[DECODED] From Nadine Lustre to Maris Racal: When authenticity fails to meet expectations

The first time I worked with an “influencer” was back in my ad agency days around 7 years ago, when part of my job was to find social media personalities who could seamlessly integrate brands into their content. I soon realized that influencers did not have to be known personalities at all, that they could just be regular people who chose to harness the power of online platforms for their voices to be heard — which works for the good and the bad, as we continue to learn.

Fast forward to today...