QUARTERLY
March 2017
The
Power
Tribe
Unlocking the Power of Multicultural Influencers
March 2017
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Letter from the Founder Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, Founder and CEO, The BrainTrust
I
’ve been fascinated by the #blackgirlmagic movement and the increased amount of brown influencers be it bloggers, editors or photographers that continue to pop up in my feed. As an African American woman growing up as “general market� marketer, I never considered myself an expert in multicultural due to my skin color. I always considered myself to just be a good marketer. However, as marketing dollars are shifting and audiences are segmenting even more, I find myself straddling this notion of general market and multicultural. Playing in both arenas has allowed me to work across a myriad of brands and while the fundamental tactics remain, the path to execute them is fundamentally different, forcing me to lean head first into the multicultural market. As the overall makeup of our society evolves, now more than ever we as marketers must look beyond our general market strategies.
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As multicultural consumers continue growth in size and spending power, brands will increasingly need to integrate multicultural insights into core business strategies. A hot topic of conversation is engaging this audience effectively. While research and data paint a positive picture of where they are the how is still a matter of strategy and relationships. The fundamental component of any multicultural strategy must be led by influencers. African-American, Hispanic and Asian Influencers are leading the conversations online, predicting trends and driving product sales. The influencers are the consumer. Multicultural consumers are rapidly becoming the core of the U.S. population. African-American, Asian American and Hispanic consumers account for more than 120 million people combined (38% of the total population). According to the U.S. Census, these groups are projected to increase by 2.3 million each year before becoming a numeric majority of the population by 2044. With expansive buying power and unique consumption habits, multicultural consumers are an emerging consumer force in the country. This year we launched our BT Network to help brands connect with influencers both general market and multicultural. We are at the pulse of combining data and consumerism to create dynamic and results driven relationships with brands and influencers. On the influencer side, we are helping shape their futures with insight into growing their channels, monetizing their impact and establishing their unique voice amongst the clutter. Take a peek inside this issue of BT Quarterly for a few of our favorite multicultural influencers! X
The BrainTrust is a social media and brand representation agency committed to helping the world’s most beloved fashion, beauty, lifestyle and celebrity brands develop and execute strategies and campaigns that drive awareness, demand engagement and impact the bottom line. Our approach is rooted in partnering with our clients to uncover their value and unique positioning in the marketplace. We identify their story and point of view and leverage the most modern forms of communication and storytelling to bring their perspective to life at scale. We define the digital ecosystem as Community, Content and Conversion.
thebraintrust.com
@thebraintrustla
March 2017
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Table of Contents 2-3 Letter from the Founder 5 Letter from the Editor 6-7 The Power Tribe: Black Female Bloggers Define Real Beauty and Lead the Industry 8-19 Influencer At A Glance: Beauty, Fashion, Home Design, Food and Family 20-21 Partner Spotlight: Beauty Beat NYC, Q&A with Founder, Tasha Turner 24-25 The Importance of Building Influencer Communities
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Letter from the Editor DaVida Smith Editor-in-Cheif, The BrainTrust Quarterly
“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” Jane Howard
I
’ve found my tribe to be essential in my life. Time to make a movie? I call up members of my filmmaking tribe to get production rolling. Need to lose a few pounds? I email my fitness tribe and get back in the mix on the latest training essentials. Some astrological event occurring? I embark on star gazing journeys with my moon sister tribe. I have come to know and value my tribe in all facets of my life. Social media marketing should be no exception. For brands, companies, consumers and even individuals seeking more followers, there is power in a strong tribe. In this issue, we examine the role of the multicultural influencers. Our founder, Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, delves into the topic with an in-depth feature article, The Power Tribe: Black Female Bloggers Define Real Beauty and Lead the Industry. We sat down with Tasha Turner of Beauty Beat Box NYC and discussed her strategy of building influencer tribes on college campuses to connect brands to their target audience. Our team has compiled an impressive spread of diver beauty, fashion, food and home design influencers everyone should know. Our Content and Community Specialist Paige Pope has helpful advice for brands and companies in her “Importance of Influencer Communities” piece. As Ms. Howard’s quote reminds us, having a tribe is essential. This issue of The BrainTrust Quarterly has you covered in terms of creating and connecting to your very own Power Tribe!
