What is the difference between an "influencer" and a brand ambassador? Why do companies need highly visible, digitally engaged employees in their content strategy? What has happened in companies and in public perception in recent months? A comprehensive look at the current state of the discussion.
In my opinion, 2017 has become the year of debate about so-called “influencers”: a discussion about the questions of their credibility, about proper labeling and violations of the labeling requirement; about rumors and facts about appropriate and more or less horrendous fees for a single Instagram post or a YouTube video; ultimately about the reputation of an entire advertising machine.
From the Emperor to the TV King
In the past, well-known personalities from the German Kaiser in the linkedin data century before last to TV celebrities such as Thomas Gottschalk (in the 1980s) or (even today) prominent footballers had to serve as brand advertising. The forms have changed, the media and the speed of distribution. Fewer and fewer people watch linear television, including advertising. Even today, famous people still earn a lot of money for advertising products, but the boundaries between clearly recognizable advertising appearances and less clear placements are blurring.
Even this is not a completely new phenomenon: Products or items of clothing that royals or film stars wore on television or in magazines have sold out quickly in the past. Films and series also help to sell products - sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally.
Even though it's a little off topic, I'd like to briefly illustrate this with an example: A small appearance of a lion-shaped telephone speaker in the series "The Good Wife" in 2011 created a real hysteria of demand for the cute device.