A Response to The BBC Article: ‘I'm sick of influencers asking for free cake’
It was clear from the BBC news article (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54543279), professional chef and baker, Reshmi Bennet, was ‘sick of influencers asking for free cake all the time’. However, it should be made clear that in return for ‘free cake’, the influencers would post about their experience and how much they enjoyed the cake – using #ad to ensure that their audience knew this was a promotional post.
This is nothing new, but this example, highlights the issue around remuneration in this rapidly evolving marketing communications channel. Sadly, people expect ‘something for nothing’ but brands and businesses do have a choice and should be transparent when working or contracting with influencers. If they want to enter into a ‘value exchange’ type of arrangement, then this should be agreed up front. Ideally the brand or business should compensate the influencer as they would any talent they employ to promote their brand, product or service.
John Adams - BCMA and Council of Influencers member - the man behind multi award-winning fatherhood blog
dadbloguk.com said:
Influencers can offer enormous value to their clients. The media world has changed. If people are looking to buy products or services they are now less likely to pick up a magazine. They'll probably do their research online and that's where influencers are successfully operating. I'll also happily reveal that some of my most popular blog posts are reviews of products and services I wrote years ago. People still return to these posts in large numbers to read them. As for influencers requesting products for free, I appreciate this can be an issue. It does, however, work both ways. Every single day I am contacted by companies and organisations asking me to promote their products for free. It takes an enormous amount of work to write content, take and edit photographs, shoot video and promote my work on my various social media channels. It's taken me years to build up my following and I shouldn't be expected to do this without compensation."
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