What is Authentic Influencer Marketing?

As we are going into the annual Upfronts in New York, it seems everyone is talking about authenticity. From authentic leadership styles, authentic brands, authentic company, authentic values, authentic marketing and (insert a marketing term here). Oxford has this definition: “something is authentic if it is genuine, real, of unquestionable origin, not faked or copied, verifiable and trustworthy”. Fair enough. But when we started hearing on panel discussions with our own clients discussing “authentic influencer marketing” it became clear that there appeared to be a lack of a solid definition. In unpacking the terms “authentic influencer marketing” we think everyone has a strong understanding of “influencer marketing”; this therefore just leaves the term “authentic”. Okay, so what is the difference between “authentic influencer marketing” and “influencer marketing”? Well, without a formal definition we must look to the context of conversations to help in understanding the difference. A major challenge for any marketer is identifying the “right” influencer. Of course, identifying an influencer who aligns with a brand’s demographic is rather easy for most. The difficulty comes when selecting an influencer who possesses the right “feeling," “tone," “attitude," “believability” and the “realness” (yes, this is something we have heard) of the influencer. Collectively these traits make up the “authentic” part of the equation. This desire to discover Authentic Influencers is one of the key features of Vyrill for our clients. Through our new dashboard, our clients can identify new influencers whose presence and presentation on video meets our client’s brand’s tone, attitude and yes-authenticness (yes, another word we have been hearing).

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About the Author

Ajay Bam is the CEO and Co-founder at Vyrill, a first-of-its-kind video intelligence company launched in 2017 through UC Berkeley’s Skydeck Incubator program. Vyrill helps brands and shoppers find the “moments that matter” inside videos. Its AI-powered “In-Video’' search technology analyzes & shares insights hidden within videos to improve personalization, SEO, and conversion. Before Vyrill, Ajay launched Boston-based, mobile shopping app company Modiv Media. He is a proven and accomplished product management professional, entrepreneurial thinker, and innovator with more than 13 years of experience leading startups and world-class brands.