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The Power Tribe
Black Female Bloggers Define Real Beauty and Lead the Industry by Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, Founder and CEO, The BrainTrust
There is an online movement taking place giving rise
to millions of black female influential voices everywhere. Their voices are bold, opinions strong and they are the drivers of the thriving economy of beauty.
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The movement of the black female influencer across all industries is wide and vast but never before has it been more present than in the beauty industry right now. Black influencers lead trends and dominate conversations from product videos to styling tutorials. They are defining real beauty, one movement and one blog post at a time. Black buying power is projected to reach 1.4 trillion by 2020. Because they are younger on average, Black consumers are trendsetters and tastemakers for young consumers of all races, according to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth.
Let’s look at the opportunity: - The Afro hair industry is worth over $500 billion - African American women spend $1.1 billion on hair extensions and hair weaves - African American women in the United States spend $7.5 billion annually on beauty products, with Black households throwing down an average of $94 a year at beauty supply stores - Black women spend 80% more on cosmetics and twice as much on Skincare as other consumers The notion of being black and a woman is having a key moment in society, between black girl magic, black lives matter and black twitter, investments
are being made to support and shape black consumerism. With white consumers projected to become the minority in the U.S by 2040, brands are looking for ways to create relationships with this elite group. While Black beauty is now big business, for many years these same women of color have been largely ignored or underserved by the general beauty online community, which ultimately gave rise to black beauty bloggers becoming an important go-to source for natural haircare, beauty and skincare advice. There is a visible shift happening around influencers and targeted communities of interest that are being driven through social media. For brands, there is a finite window of opportunity to identify the right influencers and cultivate relationships with the ones who are driving the new balance of authority in beauty. The influencer space is more diverse and dynamic than ever before. As a result, brands must be more nimble in their approach to working with influencers. Influencers now exist on three levels - Micro, Macro and Mass and leveraging those levels throughout the year creates diversity of content and enhanced results.
knowledge and reach to the bank from endorsements to product lines to brand partnerships. Debuting in 2006, visionary Patrice Grell Yursik launched Afrobella as one of the first natural hair-focused online beauty blogs for people of color. Currently recognized as one of the most important voices in the industry and one of the initial contributors to Vogue Black, Patrice has expanded her voice and site and continues to be a leader in the space inspiring the rise of millions of black beauty influencers. From Self-taught, Teaira Walker who has 400,000 subscribers and 14.8 million views on YouTube to the more traditional beauty influencer and publishing industry veteran, Tai Beauchamp with experience as a beauty and fashion editor at top publications, including Harper’s Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, O, The Oprah Magazine, VIBE Vixen, and Seventeen —where she made history as the magazine’s youngest and first African-American Beauty and Fitness Director this new Power Tribe of influencers popping up everyday is commanding our attention and directing our dollars.
Non-traditional social media platforms like Youtube and Instagram are creating pathways for women of colour to rise to the top. Black female influencers are confidently taking their
Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, Founder of The BrainTrust, specializes in partnering the right influencers with brands. With over 15 years social media and digital marketing experience, Kendra has helped change the way that brands work with and engage influencers. As the Co-Founder of Digital Brand Architects (DBA), Kendra saw the white space in the market to launch the first agency to represent bloggers brokering some of the first and premiere blogger/brand partnerships to date. The BrainTrust is currently the influencer agency of record and partner for several brands across the beauty industry. The BrainTrust recently completed a study of the top 100 African American Beauty and Hair influencers leading the industry today. With access to more than 5,000 multicultural influencers, The BrainTrust is paving the way for black influencers and beyond. www.thebraintrust.com March 2017
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Influencers At A Glance: Beauty, Fashion, Home Design, Food and Family by Karen Nguyen, Creative Consultant, and Taylor Stukes, Influencer Relations and Community Specialist, The BrainTrust
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Beauty Influencers S
ome might say that along with fashion, the beauty and hair category allowed for the inception of influencers, especially within the YouTube space. Beauty advice is an age old tradition, passed from friends to family and back again, so it only makes sense it would be a main player in the social influencer discussion. Beauty bloggers have mastered the
art of spreading awareness about products, giving helpful tutorials as well as just showing women how to feel confident in their own skin. The natural hair craze has hit an all time high, with natural hair gurus owning the hair conversation and embracing their natural roots.
