A virtual what? Humans prefer their influencers to have real pulses January 23, 2021 At last week’s annual tech expo CES, consumer electronics giant LG decided not to use a company executive or celebrity to present its latest products during its live-streamed keynote speech. Instead, it opted for a social media influencer called Reah Keem. The notable thing about Keem is not her follower count — she only has [...]
The making of Chris Kamara: How ex-footballer went from lads and dads’ hero to prime time national treasure November 27, 2020 As a football player and later a manager, Chris Kamara forged a successful if, by some standards, unspectacular career in an unfashionable era. England recognition never arrived, and his biggest victories came outside a top division that had not yet become the millionaires’ playground of today. More than two decades since he left the game, [...]
When it comes to influencer fraud, the buck stops with Facebook February 24, 2020 Influencer fraud is one of the biggest headaches facing marketers today. As an industry, influencer marketing was worth an estimated £6bn last year, and is forecast to reach £12bn by 2022. Its breakneck growth is largely due to the parallel rise in fortunes of social media giant Instagram. The Facebook-owned platform is home to most [...]
Virtual influencers pose ethical dilemmas for the ad industry October 28, 2019 Last month, I reported on the rise of virtual influencers – fake online personalities created using computer-generated imagery and controlled by brands or media agencies. The most famous example is Lil Miquela, a fictional character invented by LA-based studio Brud. “She” has 1.7m followers on Instagram, has appeared in a Calvin Klein commercial alongside the [...]
Meet the company helping to build trust in influencer marketing October 7, 2019 It’s not hard to find critics of influencer marketing. This is an industry that is not short of scandals. There have been instances of social media stars failing to label marketing content as ads, promoting things that turn out to be fraudulent – see the Fyre Festival debacle – or even creating fake content. In [...]
Uncanny valley: Explaining the rise of virtual influencers September 30, 2019 I have fallen down a social media rabbit hole. I’ve been scrolling through the feed of an online influencer called “Lil Miquela”, and watching her videos on YouTube. Her Instagram is just like any other influencer account. There are pictures of her on nights out with friends, several of her posing in trendy clothes, even [...]