Meet New Zealand’s new wave of influencers.
Thousands of followers can turn into thousands of dollars for local content creators if they catch the eye of the right brands. And gone are the days of heavily curated, cookie-cutter social media feeds as fans look for more authentic people to follow.
Spy worked with a number of agencies and industry leaders to identify a new wave of Kiwis who are keeping it real online, and making money while doing it.
More than 200k followers
The Black Fern had Eden Park and everyone at home in the palm of her hands following her team’s nail-biting win against England in the Rugby World Cup final three weeks ago.
The charismatic star had the crowd singing Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi, a waiata close to many Kiwis’ hearts.
She’s arguably New Zealand’s favourite person in sport, inspiring, entertaining and making people feel good about themselves.
That energy crosses over on to her social media channels and she tells Spy she posts about her genuine interests in everyday life.
“I try to include passion and things I love in my life and so that naturally guides a lot of my content and brings me joy,” she says.
Tui says she works only with brands that have similar values to hers - and if they are doing something extra special, she will put extra effort in.
“For example, Bunnings recently donated $300,000 in products and services to rugby clubs to improve their facilities for the women’s game.”
She also rates Accor hotels which give a huge amount to sponsor sport worldwide and have a focus on women in leadership. She says the Downer Wāhine Kotahitanga programme provides the tools to better support women, often working in isolation in a male-dominated environment.
“These kinds of initiatives align with my core values and I love getting behind them.”
More than 44k followers
The 30-year-old MasterChef NZ winner has been online for a decade ever since he grew an interest in coffee and food, but the money only started to come in two years ago.
It wasn’t just the bump he had from exposure on national TV this year, Low’s a two-time NZ Latte Art champion and won a barista of the year title. And he went viral while in managed isolation for replating delivered food to resemble fine dining meals. He’s even had a shout-out from Jamie Oliver.
“I try and keep my social media light-hearted and fun, spreading positive energy and delicious food, coffee and recipes is a combination that represents a large part of my everyday life,” Low says.
If a paid opportunity fits, he says it’s a no-brainer.
“Being in a position where I am able to help spread awareness, inspire and potentially impact food choices people make at home is something I am very passionate about and equally the partners I work with need to have a similar vision and goals.”
Low says he has created healthy relationships with New World and De’Longhi to either inspire people to cook, make great coffee or make better food and beverage choices at home.
36k followers
Don’t expect the sustainability warrior’s Instagram to be cookie-cutter.
“While everyone else was busy creating curated feeds with matching colours - now those accounts are bombing and mine is still growing because I have always kept it real.”
Hall, a columnist for Herald on Sunday magazine Reset, has a passion for supporting others to live a more sustainable life via her page, Ethically Kate.
She prides herself on her authentic content and not being afraid to make a fool of herself.
“I very rarely, if at all, think ‘what will someone think of me when I post this?’ I also post with intent and value in mind for my readers and followers.
“I’m not posting just so I can get validation on my outfit or my abs; I am posting so people can either have a good laugh or make changes in their lives that will benefit them, other people, and the planet.”
Hall engages with her follower in direct ways - giving keyboard warriors/trolls her phone number if they have a problem.
Ethique, Standard Issue, ecostore and RŪPAHAUS - are some of the brands that Hall works with most regularly.
“The work I do is focused on brand awareness, but the most sales happen when it’s an ongoing relationship and people start to tie my brand in with the other,” she says.
“When people see Ethique on the shelves at supermarkets, they think of me. I am really conscious of who I work with on a regular basis because people start to associate us in a permanent way - which helps both brands when done right!”
Because of her growth and engagement, Hall says she has been able to employ more permanent contractors who help with research, design, videography and website building.
“My husband is also beginning to work with me and be paid for his content creation time and energy, so the fact I can pay other people to help me with things I cannot do as well as them, shows how lucrative it can be.”
More than 600k followers
Lance Savali has the recipe for social media success.
“Do cool s*** and don’t take it too seriously,” the pro-dancer says who has worked with some of the world’s biggest popstars, made it to the finals on Celebrity Treasure Island and judged Dancing with the Stars.
Savali says he is still chipping away at social media to be a success but is loving his second year on TikTok, which he now favours over Instagram.
