BRAND SAFETY E INFLUENCER MARKETING: PERCHÉ LA FIDUCIA È DIVENTATA UNA VARIABILE DI BUSINESS

Influencer marketing has reached a level of maturity that requires companies to move beyond some of the simplifications that have accompanied the industry’s growth in recent years. Choosing a creator can no longer be based solely on visibility metrics, audience size, or collaboration costs. In a context where people increasingly value the authenticity of recommendations and consistency of behavior, the quality of the relationship between brands, creators, and communities has a direct impact on business outcomes.

For this reason, the topic of brand safety deserves a broader reflection today than the one traditionally associated with reputational risk management. While in the past attention was primarily focused on avoiding undesirable associations or content that could potentially damage a company’s image, a more strategic dimension is now emerging: understanding the extent to which trust, transparency, and value alignment contribute to the quality of performance generated by influencer marketing activities.

Data collected by Kolsquare across five European markets points to an interesting trend. Compliance with regulations governing the transparency of commercial partnerships does not appear to be an obstacle to campaign performance. On the contrary, in several contexts, properly disclosed content generates engagement levels and Earned Media Value that are comparable to, or even higher than, content that does not meet the same disclosure standards.

This is a significant finding because it challenges a still widespread belief: the idea that transparency reduces the effectiveness of commercial communication. In reality, the relationship between creators and their audiences is built on a mechanism of trust that tends to strengthen when partnerships are clearly disclosed. People are fully aware of the commercial nature of many collaborations; what primarily shapes their perception is the degree of consistency between the creator, the brand, and the content being shared.

In this scenario, brand safety takes on a different meaning. It is no longer just about identifying potentially problematic content, but about evaluating a creator’s overall credibility and the relational context in which a partnership develops. Authentic audiences, genuinely engaged communities, alignment with brand values, and continuity of the relationship become factors that influence both reputational protection and the ability to generate value over time.

As Raffaella Pierpaoli, Head of Content & Social at Intarget, explains:

“Building a truly transparent dialogue between a creator and their audience is exactly what people want. It’s what they expect. I firmly believe that transparency leads to better performance: for the influencer, for the brand, and for the audience.”

This reflection becomes even more relevant when viewed through the lens of evolving consumer expectations. In recent years, authenticity has often been used as the primary criterion for evaluating influencer marketing activities. Today, a more nuanced demand is emerging: people are looking for expertise, credibility, and consistency over time. Trust is not created through a single sponsored post, but through an ongoing relationship between creators and their communities.

Long-term partnerships as a value driver

From this perspective, long-term collaborations take on particular significance. When a creator chooses to work consistently with a brand, the partnership is perceived as an integral part of their positioning rather than as an isolated initiative. The commercial relationship therefore becomes more credible and generates effects that go beyond short-term metrics, contributing to the development of brand preference, consideration, and purchase intent.

For brands, this requires a reassessment of how investments and results are evaluated. Measuring effectiveness can no longer be limited to reach indicators or interactions generated by a single campaign. It becomes essential to understand the contribution of influencer marketing activities across the entire customer journey, assessing their ability to influence demand quality, conversion propensity, and long-term value creation.

Growth, complexity, and decision-making capability

At the same time, operational complexity continues to increase. According to Kolsquare’s research, most European marketers expect to increase the number of creators involved in their initiatives. This expansion makes it more challenging to maintain high-quality standards through manual selection and verification processes. The risk does not stem solely from potential reputational issues, but also from the gradual loss of control over the quality of activated partnerships.

In this context, data, technology, and analytical capabilities play complementary roles. Tools make it possible to analyze audiences, behaviors, and compliance levels with a depth that is difficult to achieve through manual evaluation alone. However, the ability to interpret that data within a broader business context remains essential, connecting creator selection to brand objectives, customer expectations, and competitive market dynamics.

Trust as a business variable

The growth of influencer marketing is therefore shifting the focus from a predominantly tactical approach to a more managerial perspective. Brand safety is becoming part of the decisions that influence growth quality, the sustainability of consumer relationships, and the efficiency of long-term investments.

For companies, the challenge lies in building evaluation models that integrate reputation, performance, and customer experience into a unified view of the customer journey. It is at this intersection of data, relationships, and decision-making capabilities that trust ceases to be an abstract concept and becomes a tangible business variable.