Introduction
The purpose of this assignment is to explore a career path that I possibly might take in the future. I have an interest in the behind-the-scenes and logistics of big events such as sporting events, concerts and festivals, but with an emphasis on influencer communications. While I am also interested in the overall guest experience for everyone, for the purpose of this project, I am focusing on how companies get in contact with influencers to invite them to events, such as these. Influencer marketing is a common tool for companies to use when wanting to promote an event to their target audience. I will be exploring the career path of an influencer communications manager (otherwise known as an influencer marketing manager) with a specific emphasis on Disney, as that is where I hope to work in the future.
Background
History of the Career
According to Gallegos (2016), influencer marketing is “a type of marketing that uses key leaders, like famous people and those with large social followings, to promote your brand message, product, or service.” Influencer marketing, while being prevalent in our everyday life, is not a new concept that came to fruition when social media did. Influencer marketing can trace its origins back to the late 1700s with Josiah Wedgewood using Queen Charlotte to promote his work to the masses (Brooks, 2019). This, in turn, made Queen Charlotte one of the first influencers. This trend continued throughout the 1800s, as other companies started to follow in Wedgewood’s footsteps by reaching out to people of importance to endorse their brands.
How has it Evolved?
The influencer marketing industry began to change into something more like what we see today during the 1920s with people like Coco Chanel using her ideas in fashion to promote her own brand (Brooks, 2019) and larger companies like Coca-Cola using characters like Santa Claus to get their audience to begin associating Coca-Cola with the happiness of Christmas. This change led to many companies beginning to seek out celebrities and people of importance to publicize their products to their target audience. In the 1950s, we were met with the Marlboro man ads, which used famous western stars to make smoking seem cool (Gallegos, 2016). In the 1980s, we began to get more celebrity endorsements from actresses and actors who were on popular tv shows. The early 2000s gave us influencers closer to what we see today as bloggers became famous for their work and opinions of products (Brooks, 2019). Once Instagram launched, that gave birth to what we now know as the modern influencer or what some may call the microblogger, which leads us to the present day.
What Does the Industry Look Like Now?
Stats:
Industry Growth
The industry is in a state of growth because with the increase in social media apps, the market becomes saturated with influencers who could help promote a product or service to a companies target audience.
Job Opportunities
The market is open to new professionals trying to get into the industry. When searching the term Influencer Marketing Manager on Indeed, the search yields 4,938 results and 3,599 when searching Influencer Communications Manager on LinkedIn. Screenshots can be seen below.
Average Salary
The average salary of an influencer marketing manager is "$93,125 per year, with $10,128 additional cash compensation on average," according to Influencer Marketing Hub (Geyser, 2019).
Skills and Training:
While exact skills differ from company to company or agency to agency, there is a consensus on the general skills an influencer marketing manager should have. For example, while looking for an influencer marketing manager to join their company, Amplify Marketing Inc. posted the following blurb:
- "A self-starter that acts like an owner. You’re self-motivated, highly proactive and demonstrate an ability to work autonomously, anticipating the needs of the team and the influencers.
- A people person who is able to build and maintain relationships that are both friendly and allow for a mutually beneficial relationship that lasts.
- Proven influencer marketing guru—you’ve built successful programs before and have a strong track record working with talent, influencers, and creators.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.
- Sound commercial judgement and decision-making expertise.
- Negotiation and commercial deal structuring capabilities.
- Analytical understanding of data and methodologies used to inform decision making that drives performance.
- Ability to multi-task and continually oversee a portfolio of active and prospective relationships at varying maturity levels.
- Capable of dynamically navigating a diverse set of stakeholders.
- Critical-thinker and problem-solver." (Amplify Marketing Inc.)
Overall, Amplify is asking for a potential employee who can communicate well with team members and clients, while also being able to work well with a team, multitask and think critically. It is also important to note that the potential employee needs to have experience in the field and with the multiple platforms they'll be using, as well as be able to negotiate. This is important, as an influencer marketing manager will be speaking to different influencers about the best rates to fit both the influencer and the company.
Training-wise, most job descriptions ask for three years or more of experience with influencer marketing managers and also ask that people have built up a network of their own, whether that be from work experience or from experience as an influencer themselves. It is also possible to get certified in influencer marketing, but this is not a required certification for the position. It is also helpful to have a degree in a related field such as public relations, marketing and communications as it can give a broad overview of knowledge in the field (Donawerth).
Where are the Jobs?
Due to the nature of the career, most of the jobs in the industry have a virtual element to them, which means they can be done almost anywhere. This is to say the influencers can exist anywhere, so therefore, influencer marketing managers can also exist anywhere. There is a multitude of influencer marketing agencies in cities across the world, making it a growing field, especially in bigger cities. Bigger influencer marketing agencies also tend to work for equally large entertainment companies like Disney or HBO, as those companies sometimes outsource their work. If an agency gets hired by a global company, that job is now global. Attached below is a chart that compares influencer marketing agencies and the different uses for each agency.
