GroupM New Zealand and TikTok collaborate to help advertisers navigate the creator economy

GroupM New Zealand recently hosted Mastering Influencer Marketing, in partnership with TikTok. The event brought together GroupM’s agencies EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker with advertisers and creators to explore the future of influencer marketing in New Zealand.

Led by GroupM’s Influencer Marketing specialist team, Goat, the event was a deep dive into the growing creator landscape, offering valuable insights to help advertisers navigate the creator economy. Influencer Marketing is playing an increasingly important role for advertisers. It’s set to reach NZ$80m (USD$46.9M)[1] in New Zealand for 2024 up from NZ$72m (USD$42.4m) in 2023, with further growth anticipated in 2025. Additionally, 77% of NZ consumers have purchased, started to trust or discussed a brand in the last 6 months because of an influencer recommendation[2].

Held at GroupM’s Auckland office, the event aimed to educate, inspire and spark collaboration through engaging content, panel discussions and a live cooking demonstration from foodie influencer Hercules Noble.

The content explored how brands can tap into creator content to drive tangible business outcomes. Featuring insights from Goat, the team unpacked strategies that leverage omnichannel approaches and innovative commerce use cases, covering how brands can integrate creators across platforms to ensure a seamless customer experience that increases brand visibility, and directly impacts sales and customer loyalty.

GroupM New Zealand chief product officer Christophe Spencer and head of product Anita Greenfield set the scene with presentations on the market landscape and the omni-channel potential of influencer marketing in New Zealand.

At the event, GroupM also launched Goat Extend, its solution for extending influencer content’s reach across the consumer journey.  Goat Extend distributes influencer content omnichannel across channels such as GroupM’s advanced out of home, connected TV and publisher display. This is in addition to Goat Amplify, which extends influencer content beyond organic reach by leveraging paid social media.

TikTok agency lead Victoria Brennan explored the power of creators and how brands can collaborate to create authentic content that resonates with audiences.

To round out the afternoon, an industry panel with Carsten Grueber, NZ country manager at TikTok, Anita Greenfield, plus influencers Louis Davis and Tori Ratima, brought together a diverse range of perspectives on how to build effective creator strategies that drive business results. Experts shared their insights into crafting compelling campaigns that resonate with niche communities, emphasising the importance of aligning creator partnerships with broader business goals to deliver authentic and impactful content.

The final tasty treat for guests was a live cooking demonstration by foodie influencer Hercules Noble .

Says John Halpin, CEO, GroupM New Zealand: “The world of social media and influencer marketing is evolving quickly. With Kiwis spending so much time online, using platforms not just for connection but for discovery and shopping, there are countless opportunities for brands to connect meaningfully with audiences.

“We’re excited about the potential of influencer content to go beyond social platforms, extending into digital out-of-home, connected TV, and more. It’s an incredibly dynamic space, whether brands are looking to drive awareness or conversions across the customer journey. It was fantastic to partner with TikTok to bring this deep dive on the future of influencer marketing to our clients.”

[1] Statista; Influencer Advertising – New Zealand, as of March 2024.

[2] GroupM Consumer Eye 2024 Wave 7 Research, New Zealand.