Key facts
- Celebrity influencers are being paid up to £1 million for advertising deodorant on Instagram.
- Wild, a refillable natural deodorant brand acquired by Unilever, uses high-profile influencers like Emma Raducanu, Stacey Solomon, and Molly-Mae Hague.
- Wild's annual influencer marketing budget is close to £10 million and may double next year.
- Emma Raducanu was paid £1 million to be Wild's brand ambassador.
- Influencer marketing is considered a significant part of Wild's business success, with a dedicated team of over 20 employees.
- Authenticity is key, as consumers are becoming more discerning about paid promotions.
Celebrity influencers are commanding fees of up to £1 million for advertising deodorant brands on social media platforms like Instagram. For companies such as Wild, a refillable natural deodorant brand recently acquired by Unilever, influencer marketing has been a critical component of their success.
Charlie Bowes-Lyon, co-founder of Wild, stated that the brand has invested millions in its partnership with British tennis player Emma Raducanu and hundreds of thousands in campaigns with personalities like Stacey Solomon and Molly-Mae Hague. Wild's annual budget for influencer marketing is nearly £10 million, with plans to potentially double this figure next year as they seek larger brand ambassadors.
Hannah Campbell, founder of One Twelve Agency, explained that brands favor influencers over traditional advertising because influencers have cultivated trust with their audiences, particularly younger demographics who engage less with traditional media. Wild employs a team of over 20 people dedicated solely to influencer marketing.
Bowes-Lyon noted that campaign costs vary significantly, from £100,000 for one-off posts to millions for top-tier celebrities, with longer-term relationships being more typical and valuable. He emphasized that for celebrities, the brand fit is often more important than the financial compensation.
Katy Howell, director at Rethink Social, highlighted that while paid ads don't necessarily corrupt recommendations, they alter the context, and audiences have a right to know. The authenticity of the creator's plausible use of the product and their editorial freedom are key tests. Bowes-Lyon acknowledged that consumers are becoming more aware of paid promotions, making authenticity paramount.
Recent research by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) indicated that influencer advertising is harder to identify than conventional ads, with only 54% of participants recognizing influencer posts as adverts compared to 74% for traditional brand posts. Bowes-Lyon stressed that influencers must believe in the products they promote.
Wild has seen significant sales spikes from targeted campaigns, such as those involving discount codes shared by influencers like Molly-Mae Hague. However, these spikes are often temporary, lasting only as long as the social media story is visible. The company also aims to run multiple campaigns over extended periods to allow influencers to more authentically explain their reasons for liking a brand.