In recent years, influencer scandals have become increasingly common. These incidents not only lead to a decline in the influencer’s follower count and credibility but also negatively impact the brands that collaborate with them.
What exactly causes influencers to fall from grace? In this article, KOL Radar explains the reasons behind influencer scandals and the effects these scandals have on brands. In addition, we will outline how brands can choose the right influencers to work with in order to avoid public relations crises in the future!
What Are the 3 Common Causes of Influencer Scandals?
Influencer Persona Breakdown
The internet allows influencers to freely craft their personas behind the screen, and they can showcase their best selves to the public. While managing a persona is undoubtedly important for influencers—since a well-crafted image can attract a large following—problems arise when the persona is far too detached from the true character of that person. If there is a significant difference between the influencer’s real personality, habits, and the image they portray, it can easily lead to scandals.
For example, an influencer who gains popularity by advocating for environmental protection by urging followers to avoid using disposable utensils and to carry reusable cups could face backlash if fans discover that they use disposable utensils in private. This kind of hypocrisy can cause the influencer’s persona to crumble in an instant.
While maintaining a well-curated persona is important, honesty is even more crucial. Developing a persona that closely aligns with the influencer’s true self can significantly reduce the likelihood of scandals and persona breakdowns. Otherwise, once a scandal occurs, the consequences can be severe.
Inappropriate Remarks or Behavior
The public expects influencers to have a positive social impact, so their words and actions are often subject to intense scrutiny. When influencers make inappropriate remarks, the consequences can be dire, leading to the termination of collaborations and endorsements with brands. Therefore, influencers must be extremely careful about their behavior and statements on social media to avoid scandals.
Criminal Incidents
Criminal activities have the most severe negative impact on influencers as they significantly damage their image and affect the brands they collaborate with. In recent years, crimes such as drug use, domestic violence, and sexual harassment have been common among influencers. These criminal acts greatly tarnish their reputations. These incidents cause a mass exodus of followers and prompt brands to terminate partnerships with them. The personal image and social media presence of the influencer will often plummet beyond repair. Criminal activities lead to significant scandals and fallouts, deeply impacting both the influencers and the brands associated with them.
The Impact of Influencer Scandals on Brands
Damage to Brand Image
The greater the social media presence of an influencer, the greater the impact. Brands choose influencers as brand ambassadors in hopes of leveraging their influence and fan base to enhance brand awareness and favorability. However, if an influencer makes inappropriate comments or behaves improperly, public perception of the brand suffers as a result. This negative impact can lead to economic losses and force the brand to invest additional money and time in public relations efforts to repair relationships with consumers and business partners.
Damage to Brand Trust
When influencers serve as brand ambassadors, consumers associate the influencer’s image with that of the endorsed brand. Therefore, the influencer’s behavior directly impacts the brand’s status and reputation. If an influencer makes inappropriate remarks, consumers’ trust in the brand may waver. They may question the brand’s judgment and surmise that the brand did not conduct sufficient background checks when selecting the influencer. This reduces the brand’s trustworthiness.
Therefore, when selecting influencers for collaboration, brands need to pay special attention to the influencers’ past statements and behavior. They should observe whether the influencers have previously made inappropriate remarks or exhibited potential factors that could lead to scandals. This ensures that the brand ambassador’s image and actions genuinely represent the core values of the brand.
Increased Brand Risk
Influencer scandals can trigger public criticism and boycotts, causing consumers to lose trust in the brand and choose products from competing companies. This not only harms the brand’s competitiveness but also increases its risk of facing long-term damage. The risks to a brand from an influencer scandal extend beyond sales, as it can potentially spark a public relations crisis. As media coverage and social media discussions escalate, negative sentiments can spread rapidly. The brand will then need to invest significant time and resources in crisis management to address the situation.