My Natural Sistas @MyNaturalSistas
My Natural Sistas are a natural hair sister trio, owning the YouTube space for natural hair and beauty. They have established a community for women with a focus on beauty and health and wellness.
624k subscribers 436k followers
Monica Stevens @MoKnowsHair
Monica Stevens is a trusted digital hair, beauty guru, and a licensed cosmetologist who takes appointments on the regular. With her expertise, charisma, and professionalism, brands such as Sally Beauty, Ulta, and Aveda love working with her.
366k subscribers 227k followers
Ms. Aaliyah Jay @AaliyahJay
Aaliyah Jay has been a beauty creator since 2011 and has expanded to lifestyle videos and vlogging. She recently reached 1 million followers on her Instagram and has gained popularity for her confident and edgy style.
927k subscribers 1m followers 10
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Teaira Walker @TeairaWalker
Teaira Walker is a millennial beauty and fashion influencer who brings art to her makeup tutorials. Her sweet personality and sultry makeup looks and style makes it easy to fall in love with her.
407k subscribers 177k followers
Whitney White @Naptural85
Whitney is a Graphic Designer, Vlogger, Blogger, and Natural Hair Enthusiast. She has over 75 million views on her YouTube channel where she focuses on natural hair videos from styling to hair care.
801k subscribers 505k followers
Missy Lynn @MissyLynn
Missy Lynn’s channels are dedicated to beauty, lifestyle, and fashion. As an Air Force Veteran, she exuberates beauty and strength which she hopes will help other women feel powerful.
517k subscribers 385k followers
March 2017
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Fashion Influencers F
ashion never sleeps. You go to bed with one trend and wake up to a new one everyday. So how do you keep up? With your favorite fashion bloggers of course. Fashion bloggers are changing the game of the industry. From editors-turned-influencers to influencers-turnedsuccessful entrepreneurs, these women and men are dominating the industry, shifting the power of trend forecasting to their own hands. Trend setters like Chiara Ferragni and Aimee Song have set the bar high for fashion bloggers through their success by inspiring many
other women to get the ball rolling for themselves. These influencers aren’t just keeping up with the times but they ARE the times. Fashion Bloggers really do have a knack for layering and making outrageous pieces look muted and casual. That’s why brands love working with them. Who else could take a simple sweater and integrate it into five different outfits? It’s not enough to show and tell—these fashionistas make a story out of their outfits to separate from the rest.
Tamu McPherson @TamuMcPherson
Tamu McPherson was born in Jamaica, raised in New York, and now resides in Milan. She has been a contributor for Vogue Pelle and Elle Italia before becoming editor of Grazia Italy.
10.9k fans 118k followers
PrissySavvy @PrissySavvy
Priscilla has been blogging since 2012 after receiving her MBA. She is a corporate professional who is making her passion for fashion come to life.
63.5k followers
Kourtney Jorge @CreoleKourt
Kourtney Jorge definitely did not have a normal rise to notoriety. After starring in the now viral video, socially titled #HurtBae on Conde Nast Entertainment's YouTube Channel, The Scene, Kourtney now has nearly 200k followers. While part of her appeal comes from her sheer beauty, it also comes from her keen sense of fashion and voice in culture.
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Karen Blanchard @KarenBritChick
Karen Blanchard moved to New York from London with the desire to know the best boutiques in town. As someone who always asked, “where did you get that�, Karen thought it would be the perfect idea to jump start her passion for fashion.
