When marketing platform Zyper launched two years ago, brands were just starting to work with influencers and micro-influencers had barely begun to emerge. Since, influencers have become a line item in most every brand’s marketing budget, and the space has expanded to include even nano-influencers, or influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers. But influencer marketing’s heyday may have already come and gone. The reason, according to Zyper CEO Amber Atherton: “Influencer content has become inauthentic.” In response, consumers are relying less on influencers to tell them what to buy, instead turning to peer-to-peer referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations from their inner circle. And brands are strategizing accordingly, shifting their focus from influencers to existing customers. “Brands today want to turn their most passionate customers into brand advocates -- not just to create content, but to develop new products, to provide feedback, to be a focus group 2.0,” said Atherton. “Brands are realizing that we're living in an increasingly decentralized world: The consumer has more power with their data, influencers are being democratized, and, really, a brand's customers are their best asset; they’re both the product development department and the marketing department. If a brand can identify and bring these people into the brand, and give them that access, then they're going to remain relevant.”