Both Torontonian Casey Palmer and celebrity Kim Kardashian are hired to promote companies and brands on social media. (Instagram) Casey Palmer is no Kim Kardashian — and never will be. He also writes a blog called Casey Palmer, Canadian Dad. Tiffany Heimpel of Izea says her company helped regulators in the US design new rules for social media advertising. But as social media marketing has grown in popularity, so has scrutiny from consumer groups and regulators who view the practice as advertising in disguise. The complaint alleges that close to 100 paid posts have not be labelled as advertisements. Khloe Kardashian identifies this Instagram post as a paid promotion by using a hashtag: #ad. (Instagram) Truth In Advertising wants to see companies fined if they use influencers in deceptive campaigns. "Deceptive marketing works. And that's why companies and social media influencers are doing it," she says.
Casey Palmer is no Kim Kardashian — and never will be. But the Toronto–based, bespectacled father of two does have something in common with the super-celebrity.
Both he and Kardashian — who’s been described as famous for being famous — are so-called social media influencers. A range of companies pay them to promote their brands online.
“I haven’t blown up past the reaches of the stratosphere yet,” Palmer says with a smile, about his own smaller form of fame. “But I’ve done okay so far. At any given time I’m usually juggling about a dozen clients.”
Advertisers such as Telus, Pampers and Subway Sandwiches are eager to pay Palmer to write about their products in a positive way, and spread the good word throughout his social networks. He posts regularly on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat and Instagram, about parenting, travel, and technology. He also writes a blog called Casey Palmer, Canadian Dad.
His audience of 15,000 is miniscule compared to Kardashian’s 87 million Instagram followers. Even so, he’s a hot commodity.
“Anyone who wants to work with dads wants to have Casey onside,” says Tiffany Heimpel, managing director of Izea, a Florida–based company that recently opened an office in Toronto to serve Canadian clients that employ influencers. “In the dad world, his voice is pretty strong.”
Time to come clean
Today many advertising campaigns include a social media component. In a world skeptical of business and its messages, a friendly recommendation from someone you know personally — or admire from afar — is golden.
But as social media marketing has grown in popularity, so has scrutiny from consumer groups and regulators who view the practice as advertising in disguise. Too often, influencers don’t disclose that they have a financial arrangement with the…
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