15.2k fans 26.5k followers
Patricia Bright @ThePatriciaBright
Patricia Bright is a UK-based YouTuber and blogger who focuses on fashion, beauty, and hair. She recently brought a beautiful baby girl into the world and vlogs regularly as a family.
1m subscribers 547k followers
Folake Huntoon @StylePantry
Folake Huntoon, editor of StylePantry, shares tips and secrets on where/how to shop bargains and vintage treasures. StylePantry also features interviews on industry folks, street style, lookbooks, campaigns and haute finds.
719k fans 486k followers March 2017
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Home Design Influencers A
nyone can become a design pro thanks to these inspirational interior designers. Whether or not you are designing the home of your dreams or just plain dreaming, home design influencers are constantly pushing the envelope in modern living; showing us that our homes can be a piece of art and speaking to our personalities in subtle and vibrant ways. With all the picturesque Instagram and Pinterest accounts filled with ideas on how to make your house a home, a Moroccan palace, or a country cottage, inspiration for your home is never hard to find.
These design tips are not only a luxury for those who can afford a $1,000 door mat. Many influencers in the home decor category decorate with their thrift store finds and DIY projects making it easy for anyone to create their ideal space. Brands like Kelly Ripa Home work with home decor influencers to take their fabrics from Jo-Ann’s and showcase all the ways you can affordably brighten up your home. There’s no excuse not to create the house of your dreams!
"Old Brand New" @Dabito
Dabito was born and raised in the heart of Chinatown in Los Angeles, working a few internships until building his home design blog, Old Brand New. His blog was inspired by his thrifty adventures, and is now a design studio.
3.5k fans FB 119k followers
"Aphro Chic" @AphroChic
The Brooklyn-based interiors and lifestyle brand focuses on African American life at home. Founder Jeanine Hays embraces the cultural diversity of the design world in her work.
4.8k fans FB 11.3k followers
"Little Green Notebook" @JennyKomenda
Jenny Komenda is a Phoenix-based interior designer. Since 2007, she has been sharing her favorite products, ideas and projects on her blog, Little Green Notebook. Jenny has written for Better Homes and Gardens and Babble and she is currently a contributing editor for Domino Magazine.
10.6k fans 87.8k followers 14
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Orlando Soria @MrOrlandoSoria
Orlando Soria is an interior designer, writer, and visual artist who lives in Los Angeles, California where serves as the Premier Designer for Homepolish. A graduate of Cornell’s University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning and The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design, Orlando has been a staple of the design industry for years.
3.7k fans 92.9k followers
Justina Blakeney @JustinaBlakeneyHome
Justina Blakeney is a designer, artist and author of the New York Times best-selling book The New Bohemians. As one of the leading design personalities on the web, Justina has over two million followers online and has been named a top designer to follow on Instagram by Harper’s Bazaar, NY Mag and Lonny Magazine.
21.9k fans 255k followers
Nicole Gibbons @NicoleGibbonsStyle
Nicole Gibbons is an interior designer, tastemaker, blogger and on-air personality best known for her fashion-forward point of view on style for the home. She’s made several appearances on Home Made Simple on OWN, HGTV, TLC, and more for her design expertise.
3.9k fans 19.9k followers
March 2017
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Food Influencers F
ood: the one thing we all love but not all know intimately. The term “Foodie” simply means a person with a particular interest in food. Surely everyone is a “Foodie” if they enjoy food, right? Not quite. Food bloggers today have mastered the art of food staging and peaking interest in local eateries or modern homemade recipes. Food photography is a legitimate job. It takes a very skilled eye to understand the emotions of what people feel when they see food. In this imagery heavy digital age, pictures of
food are just as credible as written reviews; and the perfect picture of an ice cream delight can have a crowd flocking for miles for a scoop. These food adventurers are definitely to be envied, especially when they are being paid to eat! Some lucky foodies even get to travel to taste the cultures of the world. Dream job? I think so.
