Not talking about 'thought leaders' or the Chinese government...
There is a fascinating new Wired article, "Inside the Pricey War to Influence Your Instagram Feed", that goes into great depth, primarily about the cosmetics industry talking about the rise of 'influencers' who command tens of thousands of dollars for covering / endorsing products. For that industry, these social media people have become arguably more important than traditional advertising and distributor / sellers.
Quote:
In interviews, more than a dozen people involved in influencer marketing expressed concerns over the ethics of the burgeoning industry, where brands routinely shell out well over $60,000 in exchange for one video review—or upwards of $85,000 to publicly disparage a competitor’s product. The activity is not confined to reviews. Influencers with a sizable following rarely have to purchase products in their niche.
Curious about your thoughts on how this works in our industry.
We don't accept any advertising, sponsorships, etc. but there is certainly 'influence' to be bought in the industry. What do you think are the biggest ones?