MANILA, PHILIPPINES – In today’s digital landscape where authenticity and personal connections are greatly valued, influencer marketing has become an indispensable strategy for brands seeking meaningful engagement with their audiences. The move towards genuine, relatable content was so impactful that Merriam-Webster named “authentic” as its Word of the Year for 2023. This trend is expected to maintain its prominence in the current year, further emphasizing the importance of authenticity in digital marketing strategies.
Recognizing this, NYMA, the talent management arm of KROMA Entertainment, has embraced influencer marketing as a core offering. They understand how influencers can help brands connect deeply with their audiences, creating meaningful partnerships that tell impactful stories.
Kat Bautista, General Manager of NYMA
“At NYMA, we’re committed to driving success for our clients through innovative influencer marketing strategies. We believe that the future of marketing lies in authentic, meaningful connections, and we’re here to help businesses make those connections,” said Kat Bautista, General Manager of NYMA.
NYMA began its journey as a talent management agency driven by a vision to nurture emerging talents in the digital space. Today, they have seized the opportunity to expand their services, having a separate influencer management group from those that look after talents, in response to the evolving needs of brands. NYMA’s influencer roster spans various niches and diverse voices, including basketball player CJ Cansino, beauty and music content creator Janina Vela, and viral food vlogger Jujumao. This expansion underscores NYMA’s unwavering commitment to innovation and passion for influencer marketing.
Harnessing the power of influencers for brand success
Influencers hold substantial sway in the Philippines, one of the world’s most socially connected countries. A 2023 Rakuten Insight survey revealed that approximately 86% of Filipino social media users follow at least one influencer—a statistic far exceeding the global average of 22.6%.
Rouella Chan, Head of NYMA’s Influencer Management Arm
“Brands can tap into this influence to reach new heights,” states Rouella Chan, Head of NYMA’s Influencer Management arm. “Through strategic partnerships with influencers, they can connect with consumers, gain their trust, and benefit from creative perspectives. This also helps brands remain relevant, particularly with millennials and Gen Z who primarily rely on social media for information and recommendations.”
NYMA understands that each client has unique needs. From the onset of every campaign, they focus on understanding each client’s goals, target market, and overall marketing objectives. “When our clients come to us, we help them clarify their overall vision and help them set clear, attainable goals,” said Chan, who has been in the entertainment business for nearly a decade.
To ensure relevance, they also conduct a detailed analysis of their client’s target audience, encompassing demographics, interests, and preferences. Chan explained, “We select influencers whose fan base closely mirrors the target audience. We also maintain a balanced mix of micro and macro influencers and celebrities to provide a varied reach from niche to broad.”
One of NYMA’s milestone campaigns was with a major international entertainment business in 2023. “We designed a strategy for the premiere of one of their flagship programs that utilized an ecosystem of influencers to penetrate a niche audience of millennials and Gen Z who are into adventure, fantasy, and science fiction,” Chan said. “Capitalizing on their collective influence and encouraging cross-promotion of content, we significantly amplified the campaign’s reach and impressions. This boosted the brand’s visibility in the country.”
Beyond providing clients with impactful influencers, NYMA uses proprietary tools to monitor key metrics across all campaigns and platforms. This ensures business success and offers valuable insights for future strategy optimization.
Building trust and ensuring authenticity
As the landscape of influencer marketing evolves, maintaining trust among influencers, brands, and their target audience is more critical than ever. The rise of short-form videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram and an increased demand for authenticity have reshaped the industry. “Audiences are increasingly looking for authenticity, favoring real content over staged content,” Chan notes.
NYMA takes a strategic approach to matching brands with influencers whose values align with theirs, ensuring that endorsements are authentic and resonate with audiences.
But the authenticity doesn’t stop there. Chan said that NYMA believes in creative freedom. The company encourages brands to allow influencers to showcase their products or services in a way that fits their unique style. Overly scripted or rigid content can often come across as inauthentic, which can harm the influencer’s credibility and the brand’s image. By empowering influencers to create content that is true to their voice, NYMA ensures a more authentic and effective influencer marketing strategy.
The future of influencer marketing
NYMA has adapted to current industry trends and changes but has their sights set on the future. They anticipate a growing reliance on data-driven strategies and long-term partnerships between brands and influencers in 2024. With AI set to play a more significant role in content creation, NYMA remains committed to ensuring content authenticity.
Bautista and Chan, deep in discussion about the future of NYMA’s talent and influencer lineup.
Under Bautista’s visionary leadership, NYMA plans to scale their team and influencer base to meet increasing demand. “Our overarching goal is to act as a catalyst, bridging the gap in discoverability and fostering mutually beneficial relationships within our dynamic ecosystem.”