"Miss Foodie Problems" @MissFoodieProblems
Corey Marshall coined the phrase “foodie problems” as always thinking about your next meal or what’s the next restaurant to discover. This is her second blog followed by “MissFashionistaProblems”.
476 fans 85.8k followers
Lindsey Baruch @LindseyEatsLA
Lindsey truly knows the way to your heart with food and a touch of art. Her flatlays of various eats and eateries in Los Angeles has you salivating and adding to your list of musttries.
53k followers
"DCFOODPORN" @DCFOODPORN
Founded by D.C local and foodie Justin Schuble, DCFOODPORN is the go-to food resource for the D.C. Metropolitan area and beyond whenever the content creator posts during his travels. The channel focuses on the beauty of food in a playful and artistic way and covers every cuisine from sushi to doughnuts.
120k followers 16
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Jessica Hylton-Leckie @JessicaInTheKitchen
Jessica Hylton-Leckie has a passion for delicious vegetarian and vegan food. She created a community where vegetarians and vegans can feel at home and inspired to step outside of the box while still remaining healthy. Her mission is to provide simple and delicious meals from her own kitchen to yours.
31.3k fans 12.2k followers
"Grandbaby Cakes" @GrandbabyCakes
Founder Jocelyn Delk Adams was inspired by her grandmother to create a brand which shares classic recipes in a modern and accessible way. She hopes to inspire a new generation of bakers and cooking enthusiasts to learn kitchen skills and being guilt free when it comes to desserts.
132.3k fans 61.1k followers
Nevada Berg @NorthWildKitchen
Nevada Berg began her culinary quest when she and her family moved to Norway, where she grew her first wild blueberry and raised 19 chickens for a steady flow of free-range eggs. Her blog is inspired by her surroundings in her home in Norway from her family to her food.
7.4k fans 3.6k followers March 2017
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Family Influencers I
t is easily said: Raising a family is a difficult yet rewarding responsibility. As you’re going through a rollercoaster of emotions, it is comforting to know that you are not alone. Even during dark and stressful times, these parents know how to shine light and bring encouragement to others. Family and mom bloggers have created open communities, sharing
tips and stories of their lives to connect with other parents. Hearing and seeing reviews and sharing experiences from peers you trust makes purchasing family friendly products a lot easier.
Nicole Benedum @StressedAndBlessedMama
Nicole Benedum has been a stay at home mom for more than 3 years, collecting her thoughts and tips to share her experience. She is a breastfeeding advocate, and shares her glorious and not so glorious life with her two toddler children.
30.4k followers
Nicole Nieves @MySequinLife
Nicole Nieves is running the challenge of the chaos of her personal and work life. Her blog is dedicated to sharing her favorite trends for the multi-tasking woman who aims to have it all.
21.2k followers
"Mama Knows It All" @BrandiJeter
Brandi Jeter Riley started Mama Knows It All to chronicle her own personal journey. Her blog is a resource for women all over the world who are looking for encouragement as they figure out what being a mom means for them. In addition to helpful tips and information, she shares intimate stories about her life and my family to let other women know that regardless of their circumstances, they are not alone.
2.6k followers 18
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BreeganJane @BreeganJane
When Breegan isn’t wearing her designer’s hat or fine-tuning the dining experience at her restaurant, she’s happily stepping into her most prized role of all: mom of two adorable sons. While her accomplishments and accolades are evidence that this Supermom has long been self-driven, she credits them to her boys as the biggest motivation to continue honing her skills, and mastering many more.
8.5k followers
Jehava
@OnlyGirl4Boyz Jehava started this blog to encourage women on their journeys in marriage, motherhood and friendships. As a stay at home mom for many years, she has gained useful tips on how to live on one income and save money that she wanted to share with the world.
1.6k fans 12.1k followers
"Moms 'N Charge" @MomsNCharge
Moms 'N Charge is a blog dedicated to helping moms feel good without feeling guilty. They believe that moms can have it all - go after our dreams and goals in addition to being a great mom. They share content to inspire, motivate, encourage and educate.
