Q&A with Edward East

Sep 1

Today we’re chatting to CEO of Billion Dollar Boy Edward East. In 2012, as the Founder of Exclusive Media Group’s digital marketing division, Ed saw the huge potential of influencer marketing early in the game, engaging the influencer community to promote feature films. Later in 2014, he returned to his native London to launch Billion Dollar Boy as one of the first influencer marketing agencies in the UK. Today, the agency has 3 offices globally and a team of 100 members.

Edward East, CEO of Billion Dollar Boy. Click here to find out more about him and the Everything You Need to Know About Influencers panel at SocialDay 2021. — *Edward East, CEO of Billion Dollar Boy.* *Click here* *to find out more about him and the Everything You Need to Know About Influencers panel at SocialDay 2021.*

At SocialDay 2021, Ed will be joining our Everything You Need to Know About Influencers panel on day 2 (8th Sept). But why wait? Get to know him a little better in this Q&A with SocialDay!

Hey Ed! First off, if you had to describe yourself using 3 emojis, what would they be?

😉💥(🐸👌)

Do you have a favourite social media platform and why?

TikTok is my favourite social media platform. Instagram is more about aesthetics whereas TikTok has plenty of fun, amusing content. It is fresh and so entertaining!

What’s the best part about working in influencer marketing?

The best part of working in the influencer marketing industry is that it is a rapidly growing industry revolutionising the way content is produced and how advertising is done. Because of that, we are lucky to have lots of exciting opportunities and there is always something new to learn. I am amazed by the content and the creativity within our industry. It makes me really proud to have been a part of it since 2014.

What’s been your proudest moment since founding Billion Dollar Boy?

Back in the day, we started out with a few people in the team, based in a tiny office in London. Now, we are a growing team with three offices globally. In general, seeing this team grow and our team and clients happy makes me proud.
But one moment in particular that stood out is when we won our first contract in the UK with Garnier. It was the largest deal we’d pitched for at the time, which was very exciting.

What do you think are the big trends in influencer marketing that brands should be looking out for next year?

Influencer content is no longer limited to being activated on just one channel once a campaign has started. Influencer content can be leveraged beyond social and utilised across other platforms and formats. For example, we created and delivered a campaign for Vichy where influencer content appeared in-store, on CRM and paid social ads, and on e-retail channels, including digital screens, wobblers in-store, blogs, landing pages and magazines. This longer-term, 360 approach where the influencer becomes the face of the brand is a trend that brands should be maximising.
A combination of paid social with organic influencer content is slowly but surely a trend more brands are starting to take note of. Paid spend allows brands to extend the campaign's reach and impact beyond organic activity - this is especially important when the brand in question wants to either reach a specific audience or wants to drive measurable results at scale. Paid social is effective at all stages of the consumer funnel, and its real-time measurements allow you to quickly optimise based on those results.
Finally, TikTok will continue to become an important platform for influencer marketing.

And finally, what are you most excited about for SocialDay 2021?

I’m really looking forward to speaking about the power of influencer marketing at SocialDay - in real life! I’m excited to meet others in the industry and learn from the other panellists, too.

Thanks Ed!

If you’d like to hear more from Ed and the rest of the Everything You Need to Know About Influencers panel, book your ticket to SocialDay here. 🎉