Will You Accept this #SponCon?: Bachelor Influencers and Their Impact On Traditional Influencer Marketing

Note: Hey friends! I wanted to wait until I got my grade back for validation that this was good (lol), but I had a ton of fun researching and writing this and thought I’d share. I actually am planning on publishing more of my work from my program as I churn it out! This is my midterm research paper for my Intro to Digital Social Media class, one of the first classes I’m in for my Digital Social Media masters program at USC. I focused on the emergence of the “Bachelor Influencer” niche and what it means for today and tomorrow’s influencer marketing landscape. There’s a ton of history on The Bachelor franchise,  information I didn’t know, even as a super fan, some interesting scholarly studies done on reality television and society, and a whole ass case study I wrote about Hannah Godwin from this season’s Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise. She annoys me to pieces but god damn, if I ain’t jealous of her life… Enjoy!

 

Will You Accept this #SponCon?:

Bachelor Influencers and Their Impact On Traditional Influencer Marketing

 

In March of 2002, five words would go on to change American television and reality television culture forever:  “Will you accept this rose?” Inspired and electrified by the success of shows like Survivor and Big Brother, Hollywood producer Mike Fleiss had an idea for a new reality show, one with a controversial, sexy, and glamorous hook. Despite an outpouring of criticism after his scandalous special Who Wants To Marry a Millionaire, Fleiss was convinced America was lusting for a show about romance and relationships. With network doors continuously closing, executives at ABC eventually took a chance on his “one guy dates 25 women and proposes to one” reality vision (Yuan, 2015). After the first three episodes had aired, with an extreme trajectory of audience viewership and sudden real life fanatic obsession towards “The Bachelor” himself, it was clear The Bachelor was going to be something special. Despite its instant success; however, no one, Mike Fleiss included (Yuan, 2015), could have predicted the incredible force and machine “Bachelor Nation” would one day become. 23 seasons and several spinoffs later, The Bachelor has become a reality television institution and cultural phenomenon, its impact and reach extending far beyond a television screen. As the show ascended to glory, dynamics at force (the rise of social media), would threaten one of the show’s cardinal virtues— being there for the right reasons. Eventually, producers could no longer control the inevitability of a contestant’s social media digital footprint; the understanding that the show could catapult the contestants into social media stardom, specifically on Instagram, became widely accepted by production, contestants, and audience members alike. With traditional influencer marketing already having paved the way as an established and legitimate marketing strategy, it was only a matter of time before ex-Bachelor contestants began to use their newfound fame and platforms to find a seat at the table. A new niche of influencer was born, one that blurred the lines between celebrity, influencer, and “real life” people. And, as brands would soon start to realize, it was highly profitable, with “Bachelor influencers” showing higher levels of engagement and driven sales than traditional macro influencers of similar followings (Buxton, 2018). Social media and the landscape of influencer marketing is constantly evolving, and as “Bachelor Nation” continues to dominate American reality television, Bachelor influencers will continue to capitalize on that. With robust resources, and avenues offered through their association to the franchise that upkeep public interest, they are a powerful marketing force. Bachelor influencers are undeniably disrupting the traditional influencer marketing sphere, and understanding society’s obsession of the show and these women should be examined in regards to the future landscape of this industry. 

