Companies are increasingly hiring Gen Z influencers in-house to boost brand reach and authenticity, leveraging platforms like LinkedIn and TikTok to engage with a wider audience.
Key Points:
- Corporate Influencers: Companies are employing influencers to manage their social media presence and build an authentic brand image. Deloitte, for example, has hired Lara Sophie Bothur as their first full-time corporate influencer, significantly boosting engagement compared to Deloitte’s own LinkedIn posts.
- Influencer Impact: Studies indicate that posts from personal profiles get more engagement than company profiles, which is why influencers are becoming valuable assets to companies.
- Case Studies: Companies like Vogue and SET Active have successfully increased their social media reach by hiring well-known influencers like Jack Schlossberg and Sam Vicchiollo.
- Gen Z and Authenticity: The trend of hiring influencers aligns with Gen Z’s preference for authentic, relatable content. Initiatives like Waterboy’s influencer-led “Cabo with Customers” exemplify innovative ways brands are engaging this demographic.
- Employment Dynamics: Influencers demand competitive compensation and long-term benefits, suggesting a shift in how companies must approach talent acquisition and retention.
Discussion (3)
As a Gen Z myself, I can tell you that I find company profiles really boring. I rarely follow any, to be honest. But if someone I already follow starts promoting something, I’ll at least check it out. It’s more about feeling a connection with the person rather than the brand. That’s why this approach is so effective.
what happens when influencers start hopping from one brand to another? Wont that dilute their credibility? If one day they’re promoting one product and the next day a competitor’s, who’s going to take them seriously?
But if companies offer long-term contracts or make the influencers a part of the company's story and culture, it could create a more genuine partnership