Post #10 - EOTO Learning with Others 2

 There were many different projects. The one that stood out to me was the one about online influencers. 

Like how Erica explained when we think about influencers I think of TikTok stars and people with an abundant amount of followers on Instagram. She pointed out that many other people are just as influential as social media stars. 

This got me thinking about who are the most influential people. I looked at Time’s top influential people of 2024. On the list were actors, musicians, and political leaders. People from musical artist Dua Lipa to Kenyan President William Ruto.  

How it is hard to see an ad without someone famous in it. Most celebrities have brand deals. They did this to help products find their target audience. If you like Serena Williams and tennis, you are more likely to need Nike products. Some other brand deals are just for using someone else’s platform to promote their product. For example, how Ice Spice works with Starry. Ice Spice’s career is not linked to sodas, so Starry is just paying her to appeal to her audience to get them to buy Starry and other Pesi products.

Another thing that Erica pointed out was we are influencers. The way that we spend our time and money influences the companies. If someone or a company does something the consumers dislike they can take their business elsewhere. 

Boycotting is a great way to show companies the changes people want. Right now many companies are under fire for supporting Israel. Unsafe shady business practices and human rights violations are other reasons people boycott. Without the support of the people companies have to change to fit our needs or they will go out of business. 

Influencers are not just people with millions of followers on social media. Political leaders and CEOs influence us as well. The strongest force is when large groups of people come together for a common goal.