Big Brother, Jägermeister and the culture clash: The elevator to the top

Before we begin this blog I just want to thank you all for the reception on my blog series so far.

The fact this blog was used as inspiration for a series of pub quiz questions and my name (well fake one) was an answer has truly humbled me.

Thank you Lacrosse team!

Anyways today marks the day where the blog begins its descent into chaos. I love chaos.

A lot of you probably wonder how influencers make money. Especially micro influencers like myself. Well aside from being a half decent promoter for late night venues my work as a brand ambassador essentially helped me pay my way through second year.

To this date I have worked as a brand ambassador for Jägermeister, Nido student living, Swipii, Art Fund, Smash burger and Amazon Prime.

These campaigns varied from days to months. I am still technically employed by one. Each campaign is different and some had larger social media elements than others.

Some required Instagram stories which disappeared within 24 hours and had no need to be archived
whereas some like my work with Jägermeister and Art Fund have physical posts that can still be seen on my Instagram today!

Visiting Belfast as part of Art Fund.

A promotional post for Jager.

My previous blog posts detail important parts of the journey to make it into the BNOC lifestyle. Discussing good social gameplay and of course the all important brand identity. Two things agencies and production companies care about deeply. I say production companies because my first step into BNOC territory was of course...

Big Brother

Only a small portion of people really know about this experience because at the time I had to keep it a secret and then by the time I could actually talk about it I had actually put the whole experience behind me. In 2018 I auditioned for Big Brother and was invited to a casting day where I competed against other hopeful housemates to gain a spot in the house. I made it to the end of the day but in 2018 Big Brother changed the filming dates due to competition from Love Island and because of university I did not go onto the final show. If I was selected chances are I would have given up a year of university to be eliminated in the first week.

I have sat in the big brother chair though and I would definitely say the experience taught me how to effectively sell myself. I was up against people who had amazing life stories and at nineteen years old barely into my first year at university I was able to stand out and impress producers.

Although my audition video makes me cringe to bits I thought you would all enjoy it. I've clearly changed a lot in the almost two years since. However apparently my taste for chaos has not.

Click to go to the cringiest video in the universe

Since Big Brother I also had a small appearance on club rep wars when I did my season abroad and last month I participated as a mock contestant on a show awaiting green lighting. 

Pay to Influence

The frustrating thing about being a millennial these days is how competitive the job market is. Gone are the days of when entry level jobs just required a degree. Nowadays you need experience. Before I landed my first decent job as a brand ambassador that paid well I did some what I like to call "Fakefluencing".

In a previous blog post I discussed these small clothing companies that comment on Instagram profiles asking you to be a brand ambassador. You get a discount on their clothes which you buy then attempt to sell to your followers for a commission which is pretty much non-existent. Essentially their business model relies on ego boosting, these clothing companies have thousands of "Ambassadors" and the reason they make money is because the "Ambassadors" are the ones buying the products not the people they are attempting to influence.

I did two of these companies, "Halifornia" and "L.A Saints". All while knowing I wasn't going to actually sell their products. I chose the cheapest t shirts, wore them in a few Instagram stories, got some emails for evidence and then bang I'm technically a "Brand Ambassador". There's that "entry level" experience that the real companies want.

I'm wearing Halifornia merchandise here.

Student Influencers

In a world where university is almost expected student influencers and "studytubers" were bound to make an appearance eventually. More people attend university now than ever.

Which is where student marketing agencies come in. These "experts" have links to university campuses and influential students. Companies come to them and they collaborate. The agencies choose students from selected universities, they receive training and of they go into the world of influencing.

I got my first student brand ambassador job on my second try. I was rejected from Sailor Jerry but the same agency offered me Jagermeister a few months later. Before Jagermeister I was offered another role but I didn't feel like the brand fit me. The application process for these jobs normally consists of an application form, a phone interview, a video application, a skype call and sometimes even an assessment day. 

It's long but if you make it you get pretty much the coolest job on campus.

Once I got Jagermeister a lot of doors opened for me and I applied through other agencies and sometimes agencies even approached me.

Here is a link to a student marketing agency which I feel offers the best campaigns and treats their student influencers well. 

https://www.seedmarketingagency.com/

The Sell Out

I am definitely one to admit my own mistakes. Previously I mentioned that I did not take a campaign due to the fact I didn't feel the brand fit me. Unfortunately this attitude did not stick.

This year I participated in a campaign where there was a high monetary reward and the opportunity to travel. While I did enjoy my time on the campaign the brand I was representing and selling to my following was not something that really resonated with me and my brand identity.

What I was met with by the end of the campaign was extremely low engagement rates on my social media profiles. Something that took around two months to recover from.

I betrayed my following and attempted to sell something that wasn't on brand with Nairn King and suffered the consequences.

I have learned my lesson and it's an important one to learn. Keep your integrity and stay loyal to your following at the end of the day they are ones who are truly in control of your social success.

My engagement rates before selling out.

My engagement rates after selling out.

So there you have it. A guide on how I got all my jobs as an ambassador from my BNOC status.

Next week I will be releasing my final blog where I will discuss the realities of campus fame and how to cope with life off of and after campus.

May the odds of campus fame be ever in your favour.

Nairn King.