The power of 'empty billboard' influencers: A case study into TikToker Nara Smith

This week, one of the hottest topics of discussion on TikTok has been influencer and model Nara Smith who boasts 8.3 million followers on TikTok alone. She is most well-known for posting content on motherhood and making complex meals from scratch for her family and husband, American model Lucky Blue Smith, who she married in 2020.

Smith has been incredibly popular for a while now for making things such as cereal, bubble gum and bagels from utter scratch but what got netizens talking this week was a TikTok video by Bee Better Company. Bee Better Company is an entrepreneur with an MBA who posted two videos this week breaking down some of the marketing tactics that Smith uses in order to draw in her millions of loyal followers. He describes them as the "darkest, most psychologically manipulative marketing tactics" he has ever seen on social media.  

While Bee Better Company deep dives into many different tactics that Smith utalises in the video, he in particular mentions a term called strategic neutrality. 

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Strategic neutrality, according to Bee Better Company, is the deliberate avoidance of controversial or divisive topics by influencers to maintain a universally appealing persona. He adds that this strategy ensures broad marketability and maximises their potential for brand endorsements.

"So, if you pay attention, Smith has exclusively and very intentionally chosen to never respond to or engage in any controversy surrounding herself and her own personal brand," said Bee Better Company, referencing a recent incident where it was reported that Smith tried to sue a content creator, Oneswa, for allegedly stealing her content. However, despite it coming out that this was never the case, Smith never came on camera to defend herself. 

Bee Better Company said: 

The reason for this is that she has a huge team behind her that want to make her what I like to call an empty billboard.

An empty billboard, or opinion neutral influencer, is someone whose content is designed to be broadly appealing and neutral, avoiding controversial topics. This allows them to serve as versatile marketing tools, seamlessly integrating various brand endorsement without alienating any audience segment, according to Bee Better Company. He argues that this is the most appealing thing to marketers and brands.

"Smith's content is designed to be universally appealing which makes it commercially viable. So basically, because she never engages in any controversy, we don't know her political opinions, we aren't really intimately familiar with her beliefs and her values," he said. 

Bee Better Company added that Smith is able to capitalise on universally relatable themes of motherhood and cooking which allows brands to use her image and her brand for anything because there is nothing to contrast what they are promoting. 

"If Smith, for example, were to sit down and respond to a controversy she's been in or speak about Palestine for example, this would immediately shatter the fourth wall, and ruin the idealistic and perfect image she has crafted for herself because she would no longer be neutral, broadly acceptable and highly marketable."

Saying that, it is a well-known fact that in this day and age, consumers really value authenticity when it comes to influencers. In fact, consumers in SEA today are savvier and crave genuine connections, leading to influencer marketing campaigns prioritising transparency and "deinfluencing". This is according to R3's authenticity and transparency in SEA influencer marketing report where it explored trends, local nuances and its impact on the direction of influencer marketing in the region. 

So why are people such as Smith and Emily Mariko, who puts forth similar content with no significant opinions, so incredibly popular? 

Why opinion neutrality matters in influencer marketing

According to Marvin Duval, regional strategy director at Mediabrands Content Studios, there is "definitely" a "huge demand" for opinion neutral influencers from brands.

"Many big corporations can't afford to take a stance on public matters due to their structure and reach. For instance, global companies often operate a franchise model, where individual business owners have their own specific and differing views. This makes it tough for the entire organisation to adopt a unified stance," he said. 

For these companies, it's safer to choose influencers who meet their objectives without a track record of making their opinions, views and leanings public. Brands with substantial budgets are often keen on vetting influencers for neutrality to minimise any future controversies by association, he explained. This is important because 81% of brands have been involved in influencer campaigns, with one in five having participated in more than 20 influencer campaigns.

This is according to Havas Red's "The state of the influencer in 2024: A client's perspective" study which surveyed 39 clients from 10 markets. As consumers lose trust in traditional media, they're instead turning to influencers who can play a crucial role in expanding the brand's online presence.

In fact, 97% of brands identify content creators as influencers, highlighting a shift away from traditional celebrities as influencers and a shift towards a new reality where anyone can become an influencer.

Duval added that another reason brands prefer "empty billboard" influencers is that they don't want an influencer's views on matters that have nothing to do with the product or product category they are in to overshadow their main message. This is especially true for brands with highly functional products.

"For instance, a camera manufacturer showcasing a product with excellent low-light capabilities would choose a content creator known for photography skills, not for their views on public matters. Similarly, a skincare brand promoting an anti-acne cream would prefer partnering with an influencer known for their expertise in dermatology as opposed to their opinions on public affairs," said Duval.

A popular PR tactic

Saying that, the concept of ‘empty billboards’ has been an extremely popular PR tactic for a very long time, particularly among royal consorts, as a way to reach wide audiences while steering clear of political and social commentary, according to Sunny Johar, managing director and head of digital strategy at KRDS.

"Although in the past, influencers have often used controversy to capture attention, with cancel culture on the rise, the ‘empty billboard’ approach is arguably a smart tactic for influencers to adopt to keep public opinion on their side," she said. 

Johar though, argues that people like Smith may not be genuinely as empty a billboard as one might think. 

