insights Archive - CORQ

Influencer campaigns: YouTuber Jamie Genevieve named as Flannels Beauty’s latest ambassador

Let’s start with fashion and beauty. Artist Shaquille-Aaron Keith wrote three poems for Gucci Beauty and Beauty Papers’ campaign. Sustainability and lifestyle Instagrammer Rabia Abbasi took part in WUKA’s plastic-free July challenge by sharing her five simple swaps to avoid buying plastic in an Instagram Reel. Lifestyle Instagrammer Leal Alexander partnered with Penhaligon’s to share

Tokyo 2020: how the Olympics has taken over TikTok via fun and frank content

What do you do when you’ve just won an Olympic gold? Well, Adam Peaty celebrated his breaststroke masterclass by making a TikTok. And just like that we’re off with our OlympicTok deep dive. As the Olympics’ own TikTok page confirms it’s “The Olympics, like never before”. Delayed a year, with no audiences and hostile locals,

Influencer marketing strategy: how Estrid razors became the hair removal brand of Gen Z

Nobody could have described razors as “cute” until Estrid came along. The Swedish body care brand only launched in 2019, but it’s difficult to remember a time before Instagram feeds dotted with pastel-hued blades. And they probably won’t be disappearing any time soon – at the end of 2020, just two years after its launch,

Clubhouse is finally out of beta – but can this halt its dwindling appeal? The Newsfeed

Clubhouse is finally out of beta allowing the wider public to join live audio events. In light of this, the platform has even changed its logo, but will all of this be enough to help boost the app’s dwindling appeal? Or will Twitter’s Spaces continue to flourish in its demise? Speaking of Spaces, the company has been working on

10 UK influencers with fitness apps shaping their followers’ nutrition and exercise routines

Influencers are continually looking to connect to their followers in new ways, from newsletters and private Facebook groups to live events and books, and an app is a platform where influencers can speak to their audience directly and undisturbed by content from competing voices. Apps are especially common in the fitness influencer space, where the

Five Too Hot To Handle contestants set to become influencers thanks to the Netflix show

This year’s Love Island has been a bit of a yawn in terms of drama and authentic couples, and as a result many people are switching over to the 2020 Netflix series Too Hot To Handle. As former Love Island winner Amber Rose Gill tweeted, “If this LI cast was in too hot to handle

Influencer hotlists

People embodying the zeitgeist.

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10 UK influencers with fitness apps shaping their followers’ nutrition and exercise routines

Influencers are continually looking to connect to their followers in new ways, from newsletters and private Facebook groups to live events and books, and an app is a platform where influencers can speak to their audience directly and undisturbed by content from competing voices. Apps are especially common in the fitness influencer space, where the

Five Too Hot To Handle contestants set to become influencers thanks to the Netflix show

This year’s Love Island has been a bit of a yawn in terms of drama and authentic couples, and as a result many people are switching over to the 2020 Netflix series Too Hot To Handle. As former Love Island winner Amber Rose Gill tweeted, “If this LI cast was in too hot to handle

Influencer pregnancy announcements, new babies and toddler milestones: July 2021

If it seems like everyone on Instagram is either about to give birth or nursing a newborn, that’s probably because we’ve seen an influx of influencer babies over the past year – partly thanks to lockdown – who’ve been taking over our feeds. With antenatal bookings in September 2020 the highest they’ve been since 2015,

Five Love Island 2021 contestants set to be successful influencers post-villa

How does someone become an influencer? Depends on how you define influencer, but typically it means grafting for years by creating consistent and engaging content that eventually leads to a fruitful following. Producing content might look easy – one study found 86% of US children want to be influencers – but until recently, becoming an

News

The need-to-know latest from the influencer space.

