Influencer marketing is now one of those buzzword phrases that you can’t go a few days without hearing. In fact, it’s become such a common and popular term that it was officially added to the English Dictionary in 2019.
The language is knew, the concept is not
While this is a more recent industry change, the concept of an influencer is nothing new.
For years, people have looked to friends and family (as well as high-profile people like celebrities) to be influenced (intentionally or unintentionally) about what to buy, what to do, and where to go.
Social Media Today notes that influencers date back centuries.
One of the first “influencer” collaborations dates back to 1760, when a potter by the name Wedgwood made a tea set for the Queen of England,” writes Brooks. “Since the monarchy were the influencers of their time, his forward-thinking decision to market his brand as Royal-approved afforded it the luxury status the brand still enjoys today”
Now, influencers are known as people blowing up your Instagram feed with recommendations of what to wear and which stomach flattening teas to buy. Influencers are basically anyone who has the ability to cultivate a following and, from there, give advice on how followers should spend their money.
From 1760 tea to 1980s Michael Jordan
After the 1760 tea set influencer, influencers were found in the forms of fashion icons (like Coco Chanel in the 1920s, and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s), celebrity endorsements (for example, all of the money Nike made in the ‘80s after signing Michael Jordan to be their spokesperson – I wonder if Hanes is raking in the same bucks as Nike…), TV stars endorsing products (like Jennifer Aniston when she was at the height of “The Rachel” cut and became the face of L’Oreal Elvive; now she’s the face of Aveeno).
Then in the mid-2000s, blogs became a space where “everyday” people could use their voice with influence. This trend has continued and has shifted into social media, usually with a blog counterpart.
Now, blogging and influencing is an industry in and of itself with influencer marketing being a key form of comms. It has become a multi-billion dollar industry on its own.
Time to take a look at how you’re tapping into that market yourself as an influencer, or engaging that population to represent your brand – it’s only going up from here.
This story first appeared on AG in May, 2022.
