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2023 Author: Gabrielle Mercer | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 12:25
Discount codes, shopping tips and sponsored postings - content creators always recommend us THE top products honestly and transparently. Or?
In recent years, social media has grown from a sideline pastime to one of the most important advertising media. So-called influencer marketing in particular is one of the most important tools for generating sales online. A survey by Statista from last year shows: 40% of respondents in Germany have already bought a product because influencers recommended it.
Fake product fail
We should by no means follow the recommendations of our favorite Instagram accounts without informing ourselves - this is shown in a current video by the experiment Youtubers Marvin Wildhage. In it he creates a fake product very professionally - including a marketing campaign, agency, photos, … He wants to test which content creators actually advertise it. The absurd: On the packaging of the cream, ingredients such as "pipikaka seed oil" and radioactive uranium are listed. What the testimonials did not know: In fact, it was a simple lubricant gel without any effect on the facial skin.
Enisa Bukvic, 26, former GNTM candidate, fell victim to the perfectly staged appearance and advertised her Instagram stories for the pan and its positive effects. Obviously without thinking about it a second time, the model chats about the "uranium stone-purified water", which is responsible for the great condition of the skin after the application. She even posted a (fake) before and after photo in her story! The Shitstorm was not long in coming after the video was published: A statement by the influencer in which she apologized quickly followed. In it she explains that she did not want to fool anyone and that "Hydrohype", the invented name of the product, was a moisturizing and harmless cream. She knows that the fault lies with her, but the big fake project is cruel in her eyes. A pale aftertaste remains.
A second video released by Marvin yesterday even reveals another person, fitness model Vanessa Mariposa, who sent a request to the brand and then advertised it on her social media account. As a result, she too experiences a lot of hateful comments; their followers demand a statement. It must be said, however, that "Hydrohype" also received rejections from some influencers because the product had no effect.
But now the question arises: Do some advertisers even deal with the products they are holding in the camera? And would they sell everything to their subscribers for the corresponding sum of money?
Money rules the (online) world
In any case, the case with Enisa Bukvic and Vanessa Mariposa showed that we shouldn't blindly trust Internet personalities. Even if it often seems to us that we know them well because we have been following them and their content every day for years, it is still a profession and the top priority is earn money. Of course, there are also honest, transparent influencers: Evidence for an authentic account can be, for example, if the person only presents products corresponding to their niche, apparently carefully selects their partnerships with brands and does not pack their stories full of many different advertising postings on a daily basis.
Difficulty for influencers
What you should know: When collaborating with companies, there are usually certain restrictions that content creators must adhere to. It is often contractually regulated that you are not allowed to express any criticism of the product or the company. In order to get paid, the influencers have to adhere to certain rules and cannot freely give their opinion on the advertising partners. This of course limits the authenticity.
As a follower, you have to find out yourself which flaws the advertised products have - unfortunately, disadvantages are rarely mentioned on social media. It helps: reading customer reviews, doing your own research about the product or brand or getting experience reports from acquaintances or friends.