Unilever will not work with fraudulent and non-transparent influencers

Unilever, one of the world’s largest advertisers with an annual brand and marketing investment of over £5.3bn, has announced new commitments not to work with influencers who buy followers. CMO Keith Weed has urged the industry to bring increased trust, transparency and integrity to influencer marketing, and this follows Unilever’s recent pledge not to work with tech platforms that ‘incite hate, spread division or fail to protect children’.
Mr Weed has unveiled a new policy that states Unilever will not work with any influencers who buy followers, a second that states none of Unilever’s own brands will buy followers and a third new policy that makes clear Unilever will prioritise partners who ‘eradicate fraud and support increased visibility and transparency’.
He said: “In February, I said we needed to rebuild trust back into our digital ecosystems and wider society. One of the ways we can do that is to increase integrity and transparency in the influencer space. We need to address this through responsible content, responsible platforms and responsible infrastructure. At Unilever, we believe influencers are an important way to reach consumers and grow our brands. Their power comes from a deep, authentic and direct connection with people, but certain practices like buying followers can easily undermine these relationships. Today we are announcing clear commitments to support and maintain the authenticity and trust of influencer marketing. The key to improving the situation is three-fold: cleaning up the influencer ecosystem by removing misleading engagement; making brands and influencers more aware of the use of dishonest practices; and improving transparency from social platforms to help brands measure impact. We need to take urgent action now to rebuild trust before it’s gone forever.”