With Instagram’s ever-changing algorithm making once-guaranteed likes, comments and follower growth feel more and more out of grasp, many influencers are turning to false methods of inflating their profiles. And Unilever is sick of it.
The company’s CMO, Keith Weed, declared today in Cannes that it won’t work with influencers who buy followers. And, in practicing what they preach, Weed also promised that Unilever’s own brands would never buy followers either. Unilever will also strive to partner with influencers who make an effort to “increase transparency and help eradicate bad practices throughout the whole ecosystem.”
“We need to take urgent action now to rebuild trust before it’s gone forever.” -Keith Weed, CMO of Unilever
Weed issued a call to action to the ad industry, as well as Instagram—the most prolific platform in influencer marketing—to take part. “We need to take urgent action now to rebuild trust before it’s gone forever,” he said in a statement.
The move is part of a push from Unilever (parent company of various major brands including Dove, Suave and Ben & Jerry’s) to “increase integrity and transparency in the influencer space,” Weed said. He added that unethical practices of buying followers or using bots to increase engagement undermine the relationships influencers have with brands like Unilever, who spent over $9 billion on marketing last year.
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