How To Succeed With Influencer Created Content Marketing

In November 2016, CNN plunked down a reported 20 millions dollars to purchase Beme, the video-sharing app started by YouTube star Casey Neistat. CNN hoped to fashion it into an independently operated daily online news program that would appeal to today’s digital centric consumer. By January 2018, Neistat was out and the effort became a glaring example of a big content marketing mistake that many brands are making today. Too many companies wrongly assume that that just because a person can make themselves famous though digital content, that they can replicate that fame/success for the company or its brands. To be fair, Neistat made his bones by doing just that for Nike. If you haven’t seen it, click the photo in this post to watch. The story is Nike gave him a big budget to make a movie for their Fuel Band. They wanted something that would bring the tagline — Make it Count — to life. But instead of making their movie, Neistat and a buddy blew the budget on a 10-day around the world vacation, which they filmed of course. Personally, I think the premise was made up… he always intended to create what he created and Nike likely knew that when they gave him the money. If you watch the video, it clearly was shot not as a “hey I’m on vacation” video but to be edited into what is an incredible final product that you not only love but definitely want to share.