The influencer market has been very lucrative for both influencers and brands JEDDAH: Singapore’s AnyMind Group has launched a new influencer marketing service in the Middle East. Founded in April 2016, AnyTag is a platform that allows marketers to hire more than 180,000 influencers for their marketing campaigns — from “micro users” with a small group of followers to top celebrities with over a million. Faisal Al-Ghazzawi, a 30-year-old Saudi fashion influencer with almost 1 million followers, said working with an agency helps influencers link up with the right brands. “I used to be an independent influencer but I (now) work with AQ Agency. They impressed me by knowing all about my brand and have helped me in achieving what I seek from influencing, which is helping my audience make better choices, learn, and hopefully live happy lives,” he said. Al-Ghazzawi said that influencers make money through promoting products, hosting events and by becoming “brand ambassadors.” While some influencers prefer to work alone, Al-Ghazzawi said he enjoyed the collaborative aspect of working with an agency, particularly one that doesn’t “shy away from confrontation.” BACKGROUND Founded in April 2016, AnyTag is a platform that allows marketers to hire more than 180,000 influencers for their marketing campaigns — from “micro users” with a small group of followers to top celebrities with over a million. “These days, almost everyone is a ‘yes man’ — or woman,” he said. “No matter what your request is, good or bad, those yes people will just say yes and, more often than not, it leads to unwanted results.” The influencer market has been very lucrative for both influencers and brands, especially those involved in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. Influencer marketing is expected to be worth $15 billion globally by 2022. A global survey by New York headquartered consultancy firm Duff & Phelps found that in 2021 nearly half the marketers at FMCG companies said they expect to spend 31-50 percent of their total marketing budget on influencers. Duff & Phelps said global average spend on single influencers was $22,151. While Saudi Arabia was not included in the study, average spend in the UAE was lower than the global average at $15,612. The study found that a third of marketers at FMCG companies said their most successful influencer campaign brought in between $250,000-$500,000 worth of sales. However, a quarter of respondents said they suffered a $100,000-$250,000 hit from negative associations with an influencer, while a fifth took an even greater hit —$500,000. “It is vital to vigorously scrutinize who to work with,” the report advised.