POWER TO THESOCIAL PEOPLE

SMINSOCIAL MEDIA IN THE NEWS • OCT 2015 • No. 005

The Evolution of Influencer Marketing.

INFLUENCERS

From the Founders

@therealdba

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 1

Five years ago when we decided to launch a talent management agency for digital influencers (we saw them as talent versus bloggers and YouTubers), we knew we were on to something. In the beginning, everyone questioned whether this would work. We saw what was then a burgeoning community of creatives as the voice of a zeitgeist.

If you think about it, radio left a path for new kinds of talent at a time when the only news was in the form of print. Film and television did the same. And that is exactly what social media has done. There are more platforms than ever and therefore, new mediums to entertain, broadcast, communicate.

From celeb bloggers to coveted Instagrammers to the rise of content creators and micro-influencers with a niche following, DBA has been on the forefront of the movement. We are passionate about providing brands with smart strategies that cut through the clutter and drive results.

In this issue of SMIN, we share some of our insights with you, from building comprehensive influencer strategies to finding world-class content creators to a look at FTC regulations. We are also going to introduce you to our new proprietary tool, Social Influencer MappingTM (SIM), which identifies everyday influencers—the ones who are in the know on specific topics in their communities and impacting conversion.

Enjoy.

What’s Inside

What’s Happening

LOS ANGELES CAR OPERA

VILLAGE HALLOWEENPARADE

All sources for facts and figures contained within are vetted and verified. Please contact DBA for more information.

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005• 2

INTRODUCING SIM

PAGE 7

The performance group named, The Industry is known for creating experimental

opera shows around the United States. In their show Hopscotch, the audience will need

to drive, walk around, climb stairs, and ride elevators in order to catch the traveling

show. The show will be on October 31st and will run through November 15th. This show is for those who have great stamina, but for those who don’t, there will be a livestream

from a central hub at the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

It’s that time of the year where monsters, ghosts and witches come together to go bar

hopping and eat dollar pizza. Yes, we’re talking about the Village Halloween Parade. Everyone

becomes what they have longed to be, from princesses to vampires. Nothing is left to the imagination. This year’s 42nd annual parade

will land on Saturday, October 31st. The theme will be “Shine a Light!” With last year’s parade grand marshal being Whoopi Goldberg, let’s

see who the torch will go to this year.

TIMELINE OF WORKING WITH

INFLUENCERS

PAGE 3

7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT

WORKING WITH INFLUENCERS

PAGE 11

THE MEASUREMENT

MOVEMENT

PAGE 9

FTC RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR ONLINE

ADVERTISING AND SOCIAL

MEDIA

PAGE 13

HEAD HONCHOS

PAGE 15

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 3

TIMELINE OF WORKING WITH INFLUENCERSThe power of influence is nothing new. After all, it’s been around since the 1700s, maybe even before. But in the modern age, the ways in which brands utlize influencers to sell product continues to evolve. Here’s a fun and informative look at how the influencer space has grown and changed in the last 65 years.

MOVIE STARSThrough the

1960s the leading ladies

and gentlemen of the big screen were our icons.

From James Dean to beauty

queens, men and women across

America aspired to l ive l ike starl it

celebs.

50 - 60sTV STARS

The rise of TV culture brought

a new kind of influencer, one we had access to on a weekly

basis. This constant access

to consumers in their l iving

rooms brought brands into the

conversation —defining

influence as we know it today.

70s

SUP ERMODELSBig hair and

al l , when they hit the runway,

they not only had a way of

sell ing a look, but they became

the people we looked to dictate

trends.

80sSOCIAL I TES

Enter the rise of the socialite. They paved the way for brands

to begin tapping into a l ifestyle

their consumers coveted.

90s

EDITORSEditors, the

once behind-the-scenes

tastemakers, became our

go-tos for what was in and what

was out.

00sSATOR I AL I ST

One blogger at a t ime, there was a fundamental

power shift in where

consumers were getting their

advice and who they looked to when defining

their day-to-day l ives.

2005-2008

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 4

MICHELLE PHAN, JENNA

MARBLES & SONG OF

STYLEEnter the age of the social media influencer. With

a strong social fol lowing and blog presence they could sell

just as much branded product

as a magazine.

2011THE R I SE OF THE MI C R O-IN FLUENC ER

AND CONTENT C R EATOR S

Continued on the next page.

PRESENT

ST YLE BUBBL E

2006

SEA OF SH OES

2007

B RYAN BOY

2007

STYLE ROOKIE

2008

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 5

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 6

MICRO INFLUENCE

WHAT IS A MICRO INFLUENCER?A micro influencer is someone in the social space with a small, but very tuned-in audience. They typically have day jobs and aren’t looking to build a career based on content and influence. When brands tap these influencers, not only does the influencer sell product and get the brand message out—they are also introduced to a new audience who will do the same. They’re niche. They’re powerful. And most importantly, they convert.

