Has M&S got it wrong with Molly-Mae partnership?
By Ruby Deans, Comms Planning Manager
Last week, Marks & Spencer revealed a new Food Ambassador: Molly-Mae, a fashion influencer, ex-Love Islander, ex-Pretty Little Thing Creative Director and girlfriend of Tommy Fury (professional boxer of Love Island fame), with whom she has her daughter, Bambi. The online announcement did not go down well, with her own fans raising their concerns in the comments: “not a fan of forced collaborations. I would never associate her with time in the kitchen” and “we all saw the unseasoned chicken she gave Tommy. Girl can’t cook.”
In recent times, M&S has nailed its social strategy, moving from a stuffy and overpriced tone of voice to a modern and light-hearted brand. With content that captures real life moments, instead of being polished to perfection, the brand has made itself more relatable to the average shopper. M&S is good at giving the fans what they want online, with viral videos of silly content that some brands wouldn’t dare to post, such as a staff member dressed up as a giant Percy Pig wearing trousers or tongue-in-cheek Colin the Caterpillar and Percy Pig ‘beef.’ While this content seems simple, it has positioned them as the top UK supermarket on TikTok with fans going crazy for it, garnering 4.1M Likes and rave reviews in the comments: “M&S Tok is my new fav thing.”
So, how did they get their partnership with Molly-Mae so wrong?
Molly-Mae’s fans might be the audience M&S are aiming to reach and, with over 7.9M followers on Instagram, she is one of the UK’s biggest influencers. But she’s not the right fit for the brand and her fans who watch her every move – and see her as a friend – know this more than anyone. One fan commented: “I LOVE Molly but I’ve never ever seen her cook? She’d have been great for fashion.”
This partnership lacks authenticity and people are wise to the fact that some celebrities will do anything for a brand deal. This means that successful influencer marketing is never one-size-fits-all. A poorly selected ambassador leads to an ineffective campaign and potential damage to brand health and social presence.
There are three vital points which must be considered when selecting influencers (based on the source credibility theory):
- How credible are they?
- How aspirational are they?
- Are they experts in the brands category?
M&S missed the mark on Point 3. Molly-Mae does not spend her spare time in the kitchen and has publicly admitted on social media that she can’t cook. Why would anyone go to her for cooking advice?
It would not be hard to find an influencer who is socially relevant and genuinely passionate about cooking such as Megan Mckenna.
I still love M&S as a brand but hopefully this will be a lesson to prioritise authenticity in their future partnerships and avoid just chasing the numbers. I imagine Molly-Mae will soon be adding ‘ex-M&S Food Ambassador’ to her CV.
