insights Archive

Cicaverse by Clarks: honest review of the brand’s new Roblox release by a seven-year-old gamer

Clarks released its Roblox game Cicaverse this week – a metaverse-style experience in which users can take part in parkour, BMX and breakdancing challenges. I was intrigued by this announcement as Clarks – while a traditional retailer – has a strong relationship with the Roblox audience. Heading into store a couple of times a year

Everything you need to know about SpiritualTok

If you’re scrolling through TikTok, chances are you’ve come across SpiritualTok, a thriving community that live streams tarot readings and shares educational videos on crystals and candles. Manifesting, witchcraft, astrology and tarot all became trending topics with the rise of spirituality on TikTok since the first lockdown in 2020. Most recently a new discussion has seeped into

Love Island announces exclusive sponsorship deal with Reddit: The Newsfeed

Watch out Twitter, ITV’s Love Island has announced an exclusive sponsorship deal with Reddit. For the upcoming series airing in June, ITV is capitalising on the 170,000-strong r/LoveIslandTV subreddit to share exclusive content and host a space for fans to discuss the show, and ask producers and contestants questions. The platform will also be co-sponsoring the show’s daily podcast, The Morning...

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Game, set, match: 12 tennis-loving influencers to partner with ahead of Wimbledon

A cold glass of Pimm’s, strawberries and cream and a view of centre court, it can only be one event: Wimbledon. Taking place this year from 27 June to 10 July, people from around the world flock to the southwest London location for a glimpse of sporting greatness. Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in...

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Meet TikTok’s resident skincare experts educating the masses on pores, pigmentation, peptides and more

On TikTok, skincare is king. With over 90 billion views under #skincare, there’s countless creators sharing tips, product reviews and treatment recommendations, and a growing number of high-end and budget-friendly brands itching to get a piece of the lucrative TikTok pie. It’s also where skincare experts are thriving. There’s no shortage of dermatologists, aestheticians and facialists...

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My week on BeReal: the anti-Instagram app

BeReal is the latest app piquing the internet’s interest thanks to its liberating twist on the overly curated feeds we’re used to seeing on Instagram. The app’s format is straightforward. Users are sent a random notification each day with a two-minute posting window, prohibiting people from editing their content. After receiving the notification, users take a...

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Influencer hotlists

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Game, set, match: 12 tennis-loving influencers to partner with ahead of Wimbledon

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Meet TikTok’s resident skincare experts educating the masses on pores, pigmentation, peptides and more

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Meet the nail art communities on TikTok and Instagram

Across Instagram and TikTok, nail enthusiasts and expert technicians are avidly documenting their creative process. From minimal nudes to pastel French tips, extravagant ombré effects and pearl embellishments, the artistry and innovation is endless. A trip to the nail salon offers insight into a nail-obsessed influencer’s beauty routine, but more importantly, bountiful opportunity for professionals to...

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10 dad influencers to collaborate with this Father’s Day

From wholesome family vlogs to relatable dad podcasts, fathers are using their platform to share their parenting experiences. With Father’s Day taking place on 19 June, it’s a bountiful opportunity for influencer partnerships, with both family-friendly creators or a lifestyle influencer and the father figure in their life. Ahead are 10 parenting influencers to collaborate...

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News

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Love Island announces exclusive sponsorship deal with Reddit: The Newsfeed

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Deborah James’ fundraising efforts for Cancer Research UK tops £6m: 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 our...

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NFTs are coming to Instagram: The Newsfeed

In its latest bid for short-form success, Meta announced a string of monetisation options in an update to its Reels Play Bonus program, with plans to restructure its payment process to reward creators publishing original content on Facebook. This follows news in April that it will be prioritising original content in its algorithm. The platform is also...

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8 legislative and regulatory recommendations detailed in the UK government’s influencer culture report

The UK government released its investigation into the influencer industry and the culture surrounding it on 9 May. This was the culmination of eight months of research and interviews with influencers, industry leaders and academics by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee to ascertain the benefits of creator marketing, the challenges and how its

Influencer campaigns

The creativity driving the industry.

