they are developed. I also think the space has evolved from being an “experimental” channel to a monetized channel. Gone are the days where brands accept it as an “awareness” vehicle that doesn’t actually make business impact.

We are asking more of influencers now and the expectation is to see some level of ROI. What are the biggest “learnings/surprises” you’ve ever experienced when working with Influencers?

I have been surprised at how influencers can be quick to “sell out” and how many of them are not strategic about their partnerships/content. We once worked

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T

he founder and CEO of SaaS platform CreatorIQ,

Igor Vaks, is a 20-year tech executive who previously served as the CIO and CTO of Experian’s Consumer

Division, the CTO of ScanData and as tech exec at Cendent.

As a veteran in the field, we caught up with Igor to learn more about his thoughts on the industry and the direction in which he sees it moving.

What do you see as the future of Influencer Marketing?

Leading With Data CreatorIQ's Igor Vaks

by Elyse Wasserstrom, Associate Manager, Influencer Relations, BrainTrust CAA-GBG

Influencer Marketing will continue to see explosive growth as big brands and media companies increasingly move marketing dollars into the space. In particular, I think we’ll see the following trends: 1. The social platforms themselves will crack down on fraudulent followings and bots. We’re already seeing this with Instagram; propelled by Influencer Marketing growth, the stigma of bot infestations now outweighs the stigma of large drops in the perceived user bases of social platforms.

2. Conversations around audience integrity will continue to grow—especially those concerning share of total audience and audience deduplication (particularly important for live streaming).

3. Authentication into platforms like CreatorIQ will become the norm for advertisers as business leaders learn that their measurement of Influencer Marketing campaign performance can be exact with first-party data sharing.

4. The idea that Influencer Marketing is just an awareness channel will continue to dissolve as marketers test and find success with direct response campaigns.

5. The creator following “floor” will disappear; social media users with as little as a few hundred followers will begin to be contacted for advertorial campaigns.

6. Everyone will finally start calling creators “creators” instead of influencers.

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What brands are performing best in this space?

us to focus on delivering strong insights and clean data. At our data core, we are a System of Record which means indus-

We find that brands who see creators as spokespeople for

try-leading clientele, legitimate data sources, enterprise-grade

their aspirational brand values perform best. They build trust

security, and a product that doesn’t cut corners.

and move product by investing in this space. Some standouts include YETI, who target a non-traditional segment with pro-

What direction do you see CreatorIQ moving in? What new

gressive non-traditional social marketing and succeed greatly;

features are you hoping to implement?

MILK Makeup, who has built a digital beauty enterprise with a healthy cultural heart in no small part thanks to social brand

We’re working on some groundbreaking features related to

advocacy; and CVS—this may come as a surprise to some—

paid media, performance measurement, and the logistical-

but the retail giant has made waves and turned heads by

ly-challenging financial side of the Influencer Marketing world.

being deft and savvy in this space.

Is Influencer Marketing appropriate for every brand?

How important is it for brands and talent to each understand their metrics/data?

Let me be honest...Brands that do not want to build trust, drive purchases, and improve their consumer perception

CMOs and CFOs allocate their marketing dollars based on

should not use Influencer Marketing.

their ability to measure effectively. Clean data is essential to the industry’s growth from a niche to a mainstream marketing

What are some ‘red flags’ when looking for influencers?

channel. Data plays as essential a role in Influencer Marketing as it does in programmatic or other digital marketing channels.

If a significant portion of a creator’s audience does not align with your target customer’s demographics, then you’ll proba-

What is the best advice you would give a brand trying to

bly want to keep searching (or just pay for the portion of the

establish itself in the space?

audience that matches). Vet your creators for brand safety.

