This year’s Love Island contestants will have to do things differently to succeed

Authenticity is the watchword for those looking to cash in once the hit show has ended, writes Ellie Fry

Casa Amor more more: there are big bucks to be made post-show (ITV)

With Monday night’s Love Island final looming, the contestants’ summer of love is nearly over. While relationships on the hit show are often fickle, their upcoming careers as influencers seem more certain, as the Islanders have racked up hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, while managers and brands are chomping at the bit to cash in on these new TV personalities.

Unlike during the early years of the show, participants are geared up for the lucrative influencer ecosystem from the get-go. Clothing brand I Saw It First is the official sponsor of the show and provides the Islanders with all of their clothes, while many contestants have a social media presence ahead of their debut (this year, Kaz was a content creator before entering the programme, for example).

But in such a saturated market and in the midst of a global pandemic, this year’s Islanders are going to have to do things a bit differently to convince us that whatever they are flogging is worth buying. Their sponsored posts will either be met with enthusiastic fans who are looking for a healthy dose of escapism, or the resentment of those feeling influencer fatigue, given the state of current affairs.

Unsurprisingly for a show that continuously pushes the concept of “being true to yourself” when finding romance, the key to carving out a successful career for these Islanders is authenticity. Consumers are tired of influencers pushing products that don’t feel at all organic for them or their audience – aligning your brand endorsements with your genuine interests is paramount.

As culture writer Jason Okundaye explained so well on Twitter this week: “People switch off from influencers when they randomly start flogging stuff like chewing gum on their grids. Knowing when to turn things down, no matter how lucrative, is actually more important than accepting things.”

Molly-Mae Hague is a case in point. The 22-year-old is arguably the most successful Love Island contestant to date, with 5.8 million followers on Instagram, her own tanning range and a huge deal with fast-fashion brand PrettyLittleThing. Last week, Hague revealed that she turned down a £2m deal with an unnamed high street clothing brand last year, as she doesn’t shop there.

While other influencers were jetting off to Dubai to take pictures by the pool during a national lockdown, Hauge continued to build a rapport with her fans. She’s recently shared her journey in removing cosmetic work, such as lip and jaw fillers, after admitting to not recognising her own face in photos. It’s these kinds of decisions that make her feel more relatable, and which translate into consumers trusting her authority as an influencer. Read: big bucks.

So, for this year’s cohort of Islanders to succeed in the wild west of influencer stardom, they need to promote products that feel authentic to them. Perhaps Millie will start selling her own line of horoscope necklaces, and Liberty’s knock-out red lipstick will fly off the shelves. As a sucker for the show (and shopping), I can’t wait to put them on my wish lists.

Yours,

Ellie Fry

IndyBest deputy editor