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In the second episode of the Vogue Business and GRIN master class on building brand endurance in the creator economy, Shayna Macklin, director of brand strategy and influencer marketing at US retailer Rainbow Shops, joins Ali Fazal, VP of marketing at GRIN, to explore how brands are measuring ROI in influencer marketing. As a legacy brand, attracting new customers without alienating existing ones can be a challenge. However, influencer marketing and content creation can support an authentic connection with both.
Rainbow Shops has identified influencer marketing as a key pillar in its rebrand but not as a short-term solution. Macklin says 80 per cent of the payoff will be shown in metrics associated with long-term brand building, such as brand lift, with just 20 per cent of benefit represented in shorter-term revenue-based metrics, such as ROAS (return on ad spend). Instead, brand reach, mentions and click-through rates should be considered as measures of success — these results also tend to see a boost when brands build long-term relationships with or repeatedly collaborate with influencers or content creators.
Authenticity and relatability of influencers remains key to their engagement, and the most successful creators understand their audience and know how to resonate with them. In turn, authenticity is key for the brand’s influencer strategy. Alongside evergreen content, timing content to key shopping moments and cultural events drives interest, but this must feel organic and true to the brand.
Macklin doesn’t feel the need to engage with every topic that trends on social platforms, but instead, it’s about “really understanding things that feel like they’re native and natural to the brand and then seeding those opportunities”, she says. “If you’re activating too much, I think you run the risk of spreading yourself too thin.” It’s also key to develop a distinct voice within the crowded social media landscape, she adds, and lean on the authority of the brand. “I always think niching down is always a better approach because then you can have a larger share of voice on that topic.”
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