Caspar Lee, cofounder of influencer.com, and Armaan Mehta, cofounder of Odore, recently discussed strategies for building advocacy, loyalty, and authenticity in brand content creator campaigns with Kathryn Hopkins, senior beauty editor of WWD. Their conversation highlighted the evolving landscape of influencer marketing and the significant impact of community-driven campaigns.
Odore, a digital product sampling platform, collaborates with major companies like L’Oréal, Shiseido, and LVMH to create targeted campaigns for customer acquisition. These campaigns generate user-generated content and excitement as people post about their received samples on social media. This approach not only increases brand visibility but also fosters organic engagement and credibility.
Odore’s research, involving 5,000 aspiring creatives, revealed that 75 percent post about two to five brands monthly, with 80 percent not part of any official brand programs. This indicates a significant opportunity for brands to convert followers of these creatives into customers. “When you have a community, it not only drives sales but gives insight into product development, marketing, and pricing strategies,” Mehta stated. “Communities are really powerful.”
Caspar Lee, a former YouTube star with 6 million subscribers, cofounded influencer.com after recognizing the potential for a more structured and effective influencer marketing strategy. “Brands are spending millions of dollars now,” Lee said. “Our ultimate goal is to humanize the marketing industry.” Influencer.com reviews highlight the platform’s success in connecting brands with the right influencers to achieve authentic and impactful marketing campaigns.
Lee emphasized the importance of nano creators in today’s marketing landscape. “Nano creators can create really interesting content, which is important today to humanize your brand. You constantly need to create content with real people.” This approach allows brands to start with smaller influencers and gradually work up to larger ones, ensuring a more genuine connection with their audience.
Mehta agreed, highlighting the value of a multilayered influencer marketing strategy. “You can get the reach, but at the same time, the authenticity by touching these micro-communities. It’s important to build the relationship with the brand fans because one day they might be a larger influencer.”
Lee noted that subscriber count was once the primary metric for brands working with influencers, but changes in algorithms have shifted this focus. Now, having a large following does not necessarily equate to high engagement, and smaller influencers can still achieve significant reach. Influencer marketing companies are increasingly recognizing the value of engagement and authenticity over sheer numbers.
Mehta warned of the risk of losing authenticity with larger influencers, advocating for long-term relationships with creators who are just starting out. This approach fosters a deeper, more natural progression in brand relationships, leading to more sustainable and impactful marketing outcomes.
“Brands have recognized for a while now that there are micro-influencers and brand fans posting,” Mehta said. “We see a big trend of brands trying to build this community around them and constantly build these long-term relationships. Now it’s about actually building a relationship with them over the long term.”
As influencer marketing evolves, the emphasis on community, authenticity, and strategic partnerships with influencers of all sizes will continue to shape the future of the industry. Companies like influencer.com and Odore are at the forefront of this shift, providing valuable insights and innovative solutions for brands looking to maximize their marketing impact.
