[Interview] Ashish Goel, Urban Ladder on influencer marketing in décor space

Influencing in the interior and home décor space involves a lot of technicalities. From fittings to colors, quality, quantity, shapes and sizes – décor demands a lot! Ashish Goel, Founder & CEO, Urban Ladder and a presiding jury member of Asian Paints Indian Décor Influencer Awards shares how influencers are working hard to create a paradigm shift in the way brands and consumers approach the industry.

How has the concept of influencer marketing evolved over the years?

Influencers play an important role in educating their audience. Their expertise on the subject helps customers discover and learn about new products and offerings. Also, furniture and home décor is still in a nascent category and, therefore, people with in-depth knowledge in this subject can really help customers make more informed decisions.

How according to you influencing in home and interior decor space is different as compared to other industries?

Home and interior décor space require more involvement and in-depth understanding of technical aspects such as material, colors etc. Ideally, they should have some educational or professional experience or background in space.

What are the key elements to be kept in mind for spotting the right influencers?

It’s important to ensure that the influencer’s aesthetic sense matches with yours. It is also important that the influencer’s suggestions are implementable globally and are not specific to certain geographies.

What would you look for in a winning influencer?

A winning influencer should be able to understand the consumer’s needs in the category and address them in different ways. Customer knowledge in some categories is more evolved and it is important for the influencer to understand the reader/consumer’s knowledge on the subject and their requirements.

5 things that you expect from influencers as a brand 

1. Deep understanding of the category
2. Understanding target audience and their needs
3. Creativity and new ways of looking at the category
4. Tone of voice with which they can make an instant connection with their audience
5. Share of voice on social media/public platforms