At Battenhall we work extensively with social media influencers for our clients. So when I read the comments of Unilever's CMO about cutting ties with influencers that have 'fake' followers it struck a chord with me. The way we at Battenhall discover, engage and partner with influencers is, and always has been, tailor-made to foster a completely authentic approach.
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Our team members, many of whom have been influencers in their own right for a very long time, have a wealth of experience working in this area, and as an agency we are always looking for ways to improve our approach on the issue of authenticity and trust on social media.

With that in mind, from today Battenhall is rolling out a new part of our process for influencer engagement work that we are calling the Battenhall SOA (Statement of Authenticity). The new initiative will ensure all current and future influencers aspire to as high a set of standards as we do. The new SOA will help us, and hopefully the communications industry, take a major step towards ensuring we're only working with online audiences and brands that are transparent and authentic.

We're committed to improving standards across the industry and making it a more trustworthy place. The proof, though, will be in the pudding, and as all social media experts and Bake-Off aficionados alike will testify, this is likely to be a process that evolves over time and which the industry is unlikely to get right at the first attempt. The social media sphere is enormous, but we plan to make a difference where we can.