“TikTok 10,000 per cent. I f***ing love TikTok as a platform. It’s fun and heavily music and dance-driven, which is what I’m most passionate about.”
On both, he mixes up his dance moves, and his music releases and just is himself.
“I’m just grateful some people are somewhat interested in what I get up to every now and then.”
In his latest work with Aussie undie brand Bonds, Savali stood out for being himself.
“I just love working with companies that let me be myself with the brand.”
More than 40k followers
The former professional wakeboarder, 35, who became a quadriplegic during training eight years ago serves up reality well with down-to-earth posts that aren’t always so perfect or positive.
“I’ve openly shared my spinal cord injury journey, and my challenges around mental health,” Smeele says.
He works with brands which he connects with, including Every Human, which makes and sells clothing designed for people with disabilities, and Spark, the mobile and internet provider he uses at home.
“I see myself as a positive influencer, sharing for the right reasons … not for money or clout or fame … simply to spread a good message and allow people to feel seen on social media,” he says.
More than 16k followers
The multi award-winning hip-hop and RnB creative mastermind, 28, seamlessly blends te reo and haka into his style of urban music bringing it to the mainstream through his content.
“My following has been a slow and steady build for years. It’s been eight years since I released my first Rei EP now, and my social handles have been the same as ever,” he says.
Figuring out how to entertain and promote his music without being too pushy has always been his goal.
His new album ARIKI dropped on Friday.
“Rather than just posting a snippet of a song and asking people to stream it, I’ll try and do a creative ‘behind the song’ type video or make up a dance or skit,” he says.
“I’ve found my funny videos that feature te reo perform best. I’m not a comedian but I definitely have a sense of humour, and people seem to engage with that. I try to keep everything pretty music related though.”
Rei says although he doesn’t have the biggest following, his engagement stats are pretty good.
“This kind of mahi comes in waves, but at busy times I still try to make sure that the majority of my content isn’t sponsored, or else you run the risk of looking like a walking talking billboard!”
Rei tries to work with brands that are kaupapa Māori or kaupapa aligned.
“I’ve worked with a Māori-owned NFT company, Titan Tiki, as well as a few rangatahi-focused social platforms. I’ve also done quite a bit of mahi for various government pro-vax campaigns,” he says
He got a bit of flack for them but stood his ground as he felt it was good for his community.
More than 50k followers
More than 1.3m followers
After the first lockdown more than two years ago, Edwards, 38, amassed more than 15,000 followers on Instagram in a matter of days as she gave status updates on Covid-19.
The obstetric anaesthetist’s content is a mix of her home life and work, and a guide for pregnant people to make informed birth choices.
The good doctor - who doesn’t do collaborations - easy-to-digest public service announcements have included boosters and pregnancy, masks for kids, the flu vaccine; mpox and awareness in anaesthesia - all the while sharing lovely pictures of her young family and her vow renewal with her husband.
Meanwhile, Jones, 36, moved to New Zealand last year with a huge following from the US.
The obstetrician gynaecologist, who works at Southland Hospital in Invercargill, uses her platforms to answer uncomfortable questions and clear up medical misinformation on a raft of topics including women’s issues and the Covid-19 vaccine.
With the US Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade earlier this year, Jones has gone into overdrive with content protecting women’s reproductive rights.
Like Edwards, the mother of four’s Instagram feed is nicely peppered with family posts including enjoyable times in Fiordland in July.
More than 26k followers
Her time as Miss New Zealand, work with Māori TV and stint on last year’s Celebrity Treasure Island have given Tyson a diverse following.
Being genuine and showing all the fun and exciting things in her life is what Tyson credits to her online success
“I think being a nice person is really important too. The way I was portrayed on Celebrity Treasure Island, I think people followed me on my socials when they watched me on that because they liked who I was,” says Tyson.
One of her favourite brands to represent is Māori-owned activewear brand Hine Collection, founded by one of her friends from university, Miria Flavell — and the fact that Tyson loves activewear and goes to the gym every day helps. She also enjoyed doing a campaign with Puma, which was about inspiring women to achieve their dreams.
“As well as my sponsored reels, I’ve really enjoyed making ‘come along with me’ reels where I create a video about my experience attending a special event such as the Rugby World Cup or concerts,” she says.