DBA SMIN • JULY 2015 • No. 003 • 7

Influence is more than just a numbers game. One of the most valuable people for your brand may not have a million followers on Instagram – or even over five thousand.

Meet the micro-influencer, an outlier in his/her circle who doesn’t have a massive reach but has a seriously effective one—one that listens, takes action, and converts.

Enter DBA’s new product offering (SIM).

It stands for Social Influencer MappingTM. “It’s the next wave of influencer marketing,” says John DeCicco, VP, Account Director at DBA.

SIM is based on a proprietary algorithm

created by DBA in partnership with tech innovators Gravitater. Its’ a means of identifying an emerging layer of influencers, enabling marketers to identify the most relevant talent possible and move the needle on their campaigns.

SIM scans the entire spectrum of the social space in real time, uncovering the right influencers for a brand or campaign—

from the macro, to the mass, to the micro, all of which are targeted by brand-defined criteria. DBA then combs through the data, strategizing and activating the optimum combination of people to use.

INTRODUCING SIMA new way to find and measure influence

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 8

“Meet the micro-influencer, an outlier in his/her circle who doesn’t have a massive reach but has a seriously effective one that listens,

takes action, and converts.”

”

”It’s the next wave of influencer marketing.

-John DeCicco

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 9

Influencers StrategyReturn

On Influence

+ =

“In addition to uncovering a whole new world of influencers for your brand to work with, these are frequently people who’ve never worked with brands before at all,” says John. “which creates a new cycle of conversions.”

Influncers and R.O.I:

And what’s the best thing about conversions? The ability to track and measure the success of your campaign. And measuring that success starts with a simple question: “what is your objective?”

A single influencer may not have the ability to check off every box (awareness, press, positioning and conversion). It often takes multiple layers of influencers to drive the end result. Your objective must be aligned with

influencers you work with versus holding them to unrealistic results after the fact.

With Social Influencer MappingTM (SIM), we’re measuring far more data—from engagement rates and conversation volume to share rates and sustained growth over time. Combined, this information is more powerful than anything we’ve ever seen before. It can identify the right influencers, at the right time for the any campaign.

Brands are able to turn both successes and setbacks into valuable learning opportunities. We’re calling it “Return On Influence” and see it as the new standard.

“We’re calling it ‘Return On Influence’ and see it as the new standard.”

DBA SMIN • JULY 2015 • No. 003 • 3

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 12

7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT WORKING WITH INFLUENCERS

Identify goals for your campaign. We mentioned this earlier. Have a clear outline for what success looks like to you and then ensure you have the budget and talent to back the goal. 1

Investigate before you jump. Ask questions that are relevant to the goal at hand. If the objective is straight-up sales, question the influencer’s conversion rates based on affiliates (and it’s okay to request screen shots). Is it awareness and press you’re looking for? Make sure the content and premise of the program is newsworthy.

2Mind the Details: When you do your initial outreach, have as many details ready to share as possible. This helps avoid surprises and keeps all parties on the same page. A few elements to know from the start: detailed scope of work, term, usage. It’s hard to go back to an influencer after a contract is signed with new asks unless you don’t mind increasing the budget.

3Set a timeline. Be sure that your contract outlines set times for content previewing and posting (be specific with time zone and pad the deadlines). 4

Provide a briefing document. Set the guidelines to ensure you get what you want without having to ask the talent to re-shoot. Below are points we recommend: - All image requirements (dimensions, format) - Styling directions (include inspiration images and details) - Copy guidelines (key messaging, hashtags/tags, FTC disclosures)

- Dos and Don’ts (does the talent need to avoid competitive products; does outfit need to be head to toe; can talent use affiliate links)

Understand your influencer’s creative lens. When you work with influencers, you do so to capture their unique spin on your product or service. Trust their voice and know it’s a collaboration - not 100% your way or 100% theirs, but a perfect blend in the middle. They often know what will and won’t work on their platforms and channels.The more creative freedom you grant them, the more passionate they will be and the better your program will turn out.

Kick-Off Calls. Schedule a call to go over the campaign with both the influencer and the brand. Communication is key.

5

67

Things to consider on your own:How are you layering the program to ensure it is holistic and multi-faceted? Are there partners who will support propagation? Is there a media buy attached? Are you able to partner with the media outlet for added value? What is your SEO team doing in support? How is your social media lending to its reach?

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 13

When working with influencers, it is essential that programs and campaigns follow FTC Rules and Regulations. Decoding the regulations can take a bit of time, so we’ve created a cheat sheet.

Mission: To prevent fraud, deception, and unfair business practices in the marketplace without burdening legitimate business activity.

FTC’s Guideline Golden Rule: If money is changing hands, obvious disclosure must occur.

.Com Disclosures Guide: Updated in 2013, the document’s principal goal is to provide guidance for proper disclosure of advertising claims in digital, and especially mobile, in light of new technologies.

C O N S I D E R T H E F O L LO W I N G FOR CLEAR AND CONSPICUOUS DISCLOSURE:

Proximity: Even in a space-constrained ad or promotion, the disclosure must be in close proximity to the statement or endorsement.

