48% of marketers plan to increase their influencer budget This is the eight of 20 daily ‘thoughts’ examining the trends in marketing in 2018 and beyond.Research has demonstrated time and again that consumers respond to recommendations and referrals. One study found that 70% of consumers are influenced by recommendations from friends. Another study found that […]

48% of marketers plan to increase their influencer budget This is the eight of 20 daily ‘thoughts’ examining the trends in marketing in 2018 and beyond.Research has demonstrated time and again that consumers respond to recommendations and referrals. One study found that 70% of consumers are influenced by recommendations from friends. Another study found that 90% of people search for product reviews posted online before they make a major purchase. In this case, they are trusting, or at least taking into account, the comments of people who are not friends and often not even known to them. For years, advertisers have been using celebrities to encourage consumers to purchase advertised products. For years Dennis Lillie has told us to buy Steel Blue work boots, and Ita Butrose has encouraged us to retire at St Ives while Dick Johnstone promoted Castrol Oil. This was a crude attempt to use ‘influencers’ to…