“My job and hanging out with family and friends, working on my sexual harm prevention charity, Brave, and still supporting the Miss NZ organisation and contestants provides genuine ways to incorporate different campaigns into my daily life.”
More than 200k followers
In 2016, Pablecheque, 36, and Vergis, 31, made a life-changing decision to book a one-way ticket to Thailand. What followed were full-time careers as content creators for tourism boards globally.
After years of non-stop travelling, they now showcase the beauty of New Zealand, sharing life with their new puppy Nalu, and renovating their classic Kiwi home.
“We are a couple of down-to-earth Kiwis,” theytell Spy.
“We weren’t trying to be someone people recognised and we’re just genuinely stoked to do cool stuff and have it be our job.
“One of the best compliments is meeting people who say, ‘You’re exactly the same in person as what I see online’.”
The couple say they have repeat brand partnerships across all sorts of categories from Google to Burgerfuel, Lululemon to Cupra. Jetstar has been an ongoing partner for years and a brand for which they regularly create content.
“It’s a win for them, for us and for our audience who get to check out new destinations through our eyes.”
5k followers and growing fast
Cooking reality shows need to take note of 27-year-old chef Hercules Noble. He is in demand at A-list events and private dining rooms all over New Zealand.
His social media career is just beginning too and he has just been snapped up by an agency.
His content is as entertaining as his food is excellent.
“I am an outgoing, confident guy with a silly side, but whenever I present anything online, It’s always an exaggerated version of myself,” says Noble.
“I make fantastic food, have great banter, say some silly stuff, respectfully, and am incredibly handsome.”
Amongst the brands that have already taken notice are Schweppes, BePure and Nespresso.
“I’ve been working with Schweppes for about seven months, creating cocktails once or twice a month, which is such fun,” he says.
Noble says his chef work lines up well with content creation.
“I look at Instagram as free advertising. I’ll cook for dinner parties or events on average twice a week and will usually come away with some nice pictures to share and write some silly caption alongside about how fantastic my food is.”
He is experimenting with reels too, shooting the content and recording a silly-yet-educational voiceover.
“Sometimes it’s just a recipe of my breakfast, and other times it’s promoting a brand’s product that I align with, obviously.”
He is expanding his content, adding fitness routines, which has led to new opportunities. He says food and fitness go hand in hand.
He may also end up on a reno show - his latest content has him building his own container house at his family’s bach in the far north.
More than 120K followers
The outspoken fighter against fast fashion, 32,uses her platforms to educate her followers on making sustainable choices and helping to support small Kiwi brands.
“People just really want someone they can relate to, I think that’s why I have a really great, engaged audience,” says Duncan.
“Aside from my paid work with brands, I share quite a lot of my personal life and I’m quite outspoken about that. Whether it’s about anxiety or my choice not to have children.”
Duncan lights up the platforms with her love for pastel colours, and her vintage and ethical finds, while on her mission to fight fast fashion.
“I place a high value on using my content to educate and inspire my followers,” she says.
“My favourite brands are the ones I get to develop a long-term working relationship with as I feel like it gives me the chance to build trust with my audience and the brand gets to know me as a creator too.”
Nothing is off-limits for Duncan unless she says it involves other people and then she can be very protective.
“I was once a Speech Language Therapist but started to earn enough of an income from content creation that I could quit that career. It’s not making me as much money, yet, but hopefully one day soon it will,” she says.
TikTok changed the game for Duncan this year - one of her videos went viral and she got 50k followers overnight. Although she says, she loves aesthetics which go hand-in-hand with Instagram.
More than 44k followers
The former The Apprentice contestant has numerous businesses - content creation and management feature strongly - and he is his generation’s poster boy for doing business well.
He astutely notes that authenticity is a funny word to relate to an influencer when people can view them as quite the opposite. He keeps it real, showing a good dose of his life and at least once a day hopping on to his Instagram stories to chat about life, business and more - responding to practically anyone who is engaging.
His brand work is split up in two ways.
“I have my big-boy jobs like Burger King and Flybuys, those jobs normally come across my desk as creator jobs.”
Here they will use his content and concepts that work well with their marketing campaign.
