Revealed: the £1m Instagram posts that make deodorant a bestseller

The #ad posts that appear relaxed and spontaneous on your Instagram feed are in fact the result of carefully planned campaigns, detailed contracts and, in some cases, seven-figure fees. Charlie Bowes-Lyon, co-founder of the refillable natural deodorant brand Wild, has lifted the lid on the mechanics of influencer marketing, calling it his company’s “secret sauce”. Wild, bought by Unilever last year, has spent millions on partnerships with celebrities including the tennis star Emma Raducanu, as well as hundreds of thousands on campaigns with Stacey Solomon and Molly-Mae Hague. Bowes-Lyon revealed that Raducanu was paid £1m to be the brand’s current ambassador, and that the company’s yearly influencer marketing budget is just under £10m – but he expects it to double next year as Wild looks for larger ambassadors. The brand employs a team of more than 20 people solely dedicated to influencer work. Bowes-Lyon explained that fees vary widely: “It can vary from £100,000 through to millions if you want a top-tier celebrity.” He added that depth of campaign matters: “If you want them to do a one-off post you wouldn’t pay too much but typically what they and you want is to develop is a bit more of a relationship.” Raducanu, who has worked with Wild for the past year, did full-day shoots in New York, posted extensively on Instagram and even created her own deodorant scent. “These celebrities aren’t strapped for cash so it’s not really about the money for them, it’s more about whether the brand is a right fit,” Bowes-Lyon said. He noted that people are often shocked by influencer pay: “When I tell people influencers make £2,000 for a single post, they are shocked, never mind the fact some are making £50,000 for one post.” Hannah Campbell, founder of the One Twelve Agency, said brands are turning to influencers because “they do actually influence”. She explained: “They have built audiences and communities that trust them, and the old adage ‘people buy from people’ is true. Consumers, especially younger audiences, aren’t engaging with traditional media but they do follow and engage with their favourite influencers daily.” The revelations lay bare the scale of an industry that is reshaping how products are marketed – and how much companies are willing to pay for a single sponsored image.