CORQ.

Forget grunge, teen spirit smells like Rabanne these days. CORQ’s Emilie McMeekan spoke to three teenage boys and one 20-year-old from London, Oslo and Athens about how they became fragrance connoisseurs, and found familiar themes from all the corners of the European experience. Their perfume obsession is inspired by TikTokers such as Jeremy Fragrance, and their friendship groups exchange knowledge and opinions about scents. Using platforms such as Fragrantica, teenage boys are an increasingly influential demographic for the fragrance industry. Email info@corq.studio to gain access to the full article ✨

The return of the Victoria’s Secret show drove millions of views on TikTok and was streamed by almost 10 million people on YouTube. Yet the event polarised commentary and possibly hasn’t led to creating the audience the brand might have hoped for. CORQ.’s editors and analysts shared their takes on the show… - Emilie McMeekan thinks the brand’s effort to be Brat and Barbie meant it failed to land properly in each camp. - Caroline Edwards believes the talent lineup was incredible but didn’t tell us something solid about the brand. - Arabella Johnson loved the nostalgia and spectacle, but didn’t find any element of it shoppable. - Natalia Reppas noted it succeeded in uniting the brand’s core audience through its countdown marketing. - Dina Zubi didn’t feel the event was representative of a brand that truly champions women. Link in comments for the full analysis ✨

https://lnkd.in/ei33UNjQ It was a pleasure to speak with the lovely Dina Zubi at CORQ. about publishing and its relationship with profile and platform-driven books and authors 📚

TikTokers are making their friends, family members or partners do their best interpretive dance moves to get what they want 🕺 Podcaster Jamie Laing made his co-host and wife Sophie Habboo perform a dance to watch Real Housewives in a clip with more than 2M views and 127K likes, while lifestyle creator Poppy Hollins made boyfriend Jay Porter do an interpretive routine to play his Xbox - their video has gained more than 5.3M views and 490K likes ✨ #InterpretiveDance has more than 10.8K tagged TikToks, and the trending sound has been used in 12K videos 🎵

Just two weeks after its launch, Molly-Mae Hague’s brand Maebe is facing criticism for the quality of its clothing. On TikTok, customers are complaining that its £140 blazer is showing bobbling after just a few hours of wear. One video has more than 879K views and 21K likes, while TikToker Melissa (melissaxjadexm)’s clip has had more than 269K views - “I’m actually gutted,” she said in the video.

The case against creator Yung Filly has left the influencer industry reeling and many brands in a very difficult position. CORQ. partnered with law firm Carter-Ruck to produce a guide for businesses on creator contracts and risk mitigation in light of this news. Hugest thanks to Rebecca Toman and Persephone Bridgman Baker for sharing your expertise, and Yollanda Alie for facilitating this report at such speed. Link in comments for the full piece.

Food creator Giuseppe Federici challenged himself to post every day in September, which resulted in a follower growth of more than 30K, as well as 36M views 🚀 His key tactic? Repurposing old content by creating a new hook, editing it differently or changing the length. “Not everyone sees all of your content,” he said, and highlighted that his posts are usually only seen by 10-15% of his audience, which means that many followers saw the repurposed content for the first time.

CORQ.'s report on September's top 50 influencer ads went to subscribers this morning - here's three takeaways... - The most engaged influencer advert of the month was also a pregnancy announcement. Another top ad revealed intimate moments from a creator's childbirth experience. - 26% of top ads documented experiences rather than detailing products. "Doing and telling" vs "showing and telling" has been the macro trend driving audience engagement all year. - Four of the top adverts were for creator-founded or -designed products. Of course, KSI's Lunchly launch was one of these but so was freestyle biker Vero Sandler's collection for adidas Five Ten. Link in comments for more insights - sign up for your free CORQ trial to access the full report ✨

Entertainment creator Joseph (Joseph's Machines) worked with CASETiFY to create an ad for its new Bounce Case - the creator is known for his mechanical inventions and made the “ultimate snooze system” in partnership with the brand. In just three days, the video has gained more than 35M views across TikTok and Instagram. On the latter, the video has a 38% engagement rate, 23M views, 638K likes and 10K comments.

KILIAN PARIS hosted an event with brand ambassador and Emily in Paris star Lucien Laviscount. The actor featured in several influencers’ content, including Daniel Millar’s TikTok, which has gained more than 2.1M views, 478K likes and 16.2K favourites in less than 24 hours. Grace Shadrack and Grace Foley’s video has had more than 28K views, while Isobel Lorna’s TikTok has gained 545K views and 57K likes in 20 hours.