Interview: Porsche APAC’s marketing director on why traditional influencer marketing lacks authenticity

Influencer marketing spend is on the rise with 67% of marketers saying that they are upping their investment in influencer marketing in 2024.

Marketers have cited this surge as being likely due to the evolving consumer landscape where today's consumers crave authenticity, a personalised touch and narratives that resonate with their personal experiences and aspirations, according to marketing platform Partipost.

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True enough, authenticity is what drives sales with around 70% of Singaporean survey participants, and 82% of participants in Southeast Asia, admitting to being influenced by recommendations from influencers or celebrities in their purchasing decisions, according to a study by influencer and affiliate partnership management platform, impact.com and eCommerce market intelligence company, Cube Asia.

However, with this in mind, marketers still need to rethink the way they use influencer collaborations, according to Yannick Ott, marketing director at Porsche Asia Pacific, who believes that we are reaching a certain fatigue towards direct endorsements from traditional influencer marketing approaches.

“There’s just too much and it’s lacking genuineness," he said, adding:

To cut through the clutter and to still create meaningful engagement, we need to prioritise relevance over reach.

While marketers should ask themselves if the influencers they are collaborating with are relatable and create authentic content, they should also be thinking about whether it offers a certain value for consumers by being entertaining or even inspiring, he explained.

On top of thinking about the talent brands collaborate with, brands must increase their integration of marketing efforts across departments and sub-brands.

“It’s as simple as being clear on your objectives and how your efforts are meant to benefit the wider organisation, including each and every department,” said Ott.

“This gets you buy-in. Also, most organisations will probably have spread responsibilities for the four Ps across various departments. For your marketing to be truly effective you need to foster this common view, direction and way of working across the different stakeholders,” he added.

Growing a community sustainably

Saying that, brands do not really need to look further than their existing consumer base to grow their brand exposure, said Ott, noting that one of Porsche’s strengths is its passionate customer and fan base who bring their diverse individuality when they share a love for the brand.

“We are proud to have built this inclusive and engaged following, but this means that we involve our customers and fans wherever and whenever we can, making their opinion count,” said Ott. “We never take their loyalty for granted but as a fundamental contribution to what the Porsche brand has been - and much of what it will be in the future.”

However, as brands look to grow or even sustain their existing consumer base, they should be wary of influencer collaborations that compromise a brand’s narrative and those that are only effective for a fleeting moment.

“Find a hook that suits your brand, is aligned to your brand values and does not compromise on your overall narrative,” explained Ott, adding:

While disruption is a great way to grab attention and to remain relevant, a brand needs to do so in a consistent manner and keep its essence. Never forget that you are playing a long-term game.

Check out more of what Yannick Ott has to say at #Content360 #Singapore from 24 - 25 April for a two-day extravaganza centred around four core thematic pillars: Explore with AI; Insight-powered strategies; Content as an experience; and Embrace the future. Immerse yourself in learning to curate content with creativity, critical thinking, and confidence with us at Content360!

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