The dominant influencer marketing industry has undergone a sudden hysteria around fake followers. The police investigate Rapper-Singer Badshah (Aditya Sisodia) who is allegedly paying money to get fake followers and wants to spread his music as revealed by the Times Group’s Mumbai Mirror.
While the problem is not new for counterfeit followers and fake influencers – consumers who have only gained prominence behind fake followers, influencing marketing has become the fastest-growing digital advertisement segment in the Rs 14 000 crores, advertisers including Pepsico, Under Armour, Lava, Sugar Cosmetics and upGrad claim.
Many problems in the industry such as their emphasis on scope rather than effects, lack of quality consistency, and the disparity between brands and influencers have been exposed to this rapid growth. Other agencies now offer technological solutions to help identify false profiles and bots, while others create tools to help companies find the right influence to support their products by inspiring their supporters.
According to influencer analyst firms, technology and gadget firms spend up to ten crores every year in influence initiatives, twice the amount in the fields of personal care and food.
Madhur Acharya, senior business development manager at the beauty brand Wow Skin Science, says that agencies and marketers’ big buggery is not matching their items with the influencer. “Most followers will not ensure conversion,” he claimed.
Talking to NBB about the ongoing controversy related to the influencer marketing industry, Ashutosh Harbola (Founder & CEO, Buzzoka), said, ” I believe this is a very vicious cycle of numbers in which people are getting trapped in order to show off to the world. People have been doing this for long. Everyone is aware of what is happening but people still indulge as it is the shortest way.”
“I hope this ends soon and people understand there is no point of indulging in these malpractices”
Advertisers are also more likely to prefer influencers of technology-enabled marketing firms. This company has historically depended only on the strengthening of the relationship between the advertiser and its marketing power agency and the agency and the influencers with whom it operates.
Talking to NBB about this practice, Bhawna (Founder, Letsinfluence) said, ” I believe artists are vicitm in this case. They are targeted by brokers and people who indulge in such practices as they know artists are unaware of the digital space.”
Social Media influencer marketing is becoming a bubble which ensures that malpractices also come along. In order to maintain the reputation and engagement, influencers are trapped in such malpractices which brings a bad name to the industry and damages their online reputation too.