History

When The Bachelor first aired in the early 2000s, smartphones did not exist, Instagram would not debut for almost another decade, and the word “influencer” was not yet a mainstream job title. All of the terminology and traditions that have become synonymous with the franchise had yet to be cemented as Bachelor canon; however, the concept has remained consistent from the start: 25 women compete for the heart of a handsome, eligible bachelor, while they live together in a California mansion, getting to know their hopeful suitor through a series of group dates, romantic one-on-one dates, and exotic travels around the world. Each week, there is a rose ceremony; if a woman does not receive a rose, she is sent home. The process continues until there are just two women left; the show’s intention has always been for the final episode to end in an engagement. Despite the unknowingness of what the show would become and the opportunities it could present to its cast, production was acutely aware from the beginning that contestants could be signing up for the show to promote their personal brands or businesses and not to find love. It was out of this understanding that one of the franchise’s most well-known expressions was born. During filming of season 1, the producers sensed that contestant Trista Sutter, who would ironically go on to become the franchise’s first Bachelorette, may be more interested in finding fame than love. During a routine confessional style interview, a producer asked her if she was “here for the right reasons.” She repeated the expression in her response, and it stuck, quickly becoming a routine question asked of contestants, by the producers and amongst each other (Chozick, 2010). The nature of whether or not a contestant was on the show for the “right” reasons became its own character of sorts within the world of the show. On Desiree Hartsock’s season 9 of The Bachelorette, the men performed a rap song called “Right Reasons” on a group date; fans of the show will often include the expression in Bachelor-themed drinking games, which have become increasingly popular over the years. To be accused of appearing on the show with less than pure intentions was to be automatically cast as the villain, eventually leading to dismissal at a rose ceremony. 

This would not always be the case. As social media culture exploded, Instagram and Twitter became mainstream ways for audience members to consume the show— a viewing experience that promoted more creativity and engagement than simply watching the television. On what is referred to as #BachelorTwitter, users can interact with other audience members in real time, creating gifs and memes, poking fun at or calling out whatever dramatic moment has just occurred in the episode, root for their favorites, participate in polls, and discuss various conversation topics the show is prompting. Users can also follow contestants to access bonus content, including behind-the-scenes footage and secrets from when they were filming, Q&A’s, and links and information regarding their fashion and beauty details from the episode. Audience participation in social media has become a major component in the franchise, which silently but inevitably led to widespread acceptance that contestants had a right to their social media presence, and, to whatever following came from their involvement on the show. 

In the years following the launch of Instagram in 2010, few contestants amassed significant followerships; additionally, the social media space had yet to become the advertising powerhouse it is today and opportunities were few and far between. Between the years of 2011-2014, only 5 ex-Bachelor contestants would go on to have over 500,000 followers, four of whom had starring roles on The Bachelorette. A quick glance of their Instagram accounts indicate that all of the women have gone on to launch business endeavors of their own, utilizing their platforms to secure various projects which including book deals, a bridal design brand, a stationery and paper goods business, and a notoriable career in the interior design world. The years 2015-2016 saw the franchise’s first big Instagram boom, with 8 of the contestants from their season going on to join the “million followers club” over the next four years. A few number of brands identified the potential value and reach from these influencers early on; companies such as DIFF Eyewear, Sugarbear Hair, and FlatTummyTea became synonymous with ex-Bachelor contestants on social media, with mixed results. One of these women, season 19 runner up Becca Tilly, admitted, “I did one brand, and it was for one of those skinny teas, and I got a pretty intense backlash because it wasn’t something I really used or felt comfortable promoting” (Wakim, 2018). Ex-Bachelor contestants promoting “skinny tea” on their Instagram became somewhat of a cultural cliche, representative of a lower quality cash grab that many took. During this era, on the higher end of the opportunity spectrum, runner up and eventual Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher came out with a “collection” with DIFF Eyewear in 2016, a “charitable” sunglass company known for their inexpensive and brightly colored lenses. Fletcher has since gone on to amass 2.2 million followers and has her own home remodeling show on NBC with her fiancé, whom she got engaged to during her time as “the Bachelorette,” along with her own clothing label. 

