DJ, author, podcaster, and entrepreneur Lillian Ahenkan (aka Flex Mami) sat down with B&T’s own Mary Madigan for a conversation about what it means to be a talent with influence.
Flex gave an honest, funny and deeply insightful look into the dynamics of modern brand/creator relationships that have come from her experience as a creator.
It was a journey Flex tells began with a decision not to “compete where I couldn’t compare,” thus inspiring her to create her own lane of content distinct from the acai bowl culture that was in vogue circa 2012.
One key takeaway that Flex offered for entrepreneurs, creators and talent with influence? Do not sell yourself short!
“There is never enough money to sell your likeness to a brand for any time,” says Flex. Of course, the not-so-hyperbolic hyperbole is to say that when crunching the numbers remember that, “the lifespan of every deal goes on far longer than the campaign period”. Flex gave the example of brands often trying to find ways to extend the lifespan of their partnership post-campaign by calling the brand a “friend of brand Flex” or similar questionable associations.
For brands looking to work with talent that influences: understand where influencers actually sit in the marketing funnel. Flex made her opinion clear that “influencers are not for conversion!”. Let’s be clear that the ROI can be great, but conversion is not the responsibility of an influencer. So keep their KPIs in the upper funnel.
Finally, don’t unnecessarily hinder the creativity of your talent who you have indeed selected for their creativity with arbitrary deadlines, or as Flex puts it – “fake urgency”. If you want to create something amazing, let an amazing idea dictate the project’s timeline, not vice versa.
As Flex asserts, “time is not real!”
