Social media and influencer marketing have moved from peripheral tactics to core brand-building strategies, with major companies now placing these channels at the heart of their marketing efforts, according to a new industry report from Creativebrief.
The analysis highlights a shift in marketing spend, noting that Unilever’s CEO recently announced plans to increase the proportion of marketing budget allocated to social channels from 30% to 50%.
“Particularly we have observed a growing shift in brands now placing social and influencer more deeply at the heart of their long-term brand building activity, with changing attitudes towards the role for social as a channel as it seemingly moves its way further up the marketing funnel in the eyes of many,” notes Charlie Carpenter, CEO at Creativebrief.
This evolving approach to social media is driving changes among agencies as well. The report identifies a growing segment of social “thinking” agencies rather than merely social “doing” agencies, with these strategic partners now securing seats at brand marketing leadership tables.
The integration of emerging technologies and AI is accelerating transformation further, creating what the report describes as “a rapidly growing battle ground upon which the large majority of brands are (or at least should be) now competing.”
Case Studies Show Diverse Approaches
Several case studies in the report illustrate different approaches to social and influencer marketing:
eBay’s “Love Island” Partnership: DEPT discovered that TikTok viewers discussing “Love Island” outnumbered actual TV viewers. By recruiting “Stylanders” – influencers already talking about the show – to promote pre-loved fashion, eBay achieved 217 million impressions and drove a 1,400% increase in “pre-loved fashion” searches.
Knorr’s Bouillon Bag Campaign: MullenLowe UK connected the 185-year-old stock cube brand with Gen Z by creating tiny high-fashion handbags designed to hold a single stock cube, capitalizing on the micro-bag trend. The campaign generated 974 million impressions, and one bag reportedly sold on eBay for $4,000.
Toyota’s EV Adoption Strategy: The Corner partnered with family influencers “Dad vs Girls” to demonstrate how the bZ4X electric vehicle fits into everyday family life. The campaign delivered over 1,650 test drives, resulting in a 60% decrease in cost per lead, which helped Toyota meet its 2024 Zero Emission Vehicle mandate.
Ford’s Electric Explorer Journey: Wieden+Kennedy tackled range anxiety by having travel creator Lexie Limitless circumnavigate the globe in an electric Ford Explorer, generating 264 million social media views and improving brand consideration by 19%.
Strategic Shifts in Approach
The report identifies several key shifts in social media and influencer strategy:
From Reach to Relationships: Matt Roberts, UK Managing Director at Hello (part of We Are Social), emphasizes that the influencer economy “isn’t just a media buy. It’s an ecosystem built on trust, tone, and cultural fluency.” He advocates bringing creators into the creative process early rather than treating them as a final distribution channel.
“Influencers help you show up in culture. Makers help you show up with culture,” Roberts notes, distinguishing between influencers who bring audience and “makers” – format-fluent creatives who can execute brand content at the speed of social media.
From Brand Ambassadors to Brand Soulmates: Gabriel Marchi, Head of Bodega at Wieden+Kennedy, suggests moving beyond traditional brand ambassadors to find authentic creative partners:
“A brand ambassador – someone who professionally speaks on behalf of your brand — just won’t cut through. That relationship ultimately comes across as transactional, and audiences of every generation can see right through it.”
Instead, Marchi advises finding partners who share the brand’s values, feel a sense of ownership over campaign ideas, and can effectively engage their audiences with the product rather than merely promoting it.
From Platform-First to Fan-First: Ellie Norman, CMO at Formula E, describes a shift “from a platform-first mindset to a fan-first one,” explaining that this means “shifting beyond the traditional race-week calendar to serve fans year-round.” Formula E has shifted from creating content for fans to co-creating with them, utilizing creator-led campaigns to remix the fan experience of the sport.
The TikTok Effect
Mitch Syrett, Executive Creative Director at Uncovered, identifies TikTok’s rise as the “most tectonic shift” in social media over the past five years, driving changes including:
- Personalization: TikTok’s algorithm understands individual preferences at a granular level, requiring brands to understand specific interests, trends, and conversations.
- Sound-on consumption: With 88% of TikTok users engaging with audio, brands can now deliver richer, more informative, and emotionally engaging content.
- Face-first presentation: Human presence has become central to effective content, with Syrett citing research that 91.7% of ads featuring a person’s face attract more attention than those without.
Operational Challenges
The report identifies several operational challenges for marketing organizations:
Speed of decision-making: Jo Bacon, Group CEO at M&C Saatchi UK, notes that “death by a thousand amends does not build culture-first brands,” advocating for streamlined approval processes.
Internal structure: Brands are reassessing how to structure themselves to “move at the speed of social,” analyze channel spending, and balance external agency relationships with in-house capabilities.
Community focus: Katie Hunter, co-founder & Managing Partner at Wonderhood Makers, highlights the growing value of niche communities: “It isn’t just a game of scale anymore, with more and more brands recognising the power and influence that these smaller, hyper engaged and super focussed communities have to drive genuine advocacy.”
