By Elton Zvinavashe
In our primary school days there was one haircut many of us wanted and we could not settle for Less. It was the English Cut with two stripes on the forehead after the Legendary Soccer player in the name of Peter Ndlovu. The man commanded a huge influence among soccer fanatics , young and old on and off the pitch. Today as I look back in retrospect I realize that Peter Ndlovu was my first encounter with influencer marketing at play. Barber Shops were smiling all the way to the bank every time schools opened and also during the festive season largely due to the indirect influence the man had. It is worth noting that there was no formal partnership at least to my knowledge which existed between Peter and the Barbershop industry.
The fact that he managed to sway a lot of children who watched him play was an unintended phenomenon which benefited the haircuts industry immensely. Fast forward to the present day, the economy has metamorphosed in such a manner that Peter Ndlovu would have attracted huge brand endorsements from leading Barber Shops in a bid to leverage his huge influential prowess. It is also fascinating that the barbershop industry seems to have realized the power influencer marketing way earlier than most businesses. The presence of celebrities such as Ludacris and 50cent for mens cuts and Beyonce and Rihanna for ladies posters dotted across their walls bears testimony to that effect.
The marketing and advertising landscape of this day and era is one in which businesses have fully embraced the role and function of influencer marketing in driving sales and promoting their product and services. The idea being companies and brands using people of influence stems from the fact that it is easy to convince a person who has already been influenced about other things about your product or service. It is no surprise that companies will engage famous actors, athletes, soccer players, prominent business people and accomplished people in various professions to curate, sell and market their product around the influence and personalities of those individuals.
A very quick example that comes to mind is what Michael Jordan did and continues to do with Nike. A partnership which has largely contributed to what is known as sneaker culture. When executed well such forms of marketing yield desired outcomes for both the brand and the influencer. Unfortunately, the concept of influencer marketing is not a magic wand that automatically drives sale up without laying the necessary foundation. Companies have often made mistakes of making influencer marketing strategies a mere formality without paying attention to the underlying fundamentals. The outcome of such piecemeal approaches has been that the necessary traction has not been cultivated among the followers of the designated influencer.
The influencer marketing strategy is somewhat fragile and volatile in nature due to the fact that there are so many variables at play which are not static. For instance the product campaigns rest solely on the fact that the influencer will be able to maintain their reputation to perpetuate their influence and use it in selling. In the case that scandals emerge as is often the case with celebrities, the partnerships become vulnerable and susceptible to market backlash. All this is to say that the strategy when adopted has to be carefully considered and reviewed periodically to ensure that the product does not suffer market rejection. In other cases the choice of the influencer becomes a huge factor in determining the likelihood of success. A common mistake with brand managers is falling for the temptation to assume that if one commands a huge following they automatically become a suitable candidate for marketing their product.
While it is true that sales are by large a game of numbers, there is more to it. Numbers are a means to a desired end whose potency can be fully realized when combined with a personality that aligns well with the brand or the product. Today’s consumer is quite enlightened and opinionated such that in order to influence them, the selling pitch has to make sense. It is for this reason that the most ideal influencer is one that not only has a huge following behind them but also has the ability to persuade customers to make purchases. Unfortunately the journey between ideation and execution is not a smooth one which is why marketers often have to make trade offs and compromises factoring in things like budgets and scale of business operations.
The decision by Merit Zimbabwe to partner Voltz JT presents a very good example of a partnership where the product dovetails well with the person and influence of the artist. Merit makes counter books for school children across the whole country and has since decided to introduce a special edition of books bearing the artist poster at the back and in front. The timing of this could not have been any better. The country and maybe the world is coming from an era where talent or arts were frowned upon by society and parents discouraged children to pursue such a career. The wheels of time and evolution have fortunately ushered in a new dispensation that recognises sports and arts as noble undertakings.
The choice of Volts JT appears to be a well thought out one as the artist presents a unique value proposition in terms of brand messaging. As a graduate from the University of Zimbabwe who has grown to become a successful hip hop artist in the country, the man offers the much sought after influence to both children and young adults who are fans of his music. Knowingly or unknowingly he sends the message the society that education has a place in society as does talent. Infact his example is one that goes on to say when the gods allow the two can co-exist in one person. This speaks to the fears and stigmas parents often have that participating in sporting activities or arts activities comes at the expense of academic success.
The likelihood of success of the partnership in attaining the desired goals is very high because of the alignment that is there between the company and the influencer. For as long as the current reputation of the artist remains and grows along the same lines, brand managers will consider extending the relationship if it makes business sense. Artists are often associated with substance abuse and showbiz drama whose stench refuses to go away such that companies become reluctant to be associated with them. Perhaps the succes of this partnerships will serve as a teachable moment for other persons of influence that feeding into one`s brand and personality has the ability to yield long term dividends.
Elton Zvinavashe is a wordsmith, copy writer and storyteller. He writes in his personal capacity as a Digital Marketing Enthusiast. He can be reached for feed back on eltonpossibilities@gmail.com or +27849496768
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