A Perspective on Mode Media and the Future of Influencer Marketing
Like many of you, we were shocked and saddened to learn that Mode Media effectively ceased operations yesterday, September 15, 2016. We know the Mode leadership team very well, having enjoyed close personal relationships that date back years before the birth of Project Y, the code-name for the startup that would become Mode Media. A large portion of the influencers impacted by the Mode event are members of our very own SocialMoms community. To learn of this news and know the impact this has on so many amazing women saddens us deeply. Our hearts go out to everyone affected.
We have reached out to Mode leadership to see how Megan Media can be of assistance to Mode Media staff, customers, agency partners, and content creators who were stunned by this sad and unexpected event. I’m optimistic that others are doing the same.
This unfortunate turn of events offers another opportunity for reflection on the space. Content marketing has grown quickly over the past decade, and a great deal of credit goes to pioneers like Mode Media who demonstrated the power of combining influencers and digital media to drive results for marketers. But quick and opportunistic growth has resulted in a landscape which can be confusing to many on the buy-side; a proliferation of startups funded in the past few years bringing “self service” solutions to market has only helped fuel the chaos.
From our vantage point, many of the venture backed companies in the space are chasing growth at all cost to placate investors who bought into an unrealistic growth path. In a space built on authenticity and organic growth, that approach simply can’t be sustained. Without a robust community of creators, a clear point of view, and real points of differentiation from a service and technology perspective, it’s impossible to grow at the unrealistic rates promised to investors and maintain any check on the quality of results, relationships, and the responsibility that all parties shoulder in making influencer media work.
The approach of building a community organically, taking care of your content creators by being true to your mission and supporting partners through experience and results is something that Megan Media feels strongly about and instills in our team. We are a community which was built organically, not opportunistically. We enjoy working with our community of 150,000+ moms who are building their personal brands every day. We are fortunate to have an experienced client service team supported by a technology platform (Megan Media Prime) to ensure scaleable results with fewer headaches for influencers, clients and staff who struggle at other places to keep campaigns on track and performing at their peak. And because we have always been and will remain a turnkey partner to brands and agencies, we carefully consider the entire approach, seamlessly integrating creative executions and stunts.
Influencer Marketing is here to stay. It’s evolving. Everything does. Everything will. We have been evolving with it for years already.
As for the incredible influencers impacted, we have worked with you for many years and we know how hard this is on your personally. We’ll do everything we can to prioritize your involvement in future campaigns as we approach the busy fourth quarter. Feel free to email me directly — megan@meganmedia.com if there is anything we can do.
We invite advertisers to contact us so we can craft a better-than-equivalent version of your Mode Media plans on the Megan Media platform. Simply send an email to newbiz@meganmedia.com for a prompt callback.
We invite former employees of Mode Media to send us their resumes (jobs@meganmedia.com).
Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this awful turn of events.
Sincerely,
Megan Calhoun, Founder & CEO, Megan Media
