Influencers Are Just Like You…Or Are They?

Influencer marketing is all the rage right now, but is it becoming less authentic?

In September, influencer agency Village Marketing created a Soho penthouse “studio” for influencers to rent out. The idea is simple enough- the invite-only space can be rented out for free, for a few hours at a time, and influencers can shoot their photos and videos there.

Village Marketing’s Vicky Segar says that many influencers’ reaction has been “This is just what we need!” – but what happens when consumers start to notice their favorite influencers in the same “cookie-cutter” space? Is providing a standard backdrop taking out a step in the creative process?

Segar pointed out that no one is pretending this is their home; content creation is simply an influencer’s job. On the flip side, if customers feel like they’re being schmoozed by a less-than-authentic storyteller, they’re not going to fully trust the advertisement or the source.

Influencers have a tricky job- they need to highlight a product and make us, the consumers, feel like our lives, too,can be improved with this detox tea…those shoes…the perfect hiking backpack…whatever it may be. A made-up “studio” might be the most aesthetically pleasing, but wasn’t influencer marketing created to feel like we’re getting recommendations from a friend instead a team of marketers in a boardroom?

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