Check their social timelines for competitor activations, risqué

Perhaps the best way to scale efforts quickly is by working

content, and FTC or other governing agency compliance.

with seasoned experts like those at Braintrust CAA-GBG. Start by building long-term relationships with just a few trusted

When should a brand use micro-influencers as opposed to

creators. Don’t overreach with campaign requirements – re-

macro-influencers?

member, you’re hiring talent not only for their reach, but for their creative past. Be sure that your solutions for campaign

Most campaigns should contain a healthy mix of all types of

measurement is squared away before your first few campaigns

creators. Budget allowing, “macro” influencers can still do

begin. Consider utilizing an Influencer Marketing platform to

wonders for product awareness or sales. Micro-influencers

handle the heavy lifting so that you can focus on relationships

usually represent a better dollar-for-dollar ROI, but scaling

and storytelling.

a campaign with enough creators to match a larger creator’s immediate reach can be nigh impossible without a solution

What makes CreatorIQ different from other SAAS platforms?

like CreatorIQ.

We’re in a quickly-growing space full of opportunity. There are

What are your top three favorite metrics for measuring ROI?

a lot of software solutions that started as agencies and creator marketplaces. CreatorIQ, on the other hand, is pure technolo-

Relative EMV, eCPMs for cross-channel optimization, And of

gy—we are not an agency masquerading as tech, which allows

course, post-calculation Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). //

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What are your key qualifications when

What is the top trend you are seeing in

deciding which talent to represent? How

the space?

does data impact when making that decision?

This marketplace moves quick. There are a few positive trends and a few challeng-

In my opinion, this is far more art than it

ing trends.

is science. Ultimately, there isn’t one filter or qualifier for selecting which talent

On the challenging side, micro-influ-

to represent. I tend to look at a variety

encers were a big trend this year. Some

variables, such as: art, audience, data, fit

of these micro-influencers don’t have

and star power.

enough of a social footprint to make a meaningful impact for a brand. Further-

Talent in the Digital World with CAA's Chris Wittine

by Shelby O’Neill Influencer Relations Coordinator, Braintrust CAA-GBG

C

Quality of art isn’t to say that something

more, there is little credibility to who

needs to be critically praised but, in

they are as talent. It’s really tough to

context, formidable amongst compara-

have quality control and authenticity in

ble works. Audience is a major indicator

a campaign when it’s spread amongst

as people vote with their time and

100+ individuals.

attention. Data is an incredible resource; however, it’s less about having data and

On a positive note, more talent from

more about how it is used. Does the tal-

the influencer bucket are crossing over

ent take this into account when creating?

into traditional celebrities and artists

Does it advocate for a certain business

alike. Our digital department has done a

strategy? How well does it allow us to

fantastic job of identifying these voices

understand the audience?

early on. For brands and marketers, it’s a big advantage having talent on the

When I say fit, it’s through a cultural lens.

creative cutting edge. As a result, savvy

Is the individual someone who the shares

campaigns lean in for more than just

same values of the agency and their pro-

talents’ distribution and see incredible

spective team? Often, we get referrals

return.

from well-known respected partners, hris Wittine is an executive in

the Digital Talent and Packaging

Department, a division of leading

which is invaluable to the process and

What brands do you think are most

makes the work better. Finally, true talent

effective in the influencer space today?

has a certain star power. It’s hard to

entertainment and sports agency Creative

articulate, but being authentic and real

We live in an ‘always on’ world. Forward

Artists Agency (CAA). Wittine is based

has a kind of gravitational pull.

thinking brands, who recognize the need

in the Los Angeles office, focusing on

to be publishers of content are doing

representation, brand partnerships and

What are the key KPIs you are seeing

it best. When you are a telling a story

business development, while servicing the

when working on brand deals with

through digital channels with influencers,

agency’s digitally endemic clients. Prior to

talent?

the brand becomes part of the story,

CAA, he spent time at Fullscreen Media and WME.

verses an interruption. An example of a It varies depending on the goals of

brand doing this well would be AT&T. //

the brand and campaign; however, the We connected with Wittine who gave

common ones are: impressions, views,

us some insight on how digital talent is

engagement, traffic and conversation.

noticed and qualified by agencies and

Usually, one of these will be the main KPI

brands.

followed by the others as complimentary.

