The #ad posts on your Instagram feed may look relaxed, personal and spontaneous — but behind many of them is a carefully planned campaign, a detailed contract and, in some cases, a seven-figure fee. For Charlie Bowes-Lyon, co-founder of the refillable natural deodorant brand Wild, influencer marketing has been the company's "secret sauce", driving its success until it was bought by Unilever last year.
Wild has spent millions on its partnership with British tennis star Emma Raducanu, its current brand ambassador, and hundreds of thousands on campaigns with Stacey Solomon and Molly-Mae Hague. The company's yearly influencer marketing budget sits just under £10m — and Bowes-Lyon says "next year that may double as we look for larger brand ambassadors".
“Wild deodorant spends millions on influencer partnerships, with top celebrities earning up to £1m per campaign.”
Bowes-Lyon reveals that the cost of a single post "can vary from £100,000 through to millions if you want a top-tier celebrity", and that the depth of the 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." He adds: "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 influencer marketing agency One Twelve Agency, explains why brands are turning to influencers over traditional adverts: "They do actually influence. 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."
Wild's influencer operation is now so significant that it employs a team of more than 20 people solely dedicated to this work. Raducanu's partnership has involved "full day shoots in New York, lots of posts and stories on Instagram and she even came in to create her own deodorant scent", Bowes-Lyon says. He insists that for top celebrities "it's not really about the money for them, it's more about whether the brand is a right fit".
Katy Howell, director at marketing agency Rethink Social, suggests that paid ads "don't necessarily corrupt a recommendation" — but the carefully orchestrated nature of these posts leaves consumers to judge the authenticity of a smiling star holding a deodorant stick.