Keegan Kozolanka covers Wellington County for EloraFergusToday.
There’s nothing wrong with marketing a town to tourists, but a push to entice content-making influencers into Elora highlights just how inauthentic social media can be.
While not paid directly or under any contract, these influencers are almost assuredly going to make some sort of content based on the circumstances on how they ended up in Elora.
It’s just one part of a huge marketing campaign financed by Kat Florence Canada, who have been buying up old buildings in Elora and recently created the very cute Elora Christmas Market.
The plan to bring in potentially hundreds of influencers into Elora is eyebrow raising.
Taking a look at content related to the Elora Christmas Market on Instagram or TikTok, you’ll find various short videos made mostly by young women from Toronto with various numbers of followers from a few thousand to some in the tens of thousands.
They’re telling people of this village that feels right out of a Hallmark movie or is the ultimate Christmas village not far from Toronto with nice footage showing the new market, the beautiful Christmas lights on the Dalby House or sipping a perfectly hot beverage out of a huge white cup.
There’s nothing indicating this is nothing more than a discovery this influencer made on her own that she simply had to share with her followers.
But that’s not what happened, at least not really.
The owner of the Toronto marketing agency behind this campaign explained to EloraFergusToday influencers are invited out to Elora in the hopes they’ll make content but they are under no obligation to do so.
When they arrive at a designated location in Elora, these influencers are apparently surprised with “magic sprinkle” money that can be used at participating shops and restaurants. The businesses are compensated for 50 per cent of their value, so $50 cash for every $100 in magic sprinkles they bring in.
No obligation to make content? Maybe not, but these aren’t big time influencers invited out but those who are probably doing it on the side and maybe hoping to make it big by landing a big sponsor some day.
How would it look to the marketing agency who invited you out and gave you a gift if you didn’t make any sort of social media post? Posts may not be part of the deal, but they're certainly implied.
Would you get invited out to something like this again? Are the big sponsors going to come knocking if you become known as someone who doesn’t play ball?
It’s not worth the risk, of course they’re going to make some content.
Is this the situation for everyone who has made a video highlighting Elora as a Christmas destination?
It’s impossible to tell because this gifting loophole and no obligation means there isn’t an ad or sponsored label. Legally, influencers need to disclose if a post they are making is sponsored but in this case it’s technically not, even if it feels like it is.
Let’s be clear, this is not knock against Kat Florence Canada’s marketing campaign to bring tourists to Elora during the Christmas season, it’s not a knock against businesses who are getting in the on the action by accepting the magic sprinkle currency and it’s not a knock on the influencers for doing what they do.
Something just isn’t sitting well with how this whole thing is trying to seem more real than it really is deep down.