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Partner Spotlight: CreatorIQ

by Kim Barbosa, Senior Director, Influencer Relations, BrainTrust CAA-GBG

B

y combining AI technology and BrainTrust CAA-GBG’s influencer and social media expertise, we are able to evolve branded human storytelling by developing a

customized and curated influencer network with first-party influencer data.

Eighty-four percent of marketers know Influencer Marketing drives results and is another form of media buying. As Influencer Marketing technology continues to rapidly evolve, our roles as marketers continue to shift. We realize the most successful campaigns require a mix of data and human touch.

The most impactful results are the ones that have found the perfect balance between automation and human authenticity.

Our team goes beyond traditional reach and engagement metrics, and we analyze how creators help support brand goals at every level of the marketing funnel. By way of our proprietary CreatorIQ-powered service offering, Influencer Data Mapping, we are helping brands evolve branded storytelling and transform the way they conceive and execute creator-driven marketing campaigns.

It is our priority to build a brand’s network whose content aligns with their values and objectives while still ensuring the audience's interests align with their goals to deliver the highest ROI possible.

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The following are key metrics when developing an influencer network: • Influencer Reach • Influencer Engagement / Engagement Rate • Influencer Tiers (celebrity, micro, etc.)

• Influencer Diversity • Influencer Content (look & feel, brand exclusivity) • Geographic (influencer & audience) • Share of Voice • Audience Demographic • Audience Psychographic • Audience Brand Affinities

Through our influencer network, we’re able to amplify existing content to quickly scale marketing efforts, as well as collaborate on unique storytelling with talent that ranges from celebrities to micro-influencers. Our end-to-end Influencer Marketing solution powered by CreatorIQ allows us to search through our network, efficiently predict performance, and run campaigns within the technology and provide real-time reporting. //

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Favorite Influencer Marketing Moments of 2018

by Jacqueline Dunderdale and Shelby O'Neill, Influencer Relations Coordinators, BrainTrust CAA-GBG

U

tilizing our Influencer Data Mapping technology, we are able to deliver insights that build audience and drive results for brands. This audit and strategy process allows us to take an audience first approach. Pairing audience experts with a data backed strategy, we’re able to identify, reach and engage a brand’s target consumer. We cou-

ple this with influencer content--marketing materials and activations created by influencers, public figures, celebrities and online personalities--to create sustainable brand partnerships that develop robust communities of interest. Here are a few of our favorite campaigns from this past year...

ROBEEZ - Curated Shop We partnered with top influencer, A Beautiful Mess, for a curated shop on Robeez.com. Content focused on product layflats and their favorite products for boys and girls. A Beautiful Mess delivered two Instagram posts, featured an engaging product carousel with four different styled outfits from their team product picks, Instagram stories with a

FURBO

swipe up to their curated shop, one giveaway, an Instagram

To promote Furbo’s biggest sale in July, we collaborated

nership, and they shared a 20 percent off promotion to their

with four top-tier influencers on Instagram, Twitter, and

fan base to encourage additional sales. Our results includ-

Facebook to increase brand awareness and drive sales.

ed reaching over 936K consumers, driving 234M estimated

Each influencer selected had a strong audience affinity

impressions, and over 9K engagements.

with dog owners and enthusiasts.

In order to increase conversions, each influencer shared a unique promotional code for tracking purposes on their social channels and drove their audience to the Furbo website on Instagram stories for an easier click through.

Instagram video posts were the main source of promotion and we layered with Instagram stories, Facebook, Twitter, and paid social to amplify and drive additional video views. The campaign resulted in incredible results and Furbo sold out!

