Australian influencer platform Social Soup has launched full-service solution Soup Pro, a newly created division designed to lead the way brands and professional creators work together.
As the influencer marketing industry matures, brands are seeing the effectiveness and ROI of influencer marketing and redirecting their budgets with predicted global spend on this marketing channel of $13.8 billion in 2021, according to Influencer Marketing Hub’s, The State of Influencer Marketing 2021: Benchmark Report.
Soup Pro offers a full-service solution with expertise in building strategic, bespoke partnerships that connect brands and creators with authority in their target audience, and who create “world-class, multi-platform content that delivers positive impact for both brands and society”, Social Soup claims.
With LG as a key foundational client, Soup Pro and LG have forged a strong partnership for 2021.
LG Electronics marketing director Gemma Lemieux said: “As influence continues to play a key role in how we will shape the LG brand we’re excited to be working ongoing with the Soup Pro team and have seen impactful results working in partnership with a highly matched set of expert influencers.”
Soup Pro will be the first agency in Australia to utilise best-in-class technology to power performance-driven creator partnerships and campaigns with integrated amplification options in real-time.
Through this approach, Soup Pro aims to achieve targeted actual reach, engagement and advocacy in new and exciting ways, with intelligent, in-depth reporting for ultimate transparency.
Social Soup chief executive Sharyn Smith said: “Influencers are now working in a professional capacity as extensions of brands with large budgets that require strategic thinking and implementation while managing strict content approvals and legal requirements, exclusivity, amplification, usage rights and cross-platform content formats.
“We could see this evolution required a different approach, team and technology stack to ensure we were continuing to lead and pioneer the influencer marketing space.”
The Soup Pro division of the agency will be run by Ingrid James and Cate Pugh as co-heads of the Soup Pro team, collectively bringing over 25 years of local and international experience.
James was recently hired by Social Soup to develop Soup Pro, coming from IMA, Europe’s largest influencer agency, and bringing expertise in influencer and talent management.
Pugh joins as co-head following an internal promotion from PR and events director, adding experience in communications, events and partnership management to the business.
The duo will combine their talents in client service with strategic and creative skillsets to usher in a new, high touch approach to working with brands and creators in this high-performing and ever-evolving marketing channel.
Smith added: “We are currently in discussions with many brands right now showcasing the best-in-class influencer technology stack and how we match their expert influencer set to create absolute authority for their brand supported by all tiers of influence we offer through the broader Social Soup business.
“I’m thrilled to have assembled an amazing team to lead the launch of Soup Pro with Ingrid who comes to Australia with unrivalled expertise and experience along with Cate’s proven strategic and creative approach.”
Featured image source: iStock/courtneyk
