The Dangers Of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is very effective and a very cost-effective method of advertising. I use it myself to promote my eCommerce store, whether it be paying a page or an influencer a small sum or giving them a product in exchange for brand awareness and potential sales.

This type of marketing seems like a win-win for both parties? Brands get awareness and ambassadors earn some cash and grow their influencer portfolio.

A growing number of influencers have taken to hawking something else entirely: pharmaceuticals. Whether it be mega-famous stars promoting morning sickness medication or highly-followed figures talking up medical remedies for psoriasis or endometriosis, big pharma is readily looking beyond its traditional advertising avenues to the burgeoning influencer market – which is estimated to reach $22.3 billion in value by 2024 – to sell more drugs.

And selling more drugs they are. According to health-oriented news site Stat, when Kim Kardashian posted about morning sickness medication Diclegis on her Instagram in 2015 (in exchange for a reported $500,000 payment), drug-maker Duchesnay was able to rack up nearly half a million likes and boost the social media conversation about its drug by 500 percent by way of Kardashian’s endorsement. More than that, Stat says that sales for the prescription medication jumped 21 percent to nearly $41.7 million.

So, what are the dangers of Influencer Marketing?

Currently, the FDA is studying Instagram.

"Last week, the agency announced it will pursue a new study examining how Instagram stars’ pharmaceutical endorsements impact consumer behavior." This ranges from Kim Kardashian promoting a morning sickness drug (and omitting the side effects involved) to mommy bloggers posting about the flu shot.

In fact, it’s become such a problem that doctors and medical professionals are becoming influencers themselves just to counter misinformation. They’re on all TikTok now.

The FDA is finally taking this issue more seriously. As part of its study, researchers will look at whether consumers ever pay attention to disclosure statements and risk/benefit information. (Due to social media character limits, influencers often link out for those long warning lists you usually hear on the radio/TV.)

Huge celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and so many more influencers have such an influence on the youth and promoting health care products that could possibly harm someone should be regulated in some way. I understand the influencer marketing of makeup and other beauty products

But healthcare products could potentially cause a lot of trouble and challenges...

Sources: https://welltodo.substack.com/p/heres-why-the-fda-is-studying-instagram?

https://www.thefashionlaw.com/home/the-fda-wants-to-know-how-just-effective-influencers-endorsements-of-medications-are