• by Ray Schultz , December 19, 2019

Influencers — those who proliferate in social media, email and other channels — are being viewed with a jaundiced eye, especially among older consumers, according to Ethics & Influence, a study by Influence.co.

Among baby boomers, 73% think influencers should research the products or services they discuss. That falls to 63% for millennials and 56% for Gen X.

And 62% say it’s unethical for influencers to promote products they don’t use themselves — a figure that rises to 75% among boomers.

This comes as the Federal Trade Commission is itself paying much closer attention to the influencing game.

Legal issues aside, there are severe consequences for brands that fail to police influencers. Consumers say these offenses would prompt them to sever ties:

• Personal scandal (e.g., cheating) — 76% 
• Influencer posts too often — 74%
• Promoting personal values that go against their own — 66%
• Influencer stops posting — 64%
• Brand is defamed — 54% 
• Using a tragedy to promote products, brands or services — 42%
• Discovering influencer bought followers/subscribers — 38%
• Promoting illegal acts — 30% 
• Promoting dangerous products, brands or services — 25%
• Discovering influencer is a horrible person — 20%

Don’t expect this to change overnight. But consumers think influencers should disclose the following: 

• History of personal use of the product/service — 82%
• Product’s possible side effects — 77%
• Candid feelings of product/service — 72%
• Whether their promotion is paid — 69%
• Length of time they have used the product/service — 67%
• Whether the product/service was free for them — 60%
• Age of product’s/service’s intended audience — 52%

Influence.co surveyed 1,009 U.S. consumers who are familiar with social media influencers.