24 The BrainTrust Quarterly

takeover on the @myrobeez account highlighting the part-

HUSH x Sephora - #GetHushed Over the course of two weekends, we partnered on an activation for HUSH in conjunction with Sephora at this year’s Coachella Music Festival. Over 6K festival goers visited the hair-centric activation tent. Visitors got their hair airbrushed by the HUSH team using the #Prism collection, hung out at the Sephora lounge and rejoined the festivities with insta-worthy temporary hair color.​ This event generated a large number of engaged and excited participants and influencers who loved celebrating the festival by getting their hair HUSH’d. During Weekend 1 there was a DIY station available for the attendees where they had the opportunity to deck out their tresses with our #Prism collection. The following weekend, the HUSH team enlisted five hair stylists who were providing attendees with a stencil look using the product. Guests raved about how the HUSH team was able to transform their hair in under 5 minutes!

This event was an ideal way to introduce HUSH to new

UNDER ARMOUR - #WillFindsAway

consumers, influencers, and bring the brand to a huge

We worked with Under Armour to identify the right influ-

182M impressions, 24K engagements and an estimated

encers to invite to the ‘Will Finds a Way’ campaign based

reach of 684K.

headline festival like Coachella. The event garnered

on audience brand affinity, demographic, psychographic, and geo targeted data.

We partnered with influencers who not only had strong engagement rates, but over-indexed with health, fitness and nutrition in terms of their followers’ affinities. The events were led by key trainers across the globe – and along the way, we captured the WILL of our participants across six US cities.

Overall, the summer #WillFindsAWay series saw posting and engagement rates that skewed higher than average for this type of event.

SALLY BEAUTY - #SallyBeautyEaster For Easter, we partnered with Sally Beauty to do an Easter seeding that had a two-pronged approach. We identified micro-influencers who were mothers and/or had a strong interest in beauty and sent them customized boxes to perfect their summer look!

To drive additional reach and to ensure quality content, we established a paid partnership with three influencers who would lead the charge in making the hashtags relevant, driving customers to stores and ecommerce, and diversifying content across channels.

Winter 2018

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The Future of Retail

by Sheryl Marcus Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising

26 The BrainTrust Quarterly

O

H MY GOODNESS! As if there hasn’t been enough change during this past year. Hold onto your seats because 2019 is almost upon us with even more excitement in the retail industry. In this article, I hope to provide some insight

into what it is going to take in order for retailers to stay competitive in this fast-paced world. While it is interesting to note that customers don’t think of retail the same way we do, i.e. they don’t go through their days with terms like ‘omnichannel,’ ‘m-commerce,’ or ‘mobile-responsive’ floating around their heads. Let’s be clear, that they are the ones that are creating the future by demanding greater convenience, more excitement, social connection and more. It’s the relentless consumer quest to fulfill those needs that drives every change we see in the retail space. With the explosive growth of online shopping and a shift in consumer preferences for experiences over possessions, the changing landscape of the business over the past 2 years was inevitable. So buckle your seat belts and let’s explore some of the key trends of 2019 that will transform the industry.

TECHNOLOGY 1. Brands will use augmented reality more to market their products. Retailers like Ikea, Wayfair and Lowes have developed AR apps that can place fully rendered 3D models of their own furniture in their customer’s home.

By leveraging augmented reality, more retailers will make it easier for customers to engage with their brands and ultimately, buy more products.

2. While we are probably still a few years away from the full proliferation of robotic sales assistants, retailers are benefitting from artificial intelligence like Siri, Cortana and Alexa. They will play an ever-increasing part if the retail world, from manufacturing and distribution to delivery.

3. Let’s not forget artificial intelligence as it relates to machine learning, chatbots and data analytics. While many have had frustrating chatbot

CUSTOMER IS KING! 1. The rise of ‘big data’ that is being

media couldn’t get any bigger, watch out!

experiences, the good news is that

collected about each of us- has given

huge steps continue to be made in the

retailers more power than ever before

mobile will continue to gain traction.

way of natural language processing.

to tailor the customer experience.

