Influencer marketing has had its fair share of criticism, especially around the inauthenticity of big named celebrity or influencer endorsements and how detrimental these can be to the consumers they are targeting. The latest example is the frenzy around the Prime energy drink developed by YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul. Ever since its launch, queues of shoppers have been fighting over getting their hands on the drink which has been re-selling for up to £50, despite originally retailing for £8.50.

In an age where we’re bombarded with ads for everything that we might possibly want to buy, consumers have become sceptical when it comes to purchasing products on social media. To get the attention of an ad-weary consumer base, brands have started seeking alternative methods to promote their products such as using influencers and celebrities which consumers admire or relate to. However, these products are not always as hyped up as they seem to be. For this reason, Room Unlocked – a platform overhauling the world’s biggest brands – reveals how to avoid falling into the latest influencer endorsement trap.

Don’t lose sight of the products you use

It is important to not lose sight of what you would usually purchase. Do some research around the products being endorsed. Then ask yourself these three simple questions; Why the product makes sense for you as an individual? What problem you can solve with it? Is it actually worth the money?

Search for more authentic brand ambassadors

Nowadays the social media market is populated with smaller influencers who have more curated feeds and focus on a specific niche. We are not saying to unfollow your favourite celebrities or macro-influencers, but keep in mind the possibility that they might be pocketing from mentioning a product on their social media and wouldn’t use it themselves. So, make sure you are also following people who are promoting products that align with similar values and beliefs as your own.

Disassociate the product from the celebrity

Subconsciously people believe that purchasing a product that’s promoted by a celebrity they admire, will allow them to emulate the celebrity’s desired traits or attract similar people into their lives. In fact, a study found that consumers (ages 18-24) are more susceptible to celebrity brand endorsements than other age groups, because they take on a more active role in developing their identities and appearance based upon celebrities. Remind yourself these celebrities have a whole other wealth of resources at the tip of their fingers, and the product their promoting is probably not the only thing they use to achieve their ‘perfect’ skin, body hair, etc.

Alex Payne CEO and co-founder of Room Unlocked, comments:

“At Room Unlocked, we have long promoted the benefits of brands working with genuine fans of their brand. The move from commercial transactions, where brands buy influencers and influencers sell themselves, to genuine connections built on brand love is gathering pace and with obvious benefits – less time required, no money involved, greater volumes of content with higher levels of engagement.

“The era of brands just placing ads through influencers is over. Instead, they now recognise the need to create fans and build longer term relationships. And when brands reciprocate the love of their fans, they get more back than they ever receive by simply paying someone.”