Working with Influencers in Marketing Material: Beyond the Grid Post
In the evolving landscape of brand communication, influencers have become far more than social media personalities — they’re trusted voices, content collaborators, and cultural connectors. When integrated into marketing material, the impact of influencers goes well beyond reach. It becomes about resonance.
As a creative team working across campaigns with talent like Joe Sugg, we’ve learned that the value of influencer partnerships lies not just in sponsored posts, but in how their image and voice can be seamlessly woven into wider brand ecosystems — from campaign photography and ad creative, to event coverage and experiential storytelling.
1. Why Use Influencers in Core Marketing Assets?
While influencer campaigns often focus on social-first content, the most strategic brands are now integrating influencers into:
Website hero visuals
Paid social campaigns
Print and OOH (out-of-home) ads
Retail displays and packaging
Event photography and behind-the-scenes storytelling
Why? Because audiences respond to familiar faces with authentic energy, especially when it feels natural, not forced. The right influencer brings recognizability, relatability, and narrative depth to a campaign.
2. How to Choose the Right Talent
Not all influencers fit every brief. It’s not just about follower count — it’s about brand fit and creative chemistry. Look for:
Shared values: Does their lifestyle reflect your brand story?
Tone and aesthetic: Do they match the look and feel you’re aiming for?
Content adaptability: Can their presence stretch across social, digital, and print materials?
Professionalism: Are they collaborative, reliable, and experienced with production environments?
When we worked with Joe Sugg for a recent American Express campaign at Silverstone, the synergy was clear: Joe brought natural enthusiasm, a digital-first audience, and a professional attitude that allowed us to capture editorial-quality material in a live event setting.
3. Making the Most of the Collaboration
If you’re investing in influencer-led creative, maximize its value by:
✅ Planning multi-use content — Build a shot list that covers social, digital, and brand-owned needs. Think beyond the Instagram post.
✅ Capturing behind-the-scenes — Candid moments often tell the real story. Use these across blog posts, reels, and internal communications.
✅ Extending the campaign — With proper licensing, you can reuse influencer content for paid media, website campaigns, and future promotions.
✅ Including them in the process — Influencers often know what resonates with their audience. Co-create where possible, especially around tone and delivery.
4. Authenticity is Everything
Audiences are savvy. Overly scripted content feels flat. When influencers are empowered to be themselves within your brand world, the result is more genuine — and more effective.
That’s what made our recent shoot with Joe so successful. We didn’t ask him to perform. We invited him to experience the AMEX Fan Zone, and we simply captured him doing it. The result? Marketing content that looked and felt like a real moment — not an ad.
Final Thoughts
Influencers are no longer confined to social media silos. Used thoughtfully, they become a powerful part of your wider creative toolkit — helping you reach audiences with relevance, trust, and human connection.
If you’re planning a campaign and thinking about bringing talent into your marketing content — let’s talk. From pre-production to post, we know how to make the most of the moment.
Want to see this in action? View our latest influencer-led campaign here.
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