Shoppers Have Lost Faith In Influencers. Are ‘Experts’ The Answer?

Influencer marketing has long been part of the retail marketer’s playbook, with influencers’ ability to cut through to specific consumers and ideally, persuade them to buy.

But influencer marketing has its limitations, and brands and retailers are pursuing new ways of establishing trust for products in order to close a sale.

Yesterday, The Desire Company announced the close of its Series B funding round, securing a valuation of $97 million. The company’s focus on leveraging “expert” voices over traditional influencer marketing marks a shift in how brands and retailers approach advertising and product content, evidencing a broader trend toward authenticity and expertise.

Picking up where influencers fall short

Consumers are increasingly skeptical of influencer-endorsed products. A study conducted by Wakefield Research for The Desire Company found that 87% of consumers believe it’s likely that influencers don’t even use the products they advertise, and 4 out of 5 consumers who have purchased something based on an influencer recommendation have had some sort of negative experience with the product.

The Desire Company, co-founded by entertainment marketing executive Eric Sheinkop and Coca-Cola veteran Judith Levey Sheinkop, capitalizes on this shift by providing a platform that champions credible industry experts—ranging from dermatologists to Olympic athletes—to deliver authentic product endorsements in video format.

This expert-driven content can be hosted on retailer.com product display pages to aid in conversion, displayed in a shorter format as a video advertising unit, or shared with consumers in a post-purchase context to help them navigate their first use of the product.

Brands chase better conversion

Advantice Health, the parent company of topical skincare brands including ​​Kerasal, AmLactin, Triple Paste, Dermoplast, and New-Skin, recently engaged The Desire Company with the goal of helping the brands to stand out on retail marketplaces like Amazon.

Ash McMullen, Ecommerce Lead for Advantice, says that the company hoped The Desire Company’s network of experts could provide a fresh take on their “unsexy products,” including Kerasal Nighttime Renewal Fungal Nail Patches.

One expert review video created by The Desire Company features Tonja Buford Bailey, a 3-time Olympian & track coach, who talks about how running and training can create an environment for foot issues and fungus

“She makes it more of a badge of honor as an athlete, versus an embarrassing situation,” says McMullen. “The relatability and authenticity really hits home and gives you that feeling that you’re not alone and if you have a foot issue from running, then you are doing it right.”

Advantice’s hope is that these expert videos will increase shopper confidence, but the proof will be seen during this year’s Prime Day event on Amazon, where the brand will be comparing product conversion rates on products with the expert video content versus conversions over the same period last year.

That conversion rate boost is one of The Desire Company’s main calling cards. Data from one of the company’s retail partners comparing Desire Company expert reviews with other videos on their product detail pages showed that viewers of Desire Company videos were more than twice as likely to place an order versus other types of videos, including brand and user-generated content. Desire Company video viewers also spent 25% more on average compared to those who watched other types of videos or no videos at all.

A differentiator for Retail Media Networks

Simultaneously, Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are recognizing the imperative to offer more substantive advertising solutions that drive conversion.

The Desire Company says that the company currently works with Best Buy and is in advanced discussions with most of the top 10 Retail Media Networks, as well as some early-stage networks. The company says it is poised to launch partnerships with a major home improvement retailer, one of the largest U.S. grocery chains, and a leading health and beauty retailer.

It’s no secret that retail media is a huge priority for retailers. In March 2024, Target CEO Brian Cornell said Target’s ad business, Roundel, generated $1.5 billion in value, benefiting the retailer’s gross margins more than its revenue from product sales.

But with a proliferation of retail media networks in recent years, retailers are under pressure to demonstrate tangible ROI on advertising spend to advertisers. If an ad unit is able to drive significantly more conversions, a brand will invest more ad dollars and generate more sales — a win for both the brand and the retailer.

“Our partnerships enhance this by providing a revenue stream for the retailer as an offering within their RMN suite of solutions as well as through the increased revenue generated from our content existing on their PDP’s Invesco DWA Momentum ETF,” says co-founder Eric Sheinkop. “It also allows retailers to provide a better shopping experience for their customers, giving them access to an expert at the crucial point of decision.”

Meeting shoppers where they are

The Desire Company’s Series B fundraising lays the groundwork for a deeper penetration into the RMN ecosystem, including investing in its technology platform, Retail RMEDI 360. This new platform helps brands and retailers integrate and distribute their Desire Co. expert content throughout the digital ecosystem, including the ability to deploy shoppable videos and QR codes for in-store use.

“Brands and retailers are seeking to expand beyond their traditional commerce media models and integrate trusted product information directly into their shopper’s purchasing journey,” Sheinkop says. “Our platform promises to transform how shoppers access product education at the crucial point of decision.”

The Desire Company’s recent fundraising does not just signify a win for the firm but signals a broader evolution in retail marketing strategies, and retail media networks’ ability to continue securing lucrative advertising dollars.