Mainstream Influencer Marketing: Multi-Channel Campaigns and Rising Budgets

INTO THE
MAINSTREAM
INFLUENCER
MARKETING
IN SOCIETY
PREPARED SEPTEMBER 2020
WWW.TAKUMI.COM

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01
MULTI-CHANNEL CAMPAIGNS AND SHIFTING BUDGETS . . . . . . 03
S E C T I O N 1
INFLUENCERS MORE TRUSTED THAN NEWS OUTLETS . . . . . . . 10
S E C T I O N 2
INCLUSIVITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
S E C T I O N 3
FUTURE OF INFLUENCER MARKETING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
S E C T I O N 4
CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
S E C T I O N 5
METHODOLOGY AND CONTRIBUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
S E C T I O N 6
@abbienaija
CONTENTS

Influencer marketing is
an industry estimated to
be worth $15 billion by
2022, almost double its
value in 2019 ($8 billion).
This research paper digs under
the surface of what makes this
industry tick, and what’s on the
horizon according to marketers,
consumers and influencers
themselves.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic
and its impact on the economy,
this transatlantic research study in
fact indicates positivity, highlighting
the industry’s resilience and
continued growth despite the
global economic downturn.
Marketers are increasingly putting
their faith and budgets in multi-
channel influencer campaigns
and seeing value in their creative
content. Not only that but it’s clear
that creative influencer talent is
breaking ‘into the mainstream’:
providing authentic reflections
of the values and principles that
INTRODUCTION
1
@thestylecat

consumers hold as well as making
forays into the broader marketing
and advertising channel mix.
As the influencer marketing
industry continues to scale
and diversify, its wider social
responsibility increases. This
presents a challenge in terms of
regulation and ethical conduct
but also bolsters the potential for
positive change that the influencer
industry can drive.
Following the outbreak of the virus,
research by the Reuters Institute
for the Study of Journalism found
that celebrities and politicians with
large social media followings were
the key distributors of information
relating to coronavirus. Prominent
public figures and influencers
were responsible for 69% of total
social media engagement with
pandemic information despite
only accounting for 20% of related
content - showing the powerful
role of social media on public
opinion. Even the World Health
Organisation (WHO) launched
its own influencer marketing
campaign, supported by TAKUMI,
to spread accurate hygiene
messaging and positivity.
As part of this shift into the
mainstream, constructive
questions have, and will continue
to be directed towards the sector
over data protection, diversity and
ethical conduct, all of which are
ultimately helping to shape it and
improve it for the better.
Despite the economic context and
increased scrutiny, our research
shows influencer budgets are
continuing to grow. But how can
marketers use their spend wisely
in an increasingly competitive field
and what does the future hold for
influencer marketing?
In an industry that is continually
evolving, this paper examines the
priorities and expectations of over
4,000 people on all sides of the
industry and across the UK, US
and Germany. Our focus spans
four key themes; multi-channel
campaigns and shifting budgets,
influencers as communicators,
inclusivity, and the future of
influencer marketing.
2
WHO: Safe Hands campaign

Perceptions of influencer
marketing are evolving
among marketers.
Whereas working with influencers
may previously have been
considered an unknown quantity, a
risk or a luxury that not all brands
could budget for, marketers now
value influencers much more highly
as a core advertising channel and
creative force. This has led to a
far broader range of brands and
sectors investing in influencers,
and a diversification of the role
of influencers in campaigns. To
accommodate this increased
activity, budgets have also risen.
Where are marketers shifting
budgets?
According to our research, almost
three quarters of all marketers
(73%) are now allocating a greater
proportion of their resources to
influencer marketing than they
were a year ago.
MULTI-CHANNEL
CAMPAIGNS AND
SHIFTING BUDGETS
3
@matthewandryan

Evan Horowitz, CEO and Co-
founder - Movers+Shakers:
Marketers in sectors more
traditionally associated with
influencer marketing are among
those most in agreement with this
statement, including retail (79%)
and sales, media & marketing
(76%). However, other more
alternative sectors are also
significantly reporting a greater
allocation of resources towards
influencer marketing in the past
twelve months, including legal
(79%), manufacturing (75%),
education (75%), IT & telecoms
(75%), architecture, engineering &
building (73%), finance (71%), arts
& culture (60%), healthcare (63%),
travel & transport (47%).
Encouragingly for the industry, and
perhaps surprisingly, marketers
in more traditional advertising
channels are among those
most increasing resources for
influencer marketing, including
‘Out Of Home’ (OOH), digital and
billboard advertising (83.3%), print
(80%) and TV & Radio (81.3%).
This reflects marketers’ growing
familiarity with influencers and a
heightened trust in their ability to
deliver ROI across a more diverse
range of channels.
Exploring new social
channels
Marketers’ rising confidence in
influencer marketing is increasingly
seeing them explore additional
channels for this activity.
Our research shows the majority
(57%) of marketers across the UK,
the US and Germany have worked
with influencers on multi-platform
campaigns - most commonly in
the US (61%) and Germany (60%)
compared with the UK (51%).
The ‘Secret Sofa by Häagen-Dazs’
campaign is an example of this
growing trend towards a multi-
channel approach and the benefits
it can have for brands. During the
UK lockdown, TAKUMI supported
an exclusive partnership between
Häagen-Dazs and Secret Cinema
as they pivoted to an at-home
immersive cinema experience.
Influencers led the campaign
promotion over its eight week
duration, securing a two-fold
increase in week-on-week sales
for Häagen-Dazs and over 80,000
new subscribers for Secret Cinema
as a result.
4
THE COVID CLIMATE
HAS LED US AND
OUR CLIENTS TO LEAN
MORE HEAVILY INTO
INFLUENCERS. FROM A
CULTURE PERSPECTIVE,
WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
CONSUMPTION UP
SIGNIFICANTLY,
INFLUENCERS ARE MORE
INFLUENTIAL THAN EVER.”
“ % of marketers that have
worked with influencers on
multi-platform campaigns:
US 61%
UK 51%
GERMANY 60%
WE FOCUS ON
TAILORING EACH
ASPECT OF A CAMPAIGN TO
THE PLATFORM IT’S LIVING
IN. GENERALLY, THAT MEANS
WORKING WITH INFLUENCERS
WHO GREW UP IN EACH
PLATFORM AND REALLY EXCEL
AT IT, RATHER THAN WORKING
WITH THE SAME FACES
ACROSS CHANNELS.”
“

