Influencers drive highest long-term ROI among all media channels, report

Influencer marketing delivers commercial returns comparable to other media channels in the short term and significantly stronger performance over time, according to new data released by the IPA at its Effectiveness Conference.

The findings come from the industry’s first cross-sector Influencer Database, analysing 220 campaigns from 144 brands across 36 sectors and 28 markets, representing over £133 million in influencer spend. The initiative, led by Jane Christian, EVP Analytics, WPP Media and member of the IPA Effectiveness Leadership Group, offers the most comprehensive assessment yet of influencer marketing’s business impact.

Influencers match other channels in short-term ROI

The analysis shows influencer marketing achieves a short-term ROI index of 99, closely aligned with the all-channel average of 100. Influencers contribute 4.5 percent of short-term sales, compared with 32 percent for linear TV. However, their ROI index is almost identical to TV (99 versus 97) and higher than paid social (99 versus 86).

Globally, short-term ROI results are consistent with overall channel averages, reinforcing the view that influencer campaigns can perform on par with established media investments.

Long-term impact surpasses other media channels

Over time, influencer marketing outperforms all other channels in the UK with a long-term ROI index of 151 and a sales contribution of 6.2 percent. This places influencer activity well ahead of paid social, which registers a long-term ROI index of 77.

The study also highlights that influencer marketing has the strongest long-term multiplier of any medium at 3.35, followed by linear TV at 3.27.

Creative alignment drives performance

Results indicate that ROI variability across influencer campaigns is wide, with limited correlation to media optimisation factors such as spend levels. Instead, success is most influenced by the quality of content and the alignment between brand and influencer.

Dominic Charles, Managing Director, Audience Intelligence & Marketing Science, Wavemaker: "Influencer marketing has seen exponential growth over the past couple of years but we've been lacking a robust view of how they perform and how they stack up against other media channels. This study, for the first time, gives us a really clear view that influencers can hold their own relative to other channels and, particularly in the longer term, are a highly effective source of growth for brands, particularly when brands are able to maximise the synergistic relationship between brand, creator and their audience. It's also a really powerful example of what happens when we come together as an industry to drive better outcomes for clients, as something like this is only possible thanks to the collaboration of the agencies involved."

Laurence Green, Director of Effectiveness, IPA: "This is a landmark moment for Influencer Marketing. For the first time, we have comprehensive, cross-industry evidence that shows influencer campaigns can deliver real commercial impact, not just in the short term, but over the long haul. The standout finding from this first dataset is the strength of long-term ROI and the obvious creative opportunity. With the right influencer-brand fit and powerful ideas, influencer marketing has the potential to punch well above its weight. While it’s still early days, and we need to build further evidence, this data gives marketers a far firmer footing for investment and creative ambition alike."

www.ipa.co.uk

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