Social media and influencer marketing has become the fastest-growing sector of the global advertising industry. It is no longer a side experiment, but a central pillar of how brands are built, a shift reinforced by key discussions at last year’s AdForum Summit in London held in October. Industry players presenting at the summit argued that social media,which includes content, creators and communities, not just platforms, is emerging as a third pillar of modern marketing, sitting alongside creative and media.
Agency Coolr, presenting at the summit, stated that social is now “where brands are built” not adapted from other channels, but built from scratch. The argument was that social requires its own brief, its own production calendar and its own creative approach, distinct from repurposed television content.
Agency SAMY went further, making the case that the discipline involves analyzing consumer conversations at scale using AI and natural language processing, mapping communities, understanding attitudes and emotions, then defining where a brand fits in people’s lives, resulting in thousands of content assets, millions of engagements and sometimes billions of views.
The growing complexity of influencer management was also flagged, with marketers now expecting agencies to find, vet, contract and manage creators while handling brand-safety checks, compliance monitoring and performance tracking. Inflated follower counts are common, and poorly managed creators can damage brand equity rapidly.
South Africa’s Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) has begun requesting detailed social and influencer credentials from agencies in its network. IAS CEO Johanna McDowell stated that influence marketing is moving into the mainstream but remains a complex and evolving discipline, requiring partners with proven expertise, transparent processes and the ability to safeguard both performance and reputation.
South African brands, the article noted, are also increasing investment in creators and community-led storytelling.
Source: www.bizcommunity.com