5.7k fans 8.9k followers March 2017
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Partner Spotlight
Beauty Beat NYC, Q&A with Founder, Tasha Turner by DaVida Chanel Smith, Editor-In-Cheif
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had the pleasure of connecting with multi-talented beauty veteran, Tasha Turner of Beauty Beat NYC for this edition’s “Partner Spotlight”. Turner’s bio and resume boast over a decade of creating compelling visuals, discerning trends and serving as editor for top beauty publications. With an understanding of female consumers’ connection to beauty, Turner lives for all things beauty. Her editorial experiences led her to brands and companies that didn’t understand consumers of color. Turner advised, guided and educated them on the needs of perceived minority clientele, eventually leading to her embarking on an entrepreneurial path. The esteemed beauty expert’s love for the industry comes down to connection. The broad smile that covers a woman’s face when the discussion turns to nail polish colors or a great lipstick has always provided joy to Turner. The intense passion for the beauty industry combined with a fierce and intelligent work ethic as well as a desire to empower diverse influencers and consumers make Tasha Turner a go-to partner and a member of The BrainTrust tribe!
As we discuss unlocking the power of multicultural influencers, how essential have diverse influencers been to building your brand? Diversity is the reason I built my brand, Beauty Beat NYC. I was successful for over 15 years as both a beauty editor and an accessories editor at publications like “Town & Country”, “Vibe”, “InStyle” and “Essence”. In those roles, I was able to help brands bridge the gap between their products and the nuances of our cultures to help them get a better understanding of our purchasing habits as it pertains to what we buy and why. I noticed that most brands didn’t speak with or engage with AA women. As a result, I was frequently asked if I could help in a variety of ways – from finding the best glam for new campaigns, to navigating the best places to meet or ways to speak with black women, even to recommending products in the line that women of color would gravitate towards. That is when I decided to branch out on my own to create this agency and build platforms that would help brands and companies speak with women of every age group. Through consulting, the data and insights report that I collect while out speaking to these women and our in house programs like the Beauty Beat Box and our College program which is very successful, we have a program or service available to all brands who need to reach her. Also there were so many products that would come across my desk (that women of color didn’t even realize she could use that weren’t necessarily marketed to her) and because of the confines of working at a publication I couldn’t always get that news out there in a timely manner-and I was busting at the seems to share it and the box is an amazing way to do just that. 20
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Speaking of your brand, your co-founder Marcia Caster also comes from an editorial background. Please share more on your relationship and how you combined talents to create your own “power tribe” with Beauty Beat Box. I have become the face of the brand while Marcia delves deep into the details of our operation. While both of us are able to speak with the consumer about her beauty needs, wants and questions because of her background, Marcia makes sure that we are running a tight ship. She’s the organized one.
I find your college tours to be an amazing way to connect with the next wave of social influencers as well as equip young women with the top beauty products. Have those events proven to be an effective way to grow Beauty Beat Box? How excited are major brands to get their products to young consumers? When we started Beauty Beat we knew Millennials were an important factor to any beauty and lifestyle brand. As we grew we were also well aware that Millennials weren’t buying subscription boxes but we knew they were a powerful market to grow the Beauty Beat agency with. They (Millennials) keep their fingers on the pulse of what’s hot even when they're not looking as the information for most comes to her through her phone and they more than ever have serious purchasing power. So we speak to her in a way that works best for her not through the Box but with product sampling on campus, content-through our newsletters; text marketing our Beauty Beats speaker panel where we promote beauty inside and out as well as our influencer social media program. Our Col-
lege Program is another way for us to grow Beauty Beat NYC not necessarily the box which are marketed to the Gen X and Y market.