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Campaigns: Emily Clarkson partners with Gillette Venus and the Lady Garden Foundation for its #KnowYourPubic campaign

Welcome to CORQ’s weekly influencer campaign roundup – a snapshot of the most interesting campaigns and the people who are making them fly. We explore fashion, food, tech, beauty, travel and entertainment, taking a closer look at the campaigns that have made an impact this week. We examine how brands are collaborating with influencers in...

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Campaigns: vlogger Manal Chinutay partners with Jo Malone London to celebrate Eid

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Campaigns: Grime MC Big Zuu partners with Uber Eats to provide free meals during Ramadan to fasting delivery drivers

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Campaigns: beauty journalist Sali Hughes launches skincare brand in partnership with Revolution Skincare

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Industry insights

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NFTs foundation seminar: their power, inside the controversies and creating NFT strategy

Developing an NFT strategy is an increasingly pressing matter for brands as many – from Nike to Gucci – launch projects in the space in collaboration with NFT artists who are emerging as a new and incredibly powerful kind of influencer. CORQ hosted a session with our founder and CEO Sara McCorquodale who delved into...

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Lessons from launching Vogue: insights from Alaina Vieru at Condé Nast Global

As part of our Brand Briefings – an exclusive online events series – CORQ’s CEO and founder Sara McCorquodale hosted a webinar with Alaina Vieru, senior manager, global brand licensing at Condé Nast Global. Vieru is a digital strategist with a focus on launching heritage publications into new markets. Her latest project? Vogue Scandinavia, which debuted in August...

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The metaverse: its history, where we are now and how you should start thinking about it

The metaverse is an increasingly prominent development in the world of digital, with many brands plotting how they make a move to trail blaze into the next era of the internet. But what actually is the metaverse and how should you start thinking about it? CORQ hosted an online session with our founder and CEO...

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The future of beauty journalism: insights from Sonia Haria, beauty director at The Telegraph

As part of our Brand Briefings – an exclusive online events series – CORQ’s editor Louise Whitbread hosted a webinar with Sonia Haria, beauty director of The Telegraph. Along with leading the publication’s beauty coverage, she also sits on the advisory board of the British Beauty Council and tirelessly campaigned for support of the beauty industry...

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Comment

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Cicaverse by Clarks: honest review of the brand’s new Roblox release by a seven-year-old gamer

Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza: The Musical is its smartest influencer marketing move yet

Few brands are as reactive as Taco Bell. The key to its success is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, similar to Duo Lingo or Scrub Daddy, which both thrive on TikTok thanks to their self-aware content. It’s also long been making bold marketing moves. It hosted ‘speakeasies’ in New York’s East Village, dishing out free food and branded merch,

Celebrities becoming crypto influencers has turned out to be quite a bad idea

It’s been a bad few days for celebrities who signed up to endorse crypto. Without losing ourselves in the details, (because there are people who understand this better than me, see here), cryptocurrencies crashed last week leaving some – most prominently Luna – basically worthless. For everyone who decided to invest their money in crypto,

Burnout is forcing influencers to take a break from creating content

After years of hustle culture, creators are opening up about the pressures of publishing content continuously and remaining relevant on platforms which move at a lightning pace. This isn’t a new phenomenon – in 2018, US YouTuber Alisha Marie addressed feeling burned out after a decade on the platform – but the pandemic has led to a new type

Trends

Understand the present, forecast the future.

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Everything you need to know about SpiritualTok

The Wagatha Christie courtroom drama goes viral and 10 Downing Street joins the platform: TikTok weekly roundup

There’s been a lot of libel action on the platform this week. Who knew that defamation could have such traction? Joining Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in the court of TikTok this week is the Wagatha Christie trial between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney. Jim Waterson, media editor at The Guardian, joined TikTok specifically to report on the drama....

