Intermediaries in the UK influencer ecology - algorithmic experts and influencer management software Event

Event details

Although influencer content can be presented as independent, ‘DIY’ or ‘amateur’, influencer markets and ecologies are shaped or co-produced by a growing number of intermediary actors and organisations. Examples include talent agencies, multi-channel networks, brand consultants and many other hopeful stakeholders who hope to take advantage of a professionalising ‘Wild West’. This talk will consider two intermediaries in the UK influencer marketplace – firstly, I look to algorithmic experts, who claim an understanding of YouTube’s algorithms that can be taught to aspiring creators, to ensure visibility and attention on the platform. Secondly, I look at algorithmic tools used to rank influencer ‘employability’ and predict risk of influencer scandal or cancellation. Critically examining both of these cases shows the number of ‘hidden’ stakeholders who co-produce influencer content, and demonstrates how such actors can influence participation, representation and sustain inequalities within influencer ecologies. Sophie Bishop works as a Lecturer in the Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London where she researches and teaches on cultures of content creation, digital marketing industries, and intersectional inequalities and experiences therein.