Social Media Influencers are More Desirable Brand Spokespeople than Celebrities

Remember the days when every advert for makeup, aftershave, cars, mobile phones and just about every other designer item was fronted by either a celebrity, a model, or a celebrity model? It's still at least somewhat the case, whether it's Matthew McConaughy soberly droning about why Lincolns are great or Gisele Bundchen somehow making eyes at Michiel Huismen even though she's on a surfboard and he's in a house, because Chanel No. 5.

It's a lot less common now though, and in fact, far less money and effort is expended on that kind of glitzy TV advertising, simply because that's not how consumerism works anymore. Models are still on the front line of the fashion industry, but outside of it, the focus is shifting away from celebrities, and apparently towards YouTubers and other social media influencers.

New research by Takumi has revealed that 38.3% of marketing and PR experts surveyed work with social media figureheads on their brand campaigns, spending an average of £42,000 per year to commission them. Models and film stars placed far lower on the spokesperson priority list, behind musicians, athletes, bloggers and even scientists.

YouTube was recognised to be the preferred platform for this kind of branded content, which should come as no surprise, given the format of it. People like Zoella and PewDiePie are highly sought after for this kind of thing, their followers trust them, and will likely consider purchasing anything they throw their weight behind.

Perhaps more surprisingly, Twitter came in at number 2, with 51.8% of the 500 surveyed saying that they had worked with influencers on there. Promoting branded content on Twitter is an accepted strategy, but you would think that Instagram would place higher, rather than trailing behind with only 40%.

Callum Davies

Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @Songbird_Callum

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