There is a fundamental difference between influencers and talent. While we broadly use the word influencer to describe any spokesperson or social media figure promoting a product or service, the difference is key to understanding this aspect of marketing. Talent is someone that is a credible expert with a specific skill or skillset relevant to their field. These groups or individuals often make a living from this skill even without social media. However, social media provides them with an opportunity to document their skills and build a fan base for it through purposes of entertainment or education (Soulier, 2023). For example, Cristiano Ronaldo is a football player who has been training for the sport since the age of 11. Through his success in his professional career and affiliation with Manchester United- an infamous football club, Ronaldo built a fan base for himself. With 593 million followers on Instagram, he holds the title for the most followed and most liked person on the platform, showing popularity as well as high levels of soft engagement (Pequeño, 2023). The vast reach Ronaldo has combined with his expertise as an athlete, he is a sought-after talent for brands worldwide. Ronaldo is at the forefront of talent marketing for several brands that can benefit from his image like Nike- an athleisure and footwear brand, DAZN- a sports streaming platform and UFL- a football simulation game, among many others (Joshi, 2021). The parallel between the brands and the talent is apparent, which can help instil trust in the viewers. This paper focuses on using talent to further brand awareness and gain traction for companies.
On the other hand, influencers are individuals or groups that have a large following base. They tend to leverage their popularity and following to gain brand partnerships. In other words, influencers sell their following and reach out to brands in exchange for free goods, money, and other perks. Kim Kardashian along with most of her sisters are all examples of influencers. Kim Kardashian had a vast following through her popularity and connection with celebrity Paris Hilton, which got further exasperated by her sex tape and affiliation with Kanye West. Kim Kardashian has a heavy dependency on social media platforms, as that is the very source of her career. Due to her reach across the globe through the internet, brands covet access to her platform to promote their products in order to gain brand awareness. As an influencer, her brand affiliations are likely to be much less specific than that of talent. Kim Kardashian’s endorsement deals include a large variety of brands like at-home hair removal systems, lollipops, nail polish, liqueur companies, jewellery brands, and even toilet paper (Mulshine, 2014). Using influencers to market can be strategic to improve brand awareness, however, it does not necessarily bring credibility or trust for the brand or the individual.
Check out Essentials in Talent Marketing: A Check-List to find out more on how to embrace talent marketing as a business practice.
References:
Joshi, A. (2021). Cristiano Ronaldo : Sponsors | Net Worth | Salary | Endorsements | Investments | Net Worth | Notable Honours | Charity Work. https://sportskhabri.com/player-profile-cristiano-ronaldo/ [Accessed 11 Aug. 2023].
Mulshine, M. (2014). A Brief History of Kim Kardashian’s Endorsement Deals. https://observer.com/2014/10/a-brief-history-of-kim-kardashians-endorsement-deals/ [Accessed 11 Aug. 2023].
Pequeño, A. (2023). 2023 (So Far): Cristiano Ronaldo Is The Most Followed Person On Instagram. https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/07/03/2023-so-far-cristiano-ronaldo-is-the-most-followed-person-on-instagram/?sh=3be183a6166d [Accessed 11 Aug. 2023].
Soulier, W. (2023). Talent Village: Talent Marketing Lecture. [Imperial College London].
