By The rules of influencer marketing have fundamentally changed. The number of followers alone does not ensure effectiveness; instead, genuine and relatable content is surpassing highly polished productions.
Brands in Singapore and the wider APAC region that are poised for success in 2026 will be those that adapt quickly, foster communities, and collaborate with creators who can innovate culture rather than merely adhere to it.
Based on insights gained from Kobe‘s extensive experience managing over 1,000 campaigns throughout Asia, these six trends illustrate how innovative CMOs should refine their strategies for the future.
Genuine content is more valuable than mere follower count.
The number of followers cannot indicate whether an audience is engaged. What truly matters is content that comes across as authentic, valuable, or humorous, crafted by individuals who genuinely embody what they promote.
Creators with niche followings and strong community bonds consistently excel compared to larger influencers. In CASETiFY’s collaborations with brands like Disney and BLACKPINK, a combination of leading creators and smaller voices within dedicated fandoms enhanced both engagement and sales.
The prominent creators drove visibility, while the lesser-known influencers fostered loyalty and relevance.
Advice: Collaborate with intention. Select creators whose image, audience, and beliefs authentically match your brand.
From passive viewers to active communities: Superfans influence results.
The upcoming wave of influence will stem from superfans rather than mere onlookers. These are the individuals who comment, remix, and motivate others, transforming passive engagement into active advocacy. Current technologies and AI can help identify “superfan signals” such as saved content, stitched videos, and recurrent interactions prior to scaling campaigns.
In one financial campaign, an authentic long-term customer turned “dull” finance discussions into relatable narratives. Her genuine experience created a community focused on practical financial habits.
Advice: Emphasize community involvement by collaborating with creators who actively nurture and build their fanbases.
Adapt to cultural shifts rapidly.
While you can’t predict what will go viral, you can prepare for it.
Successful brands empower creators to act swiftly while following sensible guidelines. Prior to a significant F&B launch in Singapore, superfans got exclusive access to behind-the-scenes insights like interior scenes, staff dynamics, and the opening countdown, resulting in immediate buzz and lines beginning at 3 am.
Advice: Develop flexible approval processes that enable creators to take advantage of cultural moments as they arise.
Creative content serves as a targeting mechanism.
Creativity has evolved from merely being an output to becoming a strategic targeting tool.
In a regional campaign, 75 creators generated over 140 unique pieces of content, showcasing different perspectives such as travel storytelling, product tips, and aesthetic visuals. Each creative approach resonated with various customer journey stages.
Travel enthusiasts found inspiration. Families recognized convenience. This led to increased conversions without relying on traditional audience segmentation.
Advice: Request multiple creative viewpoints (such as perspective, trend, tip, aesthetic) to resonate with different segments within your target audience.
Plan for the “double peak” strategy.
Savvy marketers don’t just pursue a single content high point; they strategize for two. The first phase generates awareness through creators, while the second builds momentum by retargeting, revisits from creators, and user-generated content.
A humor-driven QSR campaign that achieved 30 million views within its first week maintained interest through subsequent follow-up content like street interviews and comedic skits, keeping the brand message lively and engaging.
Advice: Always design for a second wave, ensuring that initial attention transforms into lasting loyalty.
Relatability supersedes perfection.
What truly grabs attention is not finesse but authenticity.
Ordinary experiences, such as a conversation during a coffee break or a small triumph on the commute, resonate much more deeply than overly polished presentations. One tech company reimagined a functional product with a gaming analogy, transforming “health points” into a fun visual that instantly connected with audiences and increased engagement.
Tip: Emphasize authentic, relatable narratives that feel spontaneous rather than planned.
The updated principles of influence
By 2026, creativity will take precedence over targeting. Communities will supersede audiences. Flexibility will be valued more than flawlessness.
These conclusions are drawn from examining more than 1,000 campaigns within Asia’s dynamic creator economy.
With almost ten years of experience in the industry and numerous accolades at the Agency of the Year Awards, Kobe’s viewpoint is unmistakable: “Achieving success in influencer marketing is not about being the loudest. It’s about cultivating intelligent creator collaborations,” states Evangeline Leong, founder and CEO of Kobe. “When brands and creators align with a shared purpose, they go beyond selling; they influence culture.”
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