While the value of influencer marketing is clear, many companies have struggled to build relationships with both ethnically diverse customers and ethnically diverse influencers, risking criticism for inauthentic and tokenistic displays of diversity. When we looked at the research available today on this topic, we were frustrated at the lack of data on how ethnically diverse communities connect with a brand’s marketing – there just isn’t enough data to inform how to do things differently.
We wanted to connect the dots between consumer, content creator, and brand to provide insights that lead to creating inclusivity from behind and in front of the camera. To do that, Citizen Relations established the Citizen Inclusive Influencer Index which surveyed nearly 2500 ethnically diverse consumers in 2022 and led focus groups with ethnically diverse influencers in the US and Canada.
Our research revealed four cornerstones of creating trust-centered, authentic, inclusive influencer marketing:
- connections
- channels
- content
- commitment
The findings of this study have the potential to change how we think about inclusivity in the realm of influencer marketing, and we are eager to get to work. We hope you are too.