Negative reviews and undisclosed ads: The ugly side of beauty influencer marketing

By Sarah Parsons | Published: 20-Sep-2018

From sponsored posts without disclaimers to paid-for negative reviews, the relationship between brands and influencers is under renewed scrutiny

You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.

Influencers have become the beauty fan’s online best friend. With the ability to advise consumers on the hottest launches, they can offer seemingly unbiased advice on how to achieve the latest make-up look with a familiarity that instantly puts you at ease.

But, lurking behind some of the smiles and niceties, might be something altogether less genuine.

Influencers have become a popular voice for beauty marketers to harness, with budgets for influencer marketing set to increase by 65% over the next 12 months, according to the World Federation of Advertisers.

An early adopter of the marketing practice, the beauty industry has clocked average returns of £8.81 for every £1 spent on influencer-led collaborations, analyst Celebrity Intelligence reveals, bringing with it a 98% efficacy rating on campaigns for 2017.

The combination of an influencer’s authenticity and outreach has paved the way for a number of online personalities – such as Manny MUA, Huda Beauty and Jeffree Star – to develop huge followings and cosmetics brands in their own right.

However, the authenticity of beauty influencers has come under fire in recent months with industry leaders,

Not yet a Subscriber?

This is a small extract of the full article which is available ONLY to premium content subscribers. Click below to get premium content on Cosmetics Business.

Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in here.

You may also like