Celeb endorsements have lost some of their power in the social media era, but what makes bloggers, vloggers, and self-styled fashionistas so effective as spokespeople? Canvas8 talked to Alexander Schouten, assistant professor at Tilburg University, about how influencers convince people to buy.

People are protesting the Amazon forest fires by donating money to plant trees through the website Offset.Earth – under Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s name. Online spaces have democratized protesting, allowing normal people to take a stand against political issues that were once too big to tackle.

A growing awareness of fake news and the proliferation of sponsored posts on social media has seen the trustworthiness and authenticity of online influencers come into question. How are established experts, nano-influencers, and CGI characters rebuilding confidence and digital relevance?

Previously seen as more open and honest than celebs, social media influencers are now viewed with a degree of scepticism. As people wise up to the often contrived nature of branded posts, the lack of transparency, and culture of ruthless monetisation, many are seeking out down-to-earth figures with whom they can identify.