In 2014, the franchise experimented with an additional spinoff entitled Bachelor in Paradise, a made for summer special that would showcase ex-Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants from previous seasons in an unstructured setting; they would live by the beach, drink copious amounts of alcohol, and form relationships. There would be weekly rose ceremonies, alternating between the men and women handing out roses, resulting in contestants being sent home if they had not yet found a possible love connection. With twice as many hours airing on television each week than the traditional Bachelor or Bachelorette (two days a week for two hours each episode), and, more drama, tears, betrayals, and engagements, Paradise offered the contestants even more exposure on top of an already established fan base from their original time on the show. With influencer marketing skyrocketing in industry value, estimated at a $3 billion in 2017, $4.6 in 2018, and $6.5 in 2019 (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2019), the successful spinoff perpetuated ex-contestants to stardom far quicker than their predecessors and provided them with a greater variety of opportunities on social media. The most recent 2019 cycle of women from Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise represents the franchise’s biggest and quickest stampede to social media stardom, and most importantly, the highest levels of follower engagement and diverse spectrum of business ventures. When The Bachelor aired its 23rd season  in the months of January through March 2019, and Bachelor in Paradise airing its 6th season over the summer, through the months of July and August, in a timeframe of just 9 months, 7 women would go onto break over 500,000 followers on Instagram, 5 of them amassing over a million followers. Compared to macro-influencers with similar followings, this wave of Bachelor influencers show as much as 8 times higher levels of engagement, averaging hundreds of thousands of likes, captivating the attention of brands who have rolled out marketing strategies starring these women before their seasons have even finished airing.  

Challenges & Opportunities 

In a world of celebrity and traditional influencer marketing, women who have gained their notoriety through appearing on The Bachelor represent their own unique niche— a sort of hybrid influencer. It merges the reach, exposure, and engagement enabled by a celebrity, the trustability and interpersonal offerings of of an influencer, and the authenticity of a “real” person. In “Paradox and the Consumption of Authenticity Through Reality Television,” Rose and Wood (2005) examine this, writing, “Consumers of reality television revel in the ironic mixture of the factitious and the spontaneous… The consumption of reality programming represents a sophisticated quest for authenticity within the traditionally fiction-oriented entertainment paradigm” (Rose & Wood, 2005, p. 284, 286). 

Unlike a celebrity, who is not expected to have any type of interaction with fans as they engage in the sponsored content, an influencer has built up their brand and reputation through connecting with their followers, whether it is through Instagram stories, direct messages, or in the comment sections on their posts. Followers can feel like they have a rapport with these influencers, as if they are a close friend, which makes them more likely to have trust in whatever the influencer is advertising. A Bachelor influencer adds an additional component that neither celebrity or traditional influencer can fully represent: being a “real” person. Ultimately, a celebrity is known for whatever has made them famous in the first place, and an influencer has influence and a presence on social media because they specifically set out to attain that goal; an ex-Bachelor contestant is a sort of “accidental influencer.” They represent and resonate with the average 20-something-year-old American women because that’s exactly what they are: just regular, ordinary (but beautiful) people who happened to find fame after going on a show in the pursuit of love. In her article “Reality TV and the Production of ‘Ordinary Celebrity,” Laura Grindstaff (2012) explores this genre of media persona, emphasizing, “Reality TV is precisely about celebrating “ordinary” people while at the same time offering an escape from that ordinariness via the celebrity frame… Ordinary celebrity constructs a sense of self that connects simultaneously to those “below” — real, ordinary people — and those “above” — stars with accumulated intertextual capital.” (Grindstaff, 2012, p. 28, 35).

Because Bachelor influencers are not traditional bloggers or YouTubers, having built up a following and portfolio of content tied to one specific vertical, they have the freedom to occupy whatever spaces they choose to. Whether it is fashion, beauty, wellness, or technology, these women do not have to be concerned about alienating their fanbase due to sponsored projects they take on. Further enabling their potential for brand partnerships is the fact that these women are ushered into a world of resources, networking opportunities, and additional exposure after their departure on the show. For women who leave engaged, whether on The Bachelor or Paradise, it is expected that after the season has finished airing, they will depart on intense “press weeks” with their new significant other. Certain shows and publications have become a tradition for the contestants to be featured, such as Jimmy Kimmel Live and People magazine, and fans can expect to see countless interviews and other types of digital coverage during this time. Because of the monstrosity of ABC, these women are provided with not only additional exposure that keeps their fanbase engaged and growing, but it provides them with certain connections that would not be offered to the average influencer trying to grow their following and connect with brands. Bachelor influencers can expect to be easily matched with PR representation, agents, and managers, all of whom work together to keep the cycle going— one that maintains and grows the public’s interest in the influencer and their romantic relationships, and creates business opportunities that ultimately benefit the brand, the influencer, and their team of representation. 

