Why is a goose more popular than you?
The media buzz around Pipek the gander (a TikTok celebrity) grew at a dizzying pace. The unusual pet has earned plush likenesses which, like the holiest of icons, have displaced the seemingly well-established popularity of the Ustka seals and the undeniable charm of the Zakopane lambs. Today we see the fascination with TikTok star Pipa everywhere – we no longer need to head to Krupówki or stroll along the Sopot pier. Pipek comes in every colour you could want, pocket-sized or as big as a bookcase – and he is on offer in city squares, market squares, boulevards and every corner of public space. So questions about the goose’s popularity naturally come to all of us.
The power of authenticity – an antidote to throwing your weight around in influencer marketing!
Pipek has a remarkably attentive gaze and piercingly blue eyes – that is just how he looks. After all, nobody tells him how to glance at the screen so that his flirtatious look draws the crowds. Nor does anyone prompt him on how to behave in front of the camera to spark interest and attract new followers to his goosely doings. The conclusion? The gander is simply himself – no persona, no needless alterations to his character, no constant chasing of fashion. Naturally, though, he has tapped into one of the most important trends of 2023 – authenticity!
Influencer marketing – experts, artists or celebrities?
Authenticity – thanks to it, it is hard to overstep the bounds of a tasteful image. A person who is themselves and communicates true to themselves has no need to strain to invent ways of drawing attention, to make controversial statements on subjects they know nothing about, or to create an imaginary, fairy-tale reality. Young audiences no longer like that – in their idols they look for truth and human flaws. They want a real picture of the world, unfiltered – a spot on the face, crying over spilt milk – free of the relentless message that invariably says “everything is perfect”. What they really want is to focus on how beautiful things can be in an everyday life that is not all that beautiful – noticing the upsides of the unidealised world around them! The creators to whom the future of influencer marketing belongs are people who deliberately publish unembellished content that expresses the extraordinary dwelling in the ordinary.
The goose influencer – how do you become as famous as Pipek?
The answer to that question is certainly neither simple nor clear-cut – popularity can soar in no time or shrink to the size of a raisin. Fame is more and more often the result of a mix of an unexpected stroke of luck and a great deal of favour from digital algorithms. This year the easiest (and fastest) way to make your name is to ride the wave of dynamic content by publishing the right video content – on TikTok, among other places. Everyday life keeps speeding up, and audiences no longer want to rest their eyes on a single point, frame or shot! Perhaps the dynamism of the message has become the proverbial key to success.
Although there is no ready-made recipe for a successful career, the things that help on the way to higher goals are a colourful personality and authenticity, motivation, diligent pursuit of your goals, innovative ideas and… down-to-earth statistics. There are many tools you can use to verify the effectiveness of influencer activities on social media. Tracking and analysing the trends in your community’s reactions is very important and helps you understand your audience’s deeper feelings – which in turn lets you publish the content that best matches their current mood. Dynamic content with the right emotional tone will certainly boost your popularity, but the scale of the effect is hard to predict or to turn into the reality you dream of.
