Can Influencers Wield Too Much Power?
As an industry anticipated to reach up to $10 billion by 2020 in the U.S., influencer marketing is giving retailers and brands a fresh way to get their product in front of the optimal audience on relevant platforms. But these campaigns cost significant money, and can backfire if approached without tact, especially if an influencer damages the brand in some way.
The Retail TouchPoints team discusses whether it is possible for social influencers to wield too much influence, and suggests how brands and retailers should protect themselves if the influencer “goes rogue” or does something that might embarrass or diminish them.
Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief: I think the Influencer trend is going to reach a tipping point soon. So many bloggers and other brand advocates have taken on the role as their primary occupation that it is likely to reach saturation in the near future. Couple that with some problematic behavior by well-known influencers. This article on teensafe.com spotlights five of the worst examples from YouTube: #1 being Jake Paul who apparently lives for “chaos.” They’re just not beholden to anyone and are haphazard with their behavior. Other influencers are going too far in selling their services, which dilutes their influencer credibility. All that said, it’s definitely a strong trend right now, so it’s smart for retailers to take advantage of it while it’s working.
Adam Blair, Executive Editor: The question of whether influencers wield too much power is interesting, but it raises a more fundamental question: what gives these people their power over us mere mortals? There have been celebrities for hundreds if not thousands of years, and they have influenced everything from hairstyles and fashions to product purchases via paid endorsements. What’s changed is that the gatekeepers for influence are no longer brands, ad agencies and a small group of publishers/media, but the social media platforms that reach into everyone’s pocket via smart devices. In theory at least, that means we’re all the gatekeepers now. In the unlikely event that uber-beloved movie star Tom Hanks did something unforgivably horrible, his follower numbers, and the clout they represent, would wither away. Given the amount of misinformation and noise on the typical social network, however, it’s not a perfectly responsive small-d democratic system. But at least for now, it’s the arena that brands have to play in in order to be seen and heard.
Glenn Taylor, Senior Editor: In 2017, there was a 325% increase in searches for “influencer marketing” on Google alone, so the concept of influencers as genuine brand-builders is nothing to scoff at. Given that we’re at a point where nearly everyone has a Facebook or Instagram account or watches videos on YouTube, shoppers are bound to see content from sponsored posts of endorsed brands, likely from an influencer. Five months after revealing it would open a dialogue with tech platforms that display fake news, Unilever announced it would no longer work with social media influencers who buy followers on Facebook and Twitter. CMO Keith Weed noted that other brands should do the same in order to avoid fraud and build trust between the influencer and the consumer. I think this is a good start to limiting “influencer power,” particularly since it seems too easy for people to pay for followers. In limiting this power before it gets out of hand, I think influencers will be forced to be more genuine and in line with brand values.
Bryan Wassel, Associate Editor: Experts have touched on influencers in multiple recent interviews, and the one thing they all have in common is the need for authenticity. Being actual people is what made them stand out from standard corporate-sponsored social media posts in the first place, but now the identities of the largest influencers have become brands unto themselves. One of the emerging trends I’m hearing about is the rise of micro-influencers, who command followers in the tens of thousands rather than millions, but who inspire greater loyalty among their fans. Shoppers can feel more connected to lesser-known influencers, who they feel are much closer to the average person’s level. Additionally, retailers represented by many micro-influencers, rather than one huge celebrity, makes poor behavior on the part of one person much less harmful to the overall brand.
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