Arjoon Boose, Europe-Australasia
marketing head, culture and brand
experience at General Mills:
At TAKUMI, we have continued to
witness the growth in popularity
of multi-platform marketing
campaigns. Adopting this
approach allows brands to reach
new audiences who are active
on each of the platforms and in
different ways using the various
content types they each support.
Jim Meadows, Chief Strategy
Officer, TAKUMI:
In the UK and Germany, 29%
of influencers now work with
brands across two platforms on
average, rising to three platforms
in the US (24%). The demand
from influencers to explore these
channels also matches that
almost exactly: a third of US and
UK influencers (32% and 31%
respectively) aren’t working on
multi-channel brand campaigns
but said they want to explore it in
future - although this falls to 17%
of German influencers.
f0urbr0thers, comedy creators and
TAKUMI X ambassadors
@f0urbr0thers:
So what are the channels
of preference for influencer
collaborations?
5
WITH SECRET SOFA
AND #HAAGINDOORS,
IT WAS THE IDEAL MOMENT
TO PLUNGE INTO A BOOMING
ENTERTAINMENT-FIRST
PLATFORM LIKE TIKTOK THAT
PERFECTLY RESONATED WITH
OUR AUDIENCE ALLOWING
FOR OUR FIRST MULTI-
PLATFORM INFLUENCER
CAMPAIGN COMBINING IT
WITH INSTAGRAM. WHICH
WAS OVERALL STANDOUT IN
TERMS OF COLLABORATION,
CREATIVITY OF CONTENT,
CULTURAL CONVERSATION AND
ACTION ON E-COMMERCE AND
IN DRIVING PARTICIPATION.”
“
ADOPTING A
MULTICHANNEL
STRATEGY GIVES US THE
CAPACITY TO COMMUNICATE
OUR MESSAGE NOT ONLY
TO VARIED AUDIENCES BUT
TO DIFFERENT INTENTIONS.
EACH CHANNEL OFFERS
DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES
TO COMMUNICATE.”
“
WE HAVEN’T
MIGRATED
INFLUENCER MARKETING
ACTIVITY ACROSS MULTIPLE
CHANNELS YET, BUT
WOULD LIKE TO ONCE
OUR FOLLOWING ON OUR
OTHER PLATFORMS IS
LARGE ENOUGH TO BENEFIT
BRANDS. BEING AS DIVERSE
AS POSSIBLE WITH YOUR
REVENUE INCOME STREAMS
IS IMPORTANT FOR A
SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.”
“
Preferred channels for influencer
collaborations over the next 12
months:
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
YouTube
Instagram
Online
advertising
TikTok
TV
advertising
OOH
advertising
Twitch
Triller
60%

Over the next 12 months, 58%
of marketers are considering
working with influencers on
YouTube, followed by a further
55% on Instagram, 43% on online
advertising, 35% on TikTok, 29%
on TV advertising, 20% on OOH
advertising, 20% on Twitch, and
10% on Triller.
Officer, TAKUMI:
To capitalise on this, influencers
will need to grow their presence
across more channels and develop
a significant following. Currently,
Instagram is the most popular
among influencers with 100%
of those surveyed in the US and
Germany active on it and 97%
in the UK. Perhaps surprisingly,
Pinterest was ranked the second
most popular channel in the US
(38%) and in Germany it was
TikTok (33%), however adoption
of both channels was far lower in
the UK, with only 9% and 14%
of influencers working on either
respectively.
Exploring newer social media
channels will be an especially
important exercise for influencers
in Germany, where marketers are
most considering campaigns on
newer platforms including Twitch
(23% compared with 17% in the
UK and 19% in the US) and Triller
(11% compared with 8% in the UK
and 10% in the US).
However, these newer channels
still have plenty of ground to cover
on their competitors if they are to
deliver the same resonance and
ROI for marketing campaigns.
Among consumers, TikTok
was named only the fifth most
popular channel for engaging
with influencers (14%), with just
Twitch (8%) and Triller (2%) ranking
below it. Meanwhile, YouTube
remains the most common channel
for consumers to engage with
influencers (47%) followed by
Instagram (37%), Pinterest (17%)
and Snapchat (15%).
Expanding influencers’
channel mix
As well as their reactions to
influencers on social media
channels, consumers also shared
their verdict on influencers featuring
on more traditional advertising
channels such as TV and print.
Over a third (38%) of consumers
we surveyed are open to the
idea. However, almost as many
(31%) disagree, showing a clear
divide most noticeably among
the different age groups. 16-24
year olds are most open to the
idea of seeing influencers appear
in traditional media channels,
with over half agreeing (54%).
This number decreased steadily
across the older age groups,
with almost half (43%) of over
55s being actively opposed to
influencers appearing in more
traditional mediums. Consumers
in the US are also most amenable
to influencers appearing in
traditional media channels (45%),
far exceeding popular opinion in
Germany (37%) and the UK (31%).
6
Platform most popular for
engaging with influencers among
consumers:
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
YouTube
Instagram
Pinterest
Snapchat
TikTok
Twitch
Triller
50%
AS ADVERTISERS WE
CAN UTILISE
CREATOR INSIGHTS AND
CHANNELS TO POSITION
OUR MESSAGE WHEN
PEOPLE ARE IN THE RIGHT
MODE OF THINKING - THIS IS
SOMETHING TV ADVERTISING
HAS NEVER HAD THE POWER
TO DO.”
“

