A couple of weeks ago there was a controversial advertisement published, along with the logo of the Ministry of Electronics and IT, on the front page of a newspaper, highlighting a YouTube influencer, and recommending her as a “real expert”. Before that, the Income Tax department went after influencers who were flaunting their glamours lifestyles on social media but paying no taxes. A few months ago, SEBI reached an out-of-court settlement with a financial influencer over stock tips. Earlier this year, a badly run startup event in Noida led to influencers who promoted the event coming under scrutiny. During COVID, influencers came under scrutiny for charging to promote blood donation. Talk to any D2C or crypto company, and influencer marketing is a key part of their marketing strategy. Even the Indian government has joined the bandwagon with several ministers appearing on various YouTube influencer channels to promote the government’s vision. We discussed some of the controversies around influencers, the dark side of influencer marketing, concerns around financial influencers, how the government is attempting to regulate this industry, and more. What we discussed: What are influencers, the different types of influencers, where do you find them, and how do they work? The importance of influencers to brands Understanding influencer business models. Why are influencers being regulated? Controversies related to influencer marketing from recent months. The dark side of influencer marketing. Specific concerns related to financial influencers. Why are influencers being regulated. How influencers are regulated. Expected regulations in the future. The video…