"As Bee Better Company admits, through her almost satirical updates on making items such as cereal and bubblegum 'from scratch' often whilst wearing over the top couture, Smith manages to create a controversy that hooks her audience without verging into the territory of social or political commentary. Through her content, Smith silently takes on processed food, confectionary and even sunscreen brands," said Johar. 

She added that this silent approach is the polar opposite to the content pushed out by the Bee Better Company which is designed to be vocally controversial on issues, brands and celebrities.

"One of the key cornerstones social media was built on was this portrayal of an idealistic lifestyle to serve as a form of escapism from the everyday. Social media content, even from non-influencers, tends to showcase aestheticised versions of their lives with an emphasis on their wins and highlights," said Johar, adding:

Influencers such as Smith and Mariko simply capitalise on this and elevate mundane daily tasks into to an art form.

She went on to say that as a brand, the 'empty billboard' influencer is the safest bet.

The enduring legacy of influencer tiers

Meanwhile, Duval went on to add that Smith and Mariko's popularity despite a consumer shift to authenticity requires an inherent understanding of how influencer tiers work.

Smith and Mariko are VIP or mega influencers with massive reach, he said. Besides VIP and mega influencers, there are mid-tier, micro, and nano influencers, each with unique merits.

"Large brands often use a mix of these tiers to achieve their goals. VIP influencers, who live unattainable lifestyles, offer immense reach. Micro and nano influencers, who are more relatable, foster high engagement due to their genuine connection with their audience. The mid-tier influencers strike a balance between reach and relatability," explained Duval. 

He added that while a brand could just use mid-tier for reach and micro/nano for relatability, adding a VIP influencer can boost engagement across all tiers.

This 'halo effect' is like attending a party with charismatic individuals; if they're friends with celebrities such as New Jeans or Taylor Swift, they draw even more attention.

This explains why influencers with seemingly unattainable lifestyles still have a significant role in the influencer landscape.

Duval added that authenticity is also not one-dimensional. "For instance, it can come from a star football player who shares content about his family life, showing his human side beyond the athlete persona. It can also mean an influencer who passionately reviews products honestly, without brand influence. Authenticity might also involve an influencer endorsing products that genuinely fit their lifestyle, such as a pro surfer promoting a sunblock brand instead of a surfboard."

He said:

Consumers aren't one-dimensional either.

"We can admire A-list celebrities with unattainable lifestyles while we also desire relatability from content produced by micro and nano influencers because we relate to them and because of the similarities we share with their day to day lives," he said. 

Duval went on to add that brands that team up with "empty billboard" influencers prioritise reaching large audiences and providing a boost to their overall KOL tier mix, which VIP and mega-tier influencers excel at.

Authenticity typically remains with lower-tier influencers, especially in niche, technical, or practical interests.

"Does this suggest that being an "empty billboard" is a privilege reserved for VIPs and mega-influencers? In my view, yes, except for lower-tier influencers who thrive in specialised, highly functional and technical niches," he said, adding that VIPs and mega-influencers excel at reaching wide audiences, so their "empty billboard" status doesn't hinder them.

Conversely, mid and lower-tier influencers rely on authenticity and relatability, making it challenging for them to sustain as "empty billboard", he said. 

The enduring value of authentic connections

Saying that, according to the Havas Red study, connection is the new social currency, with 92% of brands believing in the benefit of establishing long-term versus short-term partnerships with influencers. 

78% believe the biggest benefit is leading key messages and bringing difficult subject matter to life, while 27% believe influencers can help most with reach. 11% believe it helps with brand alignment. 

According to Jared Kong, head of global talent acquisitions (creator venture program) at Gushcloud, part of the varying shifts in the demand for authenticity can be explained by what audiences and consumers of the content wish to get out of consuming the creator’s content in the first instance.

For some, the seemingly unattainable lifestyle is a form of escape from reality while others wish to come away from consuming or engaging content that ultimately educates, he said. 

Kong added that Gushcloud personally has not seen a rise in empty billboard influencers or opinion neutral influencers as for many of the content creators it manages and represents, what makes them a big draw for their audiences is them possessing subject matter expertise and being authentic in their opinions.

Agreeing with him, Yi Hui Toh, country manager, Singapore at Anymind Group said that based on data from AnyTag, there hasn’t been a specific rise in ‘empty billboard’ influencers per se here in Asia, but there is overall growth across all types of influencers from ‘faceless’ accounts that create content for entertainment or industry rumors, to individuals who show parts of their lives on social media.

"Aspirational content has always been well-received on social media (and other media platforms), which was also what drove early concepts of influencer marketing and even advertising. From desiring to live like celebrities to being immediately attracted to visuals of beautiful destinations, content that provides consumers with a dream or hope often performs well," explained Toh. 

He added that if the objective is to follow a person for a specific reason (for example, if they are a fan of the person), then authenticity would be key. However, if the objective is to follow a person or account for the content that they create (be it for entertainment, wanderlust or more), then authenticity might not be as prioritised when considering whether or not to follow that account.

Toh said that ultimately, there is a space for various types of influencers to thrive in this creator economy. He added:

"Depending on the brand’s objective, positioning and archetype, some may prefer working with influencers such as Smith and Mariko if, for example, a brand positions itself as aspirational.

Photo courtesy of Nara Smith/Instagram

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