A New Era of Digital Advertising Is Here — Are We Ready?

An analysis of the article "Influencing without Influencers" by SMC Fellow, Morris Scott

We live in an era where businesses are increasingly using in-house creators to create relatable content and increase engagement with the company brand. These in-creators are the businesses’ actual employees, irrespective of the number of followers. This in turn has reduced the reliance on celebrities and external influencers.

Here’s what is happening– companies are looking to build a marketing strategy that creates casual and authentic content. This includes blogs, personal house tours, and office-related content among other avenues. The aim is to incorporate marketing into everyday activities to add authenticity for viewers. I find that this speaks to the importance of the tone of an advertisement. Particularly for younger consumers, traditional advertising can feel like a hard sell in contrast to a more “human” approach. I personally would relate to an advertisement that portrays what I do everyday over a “glamorous” ad. If I am looking to buy an everyday essential such as toothpaste, I would rather see a person performing a regular act of brushing one’s teeth, than see a celebrity whose teeth are unnaturally white with an artificial sparkle.

Of course, several benefits can be extrapolated from this rising trend. However, a question still remains: how can employees set proper boundaries between work and life? Sarah Tang, mentioned in the article as an in-house content creator for brands, does not have a significant social media following, an agent, nor does she post about her personal life. However, she still may be recognized in public based on her presence on businesses’ advertisements. Her quote, “I’m not, like, anonymous anymore,” explains the realization of several in-house content creators that even with a modest following on their personal social media accounts and perhaps no desire to commercialize their images, they may still get recognized in their personal lives when they do not expect it.

“‘When you’re getting a lot of attention for something like your personality, it feels great,’ Ms. Tang said. ‘People love how I say things or people love, like, my sense of humor. Sometimes, it feels like I, myself, become a product as well.’”

The attention economy has grown into one of the most sought-after resources. Because of the increasing amount of available digital content, there is more content than one person can consume within a given time. Consequently, platforms and brands compete for a consumer’s time and focus.

Within the competitive landscape, there comes a need for balance for the consumer yes, but also for someone in Sarah’s position. Sarah Tang has shared steps she took to set boundaries between work and life that work for her. She mentions no longer filming from her home, but instead from a staged set in-office. She also mentions filtering the companies she works with down to brands that she feels aligned with.

So, what’s the takeaway?

When moving towards digital balance, it is important to set solid boundaries with technology. For in-house creators, this includes using one’s time wisely in the digital space to avoid performative overexposure.

Author: Morris Scott, SMC Fellow

Source: How Brands Are Taking Back Social Media From Influencers - The New York Times