Get ‘Slimy,’ Get Paid -- It’s the Influencer Economy: QuickTake

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Do-it-yourself videos on homemade slime might not sound like cutting-edge marketing, but that’s the way the so-called “influencer economy” works. People who build loyal social media followings on a particular subject, no matter how odd, can expect to hear from advertisers prepared to drop big bucks to reach the largest consumer cohort globally, Generation Z. This post-millennial generation, loosely defined as those born in 1997 and onward, has $143 billion in spending power in the U.S. alone. As a result, there are YouTubers who are so wealthy they’re hiring wealth managers, and the spending on the influencer industry could top $6 billion this year.