SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL - 

Something brands often say they want us to do is create an influencer programme that will engage their fans in an authentic way, that has a "legacy" and builds real love from talent and influencers toward their brand. 

To find influencers to achieve this we use our Influencer Match Tool (tm), our trademarked system that sources Influencers whose values match those of the brand we are working for. We then choose a mix of large scale and micro influencers to engage with.  The micro influencers may have a low following today, but we are ultra confident that in 9 months they will have a huge online following / be a household name. By brands supporting them at this nascent point, four things will happen. First, the influencer will love the brand for supporting them and the fans will too. The cost will also be low and the brand is likely to get better, cheaper deals once the influencer has popped - out of a sense of loyalty.

Yet, over 85% of our recommendations are knocked back. These is the same with bloggers who have low followers but we can see them getting to 200k in a year, or actors like Alicia Vikander who have a slate of huge films lined-up but were not known when we pitch them, or musicians like Disclosure, models like Cara Delevigne. 

Why is this? The cost is low, we have a strong track record and a scientific process related to product pipelines and partnerships that means we can pretty much guarantee these influencers will be household names within a certain period of time.

I think it's because of two reasons. Firstly, marketing team turnover.  What's the point in putting a legacy plan together and building real relationship with influencers if you are going to be in a different role in 18 months - better to go for the sugar rush now and book some likes and engagement during this quarter with some bigger names - even if this strategy doesn't have the same kind of authenticity or long term value for the brand.

Secondly, risk. Your relying on our advice - what if we are wrong - will you look silly for backing the strategy?

Well my answer to this is that you can't afford to not engage. As Millennials become more dominant they will eat alive any company that brand slaps, in fact they will eat alive any influencer who brand slaps - just look at all the negative comments when an influencer does an advertisement that doesn't seem authentic... the period of quick fixes is fast losing its effectiveness. 

The only way for the kind of considered, long term, authentic influencer integration strategies to really be backed by marketing teams is for it to be led from the top down, for the CEO to demand and judge his teams on utilising a more considered, grass roots, authentic influencer engagement programme. Sure brands should still use big influencers to aid message distribution, but for brand love, its micro and real partnerships that count.

So bear this in mind when you look a our new music picks for 2017, they might not have massive followers now, but they will, and the small investment you make today, will repay itself massively.

Dudley Nevill-Spencer - CEO Brand Revolution / The Influencer Group

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IS LONDON LOSING ITS CULTURAL EDGE? BY DUDLEY NEVILL-SPENCER - CEO BRAND REVOLUTION

Imagine if there was no Tinie Tempah and no Adele, at least not in our ears and on our screens, wonderful musicians bringing joy and pleasure to us all - not to mention multiple international awards and the cultural lift they give the UK overseas.

It may sound strange but that might just have been the case if the draconian laws currently shutting down our nightlife venues had been enforced when Adele and Tinnie were cutting their teeth on the club circuit.

Since 2008 no less than 50% of ALL club venues in London have shut - now that’s some figure. Many are because of the after-effects of the banking crisis, and a lot are due to the increase in rent due to our recession defying, Brexit defying rise in property value.

But there are also other reasons why clubs are being shut down. In many parts of the country Councils are falling to pressure from outside interest groups, revoking licenses from clubs who are doing absolutely everything they can to abide by the right laws and processes.

Fabric nightclub is one such case. The recent deaths at Fabric are shocking, but, and this might shock some people, people die taking drugs in Pubs, at Football stadiums, in their homes and at multiple Festivals. Fabric took its policing of banned substance VERY seriously. I know this, as an owner of a member’s bar myself, Lights of Soho, I know the effort, money and time Fabric must have spent on safety and search measures. Their approach to safety was significant for any venue.

The bad old days of venues being havens where dealers operated and the guvnor made money from it are long gone - and thank goodness for that.

So what was the real reason that Fabric was shut down, The Independent* did a nice article a few days ago about the Police' "operation Lenor" (get it – Fabric…Lenor?) Their suggestion was that a cash-strapped council used the Police as pawns and drug legislation as a constant, convenient excuse to harass and close the venue for good.

I can also understand if some Police wanted to shut down a big club on their patch - some - not all, would appreciate the quieter nights that would ensue. And there is no doubt unsavoury things can happen in clubs. However, others on the Force would recognise the value these places bring to our country both culturally and socially.

Clubs are places where the (mostly) young mix and join together to celebrate music, they promote "togetherness" and shun prejudice in a way which is quite unique, giving everyone a common focus to share and enjoy. They have areas which promote down time - "chill zones" - where you meet others, swap stories, share and make friendships, fall in love, create ideas and just celebrate life.

But let's forget about the punter for the moment, let's focus on the artists - let's go back to Tinie and Adele. Both of them cut their teeth performing in London clubs, Adele in Madame Jojo's - pretty much opposite my venue in Soho's Brewer st - and Tinie in multiple clubs such as Jalouse (which now houses TAPE nightclub - a MASSIVE supporter of new Talent) in Hanover Sq.

My PR agency, Brand Revolution, represented Jalouse when Tinie performed there and we even ended up taking him “on tour” with Jalouse to the Cannes film festival (to perform at VIP club) and Ibiza (performing at Blue Marlin).
Unknown in France at the time, it took a lot to persuade the French club owner - Jean Roch - to allow him to perform. Of course when Tinie actually got on-stage he completely blew them away and was the best of the performers at The festival.

Without these places to support emerging artists, without audiences to give them feedback, household names that roll off our tongues today, might not exist.  Everybody wants you when you are a global name, but it's the clubs that that stump up to pay you and take a chance on "the next big thing" when you are nascent, when you don't have a deal or even a big following - and they do this for one reason. They do this as it pays them to pick artists that their crowd will like, regardless of whether they have a label or money behind them. They simply support good talent.

"Lighthouse venues", like Fabric also attract international acts and tourists and give a massive platform to developing artists. If these venues continue to be shut down, the effect on the U.K's cultural output, on our standing in the world, on our attractiveness to tourists and business that engage with U.K culture are severely under threat.

So how about this for an idea. First, let's recognise the value clubs bring to us culturally and socially and ensure its difficult to shut down venues. Let's classify them as venues of "culture" and in high rent areas give them a discount on council rates and VAT, what about a 50% reduction, sounds crazy? Well if we don’t do something like that then all clubs in all cities will end up like the Hacienda in Manchester, which is now a lovely block of 130 apartments. 
It's also exactly what the Government has done in Berlin. Yep, that's right, Berghain **, a massive industrial techno club has been given the same status as other businesses of high culture such as the Theatres and Museums.

It’s been a massive battle, but it seems that in Berlin they realise that these venues are places where people are truly entertained, and that they encourage, fuel and build culture and cohesion within their city. They help make Berlin what it is today.

So Mr Khan, you strike me as a pretty cool chap who wouldn’t mind the odd 2-foot shuffle on the dance floor; I would gladly be the first venue to trial a Berlin type system - my details are below.

For the foreseeable future however, it seems we are moving down this path of the gentrification and destruction of the culture that has made us such an attractive city.

For those who don’t want to see London’s historic culture diluted; see you on the dance floor this weekend.

Dudley Nevill-Spencer CEO and Founder, Brand Revolution & The Influencer Group