Viral fame fades quickly, so companies should show their own faces

Sudden viral fame rarely develops into a lasting career in Finland, while companies can benefit more by putting their own representatives forward on social media, Yle reports. Emmi Lehtomaa, founder of talent management agency Fament, says trends and the attention surrounding individuals often disappear within weeks.

Nella Salonen attracted widespread attention after an interview she gave Yle during celebrations for an ice hockey gold medal. The video, in which she appeared drunk, went viral and companies sought to join the phenomenon, sending her dozens of collaboration requests.

Lehtomaa said sudden rises to public attention are difficult to turn into careers because the person usually has no established social media identity or clear idea of what to do next.

Such breakthroughs are often accidental and involve a contradiction: a person says or does something that people would not normally expect from them. A strong emotional reaction can also lead people to share the incident widely online.

Inexperienced people may not understand what they are getting involved in, Lehtomaa said. They may also pose a risk to companies because little is usually known about their background. For an influencer’s brand, it is important how many people know them and what they are known for. Business opportunities may emerge only after the influencer has built a sufficiently large audience.

Annina Pikkumäki, chief executive of marketing and communications agency Mellakka Helsinki, said viral phenomena can produce quick effects, visibility and short-term sales increases. However, influencers can become closely associated with a brand, meaning negative publicity surrounding them may temporarily affect the brand’s image as well.

Following trends alone does not create lasting effects for companies, Pikkumäki said. She considers it important to build enduring partnerships with influencers who fit the brand, so that audiences begin to associate the influencer and the company with each other.

Lehtomaa said companies should also focus on their own people. Audiences do not want to follow faceless companies speaking about values and sustainable development from behind a logo, she said, but would rather see a chief executive discussing those issues in their own words.

Company representatives do not always produce content themselves because they may lack the necessary skills, Pikkumäki said. Influencers can combine planning, production and presenting, while also knowing what works on social media and handling technical tasks such as editing and captioning. They bring companies both a recognisable face and an established audience.

Lehtomaa expects more Finnish influencers to develop their own brands or television programmes. Reality television programmes that feature ordinary people can serve as a springboard for a career, she said.

However, she said there are no longer programmes that routinely make participants known to the entire country. Audiences are divided and there is so much content available that people no longer follow just one programme. Productions may instead seek people who are already known in order to attract viewers through their followers.