'Manual research still valuable in identifying authentic influencers’

At the e4m Health and Wellness Marketing Conference 2024, the session "Forging Genuine Bonds: Harnessing Social Media's Potential for Authentic Consumer Engagement with Influencers" gathered industry experts to discuss strategies for identifying authentic influencers, building trust through transparency, and measuring the true impact of campaigns beyond standard metrics.

Chaired by Vineet Bhagchandani, Managing Partner & Chief Creative Officer, VROK Communication, the panel included Amit Patel, Director & Senior Head of Marketing – Consumer Marketing, Cipla; Geet Rathi, Vice President - Marketing, Mosaic Wellness; Jahan Vandrevala, Head of Creative, Content Channels, Pfizer; Kashish Madan, National Head - Growth, Kit Global Ltd; Sunil Nat, Head of E-Commerce & Digital Marketing, Galderma; and Pallavi Barman, Chief Strategy Officer, HRX.

Madan opened the discussion by emphasising the importance of manual research in identifying authentic influencers, despite the growing role of AI.

He said, "Everything can easily be managed and checked by looking at their comment sections and how many posts they have reshared. We have all the data available, which helps brands and us determine if an influencer or content creator is authentic. Manual research is still valuable, regardless of how many AI tools come into the picture. Of course, in three to four years, it will be all based on AI research because it gives demographic advantages and other factors. But for now, manual research remains crucial."

Nat elaborated on the key parameters for evaluating influencer authenticity and alignment with brand values, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. "We have different types of influencers. The first influencers are dermatologists because they are writing our products. The second type is skin and beauty influencers. Our journey with influencers is quite old, and we use all of them to engage with our audiences.”

“When evaluating influencers, the first thing we consider is whether they fit into our brand ethos. As a global brand with a 75-year history, we look into whether they qualify for that. The second parameter is their performance. We have been working with our retainer agency for three and a half years, and we have developed a tool with them. This tool shortlists creators and picks their top and last 50 posts to evaluate engagement, views, and other parameters. Based on these, the tool qualifies a score to each creator. Any score above 70 qualifies them. Authenticity is crucial for us because, in pharmaceuticals, we cannot claim anything that is not true," Nat added.

The session moved forward with the discussion of the importance of authenticity and transparency in influencer partnerships, especially in maintaining a consistent brand message.

Barman stressed, "The brand-building aspect needs to be extremely authentic and organic. Our business runs transparently, and we ensure customers know we offer quality at a lower price point because we don't have retail stores. The reason we can pass on the benefits to consumers is that we don’t have overheads.”

“We are a cheaper brand without compromising on quality. We are not for athletes but for everyday athletes. We maintain this spirit across all communication, working with micro-influencers and user-generated content. We feature real people in our campaigns alongside Hrithik. If you look at our campaigns from the past few years, many real people have been featured. They are part of the influencer community and the HRX family. They grow as the brand grows. Their followers increase as we repost their content through the celebrity or brand page and feature them in our campaigns. Our end goal is not just improving their metrics or KPIs but also helping them become key opinion leaders in the fitness world. This strategy has built trust, and our campaigns are often created by the people themselves," she further elaborated.

The alternative metrics for measuring campaign success beyond engagement and follower growth, particularly in the pharma sector, was brought to focus by Vandrevala.

"We look at the conversations picked up from influencer posts, the share of voice, and the traffic to our brand through different touch points. If we are doing something with an influencer, it’s not just about the engagement with their posts. We also see what kind of conversations are happening as a result. For example, if something is picking up in the clinic between doctors and patients about diseases or therapies, that’s a success for us. Of course, share of voice and brand traffic are important too.”

“We also incorporate qualitative research methods, conducting pre- and post-campaign market research. AI tools help us monitor the campaign’s impact from influencer engagement to promotions."

Patel introduced the concept of virtual influencers, which is gaining traction in Far East countries like China and Japan.

"Virtual influencers are going to be the biggest beneficiaries of the AI bandwagon. I personally think that AI is just a tool. What matters is how we use it. For example, we created a campaign called Tuffies targeting kids from first to fifth standard. We wanted to build affinity with them. Kids might not understand a brand, but they have a strong affinity to cartoon characters. They might not get why their mom gives them an inhaler, but if they see their friend reading a comic book with lovely characters, they will follow the moral,” Patel said, “This can be easily created with AI, saving time, energy, and money. Earlier, we used to draw everything by hand. Now, AI speeds up the process."

Influencer marketing holds many challenges. Rathi took the stage to highlight some of these, especially with respect to justifying ROI and managing influencer cancellations.

"For exclusive partnerships, influencers charge higher, and it’s tricky to figure out whether they will work for you. Justifying a lower ROI for an influencer you don’t know will work is challenging. Another challenge is influencers getting cancelled due to their personal opinions or actions. Brands need to decide whether to stick with them through thick and thin. This has been a tricky challenge we’ve seen in the past," he shared.

The panel touched upon the need for brands to align with authentic influencers, use AI to enhance strategies, and focus on building transparent, trust-based relationships for long-term success in influencer marketing.