“If I didn’t have the internet, maybe I would still be living in the favela, working with my mother.” The testimony of the former resident of Maré, in Rio, the businesswoman Bianca Andrade, known as “Boca Rosa”, is narrated in the documentary “Efeito Influence”, produced by H1 Editora, by publicist Rodrigo Simonsen, released at the end of May and available on Youtube.
A summary of the story of the poor young woman who became a millionaire – today she heads the Boca Rosa Company, which manages makeup and hair businesses, with an estimated turnover of R$ 120 million a year – is one of the examples of the documentary to illustrate the current situation. influencer phenomenon.
report of Sheet has already revealed that, in Brazil alone, they already total more than 500 thousand, according to the research company Nielsen (considering profiles on social networks with at least 10 thousand followers). They charge an average of BRL 18,000 per campaign – but it can be much less, from BRL 1,000, or much more, BRL 600,000, in cases of influencers who have reached the level of celebrities. Bianca Andrade, aka Boca Rosa, for example, achieved even greater fame after participating in the reality show BBB Brasil in 2020.
In the H1 documentary, Boca Rosa is the only famous influencer who presents herself as such. The production also features the philosopher Luiz Felipe Pondé who, although he claims to be presented as an influencer and youtuber on some occasions, does not consider himself that way.
“I built my repertoire and my trajectory before social networks. I’m not an animal that was born on social networks. I don’t work for engagement either. I’m 62 years old, I never needed that to develop. Today it’s a little worse for the younger ones.”
Pondé is one of 24 interviewees in the H1 documentary, most of them influencers (all white, mostly women). In 1 hour and 20 minutes, the production seeks to explain the level reached by influencers in society based on the testimony of each one, interspersed with observations from agents and experts such as Pondé, who spoke about aggressiveness on social networks.
There is no narrator contextualizing the viewer: the interviews were edited to address key points that describe the phenomenon in a dynamic way, such as the reasons that may have led to the success of social networks in Brazil, what is influence, the difference between influencer and celebrity , empathy with the public, cancellation and what is influencer marketing.
It is at this last point that the viewer feels a certain discomfort when watching the video on YouTube: a QR Code appears on the screen sometimes accompanied by phrases such as “Their story can also be yours” and “Learn to be a real influencer” .
The code leads to an announcement by H1 Editora: “Discover the power of influence. Three special edition books and three courses with the best professors on the market form the perfect learning experience for those who really want to influence their audience.”
“The documentary emerged from the edition of the book ‘Marketing de Influence’, by the English writer Gordon Glenister, released in Brazil by H1. We thought of creating a box, with books and courses on the subject and, to encourage debate, we made the documentary,” he told Sheet Rodrigo Simonsen.
Glenister is one of those interviewed in the documentary, as is Ícaro de Carvalho, Simonsen’s partner at H1 and at Novo Mercado, a digital marketing school.
Alongside Pondé, Glenister and Carvalho make some of the most interesting counterpoints of the production. Following influencers, says Glenister, is like repeating “The King’s New Clothes” – a tale by the Dane Hans Christian Andersen, which tells the story of a vain king deceived by two smart men, who made an entire town believe that there was a magical fabric capable of to be seen only by the very intelligent. “We trust the opinion of others.”
Gaining trust with fans leads the influencer to take risks to keep the audience. “You start with small controversial opinions, which give you a little more likes, a little more viewing, and little by little you lose the notion of what can or cannot be said”, says Carvalho. “Anything can be said, but are you ready to take these consequences?” he asks.
The film premiered at Cine Petra Belas Artes, in São Paulo, on May 30. “We put the tickets to sell on the internet and they sold out in less than a minute,” said Simonsen, noting that the approximately 270 tickets were sold at R$97 each. Now the production is free on YouTube.
The documentary makes a good approach to the influencers phenomenon and its social, professional and marketing implications. But it is not exempt work. In the end, Martha Terenzzo, a storytelling teacher, says that anyone can be an influencer, but they need to study. “And how do I do that? Start with the books”, says she, who is one of the professors of the Influence Marketing course at H1 Editora.
Influence Effect
Year – 2022
Production – H1 Publisher
Direction – Rodrigo Simonsen
Duration – 1h20m
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
