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Influencers are increasingly gaining fandom at the level of celebrities due to the proximity and relatability they
share with us ‘normal folks’.

The role of influencers is constantly growing and changing as more centennials and millennials use social
media for purposes other than communication.

Young consumers like to stay trendy and view genuine product reviews from an influencer they trust and
identify with.

Alina Taher - Nov 26, 2019

Influencer Marketing: Engaging Centennials &

Millennials
Understanding how much influence influencers really have, how to interact with them, and why the youth desire
to become one.

As influencers have successfully infiltrated almost every conceivable niche, partnering with them has now
become an essential part of marketing strategies. In fact, brands are estimated to spend around $15 billion on
influencer marketing by 2020.

A study by Morning Consult interviewed 2,000 13-38 year old Americans and found that 72% of Centennials
and Millennials follow influencers. Centennials, otherwise known as Gen Z, are persons born at the end of the
20th century and onwards. Millennials, otherwise known as Gen Y, are those born in the eighties and nineties.
These two generations are among the most powerful driving forces in the marketplace. It is estimated that
centennials alone will comprise 40% of consumers and influence nearly $4 billion in discretionary
spending in 2020.

Influencers are a strategic way to reach these young consumers, as they tend to turn to social media to learn
about new products, and trust these groups of people. The challenge for companies is to understand how to best
engage with this group of consumers through influencer marketing.

The Influence of Influencers

The role of influencers is constantly growing and changing as more centennials and millennials use social media
for purposes other than communication. The top functionalities and interests differ by gender. As seen in the
chart below, men tend to prefer gaming and fitness/sports influencers, while women regularly follow
beauty/skincare and fashion influencers.
Source: The Influencer Report 2019

These young consumers know and follow several influencers at a time, as closely as they do with popular
celebrities. For centennials, YouTube influencers are as well-known and well-liked as major celebrities. Among
Gen Z men, for example, 95% know Youtube-star, PewDiePie, the same percentage as those who know Lebron
James. Among Gen Z women, 86% are familiar with Youtube-star, Shane Dawson, which is higher than the
80% who are familiar with Jennifer Aniston.

Data from the report showed significant differences between the two generations. The younger the consumer
(ages 13-16), the more inclined they are to follow and be knowledgeable about several influencers. For
example, while 62% of 13-16 year olds hold opinions of Shane Dawson, 60% of older millennials (32-38 year
olds) have never heard of the influencer.

Understanding the reasons behind the shift towards influencers can prove beneficial to companies hoping to
reach out to this market segment. When young Americans were asked why they follow influencers, four themes
emerged:

1. Inspiration and aspiration – Young consumers feel inspired to be themselves, get ideas on how to
fulfill their dreams, and believe influencers can make a positive change in society.
2. Proximity – Young consumers enjoy the feeling of closeness to someone famous and the intrigue in
following a wealthy influencer’s life.
3. Learning about new trends – Young consumers like to stay trendy and view genuine product reviews
from an influencer they trust and identify with.
4. Interesting, fun content – Young consumers seek entertainment during their down-time.
When deciding on whether to follow an influencer or not, centennials and millennials consider authenticity
and humor to be the most important criteria. They voted “having a large following” to be the least
important criteria, indicating that number of followers is not the sole KPI when considering a partnership with
an influencer.

How Brands Can Interact with Influencers

Social media plays a key role in the customer journey for younger people. These platforms are often used for
discovery and learning in the awareness and reputation stages, presenting a significant opportunity for brands.

 88% of centennials and millennials initially learn about products they are interested in purchasing on
social networks
 56% have bought a product after seeing a post from someone they follow
 One in five young consumers turn specifically towards influencers to learn about new products

Source: The Influencer Report 2019

Influencer marketing has the power to bolster a brand’s long-term reputation and credibility. Implementing this
channel into marketing strategies can help maximize a brand’s ROI. In order to do so, however, a company
needs to work with the right influencers, who have the ability to help them reach the right target audience, on
the right platform.