Challenges vs Benefits
The possible challenges of being an influencer marketing manager are that one must have good communication skills and experience with social media to excel in this role. While this might not seem like a lot, lack of communication in a communication-based field could lead to loss of clients, time and money. However, these challenges can also be beneficial. As a field that is based on communication, it can increase the communication and time management skills of an influencer marketing manager. Another benefit is improving multitasking skills as social media changes constantly, so, therefore, the ability to research and manage multiple trends is a necessity on the job (Donawerth).
Discussion
Now that this industry has been discussed, let's speak about how a professional might get into the field. Many companies offer internships directly under or in partnership with social media and influencer marketing managers so that professionals can gain experience. As mentioned before, it is possible to get certifications in this field and that is something I plan on doing in the time between undergrad and grad school. Also mentioned before, I will be getting a degree in a related field (public relations) and that will help give me an upper hand when attempting to get a job in this field. In my research, I have watched several videos of other women who are social media managers in positions that I am interested in. Below, I have included one of the videos that I watched while researching this career (The Celia Style, 2019).
Another way I have done research is by interviewing professionals in this role. As it is my dream to eventually work in Disney Corporate, I interviewed Courtnee Collier, who is a Manager, Influencer Communications with Disney Parks, Experiences and Products at Disney, to figure out how she came to be in her role and what advice she would have for someone trying to get into the field. Below, I have included some of the questions I asked her, as well as her paraphrased responses.
- How did you come to be in your role?
Collier started her career by getting her Bachelor of the Arts in Mass Media. The internships she had during her college career and the jobs she had in the years after graduating led to her gaining over ten years of experience in her field. Later deciding that she wanted to be a part of the Walt Disney Company, Collier went to grad school to get her MBA in Marketing. After grad school, Collier was a Disney Professional Intern, which helped the company get to know her as an employee, which led to her subsequent hiring in the company. While starting in the company in Sales Channel Marketing, she now serves as a Manager of Influencer Marketing within the Walt Disney Company.
- What do you do in your role?
Collier explains that in her role, she is responsible for contacting and communicating with influencers to invite them to Disney events so that they may post about the events. These events could be at either Walt Disney World or Disney Cruiselines. She is also in charge of making sure while influencers attend these events, that they have a fun itinerary that, while not mandatory, gives them the option to be a part of entertaining activities and events. Collier oversees creating, planning and executing events that are on these itineraries. She also helps assist with making 3rd party content on various social platforms.
- Any advice for those attempting to be in your role?
When it comes to Disney, Collier says to try to get your name out in the company. Every company requires networking, and the more people that know your name, the better your chance of someone vouching for you when you're trying to get hired. In this industry in general, Collier recommended getting as much experience as possible as this will not only increase your knowledge but also your network. Try to look for internships and programs in the companies you're interested in so that you can begin to make a name for yourself within that company.
To learn more about Courtnee Collier, feel free to visit her LinkedIn below!
Conclusion
Overall, while this career path might not be the one I end up in, it is a high contender for possible career choices. I enjoy the logistics and the research that goes into being an influencer marketing manager and how you're able to do different things every day. I also like that it is a global career as it is my hope to travel and work all over the world. This research has given me plenty to think about as I end my journey at KSU and begin my search for my post-grad career.
References
Amplify Marketing Inc. (n.d.) Influencer Marketing Manager. Amplify. https://turntoamplify.com/influencer-marketing-manager/
Brooks, A. (2019, May 9). [Timeline] A Brief History of Influencers. SocialMediaToday. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/timeline-a-brief-history-of-influencers/554377/
Donawerth, S. (n.d.) What Does an Influencer Marketing Manager Do?. notification by carro. https://getcarro.com/blog/what-does-an-influencer-marketing-manager-do/
Gallegos, J.A. (2016, Sept 19). The History and Evolution of Marketing Influencers. Tint. https://www.tintup.com/blog/history-evolution-marketing-influencers/#
Geyser, W. (2022, April 29). Leading Influencer Marketing Agencies for 2022 (Updated). Influencer Marketing Hub. https://influencermarketinghub.com/top-influencer-marketing-agencies/
Geyser, W. (2019, Jan 8). Social Media Manager Salaries – Everything You Need to Know. Influencer Marketing Hub. https://influencermarketinghub.com/social-media-manager-salaries-everything-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=According%20to%20Glassdoor%20data%2C%20Influencer,additional%20cash%20compensation%20on%20average.
The Celia Style. (2019, August 25). DAY IN THE LIFE AS A SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER & INFLUENCER MARKETING [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrSc4AyxaSY
Thomas, L. (2019). A brief history of influence. Vamp Brands. https://vamp-brands.com/blog/2019/05/08/timeline-a-brief-history-of-influence/
Credits:
Created with images by Angelina - "Rococo Marie Antoinette XVIII century" • Who is Danny - "Businesswoman drawing global marketing plan"