The report concludes that the intersection of brands, technology, entertainment, and culture represents a critical competitive space for contemporary marketing. For brands seeking to establish cultural relevance, understanding this evolving landscape is crucial for identifying suitable strategic partnerships and allocating resources effectively.
The full report is available here.
Social media and influencer marketing have moved from peripheral tactics to core brand-building strategies, with major companies now placing these channels at the heart of their marketing efforts, according to a new industry report from Creativebrief.
The analysis highlights a shift in marketing spend, noting that Unilever’s CEO recently announced plans to increase the proportion of marketing budget allocated to social channels from 30% to 50%.
“Particularly we have observed a growing shift in brands now placing social and influencer more deeply at the heart of their long-term brand building activity, with changing attitudes towards the role for social as a channel as it seemingly moves its way further up the marketing funnel in the eyes of many,” notes Charlie Carpenter, CEO at Creativebrief.
This evolving approach to social media is driving changes among agencies as well. The report identifies a growing segment of social “thinking” agencies rather than merely social “doing” agencies, with these strategic partners now securing seats at brand marketing leadership tables.
The integration of emerging technologies and AI is accelerating transformation further, creating what the report describes as “a rapidly growing battle ground upon which the large majority of brands are (or at least should be) now competing.”
Case Studies Show Diverse Approaches
Several case studies in the report illustrate different approaches to social and influencer marketing:
eBay’s “Love Island” Partnership: DEPT discovered that TikTok viewers discussing “Love Island” outnumbered actual TV viewers. By recruiting “Stylanders” – influencers already talking about the show – to promote pre-loved fashion, eBay achieved 217 million impressions and drove a 1,400% increase in “pre-loved fashion” searches.
Knorr’s Bouillon Bag Campaign: MullenLowe UK connected the 185-year-old stock cube brand with Gen Z by creating tiny high-fashion handbags designed to hold a single stock cube, capitalizing on the micro-bag trend. The campaign generated 974 million impressions, and one bag reportedly sold on eBay for $4,000.
Toyota’s EV Adoption Strategy: The Corner partnered with family influencers “Dad vs Girls” to demonstrate how the bZ4X electric vehicle fits into everyday family life. The campaign delivered over 1,650 test drives, resulting in a 60% decrease in cost per lead, which helped Toyota meet its 2024 Zero Emission Vehicle mandate.
Ford’s Electric Explorer Journey: Wieden+Kennedy tackled range anxiety by having travel creator Lexie Limitless circumnavigate the globe in an electric Ford Explorer, generating 264 million social media views and improving brand consideration by 19%.
Strategic Shifts in Approach
The report identifies several key shifts in social media and influencer strategy:
From Reach to Relationships: Matt Roberts, UK Managing Director at Hello (part of We Are Social), emphasizes that the influencer economy “isn’t just a media buy. It’s an ecosystem built on trust, tone, and cultural fluency.” He advocates bringing creators into the creative process early rather than treating them as a final distribution channel.
“Influencers help you show up in culture. Makers help you show up with culture,” Roberts notes, distinguishing between influencers who bring audience and “makers” – format-fluent creatives who can execute brand content at the speed of social media.
From Brand Ambassadors to Brand Soulmates: Gabriel Marchi, Head of Bodega at Wieden+Kennedy, suggests moving beyond traditional brand ambassadors to find authentic creative partners:
“A brand ambassador – someone who professionally speaks on behalf of your brand — just won’t cut through. That relationship ultimately comes across as transactional, and audiences of every generation can see right through it.”
Instead, Marchi advises finding partners who share the brand’s values, feel a sense of ownership over campaign ideas, and can effectively engage their audiences with the product rather than merely promoting it.
From Platform-First to Fan-First: Ellie Norman, CMO at Formula E, describes a shift “from a platform-first mindset to a fan-first one,” explaining that this means “shifting beyond the traditional race-week calendar to serve fans year-round.” Formula E has shifted from creating content for fans to co-creating with them, utilizing creator-led campaigns to remix the fan experience of the sport.
The TikTok Effect
Mitch Syrett, Executive Creative Director at Uncovered, identifies TikTok’s rise as the “most tectonic shift” in social media over the past five years, driving changes including:
Operational Challenges
The report identifies several operational challenges for marketing organizations:
Speed of decision-making: Jo Bacon, Group CEO at M&C Saatchi UK, notes that “death by a thousand amends does not build culture-first brands,” advocating for streamlined approval processes.
Internal structure: Brands are reassessing how to structure themselves to “move at the speed of social,” analyze channel spending, and balance external agency relationships with in-house capabilities.
Community focus: Katie Hunter, co-founder & Managing Partner at Wonderhood Makers, highlights the growing value of niche communities: “It isn’t just a game of scale anymore, with more and more brands recognising the power and influence that these smaller, hyper engaged and super focussed communities have to drive genuine advocacy.”
The report concludes that the intersection of brands, technology, entertainment, and culture represents a critical competitive space for contemporary marketing. For brands seeking to establish cultural relevance, understanding this evolving landscape is crucial for identifying suitable strategic partnerships and allocating resources effectively.
The full report is available here.