Navigating Brand Safety in Influencer Marketing Amid Political Discourse

The Balancing Act of Brands and Influencers

Brands are increasingly enthusiastic about collaborating with social media influencers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok to promote their products, ranging from artisanal soaps to probiotic sodas and trendy makeup. However, there is a growing apprehension among these brands regarding influencers who delve into political discussions. Navigating this delicate balance between engagement and controversy has become a complex challenge in the ever-evolving influencer marketing landscape.

As the upcoming presidential election approaches, marketing agencies are proactively developing innovative tools designed to assess the so-called brand safety of social media personalities. These tools aim to help brands engage in relevant conversations without straying into contentious territory.

One such tool, recently launched by Captiv8, a marketing firm that facilitates connections between brands like Walmart and Kraft Heinz and influencers, employs advanced artificial intelligence technology. This tool meticulously analyzes online mentions of various social media stars, predicting their propensity to discuss elections or other politically charged topics. Additionally, it assigns letter grades to creators based on a comprehensive review of their posts, comments, and media coverage, where an “A” indicates a very safe partnership and a “C” suggests a need for caution. The grading system takes into account various categories, including sensitive social issues, discussions about death and war, potential hate speech, and explicit content.

Similarly, Viral Nation, another prominent influencer agency, has developed a product that generates detailed “risk profiles” for creators. This tool has been in use for over a year and evaluates extensive archives of an influencer’s past content, including hours of dialogue from videos. Remarkably, it can identify visual elements such as weapons or protest signs within the content, even if these aspects are not explicitly referenced in captions or audio narratives.

• Brands are eager to leverage influencers for promotion.
• Concerns arise regarding political discussions by influencers.
• New tools are being developed to assess brand safety.
• Captiv8 uses AI to analyze influencer mentions and predict political discussions.
• Viral Nation creates risk profiles based on a creator’s content history.