Influencer Marketing

Objectives

• Recognizing non-traditional advertising
• Learning the rules of influencer marketing and how they are applied
• Naming the laws that govern commercial practices and advertising
• Becoming aware of the influence advertising has on us
   

Description

After watching a video on the difficulty of recognizing ads in posts by influencers on social media, students analyze two posts using a grid. They then play the role of influencer by producing advertising content that follows the rules of advertisement identification and that promotes healthy digital behaviour.

Equipment

• Internet connection
• Video titled Expérimentation : identifier une publicité parmi les contenus des influenceurs | #PUB | Rad (length: 4 minutes and 20 seconds, in French only)
• Interactive whiteboard (IWB) or projector
• Speakers
• Student Sheet (1.7 Mo)
• Fictitious Post Slide Show (4.5 Mo)
• Post Template (220.7 Ko)
• Answer Key (2 Mo)
   

Introduction

To initiate this activity, the teacher leads a classroom discussion by asking students the following questions.

To make everyone feel comfortable answering the questions, teachers can create an online questionnaire using the platform of their choosing (e.g., Wooclap, Mentimeter, Kahoot!, etc.). The teacher then reviews the activity with the whole classroom.

Q. What social media and networking sites do you visit every week?

R. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitch, other (specify).

Q. Among the social media posts you like to check out on a daily basis, what are the 3 most frequent topics (examples: sports, lifestyle, beauty, food, fashion, video games, music, art, travel, etc.)?

R. Personal replies.

Q. Who are the influencers whose content you appreciate and follow? 

R. Personal replies.

Q. How do you feel when you see new posts from your favourite influencer or on an account you really like?

R. Potential replies: I am inspired by this influencer; I feel excited; I feel I belong to a group or a community; it makes me laugh and keeps me from being bored; it makes me discover new things; I admire this influencer and his/her lifestyle; etc.  

Viewing

The teacher plays the video titled Expérimentation : identifier une publicité parmi les contenus des influenceurs | #PUB | Rad (in French only), in which five people who follow several online personalities try to identify whether the posts presented to them feature preferred or sponsored content. The students are put to the challenge of identifying the ads. The experiment shows that the challenge is not that easy to meet. 

Continue the discussion by asking the following questions:

Q. What is non-traditional advertising and what forms can it take?

R. Potential replies: non-traditional advertising is advertising that is “disguised” to give the impression that it is not an advertisement by blending in with the content of a person or platform. It often goes unnoticed. Among other places, it can be found online and on social media.

It can appear as an advertorial (content marketing), a recommendation by an influencer (influencer marketing), a blog, a newsletter, a website, etc.

Q. What is the goal of advertising?

R. Potential replies: To sell a product or service; raise awareness about a given cause; influence; create a desire or need; inform; etc.

Q. How would you define the word “influencer”?

R. Potential replies: According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, an influencer is “a person who is able to generate interest in something (such as a consumer product) by posting about it on social media.”       

The influencer posts content to share his or her knowledge, inspire or entertain, but also to promote his or her own self and attract as many followers as possible. Some influencers also try to sell products, and therefore try to convince their followers to buy them.

Q. How are influencers paid?

R. Ads displayed on the platform; gifts (show tickets, free products, trips, etc.); visibility contracts for promotional purposes (product placement, collaboration, contests, discounts, acting as a spokesperson, sponsorships, etc.); invitations to exclusive events; etc.
 

Instructions

In teams of 2 to 4, students analyze the two fictitious posts presented in Appendix I of the Student Sheet (1.7 Mo): one post whose advertising nature is poorly identified and another whose advertising nature is better identified. The teacher can also present them on the board using the Slide Show (4.5 Mo).

Based on the information presented in the Document File in Appendix II, the students must determine which of the two posts better identifies its advertising nature. The students then fill out the appropriate analysis grid for each post. 

The teacher then goes back over the exercise with the entire class, based on the Answer Key for the fictitious post analysis grid. 

To complete this first activity, the teacher can present real sponsored posts drawn from social media platforms that abide by or fail to abide by advertisement identification rules. The teacher can also ask the students to pick out their own from their own networks and share them with their classmates. The students could then report their findings on the proportion of posts that are properly identified as advertisements.

Next, the teams play the role of influencer by producing advertising content that follows the rules of advertisement identification and that promotes healthy digital behaviour. For example, managing their screen time; protecting their privacy; paying attention to what they post; avoiding negative online relationships; or protecting their self image by not comparing themselves with others are all healthy digital behaviours.

Students use the creation plan in the Student Sheet (1.7 Mo) to develop their project, which appears as a post along with a photo or a short video. The teams present their post in the provided template (220.7 Ko). This exercise can be done in class or given out as homework. 

The teacher presents the teams’ projects to the class and comments on them based on the fictitious post analysis grid Answer Key (2 Mo). 
 

Conclusion

Conclude the activity with a classroom discussion:

Q. Have you ever wanted to buy something after finding out about it from an influencer on social media? If so, what was it?

R. Personal replies.

Q. How did the influencer introduce this new product to you?

R. Potential replies: product unboxing; brand ambassador; product presentation; hit product; mention of a product; contest; promotional code; inspiring post; tips; etc.

Q. How might posts you see on social media influence your personal choices?

R. Potential replies: advertising content can lead people to create new needs for themselves; make them want something new and treat themselves; push them into trying something new or visiting new places; choose one brand over another; discover new brands; etc.

Q. Why is it important for followers to always know when an influencer is paid to present them with a product?

R. Potential replies: so that followers can make an informed decision; develop critical thinking skills when presented with online suggestions; be able to pick out advertising content; see advertising content that complies with the law; etc.    

Q. Influencers can inspire their followers in positive ways, in areas other than consumerism. Can you give some examples?

R. Potential replies: commitment to a cause; taking care of oneself and others; accepting bodily diversity; adopting healthy lifestyle habits; promoting physical activity; raising awareness about sexual diversity and gender identity; discovering new hobbies; etc.

In closing, the teacher makes the students aware of the potential abuses on social media. The impact of influencers on their followers can also be negative: intimidation; negative opinion leaders; homophobia and misogyny; promotion of excessive (e.g., anorexia or orthorexia) or dangerous behaviour; etc. The teacher reminds the students that just because a person has thousands of followers does not mean that his or her opinion is well-founded and credible. It is important to view posts with a critical eye, regardless of their nature.