www.kornferry.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.66.224  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

/seachresult

<form id="searchNavMobile" class="searchBarForm d-flex align-center" action="/seachresult">
  <span class="searchIcon"><i class="fas fa-search" aria-hidden="true"></i></span>
  <input id="searchNavInput" name="query" type="text" class="searchBar" placeholder="Search our insights, capabilities and experts" aria-label="Search" aria-describedby="Search" autocomplete="off">
</form>

Text Content

en

Skip to main content
 * Insights
   
   
    * MAIN MENU
      
      INSIGHTS
   
    * Insights
      
      
      * INSIGHTS MENU
        
        INSIGHTS
      
      * AI in the Workplace
      * Leadership
      * Pay Transparency
      * Future of Work
      * Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      * People, Planet & Profit
      * Organizational Transformation
      * Talent Recruitment
      * Interim Talent
      * Employee Experience
      * Workforce Management
      * Attrition & Retention
      * Sales Transformation
   
   
    * * INSIGHTS MENU
        
        
      
      * Korn Ferry Institute
        
        Thought leadership, research and data to unlock your organization’s
        potential.
      
      * This Week in Leadership
        
        Recent articles reported by our team on important business-news
        developments.
      
      * Briefings Magazine
        
        Our national magazine featuring long and short form features. Plus, a
        regular podcast diving into leadership issues.
      
      * Briefings for the Boardroom
        
        Our look at pressing problems and solutions for board directors.
      
      * Perspectives
        
        Engaging articles centered on business issues our clients have tackled.
      
      * Special Edition
        
        Weekly leadership messages from our CEO Gary Burnison, capturing the
        mood and the moment with storytelling and insights.

 * Expertise
   We help you…
   
   
    * MAIN MENU
      
      EXPERTISE
   
    * Lead Through Change
      
      Unleashing potential in your teams and organization starts with you.
   
    * Transform for Growth
      
      Potential can't be unleashed without the supporting structures, skillsets
      and culture.
   
    * Find and Keep Top Talent
      
      You can hire people with high potential but unless they’re engaged, you
      won’t be able to maximize it.

 * Solutions
   
   
    * MAIN MENU
      
      SOLUTIONS
   
    * Capabilities
      
      
      * SOLUTIONS MENU
        
        CAPABILITIES
      
      * Organization Strategy
      * Total Rewards
      * Assessment & Succession
      * Talent Acquisition
      * Leadership & Professional Development
    * Featured Solutions
      
      
      * SOLUTIONS MENU
        
        FEATURED SOLUTIONS
      
      * Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      * ESG & Sustainability
      * Sales Effectiveness
      * Workforce Transformation
      * Cost Optimization
      * Career Transition & Outplacement
      * Customer Experience
      * Talent Management
      * Training & Certification
    * Products
      
      
      * SOLUTIONS MENU
        
        PRODUCTS
      
      * Talent Suite Overview
      * Korn Ferry Architect
      * Korn Ferry Assess
      * Korn Ferry Listen
      * Korn Ferry Pay
      * Korn Ferry Sell
      * Talent Suite Resources
    * Industries
      
      
      * SOLUTIONS MENU
        
        INDUSTRIES
      
      * Consumer Markets
      * Financial Services
      * Healthcare
      * Life Sciences
      * Industrial
      * Technology
      * Government & Public Services
    * Functions
      
      
      * SOLUTIONS MENU
        
        FUNCTIONS
      
      * Board & CEO Services
      * Accounting
      * Corporate Affairs
      * Cybersecurity
      * Digital & Technology
      * Finance
      * Human Resources
      * Legal
      * Marketing
      * Risk Management
      * Sales
      * Supply Chain
      * Sustainability

 * Careers
   
   
    * MAIN MENU
      
      CAREERS
   
    * Jobs with Our Clients
      
      
      * CAREERS MENU
        
        JOBS WITH OUR CLIENTS
      
      * Permanent Roles
      * Interim Positions
    * Advance Your Career
      
      
      * CAREERS MENU
        
        ADVANCE YOUR CAREER
      
      * Career Coaching
      * Career Assessment
      * Resume Architect
      * Skills Development
      * Interview Prep
    * Join Korn Ferry
      
      
      * CAREERS MENU
        
        JOIN KORN FERRY
      
      * Our Culture
      * Experienced Opportunities
      * Early Careers
      * Become a Coach
      * Talent Community

 * About
   
   
    * MAIN MENU
      
      ABOUT
   
    * Our Story
    * Find a Consultant
    * Find an Office
    * Business Impact
    * ESG Impact
    * Investor Relations
    * Events & Webinars
    * Partnerships
    * Press Releases
    * Korn Ferry Tour
    * Korn Ferry Foundation

 * Investors
 * Contact

en

 * English | en
 * Spanish | ES
 * French | FR
 * German | DE
 * Portuguese | PT
 * Chinese | ZH
 * Japanese | JA

 * SAVED
 * 
 * 

Influencers… Losing Influence?

Back to top



INFLUENCERS… LOSING INFLUENCE?

Social influencers’ power in business is on the wane as marketing tactics
increasingly veer toward other advertising venues.


Home
 1. Insights
 2. This Week In Leadership

FOR MORE EXPERT INSIGHTS

Peri Hansen

Senior Client Partner, Sector Leader, Consumer Products, North America, Leader,
Marketing Officers Practice, North America

Renee Whalen

Market Leader, North America, Consumer

It was an easy way for firms to promote their brands or services: Grab a bunch
of influencers. And finding a new source of income—if not a new career—was great
for legions of those influencers.

