Author: Nataša Blagojević
On Tuesday, April 28th, 2020, we have launched our new product – a series of online panel discussions called #StartDialog. #StartDialog is our attempt to try to talk about the industry’s hot topics and predict the future through open discussions with relevant experts in the communications industry.
The first topic was influencers marketing and our panelists were stand-up comedian Ivan Šarić, lifestyle blogger and author of the #nemojme podcast Maša Zibar and Nataša Bagić, Marketing Manager for the Philips Adriatic Region.
At the very beginning of the discussion, the panelists agreed that the first weeks of quarantine were like a state of shock and during that period all investments in influencers marketing were stopped. Nataša Bagić revealed what encouraged her company to start communicating soon again: “To start communication again, the feeling that we need to put consumer needs first and find a way to make our products easier for our customers outweighed. We have put the emphasis on digital channels and invested a significant part of our budget in influencers marketing because of the authentic content and influencers’ ability to connect with their target audience.”
Ivan and Maša emphasized that their first challenge was how to select topics appropriate for the situation. Influencer communication was closely monitored and there were more negative reactions than usual due to general nervousness and concern. However, authenticity and consistency with one’s own expression have once again proved to be a good direction and confirmation of what is otherwise well received by the audience. Whether and how will „avocado influencers“ survive and whether the is number of followers they have lost in the past month by posting content more appropriate for some careless times forever lost, has remained unanswered.
Many influencers used their influence for socially responsible projects. Ivan offered to promote small producers and craftsmen on his Instagram profile for free, which turned out to be a very good idea for the people he helped, but also for his content. Everyone agreed that the new situation has opened up some new opportunities for creative ideas and innovative communication that both influencers and brands need. Maša told her influencers colleagues to be proactive in approaching advertisers and to experiment with new channels as much as possible, pointing out TikTok, which has seen a big increase among Generation Z.
Conclusion was that influencers can become even more important factor in the online presence of brands, and with the authenticity and personality of content creators, what makes the difference nowadays is the courage and willingness to step out and mutual approach to creating communication. On these principles, influencers marketing will have a bright future.
The whole discussion can be watched on Dialog YouTube channel, and to find out what will be the topic of second #StartDialog panel, subscribe to Dialog newsletter via https://bit.ly/DialogNL.