Long gone are the days where Bachelor influencers’ opportunities were limited to DIFF Eyewear and FlatTummyTea partnerships; with the followings and engagement levels of ex-contestants becoming dramatically higher and successful ROIs already proven by past cycles of women (Buxton, 2018), brands no longer need to test the waters to see if working with Bachelor influencers will be a good fit for their businesses. The landscape has changed drastically and rapidly; because of the societal acceptance that contestants can potentially attain social media fame from going on the show, the franchise is seeing a much different contestant pool than years in the past, where the women were often made up of dental hygienists, teachers, store managers, receptionists and assistants. Today, audience members can expect to watch former beauty queens, “content creators,” models, and social media managers grace the presence of their television screens. The women going on the show today are already experts and professionals not just at social media, but at posing, styling, makeup; they do not have to be taught how to be Instagram stars because they already have the backgrounds to be incredibly successful at it.

Given the extreme levels of public interest shown in both the show and these women’s lives post production, it does raise the question of whether this is a cycle that can last forever. The entire existence and success of a Bachelor influencer is dependent on both the continued widespread success of The Bachelor franchise along with public interest and usage of Instagram as a platform. From the list of women who achieved over 500,000 followers in years past, many have already branched out of the Instagram bubble, starting podcasts or YouTube channels, or becoming hosts on existing shows, seemingly to extend their repertoire of options should Instagram no longer serve them. Given the fact that the show is about to air its 24th season and has already renewed a season 7 of Paradise to film and air summer of 2020, there seems to be no indication of this phenomenon slowing down. However, as history suggests, even the biggest hits in the digital media world will inevitably be replaced by something that surpasses it in popularity and relevance. The continuation of Instagram fame is not guaranteed to anyone, including both traditional influencers and Bachelor influencers. Additionally, there is no guarantee of what will happen in the future of reality television, and brands cannot expect that the successful current model of today will work in the same way tomorrow. There will always be a new show, a new social media platform, or a new niche of influencer that comes and reigns supreme, and both brands and influencers alike need to be mindful and adaptive towards this truth. 

Influence and Impact on Society

Identifying and analyzing the rapid ascent to Instagram fame of recent contestants on The Bachelor prompts the question of why it happens and why America cares. Why is there such national interest in this franchise, enough to keep the show on the air for over 23 seasons, spur several spinoffs, and to transfer that fandom into measurable engagement, and therefore advertising money, on social media? According to research done within the last 10 years, there are psychological reasonings that explain society’s affinity for reality television. In the study “Reality-Based Television Programming and the Psychology of Its Appeal,” researchers Nabi, Biely, Morgan, and Stitt (2003) sought to understand the appeal of watching reality television. The study found reality-based television programs to be characterized as “voyeur TV,” with the data offering that “viewers watch reality-based television for what appear to be voyeuristic reasons” and “getting a peek” into others’ lives” (Nabi et al., 2003, p. 324). Further, their research suggested that people watch because “they like to watch interpersonal interactions and because they are curious about other people’s lives,” and, viewers watch for “motivations based on personal identity—self-awareness in particular” (Nabi et al., 2003, p. 324-325). Reality television offers a way for viewers to look into the lives of others, which in turn provides them with an opportunity for self-reflection and empathy. The Bachelor is purposefully produced to create a space for empathy. These women have demonstrated their most raw, vulnerable, and authentic selves on television. They are challenged, positioned in situations specifically designed for them to fall in love, competing for the Bachelor’s attention amongst other women, dealing with the emotional repercussions of being rejected while the world watches. The audience can relate to the drama and suffering that the contestants are going through based off events in their own lives; they can understand the female cattiness that often goes on in the house, they can empathize with the experience of being heartbroken or blindsided. They can resonate with watching two people fall in love based on their own lives. Additionally, they can live vicariously through their choices, watching them do riskier things than they themselves would never do. In her article, Grindstaff quotes Skeggs and Wood (2012), “Reality TV offers the performance of heightened existence and a more interesting psychic engagement of the ordinary transactions in which we are daily often implicated… We see affect-in-action, people in and out of control, relationships visualized, broken-down and opened-out, amplified in intimate detail’” (Grindstaff, 2012, p. 33). It is through this unique dynamic that fans feel invested in the journeys their favorite contestants have undergone, and through social media, they are provided with an avenue to continue following and investing in that journey. 