But as a form of marketing, social influence may be quietly waning, a surprise
development given how important influencers remain in other arenas. In a recent
ranking of 2025 marketing-budget spends, social influencers and related events
fell on the priority list from fourth and sixth place, respectively, in 2024 to
eight and tenth place in 2025, displaced by niche marketing efforts like ads in
digital trade journals and advertising at webinar events. “The mass appeal of
influencers is no longer as impactful,” says Peri Z. Hansen, sector leader in
consumer products for North America at Korn Ferry.

To be sure, data on marketing budgets varies from survey to survey, and
sometimes within those surveys. But consumers’ trust in social influencers is
flagging. A 2023 survey of 1,000 US consumers found that just 12% were inclined
to purchase a product pushed by an influencer; meanwhile, 90% were willing to
buy products recommended by other online users, or by friends and family. Many
consumers are simply experiencing influencer overload. “The sheer number of
influencers matters,” says Hansen. “In a sea of voices, how can customers
distinguish which are just looking for a payday?”

Experts say that marketers are increasingly weary of tying their brands to human
beings. While those collaborations go positively more often than not, a string
of incidents involving illegal or outrageous behavior by influencers and brand
ambassadors has led marketers to rethink their calculus. “From a risk
perspective, when your brand is tied to an influencer, you’ve got less control,”
says Renee Whalen, North America consumer market leader at Korn Ferry. If an
influencer gets cancelled, products associated with them can also be
cancelled—virtually overnight.

Even if the influencer behaves faultlessly, their current and past affiliations,
as consumers increasingly dig into them, can cause trouble. “Savvy consumers are
doing their own due diligence,” says Hansen. This can lead to suboptimal
outcomes for brands in a variety of ways, such as customers discovering an
influencer’s flimsy credentials or unearthing a decades-old problematic
statement.

Marketers are certainly not abandoning influencers, many of whom hold firm sway
over audiences in the tens of millions. Tying brands to internet-famous faces
still allows firms to quickly tap into consumer spheres, and potentially grow
customer bases swiftly. Yet marketers are shifting toward investments with
dependably higher ROIs. For example, firms are increasingly attracted to
customization, in which ads are tailored to individuals’ demographics and
preferences. “Marketers are still figuring it all out—it’s early days,” says
Whalen.

Experts note that one category of influencer is likely to continue receiving ad
dollars: experts who educate consumers long-term on niche topics like fitness,
nutrition, home care, and family life. “Influencers who are providing the tools
with which consumers can shape their experiences inspire more trust,” says
Hansen.

 

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s Consumer Markets capabilities.

Read more This Week in Leadership articles

RELATED ARTICLES

 * The 2024 Essentials
 * Essentials: The Job-Market Frenzy


INSIGHTS TO YOUR INBOX

Stay on top of the latest leadership news with This Week in Leadership—delivered
weekly and straight into your inbox.

Subscribe


RECENT ARTICLES

 * Weekly Summary
   
   THE 2024 ESSENTIALS
   
   The biggest stories and insights on the job market, the new-look office, AI,
   and more.
   
    * Read more

 * This Week in Leadership
   
   ESSENTIALS: THE JOB-MARKET FRENZY
   
   Unemployment is still low, but finding a job—or filling one—is taking an
   increasingly long time.
   
    * Read more

 * This Week in Leadership
   
   ESSENTIALS: LEADERSHIP, THE 2024 VERSION
   
   Every year is different for those at the top. We looked at how leaders
   grappled with change in a tough year.
   
    * Read more

 * This Week in Leadership
   
   ESSENTIALS: TECHNOLOGY TURMOIL
   
   AI is alienating many employees, but that’s not the only technology-related
   trouble leaders faced this year.
   
    * Read more


 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

 * Capabilities
 * Business Transformation
 * Organization Strategy
 * Total Rewards
 * Assessment & Succession
 * Talent Acquisition
 * Leadership & Professional Development

 * Industries
 * Consumer Markets
 * Financial Services
 * Healthcare & Life Sciences
 * Industrial
 * Technology
 * Specialties

 * Functions
 * Board & CEO Services
 * Accounting
 * Corporate Affairs
 * Cybersecurity
 * FInancial Services
 * Human Resources
 * Information Technology
 * Legal
 * Marketing
 * Risk Management
 * Sales
 * Supply Chain
 * Sustainability

 * Products
 * Talent Suite Overview
 * Korn Ferry Architect
 * Korn Ferry Assess
 * Korn Ferry Listen
 * Korn Ferry Pay
 * Korn Ferry Sell

 * Careers
 * Jobs with our clients
 * Advance your career
 * Join Korn Ferry

 * About
 * Our story
 * Find a consultant
 * Find an office
 * Business impact
 * ESG impact
 * Investor relations
 * Press releases

© 2024 Korn Ferry. All rights reserved.

 * Contact
 * Store
 * Subscribe
 * Terms
 * Privacy
 * Cookies
 * Cookie Settings
 * Do Not Sell My Info

en

 * English | en
 * Spanish | ES
 * French | FR
 * German | DE
 * Portuguese | PT
 * Chinese | ZH
 * Japanese | JA

Cookie Settings


By clicking "Accept All Cookies," you agree to the storing of cookies on your
device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our
marketing efforts.
Accept AllReject AllCookie Preferences

Privacy Settings
When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your
browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you,
your preferences, or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you
expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can
give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to
privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Read about the
different categories to find out more and change our default settings. However,
blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the
services we are able to offer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All
information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you
do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and
will not be able to monitor its performance.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Functional Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some
or all of these services may not function properly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Targeting cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may
be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal
information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted
advertising.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save
Cancel