As Influencer Marketing Matures, Brand Safety Concern

Influencer Marketing is a big business – and there are no signs that it is stopping.

It is estimated that the market will reach billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 28.6% over the course of a decade. In 2024 alone, marketers are expected to spend 16% more on Influencer Marketing budgets than the previous year.

The cultural influence of this industry is difficult to overestimate – perhaps that’s why several studies have revealed that more than half of Generation Z would choose to be an influencer if they had the opportunity, and more than one in four plans to become an influencer.

There is a good reason for these figures – if Influencer Marketing works, it is a resounding success. In the context of broader marketing strategies aimed at bypassing advertising fatigue, working with influencers has also proven to be an evolutionary way to really connect with the niche audience in the corners of the media landscape.

Effective partnerships expand the reach of brands, strengthen the authenticity of their messages and increase sales. In fact, 81% of social media marketers describe Influencer Marketing as an essential part of their social media approach.

But powerful marketing channels also have their drawbacks, and for Influencer Marketing, one of the biggest problems in the past has been brand security. The strength of influencer marketing is that you harness the unique voice of each creator. The disadvantage is that it may seem impossible to check each of them.

Today, there is a growing awareness of the time when influential partnerships are going south. This does not only mean campaigns that do not achieve a brand’s goals or influencers who cannot deliver the promised results, but when Influencer Marketing actively harms the brand.

Unfortunately, the fears about the safety of the brand are well founded. The consequences of a negative influence relationship can lead to reputational damage, loss of consumer trust and loss of sales. Solving the problem can be difficult and time consuming and can often cause more damage when you try to solve it.

Some companies have had their image permanently damaged by being associated with influencers who have caused bad publicity. Kanye West lost endorsements after his hate speech outbursts in 2022, but Adidas faced a bigger backlash for hesitating before dropping him.

Jimmy”MrBeast” Donaldson, one of the most followed personalities on social media, earns millions through sponsored content offers that could slow down following an ongoing controversy around his “philanthropic” content, allegations of toxic and abusive behavior over the years and his name.Substandard products.

Discordance with the public

Working with influencers who attract negative media coverage is not the only danger. Brands must also identify influencers who correspond well to their message. You may want to avoid someone whose political stance doesn’t align with that of your brand audience or who has a different opinion on divisive issues, like climate change or vaccines.

If your audiences don’t match, it can damage your reputation and lead to significant confusion and dissatisfaction on the part of consumers. The challenge is that sometimes the topic has clearly opposite sides, but sometimes the line is vague. For example, if an influencer living in a state where marijuana is legal publishes articles about his personal use, are you sure you match your brand?

Vegan and cruelty-free brand MCoBeauty objected to this when the influencer they were working with, Emma Weir, admitted cruelty to animals as a child last spring. Although many people laughed with her and considered her unimportant, the brand could not risk continuing to work with her.

It could even be something as insignificant as a clash of styles, like an elegant and formal brand working with someone who uses a lot of coarse language. Or an influencer promoting something he doesn’t really believe in, like when people made fun of Gigi Hadid for promoting Mcdonald’s or Cristiano Ronaldo stood for facial fitness Pao. These discrepancies dilute your brand identity, weaken your messages and make it difficult to establish a consistent brand exposure.