That One KOL


My earliest memory of my childhood was wishing that I'd grow up and be as beautiful as my mother. Now that I've aged, I noticed that people have the tendency to look up to someone. I know guys who grew up wanting to be as tough as their fathers or even older brothers. In my case, since I do not have any siblings, I went through various phases in my life. My favorites would be emo and K-Pop; Avril Lavigne was my ultimate role model. I had the exact same haircut as she did back in the days and try to dress precisely like her. There were even times when my mom had to stop me from going to school with black eyeliners and other times where I got punished for having black nail polish on at school days. Surprise, I was only in elementary school then. Later on, as I entered junior high, I was diagnosed positive on Korean Fever. I had posters of my favorite girl band Girls' Generation as my room's wallpaper, I convinced my friends to perform a dance cover in front of the whole school and even managed to get myself to set foot in Seoul. Looking back, it's crazy how'd your role models could influence you and made you do the things you did. Up until today, I am still affected by even more Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and influencers. Yet, so much easier than I'd even admit it.

Since I am a heavy Instagram user, I am very much familiar with the term “influencer,” which I thought is equals to KOL. Turns out, there are actually definite distinctions between the two. First things first, yes, they are both people who have expert knowledge so that they are worthy enough to influence the respective field or even people in general. Unlike traditional advertisers, the majority of the public has more trust in KOLs because they are “one of them.” With that being said, the key lies in the platform of choice. Influencers were born and raised online, while on the other hand, social media does not necessarily have to be a requirement. They are simply people’s “go-to” when it comes to their subject of expertise. KOLs provide advice, instructions, honest review, and feedback to their followers. Just another reason why users love them. You would not see them recommending products associated with their professions in exchange for economic compensation. Such things as referral codes are very unlikely. However, it does not close the possibility of collaborating with big brands.


Brands are raving over KOLs this past few years, specifically in Indonesia, we have our own renowned KOLs such as Andien Aisyah, Dian Sastrowardoyo, Arief Muhammad, Tasya Farasya, Fitra Eri and the list go on. I do believe that KOLs are essential to brands as they have the power to scope an immense amount of audience with less cost than traditional marketings. The perfect KOL for your brand would be like going on a fast track. Keep in mind that brands should not rely only on KOLs and that finding the perfect KOL may be difficult since each KOL has its own audience constructed of people with different demographics, psychographics, and lifestyle preferences. Humans' basic need to look up to people has just made it easier for brands to market themselves. 

- Sekar Jasmine Noegroho (1806174660)




References:
https://influencermarketinghub.com/key-opinion-leaders-what-are-they-and-why-should-you-care/
https://influencity.com/blog/en/what-are-kols-and-what-sets-them-apart-from-influencers/
https://www.marketingtochina.com/kol-marketing-effective/

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