Influencers as ideological intermediaries: promotional politics and authenticity labour in influencer collaborations

Abstract

Though politics and promotion have never been completely separate, the convergence between the two spheres is increasingly prominent in today’s digital culture. To broaden our understanding of such promotional politics in social media, this paper examines commercial collaborations between four Swedish influencers and two private companies that offer services enabled by specific neoliberal reforms during recent decades, and how they strive to present these services in a way that attracts an affluent but socially conscious middle-class. It argues that the political potential of influencers might not always be as spokespersons for a cause or party, but rather as ‘ideological intermediaries’ who promote a lifestyle to be inspired by, and aspire to. The analysis identifies the discourses that influencers draw on to achieve the promotional and ideological outcomes of commercial collaborations, as well as the authenticity labour that they perform in the texts. Further, the paper analyses how notions of authenticity also impact audiences’ interpretation and politicization of the collaborations, in the comment sections to the sponsored blogposts.

“Don’t Make Me Ratio You Again”: How Political Influencers Encourage Platformed Political Participation

“…There are no real winners or losers, but ratios are important performances that signal Piker’s commitment to creating content as a “progressive political commentator” (Lorenz, 2020). Therefore, these ratios are extensions of Piker’s beliefs and an ideological boundary-marking strategy (Arnesson, 2023) on platforms that reduce political discourse to popularity contests.…”

“…In interviews (Lorenz, 2020; Winkie, 2021), Piker credited his upbringing in the United States and Turkey and his job at The Young Turks for shaping his progressive opinions that contributed to his success as a political commentator. Ratios invite audiences to participate in a collective moment of ideological triumph in which Piker “personif[ies] and promot[es] a lifestyle that is inspirational, aspirational, and deeply ideological” (Arnesson, 2023). Arnesson’s argument that influencers leverage their perceived authenticity and relatability to promote specific ideologies is an apt description for Piker who “proposes not only ushering socialism closer to the center but making it fashionable” to his audience” (Winkie, 2021).…”

“…Internet celebrities (Abidin, 2018), micro-celebrities (Marwick, 2015), and influencers (Arnesson, 2023; Glatt, 2021) intentionally use social media content for self-promotion and consumption by online audiences (Khamis et al, 2017; Marwick, 2015). These savvy social media producers professionalized their creative output by cultivating audiences and fostering community through extensive emotional and relational investment (Baym, 2018).…”

Between conspicuous and conscious consumption: The sustainability paradox in the intermediary promotional work of an online lifestyle site

“…We suggested that, in the same manner as social influencers (Arnesson, 2022; Langner et al, 2013), the “influencer medium” Goop conducts a balancing act by counterbalancing commercial messages with seemingly authentic messages about topics that are typically positioned outside the realm of the market (Banet-Weiser, 2012). Promoted items are connected with qualities such as durability, craftsmanship, authenticity and provenance, and aspirations to “do good.”…”

A Note on the Proposed Law for Improving the Transparency of Political Advertising in the European Union

“…The first recital strikes at the heart of the problem: there has been an increasing supply and demand for political advertising, which often occurs in a cross-border manner through various actors, such as political consultancies, advertising agencies and public relations firms, ad-tech platforms, political data analytics firms (Simon, 2019), and so-called social media influencers who too have recently expanded their controversial promotion activities toward politics. Although the political activity of influencers has received a growing interest in academic research (Arnesson, 2022;De Gregorio & Goanta, 2022;Riedl, Schwemmer, Ziewiecki, & Ross, 2021), it is arguably still the ad-tech industry together with platforms who are the main facilitators or, depending on a viewpoint, the main culprits. This industry and platforms continue to be also behind numerous data protection violations and fundamental rights abuses according to EU citizens, civil society groups, and media representatives; there are still threats even to democracy (Avaaz, 2021;EPC, 2021;Ruohonen, 2023).…”