Prominence: Disclosures must be prominent, viewable on any device, and not buried within a web page. Prominence is even required on a mobile web page.

Multimedia: Disclosure is required even for

audio or video claims and endorsements, within the same clear and conspicuous way as expected for written media (with proximity and prominence) .

Language: Disclosures must be stated in “Understandable Language.” The FTC suggests using “#Ad” “Ad” or “Sponsored” .

WHAT DO THESE REQUIREMENTS MEAN FOR THE BRANDS?

The FTC has always maintained that the burden is on the brand to ensure their endorsers (a.k.a. influencers) are in compliance with their guidelines for disclosure. Brands should make sure to do the following (Three Ms):

•Mandate a disclosure policy that complies with the law •Make sure people who work for you or with you know the rules •Monitor what the influencers is doing on your behalf

WHAT DO THESE REQUIREMENTS MEAN FOR BLOGGERS?

Bloggers should be labeling all tweets, Facebook updates, and Pinterest pins or Instagram photos, blog posts, as well as videos and Vines, with the appropriate clear-language disclosure designation. At

FTC RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR ONLINE ADVERTISING AND SOCIAL MEDIAA little cheat sheet to guide you through the rules of working with paid influence

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 14

the minimum, use “ Ad” or “Sponsored”.

WHY PROVIDE CLEAR DISCLOSURES?

The goal of the disclosure is to allow consumers to understand that what they will be reading or clicking on is an advertisement, is sponsored, or involves some type of business relationship that may have influenced the information provided. The FTC can fine both the blogger and the company for not disclosing an arrangement where the company compensates the blogger for a review, positive mention, or sponsored post.

“Arrangement” includes:•Receiving a free product and reviewing it •Linking to the product’s website and receiving a commission •Receiving money, products or services for posting about a product •Reviewing a product or service that comes from an advertiser on your site

CONCLUSION – ALL DISCLOSURES SHOULD BE:

1. Proximate to the information so the consumer does not have to hunt for it (Do not put your disclosure solely at the bottom of your post or bury it in hyperlink pages)

2. In the same format as the message if it is a video or sound file, the disclosure should be done in the native format - (i.e. in the video or recording, not simply included in a post or annotation on a social site).

3. Of at least the same size as the message

4. Accessible on all platforms used

5. Understandable by the consumer

@ISABELITAVIRTUALCREATIVE DIRECTOR

LOCATION: Barcelona, SpainBIO: Isabel Martínez Copywriter / Photographer / Influencer ON HER Copywriter at *S,C,P,F one of the most awarded advertising agencies which is based in Barcelona.

@EUGENIA_LOLIARTIST, FILMMAKER

LOCATION: CaliforniaBIO: Eugenia is a collage artist and filmmaker based in Califonia.

@LANDONNORDEMANVISUAL STORYTELLER

LOCATION: New York, NYBIO: Landon Nordeman is a visual storyteller. In addition to photographing fine art projects, he does commerical as well as editorial photographs.

@LITTLECOALPHOTOGRAPHER

LOCATION: OhioBIO: Eric Ward is an Ohio schoolteacher and iPhone photographer.

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 15

HEAD HONCHOSLet’s not forget content creators. Influencers and visionaries—content creators can capture your brand and your product through their unique creative filter. Here are a few of our favorites right now.

@VISUALIDEOLOGIESPHOTOGRAPHER, ART DIRECTOR

LOCATION: Chicago, ILBIO: Visual Ideologies explores and chronicles the affirmed lived experiences of black identities through a social media photo-documentary.

@SEWSKETCHYFASHION ILLUSTRATOR

LOCATION: New York, NYBIO: Sew Sketchy is a fashionista chain smoker with a really sassy attitude. Cursed with good taste, she is a noted fashion illustrator who’s work has been featured with Valentino and in Harper’s Bazaar.

@NIKIPILKINGTONILLUSTRATOR

LOCATION: New York, NYBIO: Niki Pilkington is a Welsh illustrator based in New York producing highly-charged, trend-inspired fashion portraits.

@BEYONDTHEMAGVISUAL CURATOR

LOCATION: New York, NYBIO: Founder and CEO of Beyond the Mag, Sophia Macks is visual curator who is known for her keen eye for detail.

@TANAGANDHIPHOTOGRAPHER, SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT

LOCATION: Los Angeles, CABIO: Tana Gandhi is a photographer and social media consultant in Los Angeles. Her work revolves around visual branding, social media projects, commercial and lifestyle photography.

@KELLYMARIEBEEMANFASHION ILLUSTRATOR, ARTIST

LOCATION: Brooklyn, NYCBIO: Beeman is a fashion illustrator who reimagines the latest runway shows and ad campaigns in her signature style.Think Warhol’s early illustrations meet Picasso.

DBA SMIN • OCT 2015 • No. 005 • 16

all images care of VSCO.co, Google images and talent domains