The words 'influencer marketing'  are perhaps the most contentious in our industry today. Whether you love  or loathe them, these popular figures have an undeniable place in the  world of marketing.  And given the statistics – 63% of brands plan to  increase their budget for influencer marketing; by 2020 influencer  marketing is expected to be a $10bn industry; in the past 3 years Google  searches for ‘influencer marketing’ grew by 1500% - it's clear that  influencer marketing is a force not to be ignored.

Our recent  panel event brought together industry leaders to discuss how brands can  harness the power of influencer marketing and how to avoid potential  pitfalls. Chaired by Gemma Glover, Head of Influencer Strategy at  ENGINE, our guests included:

Karl Loko – Influencer
Adrienne Herbert – Influencer
Zoe de Pass – Influencer
Eleanor Wilcox – Social Media Manager, Next
Louise Cole – General Counsel, ENGINE