Influence That Lasts: Brand Building In The Era of Social Media
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The rise of social media has transformed the brand marketing landscape over the last decade. Traditional tactics like catchy slogans and high-budget campaigns are no longer enough. Today, long-term growth is driven by a brand’s ability to foster community, cultivate authentic connections, and stay meaningfully engaged with its audience.
That’s exactly what we unpacked in our latest webinar, Influence That Lasts: Building Brand in the Social Media Era, with influencer marketing experts Lindsey Gamble and Lauren Ludlow. From future-proofing your brand to creating content that actually resonates, we explored how top brands are evolving their strategies to build lasting brand equity through influencer partnerships and social-first storytelling.
If you missed the live discussion, keep reading for the key takeaways, or watch the full webinar on demand.
Brand identity starts on social
In a world where cultural relevance matters more than product features, social media has become the foundation of brand identity. As Lindsey pointed out, it’s where consumers are most influenced, whether by close friends, trusted creators, or trending content. These everyday touchpoints shape how people perceive and connect with brands.
Lauren echoed this idea, highlighting e.l.f. Beauty’s recent acquisition of Hailey Bieber’s Rhode as a clear signal of how modern brand equity is built. Brands like e.l.f. and Rhode succeed not just because they’re visible, but because they feel relatable. They earn trust by activating affiliate partners, engaging their communities in fresh ways, and consistently showing up where their audiences are most active.
But visibility alone isn’t enough. Virality may spark attention, but it doesn’t build loyalty. The brands that endure are the ones that are consistently present, aligned with their values, and committed to fostering real connection. To build a brand that lasts, marketers must focus on relevance over reach, and show up in ways that reflect the voice, values, and culture of their audience.
Creators are collaborators, not just content channels
The most impactful influencer partnerships today extend far beyond one-off posts or product placements. Instead, they extend into true co-creation. As Lindsey explained, the most forward-thinking brands are bringing creators into the fold early — during product development, strategy sessions, and even internal brainstorming.
Lauren reinforced the importance of this approach, recalling her time managing Sephora Squad: “We actually built in service hours into our year-long creator contracts. We wanted their feedback. We wanted them in the room to help shape campaigns, not just post about them after the fact.”
This kind of collaboration goes beyond a transactional relationship — it signals trust. By involving creators early, brands gain access to real-time consumer insight, cultural intuition, and creative direction that’s rooted in lived experience. These creators know their audience better than anyone, and they know what will resonate. Brands that treat them as partners (not just paid channels) build stronger creative, tighter community alignment, and more sustainable, long-term brand value.
Be flexible with ambassador programs
The ambassador model is far from dead, but it does need an upgrade. Lauren, who helped build programs like Sephora Squad and Broadway Direct, made it clear that rigidity is a killer: “The value of ambassadorships comes from repetition with variation. If every monthly post says ‘shop now,’ it gets stale for both the creator and their audience. The key is evolving the story and giving creators freedom.”
Lindsey added that not every creator needs a year-long contract, especially as we navigate uncertain times. In fact, one of his longest-running brand relationships lasted over two years without a formal ambassador deal — just smart, recurring activations that aligned with both parties.
In short, modern ambassador program should feel exclusive and strategic. For example, brands like DICK’S Sporting Goods are blending internal teams and creators in “co-branded” ambassador models, giving the program a more authentic, community-first feel.
Move beyond last-click attribution to measure success
If you’re relying solely on clicks and discount codes to measure influencer marketing success, you’re likely missing the full picture. Today’s customer journey is anything but linear, and the impact of influencer content often shows up well beyond the initial swipe-up.
Lindsey’s advice: leverage post-purchase surveys. Simply asking customers how they discovered your brand — ideally with the option to select specific creators — can uncover attribution that gets lost in traditional tracking. Consumers often see a product on social media but complete their purchase days later, through different channels. Just because they didn’t click a link doesn’t mean the creator didn’t influence the sale.
Marketers should also look beyond direct conversions to broader indicators of success. Are you seeing an increase in branded search volume? A lift in website traffic or Amazon sales? These are all signs that influencer campaigns are doing their job to spark interest and drive consideration across the funnel.
Engagement metrics are evolving too. As Lauren pointed out, the way users interact with content is shifting. Likes are down. Saves, shares, and silent consumption are up. The key is to benchmark your data, track trends over time, and stay consistent in how you measure progress.
Lastly, explore creator storefronts with tools like Aspire’s CreatorStores. Giving influencers their own curated pages on your website not only helps with tracking performance, but it also brings them deeper into your brand experience, increasing loyalty and making it easier for fans to shop through recommendations they trust.
The bottom line: measurement should reflect the full impact of influencer marketing, not just the last click.
