Ed Sheeran launched a new hot sauce in cooperation with Heinz. It makes so much sense. Ed doesn't have to harvest the tomatoes and make anything! Why aren't more bands launching products with influencers? While celebrity endorsements have been around for ages, giving stars a stake in an actual product has been rarer. Meanwhile, influencers are launching their own products – with or without the brands. Why don't brands get ahead of this? Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell discuss this trend on the new episode of The Marketing Companion. Mark Schaefer is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark’s insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Amanda Russell is a marketing leader, entrepreneur, and scholar. By age 32, she built and sold two successful businesses: an online fitness subscription community for women and a digital marketing and production company. She served as Chief Marketing Officer at a NYC-based portfolio fund and developed the world’s first accredited MBA & EMBA Influencer Marketing programs at Northwestern University. She also founded the Global Center for Influence at the University of Texas. Amanda has taught at renowned institutions such as Bocconi University, London Business School, Harvard, Wharton, HEC Paris, NYU, and the University of Stockholm. Her book, "The Influencer Code," explores influence, consumer behavior, and the future of marketing. Amanda advises major companies, including Lamborghini, Cedars-Sinai, Lionsgate, and Silk-FAW.

Influencer product launches