Influencer Markerting | University Work

Over the years the way in which brands are marketing themselves to consumers has changed they are no longer using the same old marketing and advertising campaigns. From research you can see that consumers now want a product or service recommended to them by a family member, friend or even an influencer. More marketers are beginning to notice that they can use social media to target their customers indirectly and one of the main ways they do this is by using influential marketing.

I feel like most of you already know and have heard of influencer marketing, but in case you haven't here is a little summary.

Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that brands use to target a group of consumers indirectly. Brands do this by paying/hiring influencers to promote and make content for the brand. This is usually through Bloggers, Youtubers and influential Instagrammers etc.

A brand that are currently working with an influencer are The Body Shop and they are working with Emily Canham who is an influential Youtuber she does also have a blog and Instagram with a wide following which allows her to influence on different platforms. She has over 700,000 subscribers on Youtube and nearly 600,000 on Instagram. She shares videos of her daily life and her thoughts and opinions on products. The Body Shop are currently working with Emily Canham on their Stand Up Stand Out campaign and Emily has posted a video on her Instagram promoting the new products. Emily will be expected to spread the word through her personal social channels. With all the followers she has you can see why a brand like The Body Shop would want to associate their products with her - this will lead them to obtain customers who seek a similar lifestyle and interests.

emilycanham on Instagram

To help you understand what the hype is all about heres some reasons why influencer marketing is one of the best ways to market and why ever brand should consider it:

Consumers now more than ever like to make their own decisions. One of the main successes of influencer marketing is the fact it helps people feel confident in their own choices. Consumers are depending on these self proclaimed gurus to recommend the best products and services the market has to offer.

The social aspect - people have moved further away from the usual traditional marketing channels and have adopted social media. Social media allows the consumers to search for the kind of influencers and products they are looking for. It allows consumers to get realistic reviews whilst learning more about the products through the influencers. Which results in better purchasing decisions.


A lot of people now see influencers as the new age celebrities, due to their new found online fame and many businesses this is the route they are now deciding to go down. In the beauty and fashion industry research has shown that 60% of brands now have a influencer marketing strategy in place (Media Kix, 2016). Brands are using the most influential people with high social status' to promote their brands and it's working.

Gamification in the Beauty and Fashion Industry | University Work

Gamification is a current trend that has a major impact on digital marketing landscapes. In this post I want to share with you all how gamification is having an impact on the fashion industry. The example I am going to use is ASOS A-List. So ASOS A-List is a loyalty scheme run by ASOS, when customer spend a certain amount of money on an order they are rewarded with A-List points these points then add up to vouchers which can be used on the site. The more points that customers add up the more rewards days they get for example, for being on level one of the ASOS A-List you need between 400-1000 points and you get 2x double points days, 15% off your birthday and competitions from brands. As you progress and have more points the rewards are better and you also start to earn vouchers for 500 points you get so it works out for every £100 you spend you get £5 back in points.

Screenshot from asos.com

In my opinion ASOS have used gamification to enhance their reward/loyalty scheme. The more you shop the more points you earn which is a great aspect for ASOS as they are obviously earning more money. I feel as if customers will be tempted to do more of their shopping with ASOS as they know they will get a little something back whether its just points towards money off or an actual voucher. I know that personally I do a lot of my online shopping through ASOS and I have received a large number of points and you do get a lot of vouchers back from shopping with them which is something that always makes me go back to ASOS to do online clothes shopping. 

I feel like the ASOS A-List brings a competitive feel to online shopping. You feel rewarded when you move up to another level. It is also another way for ASOS to engage with their customers as there are special competitions for customers who take part in ASOS A-List. ASOS also engage more with customers who use A-List as there is emails that only go out to ASOS A-List customers and ASOS also send out magazines to these customers which often have little samples of products in them. 

Overall I feel like ASOS are doing the whole gamification trend very well. I feel like it makes customers want to shop with ASOS knowing they could be rewarded with vouchers. It have enabled ASOS to engage with their customers on another level. ASOS A-List is probably not the best thing for my bank account but that doesn't stop be from always going back to ASOS to do my online shopping and now more than ever I constantly find myself checking how many A-List points I have. 

Top 5 Nudes | Drugstore Lipsticks

If you've been following my blog/Instagram for a while you will know about my love for nude lipsticks. I've never really been that adventurous with lip colours so always reach for a nude shade. I've managed to narrow them down for this post to share my top 5 favourite which are all from the drugstore!

Starting off with the Bourjois Shine Edition in the shade 26. Now that I've tried to find the link to it I've discovered that this range of lipsticks seems to have been discontinued which is so annoying as it's one of my favourite lipsticks!

The Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lipsticks are some of my favourite, they have such a lovely formula and they smell amazing. I have two lipsticks from the nude collection. I have the shades Barley Pinking (right) and Love & O-Biege which are both Shine formulas. The lipsticks feel really nice on the lips and are moisturising. I always reach for these whether is when I'm just going to uni or when I want a nude for a night out.

The nude I've been reaching for the most lately is the Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Colour in the shade 63 Seduction. Although this states to be matte it isn't completely matte but I do really like the formula of this product and I love the shade as well. This formula is long lasting and goes with so many makeup looks.

Going back to Soap and Glory another one of my favourite nudes is the Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in the shade Nudist. I love a glossy nude and this is always my go too, I love how it makes my lips feel and the way it looks. I am always reaching for this lipstick.

Hope you all enjoyed this post today! Just a little life update my summer so very hectic so I failed at being a blogger but I am trying to keep up with blogging whilst being at university. If you see a few posts which aren't like my normal ones that because I am doing a project which includes blogging so there might be a few different styles of posts coming up in the next few weeks.

Lee Stafford | Beach Ready Hair

When it comes to summer I love having that beach look to my hair, whether I have it curly or straight I like having lots of volume. When I first got this package I was surprised to see that the shampoo was in a tube rather than a bottle and that the condition was a water like consistency which then foams. I have never come across a shampoo and conditioner like these so I was really interested to try these out.

Sea Salt Crystal Shampoo - £9.99
This was one of the products I was most excited to try, I have never come across a shampoo like it before. The shampoo has sea salt crystals in it which help to exfoliate the scalp whilst also adding body and texture to the hair. After using this shampoo my hair felt so much thicker. One thing I find with this shampoo is you have to spend a little longer washing it out to make sure that you get the crystals out of your hair but overall it's a great product and it's cool to try something completely different to what I've ever tried before.

Sea Salt Foam Conditioner - £7.99
I was also really excited to try the foam conditioner as I have never tried one before, at first I was a bit sceptical about the product seeming those it is in a liquid form to start off with but as soon as you pump it out it turns into a foam. I often feel like conditioner weights my hair down so I only ever use a little bit of it but it's not the case with this product as its a foam so it is light weight which is great. Using the Sea Salt shampoo and conditioner together leaves my hair with lots of volume.

Sea Salt Spray - £7.99 
I love using a sea salt spray to finish off my look, it can be used on either wet or dry hair or even both depending on how much volume you want. I usually use it on dry hair once either straightening or curling my hair to add in some more texture and volume. I love this spray as it helps to add loads of volume to my hair!

On the pictures above I have used all three products as well as curling my hair. I finished off the look by using the sea salt spray to add in some more texture! Lee Stafford products currently have 1/3 off at Boots at the moment so if you want to try anything out now is a great time!

I hope you all enjoyed this post and I'll see you in my next one! Thank you to NBPR for sending me these lovely products to try out I am loving them!

Monthly Beauty Favourites | March 2017

Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette 
I've had the Naked Smokey Palette from Urban Decay since it first came out but I have rediscovered how much I love it this month after not using it for ages. I've been using this nearly everyday and creating a really natural smokey eye. I have been using the lighter matte shades and the shimmers to create a smokey eye suitable for everyday wear.
Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Primer
Another rediscovery for me is the One Heck of a Blot Primer from Soap and Glory, I used to use this primer all the time but it was replaced by one from Mac I had been using but as that ran out I went back to using this and I remembered how much I loved it! It's great for smoothing out the skin and making your makeup last all day long. I love using it along side with the One Heck of a Blot powder.
NYX HD Photogenic Concealer
I have also rediscovered the this NYX concealer after picking it up in Boots a few weeks ago, I love this concealer for covering any imperfections or using under my eyes. It is high coverage and blends really nicely as well. It's just an all round good concealer and the best thing is the price as it's only £6!
Maybelline Super Stay 7 Days Gel Nail Polish - Rose Raptur 
Stating that a nail polish will last 7 days is a very big statement to live up to, but I can tell you that this nail polish does last about 7 days. On day 6 of wearing this I noticed a lot more chips but I'll give them that as I don't think any nail polishes have ever lasted that long on my nails! I love this rose pink colour and it's perfect for the spring.
Maybelline Brow Precise Fiber Filler 
I've never really used a brow gel which has fibers in it before but I have been missing out. This brow gel is amazing and makes my brows look so full and thick. I use it with my Dip Brow Pomade from Anastasia Beverly Hills and it's the perfect combination!

I hope you all had a wonder March! Let me know what products you have been loving this month. I will see you in my next post.