This appetite to see more
influencers in traditional media
channels is not lost on marketers,
who have this trend on their radar -
especially in the US and UK.
Roughly a third (35% of US and
31% of UK) marketers would be
open to including influencers in
TV advertising compared with
just 20% of German marketers.
Similarly 21% and 20% of US and
UK marketers would be open to
the idea of including them in print
or billboard advertising compared
with 18% of German marketers.
Orlando Buddle, US fashion,
lifestyle and travel influencer
@orlandoxbuddle:
With traditional TV ad production
being both costly and far more
challenging over the global
summer lockdown, brands
increasingly considered influencers
as an alternative resource. Skilled
at engaging audiences and able
to create a diverse mix of unique,
high-quality and personable
creative content at a fraction of
the price and at a faster rate,
influencers were unsurprisingly an
attractive proposition to brands,
who desperately wanted to
connect with consumers.
As we’ll explore later, social media
content consumption skyrocketed
- and the medium offered brands
a lifeline when trying to reach
consumers who may usually visit
stores, see billboards, or engage
physically with their brands and
businesses.
Influencers’ priorities
Although marketers are looking
to engage influencers across
multiple owned channels, very few
influencers have tapped into this
potential. Our survey showed they
unanimously prioritised ‘having a
dedicated and engaged audience’,
and ‘creating innovative and
authentic creative content’, over
‘expanding into mainstream media
channels’. Less than 1% of UK
influencers said it was the most
important aspect of working in
the influencer marketing industry,
while none of the US and German
influencers surveyed identified it
as a top priority. In fact, despite
growing marketer and consumer
appetite, 34% of UK influencers,
22% of US influencers and 33%
of German influencers ranked
‘expanding into mainstream media
channels’ as their lowest priority.
Milan Reddy-Devlin, MUA creator
and TAKUMI X ambassador
@milanreddydevlin:
7
MARKETERS SEEM TO
BE MORE WILLING
TO HAVE INFLUENCERS JUMP
ON [MAINSTREAM MEDIA
CHANNEL] CAMPAIGNS, AS
IT WILL SAVE THEM A LOT OF
MARKETING DOLLARS.”
“
SINCE SOCIAL
DISTANCING MAKES
TRADITIONAL VIDEO
PRODUCTION DIFFICULT, WE’RE
LEANING ON INFLUENCERS’
ABILITY TO FILM THEMSELVES
AND CREATE FRESH CONTENT.”
“
% of marketers open to including
influencers in TV advertising and
print / billboard advertising:
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
US
UK
Germany
TV Print / Billboard

So, as the role of the influencer
evolves and their presence on
different advertising channels
broaden, where can marketers find
the best ROI?
Where are marketers finding
the best ROI?
A third (30%) of consumers agree
that brands that use influencers to
communicate are more compelling
and our research shows that
marketers clearly recognise the
strong ROI potential: almost two
thirds (60%) agree that influencer
marketing provides the best ROI
for brand marketing campaigns,
when compared with traditional
advertising.
This majority rises to 64% and
63% of German and US marketers,
although UK marketers are slightly
less convinced (54%). Interestingly,
marketers operating in more
traditional advertising channels,
including OOH (69%) and TV &
Radio (68%) were among the
strongest supporters of influencers
for brand marketing campaigns
compared to other forms of
advertising, underlining influencers’
value beyond social media
channels.
Overall, online advertising was
voted the best marketing channel
for ROI on influencer campaigns. A
fifth of marketers agreed across the
three markets (21%), followed by
Instagram (18%), YouTube (18%),
TV advertising (10%) and then
TikTok (6%). However, marketers
across the three countries report
varying ROI from each channel.
In the UK, marketers consider
Instagram as delivering the best
overall for ROI on influencer
marketing campaigns (21%),
while in Germany it is YouTube
(23%) and in the US it is online
advertising (28%). And, when
it comes to emerging channels
such as TikTok, US marketers
consider more highly its qualities
as a channel that delivers ROI
(9%) despite the possibility of a
nationwide ban, compared with
Germany (7%) and the UK (3%).
That said, in the wake of huge user
increases, many brands are only
now foraying into paid campaign
partnerships on TikTok.
Similar variances also occur in
the consumer survey data across
different markets and channels,
as well as demographics. Above
all other channels, over a fifth
of consumers (21%) agree TV
advertising is the most likely to
lead to a purchase, followed
by YouTube (16%), Instagram
(11%), online advertising (8%)
8
Best marketing channel for ROI
on influencer campaigns:
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Online
advertising
Instagram
YouTube
TV
advertising
TikTok
Most likely channel to lead to a
purchase, % of consumers:
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
TV
advertising
YouTube
Instagram
Online
advertising
Print
or
billboard
advertising
I DO THINK CONTENT
CREATORS ARE
OVERLOOKED AS I THINK
THERE IS STILL A STIGMA
AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA
AND HOW IT ISN’T CLASSED
AS A ‘SUCCESSFUL’ OR
‘RESPECTABLE’ CAREER
CHOICE. IT’S SEEN AS MORE
OF A HOBBY TO MANY
AUDIENCES AND NOT A LONG
TERM CAREER.”
“

