What impact has the new French legislation had on the sector?

[Dimaeiya333]

Legislation allows us to see how honest talent is with their community, because it is now mandatory to label content that is part of paid partnerships. It allows us to regulate the market. It is common sense .

We were very involved in the consultations [to draft the law] because influencer marketing is advertising. Communities need to be aware that it is advertising and so do partners. It is the role of an agency to regulate that as well.

Of course it has had an impact. Community leaders don’t always understand it well and there is a certain sense of injustice, because some do and others don’t. We collaborate with our partners and colleagues from other agencies to ensure transparency. Regulation [of the sector] allows us to be transparent and truthful, which is the DNA of our profession. Our business revolves around truth : getting up in the morning and sharing what kind of cream you use, how you cook your meals, what books you are reading.

There are some KOLs who immediately complied with the law, others who did not for fear of how their community would react. It is true that since the introduction of the legislation, campaigns have had less impact. The inflationary context has also contributed, but there is a slight drop in the transformation into ROI campaigns and strategies. Not for all brands, nor for all sectors, but we are talking about the beauty sector.

How do you respond to KOLs who are concerned about the impact of labeling messages?
All my talents agree. We regularly inform them of their obligations and pay them to complete the ARPP Responsible Influencer Certificate . But when they travel with a brand, they feel like it helps them create content and they don’t understand why they have to indicate that it’s a collaboration. It makes them doubtful, but they do it anyway. As for the market as vp maintenance mailing lead a whole, I’ve observed that most do it actively, but there are some who don’t even realize that it’s a profession.

How are relationships between brands and KOLs evolving?
It's no longer about briefing, but about co-creation . As the market is much more regulated and transparent, creativity with brands is very important. We have always helped brands and talents align with each other, but where before it was agencies that had to manage it because brands were not familiar with the sector, co-creation from the beginning is more important.

How are perfume brands adapting to KOL marketing?
The explosion of perfumes into the digital sphere is fairly recent. I think they are taking money out of TV budgets and making an effort in digital because they have understood that you have to get a great message across. But the message of a great perfume is so strong that if you don’t get the right people, you’re going to miss the mark. TV advertising often involves an actress delivering the message, so you have to find the people it resonates with. KOL marketing for perfumes is more nuanced. For Paco Rabanne’s Fame, it had to be people who wanted fame, who would go out and take certain kinds of photos and really own it. There are content creators who are not on social media for fame, but because they are naturopathic or skin experts. In luxury fragrances we also see the fundamental beauty trend of being careful about what we consume .