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Hyperrealistic cakes and minuscule sweet treats: meet TikTok’s niche food communities

Food series have long been a popular content vertical on YouTube and Instagram, so unsurprisingly, it’s also found an audience on TikTok – #food has over 293 billion views. While flash viral trends like pesto eggs, whipped coffee and baked feta pasta have come and gone, niche food creators and their growing communities are here to stay, the more niche the better....

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Netflix show Heartstopper reaches 2.8 billion views and Naked Wolfe platform boots are TikTok’s most-wanted product: TikTok weekly roundup

First up this week is Lizzo, who celebrated on Instagram that her song, About Damn Time, was the number one trending song on TikTok. It’s interesting she is celebrating reaching number on on a social media app – gone are the days of the hit parade. Side note: we are loving Lauren Candy posting her repeated attempts to learn the About Damn...

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Culture

The evolution of digital storytelling.

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Inside Webtoon – the creators’ platform generating big culture moments

Squid Game was without a doubt the biggest show of 2021, and it opened our western eyes to the possibilities and breadth of foreign talent. With audiences now more eager for new and exciting content than ever before, streaming services and publishers have to keep up with the expectation for award-winning, record-breaking shows. But how...

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Case Study: Nella Rose and her road to success, from fashion hauls to Netflix gigs

No one has quite the hold on the internet like Nella Rose. From YouTube to TikTok, her presence is widely adored by a mass digital audience. With almost 700,000 followers on YouTube, long-term collaborations with influencer-driven brands such as PrettyLittleThing, and notable personalities singing her praises, Nella has established herself as one of the most innovative and...

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Case Study: How Rio Ferdinand successfully pivoted from being one of England’s biggest football players to a digital media mogul

Hailed as one of England’s “greatest ever players”, Rio Ferdinand has now turned his sights to social media. In fact, the former football player-turned-TV pundit has made one of, if not the most phenomenal transitions from sport into digital this generation has arguably ever seen. After hanging up his boots in 2015, Ferdinand become the face of...

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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...

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Reports

In-depth research across the digital landscape.

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My week on BeReal: the anti-Instagram app

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Eurovision 2022 report: TikTok star Sam Ryder finishes second for UK

This weekend saw the return of the Eurovision Song Contest, an annual music competition that has Europe (and Israel and Australia) glued to their TV screens. The competition followed its usual format as 25 finalists performed, however there was a new element to the show – TikTok was its official entertainment partner. Eurovision’s TikTok account posted clips of...

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Welcome to #LuxuryTok: top performing brands, key trends and emerging creators

On the surface, TikTok might appear to be a hub of fast fashion hauls, viral dance videos and creative makeup transformations, however #LuxuryTok is thriving, with more than 87 million views. Deep into the hashtag, you’ll find creators sharing their lavish travel destinations, designer bag and shoe unboxing videos, trend analysis, five-star resort tours and investment advice. Users on the platform are also...

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Meet DRESSX, your new digital meta-closet: why influencers are integral to growing the digital fashion movement

The future of fashion may well lie with digital-only alternatives, thanks to the emergence of Web3 and the metaverse. It has the potential to disrupt the industry while providing sustainable alternatives to the environmental impact of physical fashion. In the metaverse, there are endless possibilities for fashion. In February, the Institute of Digital Fashion (IoDF), which educates brands on Web3 vocabulary, collaborated...

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ASA guidelines

Insights on the regulation of influencer platforms.

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8 legislative and regulatory recommendations detailed in the UK government’s influencer culture report

Influencers currently being monitored by the ASA for non-compliance of regulations

In June 2021, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) introduced its list of non-compliant social media influencers. Often referred to as its “name and shame” list, it is used to call out repeat offenders “routinely failing to clearly disclose when they are advertising to consumers on their social media channel.” The initial list consisted of Chloe Ferry, Chloe Khan, Jodie Marsh and Lucy Mecklenburgh,...

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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,...

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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...

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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

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