and print or billboard advertising
(4%). However, this drastically
changes across age groups and
nationalities. A quarter (25%) of
16-24 year olds believe Instagram
is the most likely to lead to a
purchase, followed by YouTube
(21%) - significantly more than TV
advertising (12%).
This was consistent with the
research results of our 2019
whitepaper which revealed 91%
of 16-24 year olds in the UK and
US credited advertisements on
social media with influencing their
purchasing habits and a further,
60% of this age group credited
influencers on social media with
driving purchases within the
previous six months.
Meanwhile, YouTube leads the
way among 25-34 and 35-
44 year olds (23% and 21%
respectively), whereas 45-54 year
olds and 55+ year olds consider
TV advertising the most likely to
lead to a purchase (23% and 28%
respectively). Only 3% overall
believe TikTok is the most likely
channel to lead to a purchase,
showing it still has plenty of ground
to make up on more established
marketing channels.
Beyond using influencers as a
lead conversion tool, marketers
are also finding they have a
significant positive impact on brand
awareness and engagement. We
looked at this engagement in more
depth.
95% of consumers engage with
influencers on YouTube and TikTok
at least once a week - more than
any other channel, followed by
Instagram (94%), Snapchat (92%),
Pinterest (87%), Twitch (83%) and
Triller (75%).
Higher proportions of 16-24
year olds engage with influencer
content across every social media
channel compared with other
age demographics. For example,
only 6% of 16-24 year olds don’t
use social media to engage with
influencers compared with 51% of
consumers aged 55 and above.
Similarly, US consumers are more
likely to engage with influencers
across all channels compared
with their European peers. In total,
68% of US consumers engage
with influencers across at least
one of the social media channels
compared with 58% of Germans
and the 54% of Brits.
A noticeable gender split was
also apparent across the social
media channels with women more
likely to engage with influencers
on Pinterest (23%) and Instagram
(40%) than men (11% and 33%
respectively). Whereas men
engage more with influencers on
YouTube (50%) compared with
women (45%).
This engagement is highly valued
by influencers. Market-wide a
‘dedicated and engaged audience’
was ranked as one of the two most
important factors about working in
the industry, with agreement from
69% of influencers in the UK, 62%
in the US and 73% in Germany.
9
THE YOUNGER
GENERATIONS ARE
GROWING UP WATCHING
AND ADMIRING SOCIAL
MEDIA INFLUENCERS MUCH
MORE THAN TRADITIONAL
CELEBRITIES. GEN Z IS SOCIAL-
FIRST, CONSUMING WAY MORE
YOUTUBE OR TIKTOK THAN
TELEVISION. SAVVY BRANDS
TURN TO INFLUENCERS TO
GRAB THIS GENERATION’S
ATTENTION.”
“

As well as expanding
budgets and exploring
new channels, marketers
are also engaging with
influencers across a
more diverse range of
objectives.
Increasingly, consumers are turning
to influencers not only for product
endorsements but also for advice
and information.
For example, the WHO’s
pandemic-related information
campaign earlier in the year and
Siemens’s #GetCheckedChallenge
campaign to raise awareness
during Breast Cancer Awareness
Month. Consumers’ growing trust
in influencers as credible media
outlets is transforming their role as
creative communicators.
10
@theposhpt
INFLUENCERS
MORE TRUSTED
THAN NEWS
OUTLETS

In fact, almost a quarter of all
consumers (25%) are more likely to
source news updates and opinions
from influencers than journalists
and established news outlets.
Scott Guthrie, Influencer
marketing professional advisor:
This rises to more than two thirds
of 16-24 year olds (38%), 25-34
year olds (38%) and 35-44 year
olds (34%). US consumers are
particularly likely to agree with this
statement (28%) compared with
UK and German consumers (24%
and 23% respectively).
Luke Franks, presenter, influencer
@mylifeasluke:
Brands are of course not
competing with news outlets but
they are increasingly vying for poll
position when it comes to content
creation that grabs consumers’
attention. Increasing trust in
influencers is good news for the
industry (along with appropriate
regulation) but marketers are
nevertheless wary of the potential
risks involved with using them
as an informative or educational
communications tool. Last year’s
research explored the shared
responsibility of regulators, brands
and influencers in accurately
labelling content and self-regulating
to tackle misleading information,
and found that more than half
(56%) in the UK and the US felt the
ASA or FTC guidelines, although
clear, needed further development.
While in Germany, 35% also called
for further clarification.
This year, the landscape shows a
similar call for greater regulation
from governing bodies: 71% of
marketers believe it is legislators’
responsibility to stop the spread
of misinformation. However, a
similar amount (75% and 74%
respectively) also believe it is the
responsibility of the social media
platforms and the influencers’ and
brands’ responsibility.
11
THE MARKETING
LANDSCAPE HAS
CHANGED TO MIRROR THE
SHATTERING OF THE MEDIA
LANDSCAPE. CONTROL HAS
MOVED FROM MEDIA AND
BRANDS TO THE CONSUMER.
COMMUNICATORS NEED TO
ENTERTAIN AND INFORM
RATHER THAN INTERRUPT
WITH OVERT SALES
MESSAGES.”
“
THIS IS A BIG ISSUE
AND ONE THAT NEEDS
ADDRESSING. I THINK SLOWLY
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO
REALISE THAT YOU CAN’T
ALWAYS JUST BELIEVE
WHAT PEOPLE SAY AT FACE
VALUE, ESPECIALLY IF IT’S
JUST OPINION. WE’RE ALL
BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND
IT MORE, BUT I THINK IT’S OUR
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
TO CHECK SOURCES AND
SAY THINGS THAT ARE BASED
ON FACT. I THINK SOCIAL
PLATFORMS SHOULD HAVE
AN OPTION ALONGSIDE ‘LIKE’
AND ‘REPOST’ THAT SAYS
‘MISLEADING’.”
“
INFLUENCERS HAVE A
DUTY OF CARE TO
THEIR COMMUNITY OF
FOLLOWERS - AND TO
SOCIETY AT LARGE.
INFLUENCERS ARE ADEPT
AT CARRYING IMPORTANT
MESSAGES INTO SECTIONS
OF SOCIETY WHO NO LONGER
READ A NEWSPAPER, LISTEN
TO THE RADIO, OR WATCH
“

