The Engagement Rate

An industry bulletin for marketing pros.

If you’re having a challenging time, in your own head and looking for some inspiration then look no further than going down a rabbit hole of Anna Delvey TikToks. Discover unrelenting levels of delusion mixed with an impenetrable aura of confidence. Rather than lying at home, apply some delu-lu and be that b*tch - just without the criminal charges ofc <3 

Anyways, here’s some highs and lows of the week… 

Best highlight🥇

Do you remember when John Deere, beloved US tractor company, started its nationwide search for a “Chief Tractor Officer” to run its TikTok account? Well, they’ve unmasked their diamond in the rough - Rex Curtiss in an epic TikTok vid featuring San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to celebrate the one year, $200,000 contract. 

Worst flop💩

Got Hydro water Bottle went viral this week after one of their influencers tried a little too hard to oversell the product. She claimed that water, otherwise known as H₂O, has no hydrogen. It’s pretty clear that the brand gave the creator a poorly made crib sheet of the product’s main features and hit upload without reviewing a whole load of misleading crap! 

Bubbling trend👀 

My TikTok and X feeds are having a field day with these funny / ominous AI trends. It seems like it started off with people trolling at how bad the outputs are from many text to video AI is - but it’s becoming strangely addicting and a part of the culture. 

Trends get old very quickly and I tend to have a good finger on the pulse on what’s hot. As a rule of thumb - whatever I might recommend this week will likely change in sentiment by the next edition. So you know what to do…

Hottest creator🤳

If you’re looking to bag someone who is just bubbling under the zeitgeist, then look no further than TheIntrusiveCat on TikTok who films his very affectionate cat whilst cleaning the dishes. Within 5 videos, this very new creator has amassed over 4M likes! 

Navigating influencer marketing in a regulated industry 

Influencer marketing has really gone through a wild evolution. Today, it's a complex ecosystem where influencers create sponsored content, strategically integrate products into their content, and even develop their own brand-specific material. The right person to emulate authenticity and audience trust is crucial, yet regulation is clamping down on misleading content, marking new points of consideration for those hiring influencers. 

Major brands and advertisers, from household names like Coca-Cola to streaming giants like Netflix, are increasingly allocating substantial portions of their advertising budgets to social media influencers, this we know. According to a June 2024 Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report, influencer marketing budgets are projected to increase by a staggering 45.8%, with over 30% of the total marketing budget dedicated to this channel. However, the playing field is constantly shifting. While TikTok has seen a notable decline in usage by 12.3%, YouTube has experienced a significant surge of 41.1%. This data shows how adaptable brands can be by recalibrating their marketing strategies to preferred platforms and audience demographics. 

However in India, the Supreme Court is clamping down on self-declaration for all advertisements in attempts to promote transparency and combat misleading marketing practices. This decision was triggered by a surge of misleading ads, particularly in the health and food product categories, promoted by influencers associated with the Patanjali brand. The intention behind the regulation is clear – to safeguard consumers from being deceived by deceptive advertising content. A 2023-24 study conducted by the Advertising Standards Council of India revealed a concerning statistic: a staggering 81% of the 8,299 advertisements reviewed were found to be misleading. The EU has also shown interest in reviewing its misleading advertising directive marking a future likely to expand into the west of more regulation to protect consumers but one that will put advertising agencies and influencer companies under more accountability.