Decreased Brand Attractiveness
Brands collaborate with influencers to attract their target audience and increase brand awareness. However, if the influencer’s reputation collapses, fans may lose trust, and the brand may fail to attract consumers as intended. Their desire to purchase products endorsed by the influencer will diminish, undermining the effectiveness of the partnership.
When an influencer scandal occurs, it damages the trust between them and their fan base, leading to a rapid collapse of support. Fans develop negative feelings not only toward the influencer but also toward the brands they endorse. Since fans’ attitudes toward the influencer directly influence their perception of the brand, the brand is likely to lose its appeal to the target audience as a result.
Negative Impact on Market Performance
When an influencer faces a scandal, it impacts the brand’s performance and market presence. Decreased trust in the brand leads consumers to choose competitors’ products instead. The resulting decrease in sales and market share can affect the brand’s overall sales performance and competitive position in the market.
How Should Brands Choose Influencers?
KOL Radar advises brands to assess potential influencers thoroughly to avoid scandals from occurring. Brands should evaluate whether the influencer aligns with the brand’s image and values, and scrutinize their past statements for any inappropriate remarks. In addition, brands can analyze the growth of the influencer’s fan base and audience demographics. By selecting influencers whose image and values align closely with the brand, brands can minimize the risk of influencer scandals.
Observing Past Fan Growth Trends
Brands can choose influencers by observing the growth of their fan base. When an influencer consistently gains followers and shows positive growth trends, it suggests that they have a favorable image and are well-liked by fans. However, brands should note that a negative growth rate or weakening trend does not necessarily indicate that the influencer has a bad reputation. Instead, brands should investigate if it is a sudden drop in followers arising out of controversies or issues. By understanding the reasons behind any significant loss of followers, brands can mitigate the risk of influencer scandals after collaboration.
KOL Radar provides easy-to-use growth trends analysis for monitoring influencer community growth trends. The data is detailed and visualized, allowing brands to quickly understand influencer information through charts and graphs. It also facilitates rapid insight into influencer follower growth trends.
Considering Audience Suitability
When selecting influencers for collaboration, brands should also consider whether the influencer’s audience aligns with their own target demographic. The higher the alignment, the better it reflects the brand’s values and image, significantly reducing the risk of influencer scandals. KOL Radar‘s analysis of the audience provides brands with insights into details of an influencer’s social media audience such as primary gender, age groups, and geographic locations. This helps brands assess whether an influencer resonates with their target audience.
KOL Radar also offers a feature for assessing the ratio of authentic followers. When brands select influencers, it’s crucial to consider the proportion of authentic followers an influencer has, as this can significantly impact the effectiveness of collaborations. KOL Radar uses AI to determine the authentic followers ratio for influencers, presenting the data visually with pie charts to help brands quickly grasp this metric and identify the most suitable influencers for collaboration.
Establishing Effective Communication Mechanisms
Establishing a strong communication mechanism between brands and influencers can prevent influencer scandals. Prior communication and alignment of expectations between the brand and the influencer help ensure that both parties share compatible values. When there is an unfortunate case of a scandal during the collaboration, effective communication between the brand and the influencer enables both sides to swiftly address issues and even help the brand maintain a positive public relations image while minimizing damage to the brand.
Conclusion
Influencer scandals can have profound and negative effects on brands. To prevent fan loss and trust issues, brands must carefully select influencers to collaborate with to minimize the risk of reputational damage caused by the influencer’s misconduct or inappropriate behavior. KOL Radar offers AI data analysis tools and a business matchmaking platform that helps brands choose influencers who align with their image and values with precision. This enables brands to establish effective communication mechanisms, reduce the risk of influencer scandals, as well as ensure stable development of their brand image and market competitiveness.
If you would like to know more about influencer marketing, feel free to consult KOL Radar for free at https://www.kolradar.com/en/solution.
▶︎ This article may not be reproduced, reprinted, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted without permission. The copyright and image rights of the pictures and data referenced in this article belong to their respective owners.
KOL Radar is evolving into Kolr, launching on 12/26!