This signals an awareness of a
shared collective responsibility
by all involved in the making,
the hosting and the regulating
of influencer content. This can
only help to improve the quality
of content and consumer trust
- especially when it can be so
damaging, for example coronavirus
‘fake news’.
f0urbr0thers, comedy creators and
TAKUMI X ambassadors,
@f0urbr0thers:
But despite growing media
attention on the role of social
media channels in spreading
misinformation - culminating in
Facebook appearing before US
Congress in July - influencers
don’t appear too concerned. In
the UK, US and Germany, tackling
the spread of misinformation was
ranked the least important aspect
of influencer marketing by 30%,
54% and 35% of influencers
respectively.
@mylifeasluke:
In the UK, only 8% of influencers
ranked it among the top three
most important aspects of working
in the industry. In the US and
Germany, none of the influencers
surveyed ranked it in their top two.
Only 3% of US influencers and 8%
of German influencers ranked it as
their third most important aspect
of working in the industry. This
general apathy among influencers
towards eliminating misinformation
appears out of sync with the rest
of the industry and will need to
be addressed with support from
brands, industry trade bodies and
third party agencies if consumer
trust in the industry is to continue
to grow in the future.
Creative control for creators
Instead of increased guidance
and restrictions however,
influencers continue to value
having more creative control.
Although significantly down on our
research findings from last year’s
whitepaper, when on average 79%
of influencers across the three
markets said it was their number
one priority, this year it remained
highly important. 49% of US
influencers and 44% of German
influencers ranked ‘creative control
and autonomy over content’
as the most important aspect
of working with brands - higher
than their British peers (28%).
It’s important that influencers
continue to be trusted by brands
with greater creative control and
autonomy from the start to the
finish of the campaign to secure
the best possible ROI for brands.
Influencers know their audiences
and what makes them tick better
than any marketers and so a
certain level of consultancy over
the creative should be provided on
brand campaigns from inception.
In response to this industry trend,
TAKUMI recently pioneered a
creator-led approach to influencer
marketing.
12
THERE SHOULD BE
GREATER MEASURES
IN PLACE TO ENSURE
MISINFORMATION IS NOT
SPREAD AT THE BENEFITS
TO A COMPANY AND THE
DETRIMENT TO HUMAN
HEALTH. WHEN YOU FOLLOW
AN INFLUENCER YOU GET
TO KNOW THEM AND FEEL IN
SOME WAYS THEIR FRIEND, SO
YOU TAKE THAT INFORMATION
WITH GREATER WEIGHT THAN
A JOURNALIST WHO YOU’VE
NEVER HEARD OF.”
“
I THINK THERE NEEDS
TO BE MORE
EDUCATION ON HOW TO
CHECK FACTS BEFORE
WEIGHING IN ON A TOPIC
JUST ACROSS THE BOARD
GENERALLY. I THINK MOST
INFLUENCERS WHO AREN’T
IN IT FOR CLICKBAIT ARE
GENERALLY GOOD AT THIS
BUT OBVIOUSLY THE ONES
THAT GRAB THE HEADLINES
ARE NOT. I THINK THAT’S
THE SAME AS TRADITIONAL
MEDIA.”
“
FREE-TO-AIR, LINEAR
TELEVISION. WE’VE SEEN THIS
THROUGH INITIATIVES FROM
THE UNITED NATIONS AND
THE WHO HARNESSING THE
POWER OF INFLUENCERS
TO CARRY MESSAGING
ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING
AND THE IMPORTANCE OF
HANDWASHING.”

Officer, TAKUMI:
Designed for existing and emerging
platforms, TAKUMI X facilitates this
relationship between creators and
brands, with creators bringing their
own insights and expertise into the
process from the very beginning.
That said, a collaborative co-
creation approach is still vital. A
fifth (20%) of influencers across all
markets ranked ‘a clear brief’ as
the most important aspect of the
working relationship with brands.
This is especially meaningful to UK
influencers, 31% of whom cited
a clear brief as the single most
important aspect of working with
brands compared with 15% in the
US and 15% in Germany.
Overall, influencer marketing
content will be improved with
greater input to the brief from the
influencers themselves, allowing
them to create more authentic
content that is more closely
integrated within their feeds.
The result is a more compelling
brand promotion and content
that resonates better with the
consumers’ lifestyles.
13
BRANDS MUST
UNDERSTAND THAT
THERE’S A REASON WHY
CREATORS ARE ABLE TO
PRODUCE CONTENT THAT
SPEAKS VOLUMES AND WHY
THEIR AUDIENCE TRUSTS
THEM.”
“

Our research last year
also revealed a need for
greater trust across the
industry as a whole, with
consumers, marketers
and creators agreeing.
As the influencer marketing
industry has matured, we’ve
seen a decrease in the number
of influencers who believe a lack
of trust and transparency is the
principal issue that needs to be
tackled by the industry. However,
concerns do remain. Almost a fifth
(19%) of German influencers and
12% of UK influencers still cited
trust as the key issue that must be
addressed. Overall, there was less
concern in the US, where only 6%
of influencers agreed.
In the UK, a recent debate around
whether influencers and advertisers
should be forced to declare digitally
enhanced imagery on social media
underlines the significance of
ongoing conversations around trust
and transparency – the backbone
of the industry. It also throws
into question the importance of
INCLUSIVITY
14
@being__her

inclusivity and the representation of
wider society - which has emerged
in this research as a more pressing
and nuanced issue than just ‘trust’
as a whole.
Consumers find influencers
more relatable
Over time, influencers have
become communicators in their
own right, and consumers have
responded positively to this shift
in relationship dynamic. With the
emergence of nano and micro
influencers especially, creators
have gradually become more
relatable to consumers’ everyday
lives and wider society, more so
than brand advertising in some
cases.
We examined this issue of
representation and authenticity in
more detail and found that 32%
of consumers across the UK,
US and Germany find influencer
content more relatable to their real
lives than brands’ own advertising
content.
This is particularly true among
US consumers (41%), compared
with UK (29%) and German (26%)
consumers.
Younger generations are also
far more likely to agree with
this statement, showing older
generations’ continued preference
for traditional advertising.
This reflected our 2019 whitepaper
results which found over a quarter
(27% combined) of UK (23%) and
US (29%) consumers trust social
media influencers more than high
profile public figures/celebrities that
promote brands which are relevant
to them, rising to over a third (35%)
among the German consumers
surveyed.
Which channel is considered
most representative of
society?
Even though consumers and
influencers have shown an affinity
towards using newer platforms
for engaging with and sharing
content respectively, consumers
and marketers agree that legacy
channels such as YouTube and
TV advertising most accurately
represent wider society.
Across all markets, consumers
(26%) and marketers (20%)
consider YouTube the channel
most representative of wider
society, followed by TV advertising,
where 18% of consumers and 17%
of marketers agreed. Elsewhere,
Instagram and TikTok scored much
higher among younger consumers
- especially 16-24 year olds - 23%
of whom selected Instagram
and 14% selected TikTok as the
channels most representative of
society.
Influencers tackling societal
issues
Influencers have embraced their
new roles as communicators.
There has been an increase in
consumer appetite for content
that addresses culturally relevant
topics, and for social media
channels to be used as platforms
for mobilisation.
The Black Lives Matter (BLM)
movement has been propelled
into the global news agenda
again this year, with the pandemic
significantly increasing digital
news consumption.This ignited
critical conversations around
15
AS CONSUMERS,
WE’RE MOVED TO
ACTION BY CREDIBLE
RECOMMENDATIONS
BASED ON FIRST-HAND
EXPERIENCES. WE TURN
TO AN INFLUENCER’S
EXPERIENCE TO FORM OUR
OWN EVIDENCE. WE PLACE
CELEBRITIES ON PEDESTALS
WHILST INFLUENCERS WE
BELIEVE ARE PEOPLE LIKE US;
RELATABLE, UNVARNISHED.”
“
% of consumers that find
influencer content more relatable
than brands’ own advertising:
US 41%
UK 29%
GERMANY 26%

