The cream of the crop among local influencers are Kovy, Domi Alagia, and Anna Šulc, research showed.
Among the most well-known personalities contributing to shaping domestic public opinion, according to the latest research, are Kovy, Czech-Italian influencer, singer, and actress Domi Alagia, and blogger and actress Anna Šulc. The top five also include Denisa Kouřílková, also known as Sugar Denny, and for the first time, Jan Macák, appearing on social media under the name MenT. The significance of these figures in society is also increasing, along with the rising traffic on social media.
Do some names like Nikol Leitgeb, Mikýř, or Jirka Král mean nothing to you? Personalities that are known for their contributions on social media have their own popularity rankings. These rankings are compiled annually by the Center for Marketing Research and Strategic Marketing at the Faculty of Business Administration of the University of Economics in Prague.
An influencer is generally someone who is active on social media and influences a significant number of people, especially young users. The impact on the young generation is precisely why this list of names is so significant. The number of social media users in the Czech Republic is growing. Social networks are used by up to about 83 percent of the adult population. Along with this, the number of influencers is also increasing. According to some estimates, by as much as one-third.
The Ranking of the Best Doesn't Change Much
The latest results of influencer popularity measurements showed that Kovy, real name Karel Kovář, remains at the top, followed by singer and actress Domi Alagia in second place, blogger and actress Anna Šulc in third, influencer Denisa Kouřílková aka Sugar Denny in fourth, and Jan Macák, known as MenT, in fifth.
"Apart from Domi Alagia, the top of the ranking includes creators who have been in the industry for sometimes more than ten years. This means that over time, they have managed to maintain their relevance not only among those who have followed them for a long time but also among younger generations. Evidently, many who dominated the ranking just a few years ago have failed to do so or have started focusing primarily on something else,"
said for ČTK Jana Kovářová from the Department of Marketing at the Faculty of Business Administration, VŠE.
For example, she refers to actress and singer Nikol Leitgeb (Štíbrová), who long held the top spots on the ranking. However, since 2024, in response to a greater focus on family and charitable activities, she has been moving down and has not appeared in leading positions in the last few waves of the survey. It's similar with host, producer, and singer Leoš Mareš, who currently finished in eighth place.
TOP 3
Back to the best ones. Kovy has dominated the rankings since 2019, with the exception of last January when he was unexpectedly replaced by Domi Alagia. A big plus for Karel Kovář is the fact that he can not only entertain viewers but also provide them with information on more challenging topics such as politics or disinformation. Several parliamentary parties have already offered him cooperation. Another strong domain for Kovy is his books, of which he is the author. He has published several already.
Domi Alagia came into the public eye thanks to her participation in SuperStar in 2021. This was followed by appearances in the reality shows Love Island and Like House. In the new edition of Miss Czech Republic, she even made it to the final top twenty. Whether she manages to win the crown and possibly represent the Czech Republic at the international Miss Grand International competition remains to be seen.
Anna Šulc is known for winning the seventh edition of the Czech Social Awards in the inspiration and influence category. On the other hand, she was criticized for the unsuccessful government campaign known as Strakovka. The influencer's income, which relies on lucrative partnerships, was significantly affected for a while. According to estimates by Forbes magazine, the whole affair cost her two million and in the long-term even up to five million crowns.
Influencer Marketing Makes Money
Currently, influencer marketing represents the most significant source of income for most of the top influencers. According to a study by the influencer and social marketing agency Lafluence Agency, which was created in collaboration with the technology platform Trendin.io, the total value of tagged media space on Instagram over the past year was estimated at 3.5 billion crowns, as reported by Mediaguru.
“Influencer marketing in the Czech Republic and Slovakia is still on the rise. Brands should monitor the quality of followers to avoid buying bots, as 18 percent of influencers on the market likely have purchased followers. If clients are focused on reach and frequency, they should select influencers who can generate more views than they have followers,”
said the executive director of Lafluence Agency, Martin Kyncl, to this portal.
This year, the key trend in this area will be working with artificial intelligence tools.
"AI can be a huge opportunity for analytics and creation if creators use it smartly without losing authenticity,"
predicted Jakub Michalovský, a manager at TK media agency, to the Mediaguru server some time ago regarding developments this year. However, he believes that the risk remains, for example, in the spread of misinformation.
Sources: author's article, Forbes, Mediaguru, ČTK
