In our new digital world our industry that used to be dominated by celebrities is now making room for the new equivalent to stardom…influencers. Instead of only seeing celebrities front row at fashion shows and strutting down the red carpet at the hottest Hollywood events we are also seeing influencers.
Over the past few years the world of media has been changing drastically.  Now we have people earning a living off of posting videos of themselves on the internet and promoting products on their blog.  When you think about how many influencers there are now you have to think about how much it’s affecting the marketing and PR industry…but not necessarily in a negative way.  Most brands are noticing the change in society where the public is now taking inspiration from influencers rather than from celebrities. Companies are recruiting and collaborating with influencers as part of their marketing strategy.  But why are brands slowly choosing more influencers than celebrities?
Well first off let’s establish the difference between influencers and celebrities; the difference is all about the channel in which they got famous from.  Influencers get recognized by their blog, youtube channel, or Instagram whereas celebrities it’s by TV, Film, Model, Musician, etc. Influencers are known to share their life and be more personal with their audience, whereas celebrities are primarily just a face or character. Â
For brands that are trying to reach a specific demographic, using influencers is a more effective way than using celebrities.  Influencers are put into different categories whether they are fashion, beauty, travel, food, tech, etc, and this makes it’s easier to reach a target.  For example, makeup brands choose to collaborate with beauty gurus because they know the audience of that guru is their target…and the same goes for clothing brands or tech companies.
I remember the times where I would sit around discussing celebrities with my friends, and now we’re talking which influencers we follow and “have you seen so-and-so’s latest video”? Influencers are gradually dominating the industry, you see them in the front row at fashion week, working with top brands like Dior, and covers of magazines.  But what makes them different than celebrities?…Reliability. We as an audience relate more with influencers, and they are more authentic. We fall in love with celebrities because of a character they play whether it’s in a film or on stage performing, but often times we rarely see the real person. However with influencers we are intrigued by their personality and their life.  They give us glimpses into their personal life through blogs or video making you feel connected to them on a more personal level, and what you see on camera or through words is just them…not a fictional character.
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When it comes to styling and makeup we are now looking at fashion bloggers for inspiration and advice and wanting to buy what they are wearing.  Influencers typically have more accessible clothing that the everyday person can afford, celebrities showcase designer clothing, occasionally haute couture/exclusive pieces which obviously most people can’t get their hands on.  Bloggers also style and shop for themselves, they don’t have personal stylists or shoppers dressing them and making sure they always look on point. They create their own outfits and people get the “I can do it too” attitude when seeing their outfit photos.
Influencers have made the fashion industry more accessible giving you an inside look at a career in fashion, which inspires girls to pursue their own careers or start a platform of their own.
Featured pic SongOfStyle Words Kristin Rouse