Clubhouse is finally out of beta – but can this halt its dwindling appeal? The Newsfeed

Clubhouse is finally out of beta allowing the wider public to join live audio events. In light of this, the platform has even changed its logo, but will all of this be enough to help boost the app’s dwindling appeal? Or will Twitter’s Spaces continue to flourish in its demise? Speaking of Spaces, the company has been working on

ASA names and shames more influencers plus latest headlines: The Influencer Update

CORQ’s weekly drop of news and interesting happenings from the world of digital influence and those defining the agenda across social media. Read on for potential opportunities for your brand and information which may affect your decision making process on who to work with now. Want to receive The Influencer Update on email? Subscribe to

Six ways Facebook is helping influencers grow and monetise their audiences: The Newsfeed

Though the general consensus among many consumers and brands is that Facebook is pretty much dead, the global tech giant is still very much alive and kicking. Not only is it the world’s most widely used social media platform – it has 2.85 billion monthly active users – but it is the second most used

Demi Colleen calls out pharmacy chain for prejudice and racism: The Influencer Update

CORQ’s weekly drop of news and interesting happenings from the world of digital influence and those defining the agenda across social media. Read on for potential opportunities for your brand and information which may affect your decision making process on who to work with now. Want to receive The Influencer Update on email? Subscribe to

Campaigns

The creativity driving the industry.

Influencer campaigns: YouTuber Jamie Genevieve named as Flannels Beauty’s latest ambassador

Let’s start with fashion and beauty. Artist Shaquille-Aaron Keith wrote three poems for Gucci Beauty and Beauty Papers’ campaign. Sustainability and lifestyle Instagrammer Rabia Abbasi took part in WUKA’s plastic-free July challenge by sharing her five simple swaps to avoid buying plastic in an Instagram Reel. Lifestyle Instagrammer Leal Alexander partnered with Penhaligon’s to share

Influencer marketing strategy: how Estrid razors became the hair removal brand of Gen Z

Nobody could have described razors as “cute” until Estrid came along. The Swedish body care brand only launched in 2019, but it’s difficult to remember a time before Instagram feeds dotted with pastel-hued blades. And they probably won’t be disappearing any time soon – at the end of 2020, just two years after its launch,

Influencer marketing strategy: how Glossier grew a global brand through Instagram influencers

US-based beauty brand Glossier reached cult millennial status not just through its iconic packaging and pink-focused Instagram, but thanks to its influencer marketing strategy. Journalist-turned-influencer-turned-business-woman Emily Weiss launched Glossier in 2014 with four products to create a natural makeup look just four years after launching her personal beauty blog, Into The Gloss. Rather than going

Influencer campaigns: Hannah Farrington partners with fashion rental startup Loanhood

Welcome to CORQ’s weekly influencer campaign roundup – a snapshot of the most interesting campaigns and the people who are making them fly. Want to receive this straight to your inbox? Email our client services manager Arabella Johnson on arabella@corq.studio. To access this article, join CORQ today. Become a member now and get your first

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Post-pandemic influencer marketing: trailblazing through radical change

The future of influencer marketing has been shaped by new consumer behaviours that have emerged since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. From a sharp increase in ecommerce to the growing importance of social commerce, influencers’ position when it comes to driving businesses’ revenue is now more central and crucial than ever. However, influencers and

Sarah Jossel on how to pitch for ST Style and This Morning coverage: “Give me a news angle”

As part of our exclusive online events series, Brand Briefings, we hosted a webinar with Sarah Jossel, beauty director of Sunday Times Style and the resident beauty expert for This Morning. After a year on Zoom, Sarah shared her insights on the future of beauty in a post-lockdown world. Not only did she dissect her thoughts on our

“People want companionship from their homes”- insights from Albert Hill of The Modern House

As part of our exclusive online events series, Brand Briefings, we hosted a webinar with Albert Hill, co-founder of The Modern House and Inigo. Previously a design editor and journalist, he approaches homes from a narrative perspective, something he finds lacking in many typical estate agents. Albert discussed the shifts he’s seen in the property market over lockdown,

Understanding post-pandemic youth culture with Zing Tsjeng, executive editor of Vice

As part of our exclusive online events series, Brand Briefings, we hosted a webinar with executive editor of Vice, Zing Tsjeng. She is also the author of book series Forgotten Women and presenter of BBC Sounds podcast United Zingdom, which explores the nuances of British identity. In the session Zing discussed the issues faced by

Comment

Smart takes on digital culture.

