Mumfluencers, Media Value and the Back-to-School Power Play

As the long summer break winds down, the back-to-school rush is no longer just a dash for pencil cases and polished shoes. It’s become a finely-tuned social media battleground — and this year, Marks & Spencer is the undisputed winner.

According to new analysis from Kolsquare, the influencer marketing platform tracking brand impact across social, M&S has outpaced rivals George at Asda and Clarks Shoes in both scale and cultural conversation. From 1 July through mid-August, M&S partnered with 1,380 influencers, generating an estimated £5 million in Earned Media Value. By comparison, George at Asda worked with 488 influencers, creating £975,000 EMV, while Clarks collaborated with just over a hundred names for £107,000 EMV.

Numbers aside, the strategy is clear: M&S has leaned heavily on celebrity parents and digital-first “mumfluencers,” the creators who command loyal audiences of families and decision-makers. Christine Lampard fronts its campaign, bringing her 644,000 Instagram followers into the fold, while Brooke Vincent, the former Coronation Street star, lent her 917,000-strong following to George at Asda. Clarks brought Josie Gibson on board, while Hunter Boots turned to Helen Skelton for its children’s line.

Beyond celebrity gloss, however, it’s the mums with cameras on TikTok and Instagram who are shifting the retail tide. Sophiena, with her 2.7 million TikTok followers, is championing Tesco. Shannon Tomkins is one of George at Asda’s rising voices, and Kelsey Parker has partnered with Kickers Kids UK. These creators are shaping household choices in ways glossy billboards rarely can — conversational, relatable, and firmly embedded in daily family life.

Yet beneath the surface of this marketing muscle lies a fault line. Kolsquare’s Voices of the Creator Economy 2025 report highlights a persistent gender pay gap: 38% of women creators earn under €500 a month from content, compared to 23% of men. The picture is complicated further by the reality that most creators are juggling multiple platforms — TikTok, Instagram, affiliate links — just to carve out sustainable income. Authenticity remains a currency: nearly half of UK creators say brand values matter as much as compensation. But the pressure is high, with two-thirds reporting stress linked to their work, alongside disproportionate exposure to online abuse.

“Back-to-school is one of the biggest annual moments for brands to connect with families,” says Quentin Bordage, CEO of Kolsquare. “Our research shows that UK mumfluencers and celebrity parents are shaping household choices – and brands like M&S are winning by investing in long-term, values-led partnerships.”

What this signals is more than just a retail win. It’s a cultural moment. The back-to-school season has become a mirror of modern family life — where authenticity, trust and the voices of everyday parents matter more than glossy campaigns alone. M&S may be winning the social conversation, but the conversation itself belongs firmly to the mums behind the lens.