Influencers know that color is a visual tool that can evoke emotions... and build memorability.
Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the Kardashian/Jenner clan, reportedly makes one million dollars per sponsored Instagram post—making her the world’s highest paid influencer. Add it to her already staggering net worth—she recently sold a 50% stake of the eponymous Kylie Cosmetics line, whose success can largely be traced to social medial. The price? — $600 million. If these numbers seem high, it’s because they are. They’re astronomically high but they’re still just a fraction of the global influencer market which by some estimates rakes in anywhere between five to ten billion dollars annually. The world of influencer marketing is vast and convoluted—the term “influencer” itself being amorphous. Influencers could be celebrities, thought leaders, bloggers or content creators but what unites them is actually my specialty—branding. Yes, influencers are essentially branders that brand themselves instead of products. In fact, the word “brand” has so saturated the social media lexicon that everyone from paid influencers to high-school students talk about their “personal brands.” If you own a brand, then you could actually learn a thing or two from influencers, beyond paying them to promote your products. The best influencers have a strong point of difference and they do everything to broadcast it. The internet is as crowded as the supermarket and attention is as stretched as consumers’ wallets—in both cases standing out is imperative. From beauty to fitness to cooking, people are finding online niches and filling them.
Amra Beganovitch and Elma Beganovitch, two experts on influencer marketing and influencers themselves, gave this advice to Forbes: “Define your own personal brand and then stick with it. What values do you stand for? How do you communicate those values? How do you promote other brands? Is it in line with your own?” As the owner and CEO of a brand identity and package design firm, I give similar advice to my clients—brand owners and managers that are looking to attract more attention to their products. We attach ownable core identifiers to their packages, be it colors, shapes, symbols or words, not only to stand out at retail and online but to communicate what the brand represents. Think Allegra’s iconic purple.
Influencers know that color is a visual tool that can evoke emotions, subconscious associations and build memorability. In 2017, Prince was honored with his very own Pantone color—purple, of course. Did I even have to specify? For my own brand, personal and professional, I attach the color green—the color of growth, renewal and yes, money. My logo is green. My website is green. My office is green. I am almost instantly recognizable because I always wear something with my signature brand color— Goldstein Green.
The best influencers are also adaptable and responsive. The New York Times stated, “the best ones can spot trends, experiment relentlessly with new formats and platforms, build an authentic connection with an audience, pay close attention to their channel analytics, and figure out how to distinguish themselves in a crowded media environment.”
Often times, I am sitting in a conference room, consulting one marketing director or another and I try to convince them that the best move for their brand is not what they think looks the best but what consumers respond to. The best brands, like the best influencers, know to cater to their audience’s needs and speak in a visual language that they relate to and understand. At the end of the day some of my best advice comes from the internet’s best self-promoters: treat your brand more like an influencer.
If you think your brand should be featured in the next column, contact me at terri@tggsmart.com.
By Terri Goldstein
Founder & CEO at The Goldstein Group. Design Expert, Keynote Speaker, Author, Educator.
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