This archive report was first published on 18 July 2019.
Published on July 18, 2019, a research report by Odipo Dev, a Nairobi-based information, technology, and services firm, highlighted the growing distrust of social media influencers among Kenyans.
According to the report, more than three-quarters of the Kenyan population trusts traditional media and friends as reliable sources of information about products and services, while they heavily mistrust influencers who are seen as compromised by advertising revenue.
The research attributed the distrust to influencers who have bartered their credibility for advertising dollars, leading to them endorsing multiple brands, including competitors, and recommending products they have never tried.
As a result, consumers have returned to directly evaluating brands and relying on close friends they trust.
Majority of the respondents followed influencers on social media for entertainment, with musicians, socialites, politicians, bloggers, and public intellectuals being the most followed individuals.
Many respondents also reported not having a specific reason for following influencers, with some stating they follow them because they are portrayed as 'cool kids' on social media.
However, the report noted that the majority of Kenyans do not perceive influencers as experts in their respective areas, largely due to the tendency of influencers posting content across multiple topics, thus diluting their authority.
Odipo Dev described this dilution of authority as a risk for big brands that have invested heavily in influencer marketing, as influencers do not cultivate enough trust with the audience within any discipline.