There are also biological explanations that can explain America’s love towards reality television; physiologist Elesa Zehndorfer (2018) writes in her book “The Physiology of Emotional and Irrational Investing: Causes and Solutions,” that humans are “trained to seek out drama because we experience a rush of dopamine and adrenaline when we encounter it… The more novel it is, the greater the effect” (Zehndorder, 2018). Dopamine, a chemical associated with the brain’s reward center, “gives the body a natural, internal reward of pleasure that reinforces continued engagement in that activity,” so when watching a show like The Bachelor, “your brain is continually producing dopamine, and your body experiences a drug-like high. You experience a pseudo-addiction to the show because you develop cravings for dopamine” (Page, 2017). The release of adrenaline, a hormone triggered during moments of excitement, fear, or anger, all of which are abundant on The Bachelor, could also explain the show’s addictive nature. Through this quality, and the ability to empathize and live vicariously through the contestants on the show, viewers can potentially find themselves addicted to watching, which in turn can motivate them to continue following the drama of the show and the contestants through social media. 

 

Case Study

It is impossible to discuss the phenomenon of the rise of Bachelor influencers without acknowledging some of the recent stars from the franchise. Standing out in particular due to her self-described profession on her season of The Bachelor, is 24 year old Hannah Godwin. Prior to going on the show, model and “content creator” Godwin had already established herself as incredibly photogenic, having an eye for aesthetics with her cohesive and meticulously edited Instagram feed, and reputation for working with brands, primarily online clothing boutiques. She is incredibly thin, with shiny, bouncy bright blonde hair, blue eyes, and an overall All-American-girl-next-door type of personality. During her time on the show, she remained uninvolved with house drama, made it to the final three, and made an impact on viewers; her aesthetic simply sells. On her website, launched prior to her appearance on the show, she describes herself as a photography turned marketing major, an accidental model/influencer, and “just trying to grow (her) brand.” He r website contains an online portfolio, filled with modeling shots, photos and graphic designs she has done on behalf of businesses, and a blog in which she has written a few posts on the topics of fashion, lifestyle, and beauty. Landing a coveted spot on the show’s 23rd season in 2019, her social media background and openness of wanting to grow as a content creator was not hindering; further, she was never questioned by her fellow contestants, or the Bachelor himself, about being on the show for the “right reasons.” She eventually made it to the season’s finale, only to be left brokenhearted by the Bachelor who informed her of his love for another woman. She was sent home in shock and disbelief; however, in real time, she was ushered into her new reality. A day after the show’s finale special After The Final Rose, on which she was granted an opportunity to confront the man who broke her heart, acknowledging that there were no hard feelings and she was made a better person through the experience, Godwin walked the red carpet for the iHeartRadio Music Awards, posting a video of her posing for dozens of cameras, and thanking the Mondrian Los Angeles Hotel for putting her up in one of their penthouse suites for the event. Two weeks later, she embarked on a sponsored brand trip to O’ahu with boutique Shop Red Dress, staying at the Four Seasons Hotel with a group of traditional influencers. With just four posts and four tags of the brand, she amassed a total of over 534,000 likes, surpassing the average engagement of her fellow influencers by approximately 4x. In the subsequent weeks, she was sponsored by label Show Me Your Mumu to attend music festival Coachella, released a capsule collection with handbag company Hammitt LA, was included on another brand trip to Mexico with online retail powerhouse Revolve as part of their highly selective #RevolveSummer campaign, all while releasing sponsored posts in her Instagram feed. 

