Tag: Creators

Singapore – Socially-led creative agency, We Are Social Singapore, today debuts ‘vector,’ a community that brings together global creators and innovators to create immersive experiences and resources that help move the needle on creativity.

Bringing to the table diverse specialist skills from 3D motion design and CGI to product design, the ‘vector’ community is a platform for brands who wish to explore more cutting-edge, innovative creative work that constantly explores new frontiers. The community is already working with the condom brand, P.S. Condoms, on an upcoming campaign.

Powered by ‘.XYZ,’ the future strategy and innovation arm of We Are Social, vector’s founding community is made up of 23 future-minded creators from across disciplines and different corners of the globe, including renowned Japanese ‘human flesh’ artist and DJ, Doooo; New York-based polymath artist, Samar Younes; Singaporean visual artist and CGI specialist, Aundraj Jude; and Berlin-based visual artist, Reza Hasni. 

Together, the community operates in multiplayer mode to deliver ‘drops’ and creative work that moves culture and creates ideas worth talking about. 

To introduce ‘vector,’ the label has released ‘DROP001,’ a zine featuring creative work, interviews and essays from the community’s members. The zine is available for purchase on Metalabel. 

Nai Yen Wang, managing director of We Are Social Singapore, said, “Leading the evolution of marketing is embedded in We Are Social’s DNA which is why our team in .XYZ has been working with the creator community to build vector. In an era where creativity is no longer confined to traditional realms, We Are Social and vector’s community are bringing together a village of craftspeople to reshape the narrative for how brands can show up in front of their audience amid a sea of sameness.”

Meanwhile, Agalia Tan, vector lead & senior planner at We Are Social Singapore, commented, “The concept of vector was seeded when we first noted the creation of more collaborative and communal social spaces at the fringes of the internet; communities that encouraged collaboration over competition, and aimed to reimagine how we could work and create alongside each other. As We Are Social continues to lead the evolution of marketing, it makes sense that we are not just talking about culture, but also actively producing culture alongside visionaries like MSCHF and Metalabel. We are excited to launch this new initiative as part of .XYZ.”

Lastly, Domingo Beta, vector creator & co-founder of Veleta Studiolab said, “The creative journey for vector’s first drop started by blending the vibrant energy of the featured artists with informative pages that unveil the techniques and structures behind their work. Inspired by the diverse pool of contributors, this approach influenced the design of the chapters and titles, allowing me to expand on the formal style of the logo’s letters. The project has plenty of room to grow and adapt, inviting future enthusiasts to play with it and explore new possibilities.”

New York, USA – Pinterest and modern media company Tastemade has announced a first-of-its-kind, multi-million, global strategic partnership to scale creators, content series, and live streaming on Pinterest. The multi-year partnership commences immediately, with initial programming launching in Q3/Q4 of 2022 and throughout 2023.

Under the terms of the deal, Tastemade, will produce 50 new shows that will debut exclusively on Pinterest via new content franchises and Idea Pins, Pinterest’s multi-page video Pins. Co-developed by Pinterest, this series will feature talent from both the Tastemade and Pinterest creator communities from around the globe and will be produced in at least eight different languages from Tastemade’s global studios across the U.S, LATAM, Europe, and APAC.

Tastemade will also produce hundreds of hours of new live streaming programming for Pinterest TV. Shot on location and in Tastemade’s studios, the live streams will aim to increase total viewership, drive repeat viewers, test shopping behaviors, and encourage community engagement. Tastemade’s experience with live streaming commerce will prove valuable in activating creators, brands, and consumers alike.

Pinterest’s Chief Content Officer, Malik Ducard, shared, “As one of our largest video partners globally, I’ve been so impressed by how Tastemade has expanded their platform, consistently delivers engaging content, and builds value on Pinterest,” 

“This is a natural extension of our existing partnership as we scale our content and creator efforts at Pinterest, and I’m thrilled to build something even bigger to inspire Pinners in more languages around the world,” Ducard added.

By partnering with Tastemade, Pinterest is further scaling its creator ecosystem with a pioneer in the native mobile video to drive high-quality video content and engagement on the platform, which allows for a truly unique offering for creators to collaborate with Tastemade and Pinterest on a global basis. While Pinterest began its creator efforts by focusing on “rising stars” and “homegrown” creators, this newly expanded partnership with Tastemade will also bolster Pinterest’s native-first content approach with programmers and publishers as premium content creators.

While Tastemade has historically focused on the passion-led content verticals of Food, Travel, and Home & Design, this partnership will expand its programming to other high-value categories including Beauty, Fashion, Health & Wellness, Fitness, Parenting, Pets, and more – leveraging Tastemade’s robust global video platform and creator community to bring greater quality and scale to Pinterest’s video ambitions and to produce an even wider array of programming to inspire Pinterest users around the world.

Tastemade’s Co-Founder & CEO Larry Fitzgibbon, commented, “Consumers have undeniably embraced video as the preferred content medium, and one that is especially powerful in inspiring consumers to take action to create a life they love.”

“The biggest trends in media are now in video, creators, and live streaming – and this partnership addresses all three at global scale. We have a long track record of deeply engaging the Pinterest audience and are excited to take even more Pinners from inspiration to realization through video storytelling,” Fitzgibbon adds.

