I came across this interesting opinion piece on influencers, which was inspired by the controversial wedding of influencer Melissa Koh. I found it to be quite thought provoking and relevant to what we recently discussed in class, and it’s definitely worth a read.

It’s quite a long piece, so for those of you who are time poor, here’s the TL;DR:

• Many brands believe that the use of influencers are equivalent to word-of-mouth, and that consumers will blindly believe what is said
• Authenticity and transparency are two factors which should be highly prized by brands and consumers alike, however, sometimes brands fail to see this
• There are guidelines by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore, in aims to increase transparency, and in turn, authenticity; However, these are not being adhered to
• Engagement in the long-run is built on trust and transparency
• Brands should evaluate which influencers they work with carefully

All that being said, in the end it’s up for consumers to ultimately decide – after all we have the power.

What do you think? Is it time to say goodbye to influencers?