The multicultural beauty consumer base seems to continuously grow and seek more products to cater to their needs. Do you think the industry is delivering? What are ways your company helps to bridge the gap between consumers and creators? The industry has made great strides and improvements in delivering products that meet the needs of women of color but I still think we have a long way to go. By that I mean delivering the right products not just to AA but also Latina, Asian and everyone in between with brown skin, textured hair and features that don’t quite fit the society norm in all categories (hair, skin, makeup and nails); marketing materials that are inclusive, in their ads and website, We are more than hair products and cocoa-butter. I think its important to engage with the consumer and meet her where she is which is the reason why my company creates so many engaging experiences for brands. Social media has opened up a new world for brands to see the consumer and hear from her directly. Brands should really pay attention to what she is saying. And the consumer-be it the influencer or Ms. Mary up the street is more educated now than ever on ingredient, product history....so she should also practice speaking with and challenging the brands directly as well.
To end on a lighter note, as we head into the Spring/Summer seasons, what are some of the top beauty products influencers and consumers alike seek as the weather heats up? Any sneak peaks into what Beauty Beat Box subscribers can expect? The products on the top of my list this spring and summer and the products and formulas that you will see us tout in the Beauty Beat Box are: Sunscreen: I sweat a lot so I love to use mattifiers and/or blotting papers. This is the time I switch my face creams from thick formulas to lighter oil-free moisturizers. Water-proof/Sweat-proof makeup: The kids and I love water parks and there’s nothing attractive about runny makeup. I always reach for coral shades in the gold family and shimmer in the summer-oooohhhhh every brown girl (light or dark) who wears them (be it on lips eyes, highlights or rubbed lightly on the shoulders) has an unexplained glow about them. Edge control Conditioning masks: My hair always needs an extra boost during the summer to protect it from drying out in the sun. Bright nail polish for feet and toes. Makeup rule of thought: Glow not gold & Shimmer not shine.
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The Brain BrainTrust Trust isis proud proud to to support support
The Zimmer Children’s Museum’s
WOMEN WOMEN OF OF IMPACT IMPACT r
Annual Luncheon & Boutique
Supporting children, teens and families from low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles
Please join us:
Thursday, April 27, 2017 Boutique 11:00am Lunch & Program 12:00pm at the Beverly Hills home of Lynn & Les Bider Keynote Speaker: Amy Barnett Award-winning media executive and author, whose vision has shaped the pages and websites of ESPN, Ebony, Harper’s Bazaar, Essence,Teen People and Honey magazine
Event Chairs Lynn Bider • Shainaz Donnelly Burg • Kendra Bracken-Ferguson • Heidi Monkarsh • Rayni Romito Williams Visit http://bit.ly/ZimmerWOI2017 today to reserve your tickets or table for this very special event The Zimmer Children’s Museum is dedicated to inspiring young people of all ages to cultivate a social conscience and embrace their responsibility to help make the world a better place.
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INFLUENCER PARTNERSHIPS The BrainTrust will identify meaningful ways to collaborate with key influencers through rich content, innovative partnerships and shared resources.
Our overarching influencer strategy combines a mix of product discovery, activations and content creation, aligned with relationship building, access, exposure and opportunity rich experiences. We build custom ecosystems of influencers that cultivate meaningful, synergistic, mutually beneficial relationships. Our success lies in our ability to show true ROI through the conversion of increased awareness, digital market share, instore and online traffic, as well as sales. We have ACCESS to the right influencers in all categories with a robust rolodex of over 5,000+ contacts across Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle, Technology, Home & Interiors, Finance, Hospitality, Food & Beverage and Entertainment through our years of relationship building with talent, managers and agents (DBA, M360, UTA, Bottle Rocket, CAA, WME, Style Haul, YouTube, Maker, Ipsy, Melrose and Park, Code Black, and more). In addition, The BrainTrust has a deep knowledge and understanding of the role between influencer and brand. As a dedicated extension of your team, we work hand in hand with YOU to develop a robust influencer strategy and outreach plan designed to meet the needs and challenges of Your brand.
