What kind of pressure, or willingness, is there on or within the industry to incorporate environmental messages and acti

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We have seen scandals involving big influencers, like Kylie Jenner posting about taking a private jet, or [French football star] Kilian Mbappé laughing at the idea of ​​taking the train to reduce emissions, which have sparked an outcry on social media . The fact is that celebrities and influencers have enormous influence, and a carbon footprint that is crazy compared to that of ordinary people. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the audience to see these people acting with impunity when it comes to climate issues, while at the same time being asked to turn down the heating or turn off the wifi. So there is increasing pressure from the audience, who may have followed these people for years, and who are now challenging them on climate issues. You can see it in the comments on the posts. It is not yet a majority, but it is not silent either.

There is also pressure from brands. More and more brands are looking for ethical influencers. Brands are also facing the regulatory challenge, they are required by law to make an ecological transition and to communicate their carbon footprint. So they are increasingly looking for influencers who can communicate on these topics for them.

Finally, the pressure on influencers is increasing. More and more of them are talking about their ecological thinking and how they are trying to change things with their audiences. We are coming into contact with more and more long-term and lifestyle influencers who have promoted anything in the past and who are now really asking questions about the impact their influence has on the brands they promote . The more influencers talk about these issues, the more those who don’t make an effort will feel marginalized and potentially lose their relevance to the audience, to the community and to the brands.

Is there a difference in the response of influencers with large followings compared to those with fewer followers?
Obviously, the more you are an influencer with a very large community, the more you have to lose – especially in terms of partnerships – if you start being very strict with the partnerships you make. There is also the risk of losing subscribers if you start doing things differently.

But the bigger the influencer, the more impactful the message is. But if big inf investors mailing address list luencers like Squeezie or Léna Situations suddenly start talking about environmental issues, there is a huge risk of backlash from the community who will find it inauthentic . We are thinking about ways that influencers can gradually start talking about these issues with their audience, and how to share their thought processes without antagonizing their followers.

What are the next steps? Within a year, what changes do you expect to see within the influence?
One of the crucial issues is regulating the profession. The profession of influencer does not exist with regard to the law, so everyone does what they want on social media, and brands take advantage of this. Advertising through influencers is not at all regulated compared to other types of advertising. Today, influencers are professionals, they are people who run companies. They are no longer random people playing with stories at home . They have a role to play. There are many who advocate rapid and excessive consumption to the 15-25 year old public, who are the most influenced and who are the first generation that will have to live with the climate crisis. We want there to be more awareness and questioning of the responsibility that influencers have. We want positions to be transparent about these issues, to show the carbon footprint of a promotion, to warn about excessive consumption.

We are trying to develop training on the environmental transition. This is something that is lacking in most sectors. It is absolutely essential that all actors – influencers, agencies, brands – receive training on climate issues. Training can lead to action and awareness of the impact of influence and the current climate reality. We want this sector to be a little more ambitious on these issues, to have a responsible presence.