A problem within the industry that needs to be fixed is the fact that influencers have become so desirable as employees that seasoned professionals are being pushed out of their positions. This problem is occurring because “companies expect to pay little to nothing to influencers in exchange of their services” which typically involve “upwards of 100 hours per week responding to comments in the wee hours of the morning to keep the conversation going, which is an essential part of their work” (Fateh). Not only does hiring influencers boost a brand’s social media following, but also it is extremely cost efficient, which is why brands see it as a win win situation. As seen through examples such as Brooklyn Beckham and Kendall Jenner, “It’s now the number of followers on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter, rather than your experience necessarily, that can secure you a top job” (Hope). Actions like hiring people based on how many followers they have are taking away the talent that has historically defined the fashion industry. The people who used to run the industry came to power after years of hard work, starting from the bottom and working their way up. The fashion world was “a direct result of the ingenuity, bravery and creative genius of individuals who were in their lifetime’s stylistic and societal visionaries” (Fashion History). Today, the people who are taking over the industry include “bloggers and social media celebrities- some small, some growing and some earning upwards of a million dollars per year who have no formal training or experience except the ability to post content online” (Fateh). The companies now care more about pure exposure than marketing in an honest way. Some brands say they “won’t do a photoshoot that goes on a billboard somewhere unless everyone involved has some sort of [social media] following and some sort of leverage” (Hope). If the industry does not do something to stop this drastic change then young influencers with large social media followings will entirely dominate the industry, thus removing talent from the industry. For example, Forbes named blogger Chiara Ferragni the most powerful influencer yet “she has no known background in fashion” (Fateh). The traditional means of fashion marketing has almost entirely disappeared and the use of “mostly unpaid online labor is becoming a major part of a company’s advertising strategy” even if they are not the most qualified for the job (Hope). While some people argue that social media is the most effective form of marketing, there are ways the media should be used in order to keep marketing ethical. Rather than completely re-doing marketing plans to solely use influencers, social media marketing should be integrated into already existing plans so that both influencers and seasoned professionals can work together.