SI
- Influencer Audit and Archetype Mapping - Influencer Strategic Approach - Influencer List Development
- Influencer Audit and Archetype Mapping - Influencer List Development - Influencer Outreach (upwards to 150 influencers) - Influencer Reporting Template
OPTIONAL ADD-ON
In addition, we participate in brainstorming sessions to ideate on the best influencer activations and partnerships. These brainstorm sessions include our Founder, Head of Influencer Relations, and 1 - 2 supporting team members.
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We offer three distinct packages, as well as custom solutions, to meet your needs.
- Influencer Audit and Archetype Mapping - Influencer List Development - Influencer Outreach (upwards to 300 influencers) - Influencer Partnership Development and Management - Influencer Ambassador Program Ideation: Creates brand loyalty, drives awareness and sustains relationships - Custom Influencer Dashboard: Provides a dedicated tracking system for influencer activities including metrics and sales tracking
We can also create and execute a custom influencer solution specific to your brand that combines all of the elements above.
CONTACT US TODAY WRITE
TAYLOR@THEBRAINTRUST.COM
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The Importance of Building Influencer Communities by Paige Pope, Content and Community Specialist
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ore and more brands are turning their social and marketing efforts toward influencers, and rightfully so. A study by Nielsen Catalina in 2015 found influencer marketing had 11 times the ROI of a standard digital campaign. While all the cool kids may be doing it these days, it doesn’t mean everyone is doing it well. Often times these influencer campaigns lack one key element: community. COMMUNITY: A subset of a brand’s influencer network that is activated together to achieve goals. A perfect digital world where you can easily Google the ideal influencer, send a quick email and instantly embark upon a happy little relationship complete with content to match just does not exist. What does exist are smart, savvy brands that know and understand the importance of building influencer communities. Brands that equally value the relational work. In order to cut through the clutter of influencer-related content, brands must open their doors, as well as their social feeds, to influencer communities. Consider this. Your brand shares some of the most striking, provocative and cutting-edge content there is into the social space, but if a community of support and relevant and popular voices does not engage with that content, then your brand comes away with no conversion and zero ROI.
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The BrainTrust Quarterly
The bottom line: influencer communities matter in a big way from authentically tapping into new audiences to introducing you to other key influencers. And the key word here is community. Brands need to step away from quick, one-off relationships with influencers that satisfy one post and one brand moment. Instead, brands should focus on the larger picture and the relationships themselves. For instance, think what are the major content buckets your brand is looking to fill. Makeup? Sustainable fashion? Foodies? Once you pin down the content buckets that matter most to your brand, it’s time to start filling them with meaningful relationships. Brands need to reach out to influencers with community in mind. Ask this: Does this influencer not only fill my content bucket, but also relate and fit with our brand values and community as a whole? Then, look to the relationships influencers have with other influencers. Often times influencers hang out in the same squad and capitalizing on those authentic relationships can be a major content booster for your brand. If those community relationships don’t exist, find innovative ways to create them and bond your new community together. For instance, Blushington, a professional makeup services company, created a Beauty Box program to create content, promote the brand and products but most importantly to
build community. These monthly beauty boxes included products from featured brands and not only was a nice personal touch, but tied the influencers together in a similar personal experience under the title of Blushington Beauties. Communities such as this, even if they are virtual, increase brands’ relatability, strengthen social engagement and conversation and keep influencers’ engaged. Not only that, but once your influencers feel truly connected to your brand, they’ll produce more authentic, creative content and perhaps introduce to unexpected opportunities. Brands can then tap relevant community members for specific brand moments and also keep the entire group engaged as a whole.
Birchbox’s Instagram takeovers, special influencer V.I.P. events, relevant influencer meetups and photoshoots, Johnnie Walker’s influencer behind-the-scenes tours and company scavenger hunts--there is endless opportunity to think outside the Instagram box and build a true influencer community. At the end of the day, it is really quite simple if you just think what the core of community means. Real people bonding together with genuine interaction. That can and does exist for brands and influencers in the social sphere with a little dose of thoughtfulness and creativity.
March 2017
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thebraintrust.com
@thebraintrustla