The #ad posts on your Instagram feed may look relaxed and spontaneous, but behind many of them is a carefully planned campaign, a detailed contract and, in some cases, a seven-figure fee. Charlie Bowes-Lyon, co-founder of the refillable natural deodorant brand Wild, calls influencer marketing his “secret sauce” — and he has the budget to prove it.
Wild, bought by Unilever last year, uses high-profile names including Stacey Solomon, Emma Raducanu and Molly-Mae Hague to promote its products on Instagram. Bowes-Lyon says the brand has spent millions on its partnership with Raducanu, who was paid £1m to be the current brand ambassador, and hundreds of thousands on campaigns with Solomon and Hague.
“Wild deodorant pays influencers up to £1m a post; its annual marketing budget is £10m.”
The company employs a team of more than 20 people solely dedicated to influencer marketing. Its yearly budget for such campaigns is just under £10m, but Bowes-Lyon says “next year that may double as we look for larger brand ambassadors”.
Hannah Campbell, founder of influencer marketing agency One Twelve Agency, says brands are turning to influencers because “they do actually influence”. She adds: “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.”
Bowes-Lyon says the cost of a campaign “can vary from £100,000 through to millions if you want a top-tier celebrity”. A lot depends on the depth of the campaign: “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 a bit more of a relationship.”
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”, says Bowes-Lyon. “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,” 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.”
Katy Howell, director at marketing agency Rethink Social, says paid ads “don’t necessarily co…” — but the rest of her quote is cut off.