“I know I’ve done my job well when I receive a message after posting an ad saying they purchased ‘such and such’ product because it looks so exciting, or it was just what they were looking for,” says Anderson.
The second is working with smaller brands that are close to his own e-commerce brand.
Anderson’s content career came from a love and passion for photography and creating. That led to him including more of himself in pictures and he doesn’t just mean staged pictures of himself in a cool location.
“The more I started to show behind the scenes of my photography, goofing around, how I’m growing my brand, my dogs, more relatable and daily life chats ... that is what helped me set myself apart from other creator accounts,” he says.
“To stay interesting and on-trend, it’s currently about video content - YouTube Shorts, TikToks, Instagram Reels - all of these platforms are where people are spending the most time.
“Whether it’s through learning, entertainment, relatability or just cause you love watching your favourite cooking TikToker peel potatoes.”
More than 28k followers
The artist is the face and founder of Lukeke Design and is at the forefront of the studio glass movement, gaining a devoted social media following and international acclaim in the process.
Seeing the design work in progress fascinates people on social media.
“As an artist of an ancient craft, I want to share my knowledge and have my content be more educational. I find people really enjoy watching the process of how my pieces are made from start to finish - In both glass blowing on my personal page and glass casting on my business page,” says Jacomb.
Some of his videos were getting millions of views and he says the growth had a bit of a snowball effect after that.
Jacomb has spent years refining his craft as a world-renowned glass blower. Sharing on social media was a natural progression from letting people come into his workshop to be “blown” away.
Lukeke Design’s pieces are represented all over the world in museums and private residences. Jacomb has collaborated with numerous local brands, including Karen Walker and Cheshire Architects, although the colabs he is most proud of were the ones with his late father, John Croucher.
“He was my best friend and a mentor. He was a pioneer and his contribution to the world of glass art was massively significant.”
This year Jacomb hired a content creator to work alongside his assistant, Kate - a great photographer to create the stills and video on @LukekeDesign, and he has some exciting things planned. He is using his TikTok account, @lukejacomb, as a platform to experiment with showcasing new ideas and techniques.
More than 7k followers
The androgynous digital and creative specialist, 27, feels lucky to fall into a niche pool of people, which has allowed him to have a unique share of the voice.
d’Larté - who for more than a decade has broken down barriers - says it was quite challenging for brands to take him seriously as a creator.
“I’m grateful to be at a stage where brands that I’ve looked up to, or have been inspired by, are asking me to come to the table to collaborate.”
The perfect pairing is with brands and organisations that align with his values and advocate for diversity, inclusion, and acceptance of minority groups.
If he is sent a rainbow-treated version of a product and expected to rave about it on social media, “I want to see them giving back to the community in tangible ways — what percentages of sales are going to LGBTQIA+ organisations? Are they working with creatives from within the queer community?”
d’Larté cites OPI and COS as great examples of businesses that go above and beyond to give back in a non-tokenistic manner. Other harmonious collaborations have been with Benefit Cosmetics, Ardell Beauty and BLUNT Umbrellas.
Statuesque, striking and often futuristically dressed, d’Larté says there are very few beauty brands that are prepared to step out of the norm, which makes him grateful when brands like YSL Beauty collaborate with him.
More than 50k followers
The professional makeup artist is continuously blown away by the support and generosity of her followers.
After success on Facebook and YouTube, it is Instagram where Kemsley spends most of her time creating content and interacting with her followers and loves the artistic nature of the platform.
Kemsley’s profession meant the majority of her brand alignments were beauty at the start - but over time it’s expanded into lifestyle as well.
“One of my long-time standing brand partnerships has been with Yves Saint Laurent Beauty, working as a social media brand partner with them for five years now,” says Kemsley.
Kemsley carefully considers the concepts that go into telling a brand’s story and bringing it to life and works with her talented photographer friends – Mark Lahood and Natalie Waugh.
“With the fast-paced nature of social media, over time I have really focused on creating high-quality production content,” she says.
From beauty, she has gone on to curate moments in her life, styling outfits, renovating her 1960s home, gardening and just everyday life things, that she thinks can help with tips and tricks.
“My main goal has always been to keep things just light and fun online, not only for my audience’s viewing pleasure but also for myself. After years of being online, you learn that your inner peace is very important and that the internet can be a wonderful but also cruel place depending on what you share.”
