With the rise of social media as a tool for online mass communication over the past decade or so, came the prominence of social media influencers, celebrities with large online followings who are then courted by major companies to advertise their goods, in return getting paid with cash or free products.
Even LEGO gets into this social influencers action, which is why The Drum, a marketing industry website, has called upon it and four other big-brand companies to say their two cents on the latest social media scandal of an influencer campaign gone wrong, according to comments.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnIlqUShl31/
UK-based influencer Scarlett Dixon (@ScarlettLondon) posted an Instagram promo for Listerine last August 31, which was eventually bashed by critical commenters for its “obviously staged” and “fake” styling. One heckler even mentioned how they wanted Scarlett to “step on a LEGO” for her “forced acting”.
Steps on a Lego 😂😂😂
— Katie-Lou (@Bambicub) September 1, 2018
To this little bit of controversy, The LEGO Group’s Director of Social Media and Search Lars Silberbauer noted that such flare-ups don’t, as detractors claim, herald the death of social media influencers as an advertising force. Rather, the whole model is undergoing an adjustment period. Despite hiccups, he says “It doesn’t change the fact that millions and millions of people all around the world are following and taking inspiration from Influencers.”
Silberbauer also made mention that LEGO also entrusts some influencing campaigns to The Drum to hype their various LEGO products. And recently, the company’s put an ad out for a new Social Influence Manager to work on YouTube. All in all, despite the nightmare unleashed on @ScarlettLondon for her Listerine post, she and her fellow social media influencers still remain…influential.