The crackdown on social media influencers being paid thousands to boost brands is under way. But not everyone seems to have got the message
One of the many things we have learned from Netflix’s Fyre festival documentary is just how much money influencers can make from a single Instagram post. If you haven’t seen it – and you simply must, it’s a set text for a course in Men That Can’t Get Away With It, alongside that new Justin Timberlake autobiography that is just photos of him – it shows that a host of celebrity influencers were paid to post a single burnt orange tile on their Instagram with a link to the Fyre festival website, meaning a festival that didn’t exist immediately sold out.
According to the film, Kendall Jenner was allegedly paid $250,000 (£190,000) for her post, but even smaller influencers were bunged tens of thousands of dollars. Overall, millions were spent on a supposedly “viral” campaign. Yet, this week, another unlikely brand managed to sign up an equally impressive list of influencers, all without spending a penny. I’m talking of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the grey government quango responsible for investigating business mergers. It managed to bag Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora, Zoella and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for its new campaign, as well as a host of reality stars and vloggers. Darling, how have they managed it? By threatening them all with jail time, of course!
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