More than 850k followers
With the arrival of his daughter Anakiwa, Davis 29, blew up TikTok with their adorable videos about family life.
It was natural, Davis says - the traditional role of the Māori father is to be playful and affectionate with his children - he fell in love with collating the memories of bonding with his daughter.
More than 90 million people have liked Davis and Anakiwa’s content.
The brands came knocking and the ones that fitted into their everyday life naturally told a story together, the good days and the bad.
“The food we eat, the things we do, the things we love. As creators, we are storytellers. Working with a brand is telling the story of how a big brand fits into the everyday person’s life.”
Davis is aware of changing trends - on the platforms - but is conscious of the community he has built and would never do anything too random that disinterests them.
“You need to experiment with new content but it has to be an extension of what you are already doing,” he says.
Davis has just left Wellington to move north to the coast and make content.
“The main appeal is leaving the city to be close to my family and spend more time with my kids.”
His wife is expecting baby No 2.
More than 150k followers
Bachelorette Lexie Brown chose the full-time videographer and photographer, 32, over the pack. That relationship didn’t last, but Boyt’s love of travel is eternal.
At 18, Boyt left Whangārei for his first trip overseas and quickly became obsessed.
“I travelled for 10 years working all sorts of jobs until eventually, I started sharing my travelling adventures on social media which started to take me places, shooting for travel companies like Contiki and Travel Talk Tours,” says Boyt.
He has seen most of the seven wonders and has consistently posted his travel photos and videos for eight years. He says he has also collaborated a lot with creators with bigger platforms.
He says he creates unique content for brands while trying to encapsulate who they are.
“I’ve worked with Hallensteins for a long time - they give me lots of creative freedom. Recently I managed to create an ad for them that generated 1.4 million views, it was pretty exciting.”
Travel storytellers Riparide send Boyt to different locations where they have accommodation in New Zealand.
“It’s great because I get to explore, create content, and share my love for Aotearoa - while working with a company that wants to do the same.”
Boyt thinks TikTok is the best platform for organic growth at the moment and he is speaking a lot more to camera to keep ahead of the social media curve.
“On TikTok, in two years I have managed to build up half the audience I have on Instagram, which had taken many years.”
It’s not all travel, Boyt creates commercial video and photos for businesses big and small and shoots weddings over the summer months with his partner.
More than 17k followers
The mother to three boys also has another full-time job in content creation that focuses on all that goes on in her “mum life”.
She mixes it up with DIY, fitness and wellness, so she can keep up with her boys.
“I think the key for me has been - just being myself. There are no filters, no smoke and mirrors. My audience sees me looking my worst as well as my best and not only sees our successes but our failures too,” says Donaldson.
“People want to know that other mums have hard days too where they are struggling and they are not alone.”
Donaldson, 34, started out sharing on a blog when she and her husband purchased their first home and proceeded to document the renovation process. When Instagram came along, she could show off her lifelong passion for photography, also using drones.
No doubt her Bachelor of Business - majoring in advertising and marketing - has helped and she says she is truly grateful that social media has allowed her to be creative and provide brands with high-quality content, which she says has opened many doors and possibilities.
“I mean, I basically live at the gym or at Bunnings and both of these brands are ones that I love to create content for, so it works out great for everyone,” she says.
Donaldson says she didn’t set out to be a content creator, it has all happened organically. She just does “her” in the best way she can and learns as she goes.
“So far it’s working out for me.”
More than 95k followers
Coterie’s success with shows festivals and the charts have also helped their social media.
The Fisher brothers - Brandford, 26, Josh 27, Tyler, 31 and Conrad, 24, of Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi and Ngāi Te Rangi descent, grew up across the Ditch in Perth. They have just finished a run of sold-out shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and are currently opening across Six60′s Saturday Tour.
Riding off the back of their first hit single Cool It Down - which spent three weeks in the #1 position on the official New Zealand Hot Singles’ charts - their social media content is as authentic and cool as their music.
“Our content is all about the music! " says Tyler. “We’ve always frothed with skate and surf vids, that’s the culture we grew up in and the culture of our music. So at the end of the day it always revolves around music and our lives.
