The Motherhood Partners with University of Pittsburgh on Influencer Symposium, Certification Program

The Motherhood recently partnered with Pitt Business Center for Branding on a full-day workshop titled The Power of Working with Micro-Influencers, and CEO, Cooper Munroe, moderated the brand panel for the event. 

The brand panel delved into several topics, including how influencer marketing has evolved, campaign strategies, and understanding performance data.

How to Find and Successfully Work with an Influencer – Brand Panel

The panel included marketing professionals who shared their perspectives and insights regarding influencer marketing from the brand side. 

We heard from:

• Sammi Cohen, Social Media and Influencer Marketing Manager, BabyBjörn
• Luke Klein, Senior Director Marketing Strategy & Growth, Aerie
• Jessica Jones, Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs & Nutrition, Chicken of the Sea
• Michael Lambie, Head of Global Measurement and Insights, founding team, CreatorIQ

There was a really interesting conversation around the uniqueness of influencer marketing as a way for brands to access real-time community feedback. Not only can influencers share how their audience is reacting to a product/service/brand, they can share their own opinions of the product before content goes live. The panelists mentioned that they have received product feedback from influencers that has informed products moving forward. Influencers know what their audience wants and that is invaluable information to brands.

Takeway: Influencers are at the heart of a social-first strategy and have the power to effect real change.

How Micro-Influencer have Changed Marketing and Branding – Research Panel

The research panel included research professionals who focus on influencer marketing. Research focused on several topic areas such as video performance, persuasion power, streaming and micro vs. macro influencers.

Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, Thomas Marshall Professor of Marketing at the University of Pittsburgh and the Director of the Center for Branding at Pitt Business, Vanitha Swaminathan, moderated the research panel.

We heard from:

• Xian Gu, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Indiana University
• Reto Hofstetter, Full Professor of Marketing, University of Lucerne
• Prashant Rajaram, Assistant Professor, Marketing, Western University

The main discussion centered around why brands should consider influencer marketing – targeting, trust and credibility. The panelists shared that influencer marketing allows brands to target specific audiences that brands may not be able to reach through their own marketing efforts. 

The panelists’ research found that creators are almost as influential as close friends or family members. Not only are influencers a trusted source to their audience, they are credible as they are sharing their stories authentically. 

The panel also addressed the importance of long-term campaigns stating that these types of campaigns allow brands to get out of the transaction cycle since there is more trust between the brand and influencer. 

Takeaway: Research confirms that influencers offer an incredible opportunity for social-first brands to reach audiences in an authentic, trusted way.

What it Takes to Become a Successful Micro-Influencer – Influencer Panel

The creator panel included five local micro-influencers talking about the ins and outs of influencer marketing. They discussed how they approach partnerships and shared valuable insights on what makes a partnership successful.

Merkle Senior Manager, Customer Strategy, Julie Kirsh, moderated the Influencer panel. 

We heard from:

• Valerie Berryman @berryingtheburgh
• Kelly Brennan @kelly_brennan_412
• Anna Hinkle @Anna__Hinkle 
• Sydney Carver Synder @summerwind41490 
• Sarah Weber @thepittsburghweb 

Takeaway: The theme of long-term partnerships continued. All influencers on the panel agreed that they see value in longer term partnerships for themselves and the brand stating that ROI tends to be higher with these types of campaigns.

Hear more from Cooper!

Unlocking Community: How Cooper Munroe’s ‘The Motherhood’ Redefines Connection | RedTree W.E. Talk Podcast

Cooper, alongside Redtree’s CEO and W.E. Talk Podcast host, Meesha Gerhart, explored all things influencer marketing. The conversation kick-off with Cooper highlighting her journey from identifying trends ahead of the curve to establishing a platform harnessing community strength for impactful interactions. 

Reflecting on the initial stages of blogging and the inception of The Motherhood, coinciding with the ascent of social media, Cooper emphasized the transformative influence of empowering individuals, particularly women, on digital platforms, enabling them to shape product development and brand strategies directly.

Listen to the RedTree W.E. Talk podcast here.

TechVibe Radio: Cooper Munroe of the Motherhood

Cooper, recently joined Jonathan Kersting on the Pittsburgh Technology Council podcast, TechVibe Radio, to share insights on the influencer marketing industry. Pittsburgh boasts many firsts, including The Motherhood, one of the world’s earliest influencer marketing agencies. Cooper established the agency almost two decades ago, inspired by the impactful role of blogging during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. 

Listen to the TechVibe Radio podcast here.