race and facilitated the spread
of awareness and information
around discrimination and rights.
Simultaneously, it shone a light on
the role of brand activism and the
wider conversation around diversity
within the industry.
Many brands were called out
for participating in the social
media #BlackoutTuesday, but
not demonstrating any tangible
commitment to solidarity nor
reflecting diversity within internal
structures. It also highlighted
the need for brands to get
comfortable with influencers and
their consumers taking a stance on
‘everyday activism’.
Orlando Buddle, influencer
and TAKUMI X ambassador @
orlandoxbuddle:
Consumers want to see social
media influencers taking a strong
social stance on important current
affairs. 41% of consumers agree
that social media influencers
should use their platforms to
discuss current affairs and
everyday activism.
This is highest among younger
generations, with over half (58%)
of 16-24 year olds and 25-34 year
olds (56%) agreeing. In the US and
Germany, consumers are more
likely (45% and 44%) to agree
with this sentiment than in the UK
(34%). However, a high proportion
of UK consumers (41%) don’t
have strong opinions either way.
Across all markets, a quarter (25%)
of consumers think social media
influencers shouldn’t use their
platforms to discuss current affairs
and everyday activism.
These trends are repeated when
consumers were asked about
ethical stances.
Just under a third (31%) of
consumers disagreed with this
statement.
At TAKUMI, we are witnessing
more brand campaigns that are
driven to tackle social issues, with
many influencers building long-
term relationships with brands who
are or aspire to be good corporate
citizens. This may indicate brands’
lack of confidence to communicate
on these topics authentically.
16
% of consumers that agree social
media influencers should use
their platforms to discuss current
affairs and everyday activism:
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
“
Over 39% of consumers say
social media influencers have
a greater influence on them if
they show they have a social
conscience or strong ethical
stance:
MANY BRANDS AND
MARKETERS WILL
SUPPORT IN THE MIDST OF
POLITICAL UPROARS BUT
ONCE IT DIES DOWN THEY
ARE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND
AND EVERYTHING GOES
RIGHT BACK TO SQUARE
ONE. IT WOULD BE GREAT
TO HAVE MORE AUTHENTIC
SUPPORT FROM BRANDS
AND MARKETERS THAT WAY
MORE INFLUENCERS WHO
RECOGNISE THEMSELVES AS
A MINORITY CAN FEEL LIKE
THEY HAVE A VOICE.”
“
INCREASINGLY WE
EXPECT THE BRANDS
WE BUY FROM TO STAND FOR
SOMETHING BEYOND MAKING
MONEY. A SHARED PURPOSE
AND SHARED VALUES HAVE
BECOME A PART OF OUR
INTERNAL CHECKLIST WE RUN
THROUGH BEFORE DECIDING
WHICH COMPANIES TO
ASSOCIATE WITH. BUYING IS
BECOMING A POLITICAL ACT.”

Reflecting consumer opinions
that influencer content is more
relatable to real life than brands’
own advertising content, 56%
of marketers think influencers
communicate better about political
and social issues than brands.
German marketers most strongly
agree (60%), compared with the
US (59%) and UK (50%).
In return, influencers want to
establish relationships with brands
who are aligned with their moral
standpoints.
A quarter (25%) of influencers
ranked this as one of the top two
most important aspects of working
with brands.
However, over half (55%) of
marketers surveyed across the
UK, US and Germany indicated
they would be anxious about
working with an influencer who
is vocal about social and political
causes. Smaller marketing firms
are more open to the prospect,
with 62% of marketers working at
associated firms saying they’d be
open to working with these sorts of
influencers.
This is compared with companies
with bigger budgets who generally
feel more nervous about the
prospect - 67% of relevant
marketers stated they’d be anxious
about working with an influencer
who is vocal about politics and
social causes. This demonstrates a
split across the industry, with some
marketers embracing influencers
as platforms for mobilisation, and
others approaching with more
caution.
Now more than ever, influencers
are taking on more ethical and
social responsibility, generating
content that is much more relatable
than brands’ own content in the
eyes of the consumer.
17
% of marketers that think
influencers communicate better
about political and social issues
than brands:
US 59%
UK 50%
GERMANY 50%

Influencer marketing
has come a long way
since its inception, and
as our research has
demonstrated, global
perceptions of the
industry have shifted.
Self-made talent has
overwhelmingly been breaking into
media channels outside of social
platforms, and the concept of an
influencer now carries far more
weight than just in association with
Instagram. These creatives are
becoming increasingly powerful
professionals. We’ve seen content
creators who started out on social
media now creating their own
brands, products and services,
as well as entering mainstream
entertainment channels, writing
books and appearing on television.
What comes next looks to be an
exciting chapter – so what does
the future of influencer marketing
hold? And what consumers and
marketers want to see from it?
FUTURE OF
INFLUENCER
MARKETING
18
@beautifully_defected