“We’re just four dudes doing stuff we think is cool and fun.”
Tyler says they prioritised making content a bit more over the last year or so, with Covid sometimes making content creation their only avenue.
“We were already into it though, growing up on things like Jackass and that.”
They have only worked with about five brands and that’s the way they like it.
“It has to be the culture of the brand that makes sense, or aligns with a concept project like Tats N Chats or our upcoming debut album launch party,” says Tyler.
Of course, music platforms have given the band over 10 million streams, but Tyler says all platforms benefit each other, with YouTube giving them a few million views.
“TikTok and Insta are definitely more daily content platforms for us though ... it’s all like a big eco system.”
More than 140 k followers
The comedian, 26, isn’t just popular for his own content, his production company WEST PARK is about supporting others too.
“My company’s all about being a voice for Gen Z and in particular, indigenous Gen Z in media, whether that be TV, radio, podcast, digital and any other form of media. So, building that is where all my focus is going to for the next couple of years and my own individual projects will just fall within that.”
His fingers are in numerous digital pies, in fact he was on a plane back from a business trip to LA when Spy caught up with him.
Among the pies, The Celebrity Treasure Islandstar created an Instagram and YouTube show this year called The Boys are Decorating. It’s a great vehicle for him to experiment with content.
“The secret to my success is knowing how social media truly works. How people speak on it, why people use it, the language of the land, all of those things I understand deeply so I know to engage social media for my own benefit and others,” he says.
Daymond started his first social media content company at 14.
“It was a high school 1st XV news outlet based predominantly on Facebook and it hit 12k followers, which in 2010 was massive as it was prior to companies really investing in that space,”
His biggest brand partnership is with Frank Energy, front-facing their campaigns, their commercials, their marketing collateral and he cherishes that they take on his ideas too.
“I have a saying, excuse the language, “s*** up your content”. What this means is make your content raw when you can. Don’t over-edit it, don’t put on a weird filter, don’t do too much. The second you put too much behind it, people are socially conditioned to believe they’re being marketed to,” he says.
And his go-to platform for business? LinkedIn.
More than 90k followers
He may not have fellow Kiwi actor KJ Apa’s millions of followers but Webber is quirky and creative with the way he shares things and works with brands.
“I take on only jobs that work with my lifestyle and what I represent,” says Webber.
“I bring elements of my acting to how I create my work. I can speak about certain products and initiatives if I am passionate about them. That way, I am only promoting in an authentic manner. Hence the reason I am quite picky with whom I work.”
Instagram is the best platform for Webber and where he finds the most engagement. His posts can range from family life, and wellness, with flavours of male modelling and of course his acting and singing.
“I always try to combine, new places, new perspectives and some humour and skits where I can, but nowadays, I am really trying to incorporate the mental and spiritual applications in my own life,” he says
“Naturally in life, I am promoting mindfulness, positivity, good habits, so if I can work those into whatever projects I am working on - it will be more authentic and people now are resonating with that language more. It’s needed and becoming more common.”
Webber has worked with a bunch of different brands in the past, including clothing, skincare, travel through to government, but says currently he has no ongoing brand relationships as his work in film and TV has been so busy.
“Whomever I work with, I make sure it fits with where my interests are also, that way I am just as energetic about creating content with them as they are to work with me.”
His acting and art will always come first.
More than 20k followers
House flippers Tyge, 41, and Christina, 34, share their love of renovation alongside raising their two boys on Instagram.
“By showing the good bits as well as the challenges, we think that kiwis out there with DIY in their blood can relate to us,” they say.
The couple do content they would like to watch - Tyge does the DIY and Christine’s area is all things interior - and like to think they are adding ideas into other people’s lives.
“We are just parents with two full-energy young boys trying to chase a dream of being full-time house flippers - but the balance isn’t easy and renovating can cause some stress, so we don’t try to hide that side of it.”
Brands are an easy fit with what they do and they especially like working with Bunnings, Hirepool and Haier. To keep the content fresh, they created their Demo to Reno Series on Instagram YouTube and say they wanted to create an HGTV vibe.
Social media isn’t their mainstream of income, but they are however appreciative of the opportunities it provides them.
From where to get the best view to when the roads will close.