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The future of influencer marketing is offline and hyper-niche

As digital marketing costs rise and follower count becomes less significant, progressive brands are swapping traditional product placements for physical activations with post-platform communities.
Hugo Comte with Ibrahim Kamara at their exhibition “Testament” in Paris.
Hugo Comte with Ibrahim Kamara at their exhibition “Testament” in Paris.Photo: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

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Buoyed by the continued popularity of TikTok (despite a potential US ban), new social commerce capabilities and increasingly data-driven campaigns, the creator economy is estimated to be worth over $100 billion. But, the old playbook of paid product placements with celebrity influencers is falling out of favour, as digital marketing costs rise and consumers grow wary of sponcon.