Retailers with a multi-channel retail

Think about all the services that could

Personalization and customization

solution are poised to get the most

be provided without humans – fast

allow the consumer to see products

out of their customers; so much so that

food lines, loan processors, etc. A key

and marketing (think deals), that are

shoppers who shop all channels spend

vehicle in this process is Facebook

personally relevant to them. Savvy

approximately 8 times more than those

Messenger. To drive even more sales,

retailers are reshaping the customer

that shop via 1 channel only.

retailers should build bots that can

experience and putting it in the hands

send abandoned cart messages and

of the customers themselves, whether

let consumers place orders directly in

it is shoes or artwork. Personalization

the app. As an example, 1-800-Flowers

and customization puts power and

messenger bot, allow you to order

choice in the consumer’s hands, while

and ship flowers in under 5 minutes.

serving retailers with insights on what

Data is key to companies being able to

shoppers really want.

make good decisions about products, services, employees, strategy and

2. More and more, consumers are relying

3. Multi-channel experience where

Suffice it to say, that I could go on and on. The excitement of change is neverending. Consumers now expect to summon retail brands as they would a genie from a lamp. In a nutshell, we’re talking about empowered shoppers who want to leverage every new technology

on community and word-of-mouth

and platform to be in the right place at

instead of advertisements for product

the right time. In 2019, smart retailers

recommendations. Forward thinking

will know their customers better than

complicated for the layman to fully

retailers have capitalized on this by

they know themselves. From discovery to

understand, and is most often tied to

using the power of social media to

delivery, retail brands need to automate

cryptocurrency, the financial industry

connect meaningfully with customers,

the customer journey if they plan to thrive

is looking closely at its applications

swapping out automated coupon

amongst the Amazons and Walmarts of

in supply chain management and

codes and bland sales copy, in favor

the world. Frankly, I’m obsessed with

authentication.

of genuine copy. If you thought social

attempting to stay current. //

more.

4. While blockchain is still far more

Winter 2018

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28 The BrainTrust Quarterly

Artificially Constructed Identities: The Next Wave of Digital Influence How CGI Influencers are Changing the Game

by Taylore Robinson Coordinator, BrainTrust CAA-GBG

C

omputer Generated Imagery (or CGI) has dominated the media industry for the past 20 years. From advanced animation artistry in movies and videos games, to Artificial Intelligence creeping into a state of social normality, the presence of CGI isn’t new and isn’t going away.

Within the hyper-realistic advancements that have blurred the line between the virtual world and real world, CGI influencers have emerged, captivating their audiences through brilliantly crafted avatars and a raw relatability, almost indistinguishable from their human-influencer counterparts.

WHY IT WORKS Between Millennial and Gen Z audiences, there is a consensus of comfort associated with CGI, allowing it to spread to the dominating industry of Influencer Marketing almost seamlessly. In a time where more individuals are embracing fluidity, especially in terms of their online personas, authenticity and relatability are the keys to acceptance (and engagement).

CGI influencer Miquela Sousa (@lilmiquela) debuted on Instagram in 2016 and her success and popularity has been widely attributed to her ability to connect with her followers, all 1.5 million of them.

Though she isn’t real, her well-crafted narratives and curated partnerships leave a very real impression on her audience. She intertwines her posts with activism and raw captions that are relatable and engaging.

The ability to tie emotional and cause marketing strategies into an original and authentic voice gives Miquela, and other constructed identities, a multi-tiered platform that brands can use to hook their target audiences.

CURATED CONTENT VS. CURATED CREATOR What sets CGI influencers apart isn’t just their ability to publish well curated content, but their ability to be curated themselves. Working with technology, as opposed to real people, exponentially decreases the room for problems or content error.

This ability to have more control puts brands into the driver’s seat of their influencer messaging.

As CGI popularity grows and technology advances, the brands who have been partnering with these influencers (such as Prada, Balmain and Fenty Beauty) may create CGI identities of their own.