For example, young men primarily use YouTube to follow influencers, whereas young women use
Instagram. However, TikTok has caught up to Facebook and Twitter in terms of platform use among 13-16
year-olds.

It is also important to understand the trust levels among millennials and centennials with the influencers they
follow to appropriately include them in a product marketing campaign. Only 10% of Gen Z and Y have a lot
of trust in influencer product promotions, whereas 47% have some. Frequent social media shoppers,
however, are more trusting, with 25% having a lot of trust and 56% having some. Additionally, while celebrities
used to be the go-to for brand ambassadors and spokespeople, 51% of young consumers trust influencers on
social media for product promotions, compared to the 41% who trust celebrities.

For these reasons, companies should strategically align themselves with influencers whose beliefs and
lifestyle choices match their products and brand ethos to develop a more genuine and sincere means to
promote their brand. As seen below, it is most important for an influencer to be knowledgeable and relatable to
effectively promote a brand’s offerings.
Source: The Influencer Report 2019
Drivers for Millennials and Centennials to Become Influencers
Influencers are increasingly gaining fandom at the level of celebrities due to the proximity and relatability they
share with us ‘normal folks’. 27% of centennials and millennials personally know an influencer. For this reason,
young consumers believe becoming an influencer is significantly less farfetched than becoming a celebrity.
54% would accept the opportunity to become an influencer and an outstanding 86% are willing to post
sponsored content in exchange for money, proving that the potential micro-influencer market is substantial.

Although there are many striving influencers in the digital world, many have different underlying motivations.
Understanding these can help brands appropriately approach a potential influencer partner. For example, a
strategic approach towards someone who is money-motivated, versus someone who wants to make a difference
in the world can vary greatly.

Source: The Influencer Report 2019

More and more brands are understanding the benefits of influencer marketing and leveraging this outlet to their
advantage. With today’s youth digitally surrounding themselves with influencers to learn about various subjects
and products, marketers have to strengthen their social media strategies with the appropriate influencer
partnerships if they hope to effectively reach the next generation of consumers.
1) Complete these sentences with a suitable word from the box

conceivable – niche – to comprise – knowledgeable – discretionary – closeness – to seek – downtime – sole –

to bolster – go to – fandom – far fetched – to infiltrate

1. The absence of fences created a mysterious ________________ in which no one knew privacy.
2. She tried to ________________ my confidence by telling me I had a talent.
3. With his innovative product, he thinks he has found a _________________ in the market.
4. She is very _____________________ about medieval history. She reads a lot about this.
5. This extensive questionnaire determines levels of Harry Potter ______________ on a scale of 1 to 5.
6. Computing has _________________ most professions now. As a consequence, knowing how to use a
computer is a must to get a job.
7. My ____________ aim was to help you. I didn’t have other intentions.
8. From time to time, everyone needs __________________ to unwind and stop thinking about work.
9. Books on every _________________ subject can be found in this library.
10. Once your kids have ________________ money of their own, they can pay for their own DVDs. They
will be able to do whatever they feel like doing with it.
11. We are _________________ for committed professionals who would like to join our team.
12. Argentina _________________ 23 provinces.
13. He seems to have become the __________________ guy for working with kids. Everyone trusts him
when it comes to teaching kids.
14. I know it may sound _________________, but why don´t we offer him a better position just to prevent
him from leaving?

2) Discuss these questions

 What do companies pay attention to in order to pay an influencer to endorse its products?
 In what way may a teenager “influence” other teenagers either positively or negatively?
 If you were an influencer, what would you show on your social networks? How would you exploit your
charm?
 Do you regard being an influencer as a job? Why? Why not?

3) Here is a list of influencers. Do you know who they are? Do you follow any of them? Would you start
following them as from now?

 Cameron Dallas
 Kayla Itsines
 Kylie Jenner
 Zach King
 Chris Burkard