Unilever Calls for Increased Transparency among Social Media Influencers & Marketers
Transparency is an issue of growing importance in online
spheres, particularly in regards to social media marketing and those paid to
promote products on these platforms. However it seems it is not only consumers
who are beginning to take a stand against online influencers who engage in the
purchasing of followers, the use of bots, and a number of other “shady”
business practices; advertisers too are joining the cause.
One such advertiser is Unilever, whose sheer scale,
influence and purchasing power makes them ideally placed to force through some
change in the industry. In a statement
released on Monday 18th June the company, which owns several major
brands including Lynx, Dove and Hellmann’s, announced three ongoing commitments
aimed at increasing visibility and transparency on social platforms:
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| Img: Judgefloro |
- Transparency from Influencers: We will not work with influencers who buy followers.
- Transparency from Brands: Our brands will never buy followers.
- Transparency from Platforms: We will prioritise partners who increase transparency and help eradicate bad practices throughout the whole ecosystem.
“At Unilever, we believe influencers are an important way to
reach consumers and grow our brands. Their power comes from a deep, authentic
and direct connection with people, but certain practices like buying followers
can easily undermine these relationships. Today we are announcing clear
commitments to support and maintain the authenticity and trust of influencer
marketing.
“The key to improving the situation is three-fold: cleaning
up the influencer ecosystem by removing misleading engagement; making brands
and influencers more aware of the use of dishonest practices; and improving
transparency from social platforms to help brands measure impact. We need to
take urgent action now to rebuild trust before it’s gone forever.”
Such change is undoubtedly needed as social platforms evolve
and begin to dominate more and more of our time and attention. Whether Unilever’s
brunt is enough to make a significant impact on its own is a question I cannot
yet answer, but hopefully other influential advertisers will answer the
rallying call and help to force through change for the better.
Sam
is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers.
Currently working as Editor of Social Songbird, he hopes to one day drop that
'aspiring' prefix. Follow him @Songbird_Sam
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Unilever Calls for Increased Transparency among Social Media Influencers & Marketers
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Rating:
Unknown
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