TikTok is a channel marketers
can put their faith in for
the future, but data privacy
concerns must be resolved
Despite recent controversy
around TikTok in the US, with
President Trump threatening to
ban the app and CEO Kevin Mayer
leaving his position after just two
months after joining from Disney,
consumer perceptions of TikTok
are still positive overall.
14.2% of consumers across
all markets use TikTok, 94.6%
of whom use it at least once a
week. And research shows there
hasn’t yet been mass migration
to competitor platform Triller
as feared. Less than 2% of
consumers surveyed use Triller to
engage with influencer content,
the lowest figure of all social media
channels.
TikTok is likely to establish itself
as a facilitator of long-term brand-
influencer relationships, but must
address the lingering concerns
around data privacy, a topic
which has recently dominated the
mainstream news agenda.
When asked which marketing
channels were the most data
secure, only 1.6% of consumers
chose TikTok, the lowest scoring
of the more well-known channels.
Consumer confidence around
data security is highest with TV
advertising, followed by YouTube,
print or billboard advertising,
Instagram and Pinterest.
Marketers have a slightly different
view. The majority of marketers
perceive online advertising to be
the most data secure channel
(15.5%), followed by print or
billboard adverts (14.0%), TV
advertising and YouTube (13.5),
Instagram (11.1%), with TikTok
bringing up the rear at 5.6%.
Data privacy is also recognised by
influencers as a growing concern
across the industry. Over a third
(34.6%) of UK influencers believe
data privacy is a fundamental issue
that needs to be tackled. 27.9%
of US influencers and 23.1% of
German influencers agree.
@mylifeasluke:
Data privacy is an ongoing and
industry-wide issue that the
sector is facing as a result of new
technology rapidly propelling social
media growth - and platforms must
take responsibility for the online
safety of its users.
Influencers must avoid
recycling content
As the industry matures and
consumers become more vocal
about how, where and why they
consume creator content on social
media, influencers must refine their
approach on different channels -
especially, as increasing numbers
of consumers (38%) are following
the same influencer across more
than one platform.
19
Marketer perceptions in % on
how data secure each channel is:
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Online
advertising
Print
or
billboard
adverts
TV
advertising
and
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
% of influencers by country
who believe data privacy is a
fundamental issue that needs to
be tackled:
US 28%
UK 35%
GERMANY 23%
AS ALWAYS, AS AN
INFLUENCER I
THINK IT’S ALWAYS
IMPORTANT TO DO YOUR
RESEARCH. IF YOU ARE
SUPPORTING A BRAND OR
PRODUCT, PEOPLE WILL
TRUST YOUR OPINION ON IT
SO YOU NEED TO BE HAPPY
THAT IT’S SAFE AND HAS
EVERYONE’S BEST INTEREST
AT HEART. I THINK THERE IS
ALSO A RESPONSIBILITY AT
THE BRAND/SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORM LEVEL TO BE
TRANSPARENT AND SOME
COMMON SENSE AT THE
CONSUMER LEVEL TO ALWAYS
DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.”
“

Over a third (37.1%) of consumers
across the UK, US and Germany
prefer influencer content that is
adapted for various social media
channels, rather than re-posted.
Half (50%) of US consumers
agree, compared with 30% of UK
consumers and 32% of German
consumers. Younger consumers
have stronger views on this than
older audiences, however overall
sentiment remains the same.
61.3% of 16-24 year olds want
to see content that is curated
specifically for the channel on
which they are engaging with
influencer content. To echo this
point, 41.6% of consumers
actively dislike when influencers
repost the same content on
different channels, and 41.3% are
ambivalent. Our research found
this to be consistent across the
three markets, with 38.9% of
UK consumers, 44.8% of US
consumers and 44.2% of German
consumers agreeing.
Consumers want influencers
to be transparent and have a
clear ethical stance
Consistent with last year’s
research, consumers still say
they’d most like to see more
influencer transparency around
commercial relationships with
brands – almost a third (32.6%) of
consumers surveyed across the
three markets agree.
We are also witnessing the
emergence of some interesting
trends and attitudes as the industry
has matured, namely relating
to creators’ principles. A strong
ethical stance features highly as
a key consumer desire for the
industry.
This is particularly popular among
younger generations of consumers,
with 39.2% of 16-24 year olds
agreeing they’d like to see more of
an ethical stance from influencers
in the future.
Diversity must be taken
seriously
Conversations around diversity
within the industry have become
increasingly urgent, with influencers
across the globe (especially in
the UK and US) extremely aware
that issues surrounding diversity
in brand partnerships must be
addressed if influencer marketing
is going to thrive - and continue to
be the relatable reflection of real life
that consumers want.
Bushra Sidd, UK fashion, lifestyle
and beauty influencer @bsiddlife:
This trend is reflected when
influencers were asked what they’d
like to see more of in the future.
20
29.8% of consumers across UK,
US and Germany agree they’d
like to see more of this from
influencers in the future:
I THINK AN ACTIVE
EFFORT NEEDS TO BE
MADE TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY
RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE
WITH SOMETHING LIKE
HAVING QUOTAS, FOR IT TO
BECOME MORE SEAMLESS
IN THE FUTURE. BUT WITH
RECENT EVENTS & ATTENTION
TOWARDS THIS TOPIC, I
CERTAINLY SEE IT HEADING IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION!”
“

