• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, July 19, 2017

You want some influence marketing quickly -- with not much accountability, or even reality? The Russians have something to sell you.

In speaking at the OMMA LA event, Jeff Suhy, president and partner of creative agency Mop Op, says you can get lift from influencing marketing via fake Instagram “likes” through a “Russian Vending Machine”.

The actual vending machine has seen in an upscale shopping center near the Kremlin in Moscow, according to Refinery29 story. One can purchase as many as 10,000 followers (from dummy accounts) for under $70. For 50 Russian rubles, one can buy 100 fake likes, and for 100 rubles you can get more.

In more straightforward influencer efforts, Mod Op’s Shuy has worked with car makers Porsche and Citroen for his personal influencer automotive Instagram efforts. Shuy has seen higher engagement because of his association with these brands.

But not wanting to “sell out”, Shuy says: “I’ve turned down a few brands... If I do talk about something, it then becomes very powerful.”