Influencers & Aesthetics

Dr Natalie Haworth considers the impact of influencer marketing on the sector

Over the last 10 years, advertising in all industries has shifted dramatically. Celebrity endorsement dates back over a hundred years; however, the rise of social media and creation of ‘influencers’ has spawned a new sector in the advertising industry: ‘influencer marketing’.

Influencer marketing made its roots in the early 2000s, when social media platforms began to rise in popularity. Initially, bloggers and YouTube personalities gained traction by promoting products and services to their audiences. Brands quickly recognised the potential of this to reach niche markets and engage with consumers in a more authentic way than traditional advertising. Influencers build a virtual relationship with their followers, attracting people who identify and trust them, a perfect combination to produce a sale. As social media evolved, platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat became hotbeds for advertising, allowing influencers to showcase products seamlessly in their content.

In the last few years, influencer marketing has grown exponentially, with influencers becoming integral in shaping consumer behaviour and brand perception. Influencer marketing agencies now exist with the sole purpose of matching brands to a suitable influencer. In 2016, things took off even further when major brands started allocating dedicated budgets for influencer collaborations. The success of influencer marketing in driving sales has now led to many companies allocating advertising budgets to this area of advertising. Another type of marketing has entered the chat more recently.

User-generated content (UGC) refers to any form of content – such as videos, images, reviews, or testimonials – created and shared by consumers, rather than brands or businesses. This is a powerful marketing tool – as it harnesses the authentic voices of customers to advocate for products or services, it is seen as more trustworthy and relatable. Brands leverage UGC on social media platforms, websites, and other marketing channels to build credibility, engage their audience, and foster a sense of community around their products or services.1

ETHICS IN AESTHETICS

With influencer marketing estimated to be worth $24 billion (£18.8 billion) annually,2 it begs the question, how can we in the aesthetics industry use this sector, ethically, legally, and effectively?

Medical aesthetic practitioners can successfully collaborate with social media influencers to advertise their services by leveraging the influencers’ reach and trustworthiness. What is essential is authenticity alignment and appropriateness of both the influencer (now patient) and the treatment. The best advice here is to ensure you have full control of who you’re reaching out to, even if you use a PR agency. Consider when you choose the influencer whether they match your natural demography and how their audience will perceive aesthetic treatments, are they who you’re looking to reach? It’s easy to spot where a post is purely transactional, staged and lacks rapport and, if anything, can damage your brand and the influencer’s reputation. We’ve all seen some of our own patients advertising razors when they’ve had full body laser, or over the counter (OTC) skincare when we know they’re on a prescriptiononly medicine (POM). By partnering with influencers who align with their brand values and target demographic, you can showcase your expertise and treatments to a wider audience. What is also worth noting is influencers can create engaging UGC content that highlights the benefits of different procedures, shares their personal experiences with the practitioner, and showcases before-and-after results without much involvement with you. This type of authentic content can help build trust with potential patients and drive awareness of your brand.

Advertising law covers all sectors, but there are specific areas covered in medicine. It is not legal to advertise POMs in any form – this includes toxin, hayfever injections, hyaluronidase, and others. Both the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) regulate the advertising industry and enforce the CAP code. They monitor social media to ensure that influencers are marking their posts as ads and there are many examples on the ASA website of rulings where the CAP codes have been breached by aesthetic practitioners, both medical and not. The ASA has guidelines for influencers to guide them on how to be transparent and compliant.3 The ASA publishes breaches in the form of rulings on its website, which includes a response from the company complained about. The ASA has no ability to financially penalise people who breach the code, but can refer on to other bodies, such as trading standards and Ofcom, who can impose criminal proceeding for persistent breaches. As alluring as the influencer marketing world sounds, it brings with it a whole host of ethical and reputational questions.

Firstly, how does the audience perceive a practitioner who is paying someone for treatment, or gifting it? Some would argue that its sensible to utilise the platform an influencer has, while others would say it’s unnecessary if you’re good at what you do. Secondly, is the post going to be transparent? Contracts with influencers take many forms, one of which is where companies gift a product, but only ask for a post if the influencer likes it, to encourage trust in a genuine review. How does this work with aesthetics? Not all treatments have good outcomes, one post can ruin a reputation. Treatments and their inherent risks bring a whole new ball game of caveats. Patients deserve to have full disclosure of side effects and true results even when there isn’t one, but there is no steadfast way to ensure influencers are divulging the whole story with treatments. And for this reason, even when you’ve got the right influencer, contract and post, patients may not trust in the results and ultimately not invest in your services.

THE DANGERS OF INFLUENCE

Something more concerning in the world of influencers is just that: influence. In March of this year, model, author, and personality Katie Price posted on her stories to 2.6 million followers after undergoing a Brazilian bum lift with 500 ml of filler. Risks of this procedure include infection, sepsis, necrosis, pulmonary embolism, and death. Multiple patients from the clinic who carried out the procedure have gone on to complain about their treatments on national TV. This area of advertising and aesthetics is not yet regulated and unfortunately appears to be the wild west. No consideration is currently in place for the ramifications of consumers who elect for these procedures based on a ‘referral’ from an influencer and then have a poor or even catastrophic result. Comparisons to brokers can be made. If your broker recommends a poor product, you have legal channels to be compensated for their advice and they have insurance in place for this eventuality. Could we possibly see aworld where influencers are considered to be introducers or brokers? The US has some remit for this and has effectively outlawed ‘beauty brokers’ where no one can be paid for recommending a medical procedure. As ever in the world of aesthetics, the UK is lagging.4

Social media has changed our world, and influencer marketing has changed the world of advertising. As medical professionals, it’s up to us to acknowledge this and respond both responsibly and ethically. For some people, that might mean not engaging with it; for others, it is setting the right examples.

If you’re looking to explore the world of influencer marketing:

• Stay authentic and aligned with your brand

• Consider UGC

• Stay legal, adhere to the codes and ensure who you’re using does too

• Encourage transparency.

As a group, we should be encouraging the government to regulate more widely on aesthetics, but also consider how our patients are influenced on social media.

DR NATALIE HAWORTH

Highly regarded in the industry, Dr Natalie Haworth regularly speaks out in the media about the importance of the UK aesthetics industry being regulated. As a qualified and registered doctor who spent many years in the NHS, she puts patient safety at the centre of everything she and her highly experienced team do.

She has opened three clinics in an impressively short expansion period, with her clinics’ USP being maintaining patient uniqueness while enhancing their features, ensuring they look like the best version of themselves, with enhancements you can’t quite put your finger on.