The Garnish: May 2019
The Garnish: May 2019
Welcome to the chicken-fluence edition of The Garnish — because KFC’s marketing department is clearly using more than 11 secret herbs and spices and we are so here for all the extra gravy.
Behold, our hot takes on recent industry magic, marvels, and misses.
“The word "disruptive" is wildly overused in our industry, but I just can't find many other ways to describe KFC's recent tongue in cheek, irreverent brand positioning of their mainstay mascot, Colonel Sanders. Throw in a striptease for my mother and a collaboration with Cinnabon — and despite my better instincts I'm definitely thinking about fried chicken...and how I'd kill to be in that pitch meeting.”
“I never thought Colonel Sanders could transform into a cool, hipster grandpa influencer, but here we are! Involving other brands such as Old Spice and TurboTax in #sponsored posts just goes to show that even though this is satire, influencer marketing makes an impact. Maybe Ronald McDonald is the next big influencer?"
“Today’s world of social media has given people a platform to create a whole personal identity — forged through growing ‘like’ counts on perfectly curated content. With Instagram taking the step to hide those like totals on user’s posts, they’re highlighting the power social media has over our mental wellbeing. But they’re also reintroducing true authenticity to the platform. While the shift may remove some of the beautiful, aesthetically-pleasing photos from our feed, the hope is users, specifically influencers, can focus on the quality of their subject and story versus the quality of their editing app.”
But, uhm… The Instagram aesthetic is over?
“Brands: loosen the reigns, influencers: let your hair down! We're shedding the layers of perfection to reveal a bit more 'real'! Chronicling the gradual decline of the "Instagram aesthetic", the Atlantic is inspiring us to further the conversation on what true authenticity in influencer marketing looks like — and will look like.”
“Lush putting the majority of their online presence into the hands of influencers just goes to show the type of relationships influencers can facilitate for brands. Lush is capitalizing on the one-on-one communication style that influencers are known for and using that to drive sales.”
“I love that this feature gives influencers and brands more opportunity to showcase little-known facts about themselves or products. It's a way to get real-time interaction with followers and the immediate gratification of knowing if their guess is right or wrong, is just one more chance to educate and remain transparent with audiences.”
Want to chat more about the biggest changes affecting the influencer marketing industry today? Reach out to us!
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