Influencer marketing draws consumer backlash

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Imvely's pumpkin juice / Courtesy of BUGAN FNC

Last week, 33-year-old fashion, beauty and lifestyle influencer Im Ji-hyun apologized for selling “moldy” pumpkin juice through her online shopping mall Imvely, promising full refunds for the problematic product.

“We apologize for becoming a subject of public criticism and causing you concern,” she said in a statement. “We will provide full refunds for the product and do our best to offer safer products through stricter quality control.”

The apology, however, was met with outrage as she had allegedly deleted consumer complaints to “cover up” the case.

“I had trust in Im because she emphasized that her products were effective and safe. I plan to unfollow Im, who sells rotten food using her popularity,” one consumer wrote online.

Imvely was considered one of the most successful first-generation online fashion shopping malls, opening 16 offline branches since its 2015 launch.

Riding on domestic success, Imvely has earned popularity abroad, opening stores in the U.S. and Japan and running an online mall in China.

Given that Im used her reputation as a social influencer ― having over 848,000 followers on Instagram ― to attract consumers, the creative self-starter will likely struggle to recover her company's tarnished image.

Many social media stars have been using this method of advertising and selling goods on social media platforms to attract consumers.

However, Im's case suggests that several issues, such as a lack of transparency and defective products, may emerge from influencer marketing.

A Seoul Metropolitan Government survey of 4,000 adults conducted from November to December last year showed 30 percent of those who purchase “faulty” goods from social media platforms had failed to get a refund or a response.

Some argue they were deceived by social influencer marketing, in which influencers introduced clothes or accessories on their private accounts.

“I ordered a blouse, but later requested a refund because it looked different from what I saw on Instagram,” one consumer wrote online. “However, the seller insisted she cannot refund the money because it was custom-made.”

“Millennials find pictures and videos more engaging, and they tend to trust digital influencers when purchasing,” said Lee Eun-hee, a professor at Inha University's College of Social Sciences. “They rely on others' experience when it comes to decision-making.”