Digital communication has displaced much of the traditional correspondence of yesteryear. Instead of postcards, we now share our travels through Instagram Stories. And where we would once stand on streets handing out flyers, we now publicize the event on Facebook. This upgraded mode of interaction has even extended to fan mail. Gone are the days of getting out your fanciest stationary to write to Paul McCartney: you can now text him! When Jennifer Lopez first posted her phone number on Instagram, many were ready to write it off as social media hacking. But, this wasn’t the case; and Jennifer Lopez wasn’t the only celebrity to broadcast their number.a
Why, then, has this become a widespread practice among celebrities?
These celebrities are not circulating their phone numbers for the fun of it. Rather, they’re doing so for personal branding reasons. In an effort to illustrate themselves as approachable, they utilize the messaging platform, Community.
Community assigns each celebrity a phone number which fans can text. Celebrities receive texts in their inbox and can either respond individually or send automated messages. By deeming themselves as reachable via text, celebrities are leaning into millennial-style marketing. This is defined as a personal approach to marketing.
As described on the ThriveHive blog, “the strategy here is that of engaging current and potential customers using themes that are familiar or important to them, creating relationships that blur the lines of professionalism.” Millennial-style marketing has even been picked up by prominent companies such as Netflix. On their social media accounts, Netflix regularly posts memes that relate to their latest productions. In doing so, they promote their movies and shows in a subtle fashion.
Consumers are more resistant to advertisements when they can smell the company’s desperation. If the viewers feel like the company is trying to sell them a product or service, they’ll likely disengage. It’s the classic pushback ingrained in us since teenagehood: “don’t tell me what to do, mom.”
Netflix curtails this mindset by using humor and memes, which have become a staple in millennial culture
In this way, Netflix relates to their audience, allowing followers to feel more like a comrade than a client. Celebrities disseminate their phone numbers for this same relatability factor. Fans will then view these celebrities as one of the many friends they text. So, when these singers, actors, and YouTubers release content, the fans they’ve corresponded with will be more inclined to purchase that content. After all, who doesn’t want to support their friend’s creative work? Using influencers to promote products is the most recognizable form of millennial-style marketing. It’s a byproduct of the “real people, not actors” phenomenon. It feels more honest when Instagram influencers affirm a product’s quality.
Both actors in TV spots and social media influencers can say “this product is amazing,” but the former is reading off a script while the latter is speaking as one of us: the users. Influencer marketing is not limited to testimonial-style videos. In fact, many companies rely on product placement. When one influencer posted a video of her workout routine, numerous Fiji water bottles were spotted in the background.
Fiji initiated this partnership because the Fiji product fits the context of this video. Plus, this post will reach the fitness enthusiast demographic, who will now consider buying Fiji water for their workouts.
