by Jess Treasure, Head of Strategy
I have been ‘influenced’ multiple times, particularly since having kids. I turn to mummy-influencers for tips on just about everything, and always (well pretty much always) do what they tell me to do!
But I must admit when I saw the headline that tennis pro Taylor Fritz’s influencer girlfriend Morgan Riddle earned more (reportedly $498,000) over the Australian Open than Taylor’s $480,000 payout after his fourth-round exit, I was both impressed and surprised in equal measure.
But it makes sense.
We are living in a permacrisis.
Trust and confidence in governments and political systems are in significant decline.
Brits are feeling a growing sense of divide, with 2 in 5 missing the feeling of looking out for each other, as they did during the pandemic.
We are seeking out connection and a sense of belonging, that we can’t seem to find in our communities.
That’s the gap influencers are fulfilling in people’s lives.
Brands that are harnessing this most effectively are reaping the rewards, data from the IPA research (2025) found that influencer marketing has the highest long-term multiplier across all channels (albeit off a small base) at 3.37 vs. TV’s 3.27. Impressive, if you get it right, but a lot are still getting it very wrong. Most brands don’t have the budget to keep getting it wrong.
As an industry we must build on the IPA’s research so we are able to apply the same rigour and consistency to influencer marketing that we do to other ATL channels, enabling it to become a credible contender rather than a nice-to-have. Because it’s not going away, so let’s get it right.
(Source: Bountiful Cow QT 2025, IPA October 2025)