How do influencers send products viral? A brief history on how influencers sell out products

How can a brand make its product a viral sensation? You need a strong marketing strategy and a unique offering, plus an influencer who can hype it across Instagram and TikTok, demonstrating exactly why it is so relevant to digital culture. Just see the success of House of Sunny’s Hockney Dress, as seen on Kendall

Molly-Mae Hague dissolving her fillers is a watershed moment for beauty after years of “Instagram Face”

The anti-filler brigade has been gaining strength for a while, and this week it recruited a new member: Millie Taylforth. After three years of regular top-ups, the TikTokker had every last millilitre of filler dissolved from her lips, calling her decision to ever get them done the “worst mistake ever”. This is a common sentiment.

Influencer trolling is a growing problem and the Online Safety Bill won’t be enough to stop it

Influencer Emma Sheldon made national news this week after sharing her experience of trolling at a Parliament hearing about a new Online Safety Bill. According to the government, the bill aspires to “make the UK the safest place in the world to be online” and if CORQ’s research is anything to go by, this is

Inside the Squeaky Bean House – the first foodie influencer house launching this September

Ever wondered what sort of content Team 10 would have created if the lineup was made up of food enthusiasts, chefs and lifestyle bloggers instead of egotistical teenagers? Well, one plant-based food brand – Squeaky Bean – is making that dream a reality with the world’s first ever foodie content creator house. Riding on the

Trends

Understand the present, forecast the future.

Tokyo 2020: how the Olympics has taken over TikTok via fun and frank content

What do you do when you’ve just won an Olympic gold? Well, Adam Peaty celebrated his breaststroke masterclass by making a TikTok. And just like that we’re off with our OlympicTok deep dive. As the Olympics’ own TikTok page confirms it’s “The Olympics, like never before”. Delayed a year, with no audiences and hostile locals,

Nostalgia entertainment: influencers who are tapping into the past to create satirical skits

The current obsession with nostalgic content shows no sign of abating. According to a survey by Radio Times, two thirds of respondents re-watched tv series in lockdown, and there was a surge in nostalgic playlists on Spotify. Earlier this year, The Independent explored why the pandemic left us feeling nostalgic, highlighting more spare time and

Beauty trend: skincare minimalism – the content trend made for hero products

Everybody experimented with skincare over lockdown, but count yourself lucky if you’re not still dealing with the consequences. After months of trying new products – not to mention wearing a mask every day – our complexions have been overwhelmed with clashing ingredients and too many AHAs and acne rates are increasing among young adults, despite

Social media trends: fashion reaction videos and peer-to-peer style reviews on YouTube

The reaction video has been an internet staple since the dawn of content creators, and yet it still isn’t stale. With so many YouTubers and TikTokers putting their own spin on the format, new iterations are constantly cropping up across every genre. The current favourite? Fashion reviews. Like a reaction video, this is all about

Culture

The evolution of digital storytelling.

Influencer podcast summer roundup: new shows, series returns and trends

The British Podcast Awards 2021 powered by Amazon Music saw over 140,000 votes cast for its Listeners Choice award (ultimately won by RedHanded, the true crime podcast hosted by Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire) confirming the growing grip podcasting is gaining on the British listening experience. Other big winners on the night included Fearne Cotton with

The impact of Drag Race UK: how drag queens became the face of fashion in 2021

Drag culture is constantly influencing trends – from audio tracks on TikTok, makeup looks to the very social vernacular itself. While the focus was on the US scene, the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has proved that we are all “UK Hun”. The first series – released in 2019 – was an instant hit, delighting

Viral brands: how Starbucks and its baristas became TikTok royalty

Over the past 50 years, Starbucks has become a global icon known not just for its green mermaid logo and frappuccinos, but for being trendy. It started with celebrities in the 2000s – Britney Spears and the Olsen twins were never without their venti drinks. Then, throughout the 2010s, Starbucks-focused content was a goldmine for

What is Discord? Everything you need to know about the thriving Gen Z platform

The audio revolution continues apace as you can barely move for social media giants launching live audio propositions. Rushing to compete with Clubhouse, the social chat network that found itself at the centre of everything during lockdown, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify have all introduced audio rooms within the past month: Facebook with Live Audio Rooms,

Reports

In-depth research across the digital landscape.

Clubhouse and the audio revolution: key influencers and drivers of this trend

The race to capture consumers’ hearts via their ears has been on ever since Clubhouse started to show significant traction in 2020. The platform emerged during the first lockdown and produced a raft of native influencers who seemed to instinctively understand what it takes to make live chat content work. Not only were users tuning

The home report: digital stories about living in 2021 and key influencers

The past 12 months have elevated the home above everything else. It’s where we live, work and play. The spaces we call home have changed – adults have drifted from cities back to their parents’ homes. Urban families have relocated for more square feet and a natural environment. Rooms which were previously dedicated to eating

Influencers 2021: a digital culture, trends and creator forecast

The coronavirus pandemic accelerated adoption of influencers as routes to communication, entertainment and sales across many verticals. These individuals and their platforms are key when it comes to successful ecommerce via traditional websites and social commerce via tools such as Instagram and TikTok. Understanding the people and stories who are dominating and creating serious ripple

ASA guidelines

Insights on the regulation of influencer platforms.

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Influencers who repeatedly flout the ASA guidelines have been named publicly

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has followed through on its promise to name and shame influencers who repeatedly ignore guidelines on how to signpost commercial content. The first individuals to be singled out on a new dedicated page revealing repeat offenders are Chloe Ferry, Jodie Marsh, Lucy Mecklenburgh and Chloe Khan. According to the regulator,

ASA influencer guidelines: CORQ’s masterclass for brands working with influencers

In 2018, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) released a set of guidelines for influencers working commercially with brands and since then, these have been enforced by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA). A second edition of these guidelines was published in 2020, and essentially, these rules seek to ensure that consumers are aware when influencers

Influencers and brands breaking ASA rules could end up in court

Influencers and brands who don’t comply with guidelines on signposting commercial content clearly could end up in court and face fines. After an investigation into influencers’ rigour in following its mandatory guidelines, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) noted it discovered “disappointingly low compliance” and is ready to enforce severe sanctions if the situation does not

Influencers must use #ad despite Insta’s paid partnership rollout

Instagram has revealed new plans to flag sponsored influencer content when it is not labelled clearly as advertising, following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). This includes rolling out its “paid partnership” header but brands should be aware they risk action from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) if influencers fail to use

Influencer Marketing 101

Foundation knowledge for influencer marketers.

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Influencer marketing 101: glossary of influencer and social media terminology

Social media platforms are a world of their own and the influencers who dominate the different communities in each one have a language which reflects this. Here are some key terms, which are not only referenced on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok, but are – in some cases – becoming part of

Influencer marketing 101: six details that should be in every brand’s briefing template

Having a perfectly constructed influencer briefing template means that no matter what the project is or who is coordinating it, the expectations of your company when it comes to talent producing content will be uniform. It will also ensure that even if a junior member of staff is tasked with communicating with the influencer, they

Influencer marketing 101: what are the risks associated with influencer marketing?

The risks associated with influencer marketing are numerous and ever increasing. This is due to the nature of this kind of advertising – people are innately volatile and using their lives as commercial platforms will inevitably throw up unexpected issues. Since CORQ was developed in 2017, we have been tracking the areas that make influencer

Influencer marketing 101: how much do influencers cost for brands to work with?

The biggest recurrent question about influencer marketing? How much do influencers cost – what do they charge and can this be categorised by audience size or industry. The short answer is no – there is no standardisation when it comes to influencer fees. Unlike display advertising, when you work with influencers you are not booking