Over half of UK and US
respondents (56.6% and 57.3%
respectively), and exactly 50%
of German respondents ranked
diversity within campaigns as a
principal issue that needs to be
considered by marketers moving
forward.
There must also be a greater focus
placed on female creators. Our
research shows that 55% of female
consumers feel brands tend to
misconstrue the notion of what it
is to be feminine. 94% of women
between 15-35 years old spend an
hour a day shopping online and as
a whole, women drive 70-80% of
all consumer purchasing decisions.
When planning campaigns,
brands must seriously consider
engaging some of the creative and
entrepreneurial female influencer
talent on offer, in order to really tap
into their target demographic.
Officer, TAKUMI:
TAKUMI works to empower
influencers, creators and brands
alike, and has launched TAKUMI
X Female Collective, an Insight
Collective designed to connect
brands with purpose-driven
influencers to open a dialogue
between young women and
everyday brands. The Female
Collective will shape brand
narratives that represent their
experience in culture.
Marketers must tackle the
issue of fair and equal pay
To establish successful long-term
relationships, which inevitably
pique consumer interest and lead
to higher levels of engagement and
campaign success, marketers and
influencers must take each other’s
priorities into consideration.
What marketers across the UK,
US and Germany want most is to
identify the right influencers for a
brand campaign (55.4%), to find
a balance between brand and
influencer creative control (46.2%),
to demonstrate ROI (43.3%) and to
build long-term (and retain) strong
influencer relationships (42.3%).
However, influencer priorities are
very clear. In order for marketers
and content creators to work
successfully with each other
moving forward, the issue of fair
and equal pay must be taken
seriously by marketers.
This is a sticking point especially
in Germany, where 71.2% of
influencers believe that equal pay
is the number one issue that needs
to be tackled by marketers in the
future - and 44% of UK influencers
and 52.9% of US influencers
agree.
21
% of respondents that ranked
diversity within campaigns as an
issue to be considered:
US 57%
UK 57%
GERMANY 50%
INFLUENCER
MARKETERS WITH
ENLIGHTENED CLIENTS ARE
CALLING FOR A BREADTH
OF TALENT. A DIVERSITY
OF TALENT. A TRUE
REPRESENTATION OF THEIR
CUSTOMER BASE AND OF
SOCIETY AT LARGE. THIS
PUSH FOR INCLUSIVENESS IS
A MARRIAGE OF ETHICS AND
SOUND BUSINESS SENSE.”
“
WHILST MOST
ADVERTISING
APPEARING TO BE FEMININE
IS DIRECTED AT WOMEN, ALL
TOO OFTEN IT’S OBVIOUS
THAT THE ADVERT WAS
MADE BY A MAN (FROM
THE OBVIOUS LACK OF
UNDERSTANDING FROM A
WOMAN’S PERSPECTIVE
DISPLAYED IN THE AD)”
“
% of influencers that believe
equal pay is the number one
issue that needs to be tackled:
US 53%
UK 44%
GERMANY 71%

has rapidly evolved in
its short lifespan, with
industry perceptions
shifting significantly as
it has matured.
Increasingly influencer marketing
is on the public’s radar, and
consumers overwhelmingly
believe influencers have become
compelling communicators,
challenging household names and
journalists alike.
As a result, influencer budgets
have continued to grow, with
marketers shifting resources
towards emerging social media
channels which are providing
competition for legacy platforms.
Digital consumption is at its peak
and will continue to do so, and
brands are excited to tap into new
audiences who are active across
each of the various platforms.
Content creators have reached
the mainstream, and are making
waves in terms of consumer trust,
which is increasing in tandem with
CONCLUSION
22
@jack_anstey

the growth of the industry. As a
result, marketers and influencers
must be prepared to tackle the
spread of misinformation. As with
last year’s research, consumers still
value trust and authenticity – it has
become a base-level requirement
for any influencer who wants to be
taken seriously.
Bushra Sidd, UK fashion, lifestyle
and beauty influencer @bsiddlife:
With conversations around
diversity, race and culture thrust
into the fore at the height of the
pandemic, our research has
found consumers to be hungry for
content produced by influencers
who take a stance on societal
and political issues. Influencers
who use their platforms to discuss
current affairs and everyday
activism will be key for marketers
moving forward, and any anxieties
around engaging these sorts of
content creators must be quelled.
For marketers to develop
meaningful working relationships
with influencers ongoing, current
concerns around fair and equal
pay must be addressed, with a
significant proportion of content
creators surveyed agreeing this is
a principal issue that needs to be
tackled.
Influencer marketing is evolving at
an exponential rate. As brands and
content creators continue to adapt
to meet consumer appetite, the
industry looks to be unstoppable.
23
I THINK MOST PEOPLE
WILL LOOK AT
MAXIMISING THEIR OWN
BENEFITS FIRST & FOREMOST
SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE
AWARE OF ONE’S RIGHTS
& WORTH. THAT BEING
SAID, THERE’S ALSO BEEN
COUNTLESS TIMES A BRAND
HAS HAD AN INFLUENCER’S
BACK & FOUGHT IN THEIR
CORNER TO PROVIDE FAIR
COMPENSATION.”
“

In August 2020, TAKUMI commissioned and executed this research based on 3,592
respondents.
TAKUMI conducted research via online surveys, interviews and focus groups.
Survey Monkey was commissioned by TAKUMI to execute a study of 291 influencers in the UK, US and Germany.
Censuswide was commissioned by TAKUMI to execute a study of 3,010 nationally representative consumers (aged 16+)
and 756 marketers in the UK, US and Germany. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research
Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.
METHODOLOGY
24
@anotherblondetraveler

@takumihq @TakumiHQ @takumihq Takumi
Jim Meadows
Chief Strategy Officer, TAKUMI
f0urbr0thers
Comedy creators and
TAKUMI X ambassadors
Instagram: @f0ub0thers
TikTok: @f0ub0thers
YouTube: Four Br0thers
Orlando Buddle
Orlando Buddle, US fashion,
lifestyle and travel influencer
Instagram: @orlandoxbuddle
Milan Reddy-Devlin
Milan Reddy-Devlin, MUA
creator and TAKUMI X
ambassador
Instagram: @milanreddydevlin
TikTok: @milanreddydevlin
YouTube: MilanReddyDevlin
Evan Horowitz
CEO and Co-founder -
Movers+Shakers
Arjoon Boose
Europe-Australasia marketing
head, culture and brand
experience at General Mills
CONTRIBUTIONS
Thank you to all of the industry commentators, influencers and creators who
contributed their viewpoints and experiences for this report.
Scott Guthrie
professional advisor
Luke Franks
Presenter, influencer and
TAKUMI X ambassador
Instagram: @lukefranks
TikTok: @mylifeasluke
YouTube: Yep Luke Franks
Bushra Sidd
UK fashion, lifestyle and
beauty influencer
Instagram: @bsiddlife
TikTok: @bsiddlife

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