As a part of the deal, Tastemade will also host a series of in-person creator events at Tastemade studios around the globe (Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Jakarta, Mumbai, São Paulo, Buenos Aires) in many of Pinterest’s key international markets. Creators from both the Pinterest and Tastemade communities will come together for community-building activities, creator activations, and training sessions focused on catalyzing more high-quality video storytelling and overall engagement on the Pinterest platform.

From the rise of the micro- and nano-influencers to the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in ensuring brand safety and delivering data-driven insights, new influencer marketing trends continue to emerge this year.

While exploring the ins and outs of influencer marketing space, we have observed the top 10 trends that will be huge this 2020. These trends are anticipated to guide brands in strategizing for campaigns that are sure to generate ROI.

1. Expect more influencers across content, experiential, and social media marketing strategies.

Since audiences see influencers as more authentic and credible, 89% of marketers think ROI is comparable or better with influencer marketing.

Brands will turn to confluence marketing strategies to amplify campaigns and social commerce by boosting or repurposing influencer-made content for example.

Brands are also expected to expand influencer marketing budgets and we can expect more exclusive invite-only influencer events.

2. No longer will micro- and nano-influencers be underestimated.

With a more dedicated niche following, micro- and nano-influencers are more engaging than celebrity and top influencers. More brands will plan campaigns with a mix of nano-, micro- and macro-influencers.

Brands can reap the benefits of both worlds. While one targets a specific niche audience, the other has a wider reach and potential to spark large conversations.

3. Brands will seek deeper, long-term influencer partnerships.

No longer do brands think a single influencer post or story is an effective conversion strategy. More are opting for long-term influencer partnerships through custom product lines or ambassador programs.

This helps brands achieve business outcomes, build authentic audience loyalty, and identify the marketing strategies that work best for them.

4. Industry will be streamlined by tighter regulations and pressures on influencers to comply.

Past controversies and issues on fake followers have motivated brands and audiences to demand more influencer transparency. To ensure compliance, social channels are stepping up such as, Instagram putting up a ‘Paid Partnership With’ feature.

Following these new regulatory measures will enhance an influencer’s perceived authenticity and strengthen campaign performance.

5. More airtime for audio-based content.

Audio content, especially podcasts, has risen in popularity. Audio influencers hold listeners’ attention for extended periods, allowing native ad formats to be easily integrated.

In 2020, it is estimated that podcasts alone will account for $863 million in ad revenue. While the market for audio influencers is still blossoming in APAC, advertisers and brands should anticipate, appreciate, and plan for audio in future marketing strategies.

6. A growing fascination with CGI-Influencers.

Virtual computer-generated Instagram (CGI) influencers are shaking up the industry. Uniquely, CGI- influencers give brands full creative control over campaigns.

Appealing to techy Gen-Z audiences, CGI influencers like digital AI-avatar Lil Miquela are shown to have engagement rates almost 3x higher than real human influencers. Evidently, users are fascinated by this blend of fantasy and reality.

7. eSports influencers uniting fans and brands.

With ½ of fans being millennials, ages between 25-39, and more than 1/3 are women, eSports influencers have an especially wide and engaged following.

It is not surprising then that the number of influencer campaigns with eSports athletes has tripled in the past five years, with non-endemic brands increasingly getting in on the action.

With the eSports industry predicted to exceed 1.62 billion in revenue in 2021, advertisers and brands should consider eSports influencers in their marketing strategies if they want a piece of this winning streak.

8. Brands are recruiting employees and customers to build advocacy.

Audiences believe employees have a deep understanding of a brand’s culture. This makes their endorsements seem more reliable and authentic.

Brands like H&M, L’Oreal, Reebok, Starbucks, and MasterCard have launched advocacy programs motivating employees to become influencers. Social Media Today reports that these employee advocacy programs result in an average 26% increased revenue YOY.

For this same reason, customers are also being recruited as brand ambassadors. For advertisers and brands looking to amplify both retail and social commerce efforts, leveraging existing employees and consumers effectively capitalizes on the power of word-of-mouth to raise brand awareness.

9. AI is helping brands ensure brand safety.

Advances in AI are allowing marketers to derive more meaningful insights about campaign performance from vast data sets. Performance-based metrics like unique reach, actual impressions, and video views can now be verified and consolidated onto all-inclusive influencer marketing solutions that help streamline campaign workflow with image recognition and natural language processing (NLP).

Allowing social listening and the flagging of inappropriate content, brands can also shortlist the best influencers to fulfill campaign outcomes. Facilitated by automated booking tools, these developments let brands better optimize marketing strategies and ensure brand safety.

10. New highly shareable platforms and content are emerging.

Younger generations want engaging, authentic, and rapidly consumable content. With the adoption of technologies like drones, 360 video applications, AR and VR, influencers can enhance their storytelling abilities and produce higher-quality, innovative content. Rising social platforms such as TikTok and Twitch have also adopted these trends.

This article was written by Madeleine Mak of INCA APAC.

INCA is an influencer marketing solutions which helps brands to run brand-safe content campaigns through creators and influencers across digital platforms. It is owned by media company, Group M.