We kicked off with a selection of discoveries from our upcoming Currency Report. The findings served to set the stage for the illuminating discussion that followed. We then invited a dream team of experts to join us. The panel, comprised of Nellie Eden, co-founder of BabyFace, Nic Yeeles founder of Peg.co, creative director Kazim Rashid and Alex Synamatix, co-founder of The Daily Street all brought differing, but no less insightful views to the table as we placed a lens over the growing power of social currency.

Many brands reach out to influencers in the hope of simply purchasing their audience, it was a common consensus that this kind of inauthentic union should be avoided at all costs,

An influencer's number one priority should always be their integrity - Alex Synamatix

When you're doing a brand collaboration, always ask yourself what's in it for the influencer - Nic Yeeles

Despite the acknowledgement that Social Influencers were an incredibly powerful tool for brands to utilise, the importance of offline influencers and activation was made explicit by some on our panel.

The continuing conversation ranged from inauthentic product placement and the harmful affects this can have on a vulnerable audiences, to how YouTube subscription metrics are useless in terms of gauging success to what situations need to exist to engender a win-win collaboration between brand and influencer.

The currency of offline activity is still really high - Kazim Rashid

When it comes to subcultures, the problem with being a brand is that you're often going to be on the outside looking in - Nellie Eden

Key Takeouts

  • An alignment of values results in authentic content
  • If you want to create awareness consider going for big reach. For affinity, consider grass roots choices that fit the context of the brand.
  • Don't forget that authenticity is rooted in real life, it's not just online that's of value.

Listen to five minutes of highlights from the forum here: