Finding the campaign that’s 100% your type on paper

With the Love Island Final looming, we look into how these sexy singles are changing the celebrity market, what it takes to stay relevant after leaving the villa and how they can help boost your brands profile with creative influencer campaigns.

1. Where’s your head at? Understanding the new wave of celebrity and Love island culture.

Could it be the hoards of good looking 20 somethings in swimwear, the blissful hot weather or the blossoming of relationships that keep us tuning in every night for 8 weeks? Truthfully, we don’t know exactly what it is about Love Island that keeps us hooked but hats off to the ITV producers for creating what can only be described as, a popular culture phenomenon. The contestants or ‘Islanders’ are a mix of public applicants and those who are scouted for the show and are looking for love.

From past series, we know they don’t always find love, but they do find instant fame. With the enormous impact of social media, these contestants instantly become followable, something that was missing back in the noughties with shows such as Big Brother and Shipwrecked. At the show’s peak, a mammoth 3.4 Million of us tuned in this season, making it ITV2’s most-watched TV show ever. We are inviting these personalities into our living rooms across the country nightly and are getting to know them.

Gone are the days of the ‘untouchable’ celebrity, there are only a handful of the Mariah’s and Beyonce’s left. The new breed of celebrity is relatable and welcomes us into their world. This joining of worlds is made all the easier with social media. Enter, the social media influencer where it pays to be ‘followed’ and means much more than a trail of paparazzi. This merges perfectly with the world of reality TV stars with 18 of last year’s 32 contestants racking up a combined total of 18.9 Million Instagram followers.

2. Grafting to keep relevant: What are the next steps for the Islanders after leaving the villa?

Another bit of Love Island lingo, ‘Grafting’ is something the Islanders must get used to doing. Outside of the romantic milieu inside the villa the celebrities must learn to graft to stay in the public eye and keep brands interested. The most straightforward way for them to do this is by taking on an experienced management team.

Make sure when picking management that you connect with those that share similar values and know more about you than the fact you were a contestant. Fellow islanders will be in the same position and you don’t want to be competing with them for the same brand of charcoal toothpaste or protein shake. Find management that knows your interests and can pair you with brands you have an affinity with, this will not only do wonders for your bank account but also help shape your image after leaving the villa.

Be nice! It sounds simple but running head-first at fame can be overwhelming and often people can quickly become too big for their boots or believe they must act a certain way. Remember that the easier and nicer you are to work with, the more likely you are to be called in for media appearances and build a platform for consistent work. The tea runner at Channel 4 could end up as a producer on a huge TV show, it pays to be nice!

3. To crack on or to mug off: How to pair the right influencer/Islander with your brand

We previously touched on this above with regards to management but how do you know which of the Islanders is best to hook up with for your brand. It can’t just be as straightforward as the number of followers they have. Though millions of us have been watching and could probably tell you the contestant's foot size and zodiac – not everyone has seen it and are perhaps unaware of how influential they are. That’s where we come in, Champions Celebrity are experts in this field. We differ because we work directly with a brand to find out their aims and values before putting forward a celebrity. We have no quota to fill on each celebrity, we will only put forward those to you that will be relevant and effective. This is the same when it comes to a celebrity, we won’t just pair you up with any brand for a quick quid, everything put to you is carefully considered and in line with your image. We make sure all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed.

4. All your eggs in one basket: How can an influencer campaign drive sales and boost brand exposure

ITV showcases their influence with the show perfectly by placing catchphrases such as ‘pied’ or ‘my type on paper’ throughout the villa to create marketing hooks. Not only is this ingrained in the contestants to repeat but is subsequently introduced to the viewer's vocabulary. ITV capitalise on this with major brand companies joining the Love Island community, e.g. Primark with their catchy t-shirts and accessories.

Masses of brands want to be associated with Love Island fever. A way for clothing companies or low-cost products to measure sales and effectiveness is by using a discount code. Influencers can include a discount code in their content that their followers can use, meaning the brand can collect data on the effectiveness of the influencer on sales and awareness. Influencers are key to raising brand exposure, awareness and credibility, utilising their social feeds to create ‘touchpoints’ with the user so they stick in their head as good products.

Celebrity and Influencer Management

For Love Island news or information on celebrity influencer marketing, celebrity partnerships and celebrity management, please contact talent.agent@championsukplc.com or call 0203 9580 389 to speak to a member of the team who will work with you to get results and quality names associated with your brand. In this blog, we would also like to pay tribute to former Love Island contestant, the late Sophie Gradon and her partner Aaron Armstrong. Help and support is available right now if you need it. You don't have to struggle with difficult feelings alone. Please contact The Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK) or 116 123 (ROI) for any advice. https://www.samaritans.org/