However, these avatars don’t come cheap, giving exclusivity to brands who can afford the technology.

CGI Influencers, from left to right: @bermudaisbae (121K followers), @blawko22 (135K followers), @lilmiquela (1.5M followers)

While computer-generated influencers are still new to the market, they have already proven to be a valuable piece of the growing industry. Though they lack physical form, CGI identities have very real influence and will continue to disrupt the market over the years to come. //

Winter 2018

29

I

n 2007, right on the heels of launch of

thing!” Since then, she’s joined LatinX

Nielsen; LatinX people share social media

Twitter and YouTube, two young girls

digital media company, Mitu, as a full-time

content five times more often than non-

from working class families would hit

content creator, where she along with many

LatinX consumers.

viral status with the release of their parody

other creative minds have found success

video; “Chongalicious,” which focuses on

through their nostalgic, yet impactful

the slang term “chonga.” First coined in

content.

the Miami area to describe a stereotypical way of dressing and behaving among the working class LatinX community. The outrageous video was a parody to Fergie’s, “Fergalicious” which was created by drama students, Laura DiLorenzo and Mimi Davila, who hailed from Hialeah, Florida. Shortly after the launch of the video, DiLorenzo and

Since the wave of digital content has hit, many mainstream media companies such as Buzzfeed have expanded their

Since the impressive launch of the

conglomerates. In 2016, they launched

“Chongalicious” video, many have

“Pero Like": a distributed project that

followed suit by creating their own viral

aims to create content that resonates with

success through content that is reminiscent

English speaking LatinXs, where many of

How Multicultural Media Brands Target Audiences

by Jade Brito, Associate Account Manager, Digital Marketing, Braintrust CAA-GBG

the creators have become influencers in their own right. Curly Vasquez and Gadiel Del Orbe are two of the talent’s behind the

Mimi Davila

channel and

would become the first

have expanded their

LatinX YouTubers to

resume by working

ever hit viral status and

with LatinX brand Café

give audiences a taste

Bustelo and British

of what was to come

online fashion and

in terms of content

cosmetic retail, ASOS

creators and influencers.

on their own sponsored

The term “viral” was

content. There has also

a foreign concept that

been the launch of

no one understood,

Remezcla, a Brooklyn

especially during a

based media company,

time when social media

that is considered one

wasn’t what it is today.

of the most influential

But we would quickly

LatinX youth media

find out that viral videos

brands and is valued

were going to become a sliver of a larger digital scope that would be led by the LatinX community.

at $11 million since to how many LatinX people grew up, while

launching in 2014.

showcasing the nuances and differences

Will we continue to see a growth in how

Cut to 11 years later and I bump into

among the LatinX community. Along with

LatinX communities influence various

Laura DiLorenzo at Hispanicize 2018, a

them, names like LeJuan James and Jenny

media outlets? The answer is a resounding,

conference dedicated to LatinX influencers

Lorenzo have continued to trailblaze the

yes. Many up and coming content creators

and content creators. We spark up a

digital world with their buzzworthy content

and influencers are using this opportunity

conversation about her handmade bag

catapulting them to influencer status, and

to tell their stories, and brands want to be

line, Made in the Americas, but quickly

brands are beginning to notice. Companies

included. It has been predicted that LatinX

begin to chat about “Chongalicious.” In

like P&G and NASCAR are reaching out

people will makeup 30 percent of the US

admiration, I say to her, “You guys were

to these influencers to hit a different

population by 2060. This means brands

pretty much the first people to ever have

target; the LatinX market. This comes

are beginning to take into consideration

a video go viral.” She responds with an

as no surprise as the LatinX community

how they market the community and how

enthusiastic, “I know, right?” I was talking

are considered to be early adapters in

tapping into the LatinX culture will benefit

to Mimi about it and telling her the same

the digital media world. As reported by

not only them, but the audience as well. //

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