Influencers can make or break a brand. And sometimes… even an island. Sounds exaggerated? On the Balearic Islands (Mallorca and Ibiza), a well-intentioned campaign got so out of hand that the local government now has to step in. The reason: too many selfie tourists in exactly the wrong spot.
You can read the full (Dutch) article on AD: “PR work by influencers works too well”.
A short history
Influencer marketing may seem like a phenomenon of the last decade, but its roots go back much further. Think of famous athletes in 1980s ad campaigns or celebrities in the 1990s who lent their names to brands and products.
A classic example? The iconic Robijn detergent commercials featuring fashion designer Frank Govers. His campaigns felt like fashion shows for laundry: haute couture, colour and fragrance captured in a single image.
Still, influencer marketing truly took shape when social media gave a stage to “ordinary people with reach”. YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and later TikTok turned every content creator into a potential brand ambassador. GBE has been working with the first generation of bloggers and vloggers since 2011 – long before the word “influencer” showed up in every marketing plan.
What 13 years of working with influencers has taught us
Working with influencers is never neutral. It can be a huge success, but it can just as easily backfire if the match isn’t right. That’s why we use a few simple rules of thumb:
- Match on content and values, not follower count alone.
- Never treat influencers as a stand-alone tool, but as part of a bigger strategy.
- Prefer real, long-term ambassadors over one-off “collabs”.
- Measure impact beyond the screen as well.
When it goes wrong
Ibiza is a good example: a beautiful place turned into an Instagram spectacle, with all the side effects that come with it. Even the best-intentioned campaign can cause damage if you don’t stay in control of the behaviour it triggers.
Campaigns with character
At GBE Creative Agency, we believe in campaigns that connect, surprise and strengthen brands. That requires a critical eye: does an influencer really add to the message, or are they mainly there for reach? Influencers can be extremely valuable, but they should never be the only pillar your campaign rests on.