Her traction would only increase after the announcement of her casting on Bachelor in Paradise, during which she would ultimately get engaged as well as grow her Instagram following by an additional 500,000, bringing her total count to 1.5 million. Like The Bachelor, post-production press trips are an essential part of the aftermath of Paradise for those who have gotten engaged; Godwin and her fiancé Dylan Barbour immediately kicked off the start of their engagement by appearing in a spread in Glamour magazine, orchestrated and promoted by their mutual PR representation, LoriK PR, known to work with Bachelor nation and other reality television celebrities. They appeared on Extra, People TV, ET, Access, discussing their time on the show, their love for each other, and the one question asked repeatedly: so, what’s next? The couple are admittedly taking their relationship slow and not doing any immediate wedding planning; they recently enjoyed a comped vacation to Paris and starred in the filming of a country music video. Their photos together get noticeably higher levels of engagement; after the show’s finale featured their engagement, Godwin’s first Instagram post with Barbour garnered just shy of 630,000 likes and 7,500 comments. 

Currently, Barbour is based in San Diego for his job and Godwin recently moved from Birmingham to Los Angeles to capitalize on her own business opportunities. Any time spent apart does not seem to impede on the increasing number of projects Godwin has taken on. Since July, she has released both a summer and fall clothing collection with JustFab, and was named the face of clothing brand Kensie, her picture plastered on a massive billboard in Times Square next to an advertisement for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty. It was specifically because of Godwin’s high engagement level with her social media followers and her intergenerational appeal that she was selected to be the face of the brand’s fall campaign #MakePrettyPowerful. The summer premier of Bachelor in Paradise “scored a 1.3 rating for adults aged 18 to 49 and 4.37 million viewers, which was ahead of last season’s premiere,” and according to Maria Dolgetta, cofounder of Creative Playground, the New York agency that created the campaign, “It is the same girl. The Kensie girl is the Hannah and ‘Bachelor’ franchise fan… We really thought it was a great way to reignite the e-commerce’” (Feitelberg, 2019). 

 Her new life and newfound social media fame is not lost on Godwin, she admits, “ A year ago, I was in such a different spot. I’m just exploring this whole new life and trying to grasp any opportunities that I can” (Feitelberg, 2019). Unlike past seasons of Bachelor influencers, Godwin’s social media influencing strategies are not dependent on sponsoring various products or companies; her feed only has two ads since the beginning of August, one for online clothing boutique Lulus, the other for a wine company. With her background as a model and content creator, she has expertly used her exposure from the ABC franchise to capitalize on her existing skills, making it clear her intended focus is on curating fashion collections and serving as the name and face for clothing brands. With 3 months to go until a new freshman class of Bachelor contestants graces the screens of ABC, Godwin seems determined to monetize her moment as well as establish her digital pathway moving forward.

Point of View

As both a long time lover of the show as well as a social media influencer in profession, I feel personally torn when it comes to supporting this type of influencer. As impressive and undeniable their impact on their followers is, one cannot help but feel not only envious of their success, but bitter in regards to how they achieved it. “Going on The Bachelor” has become a career path within itself, one that to some, may be a way out of their current lives and jobs and into a lifestyle of ease and glamor. Although there is no guarantee that a contestant will attain the type of social media fame that has been bestowed to 30 or so women over the last few years, simply being cast on the show, a feat within itself, is a potentially massive opportunity. With this type of overnight success, however, it does raise the question of whether these women will be able to learn and understand all of the subtle nuances that go into the business of being a content creator and successful influencer. Any blogger will tell you that to have a pretty face is not enough to have true influence; one must perform the role of stylist, editor, writer, agent, be able to deeply analyze their audience, and be able to understand the vision of a brand and how to mesh those business goals with their personal aesthetic and messaging. That said, in today’s world of Bachelor contestants, a large majority of women are going in with these skills already developed. So, ultimately, when it comes to marketing strategies and seeing a return on investment, it is easy to see why a brand would choose to allocate their budget towards this type of influencer. They do not have to be trained; further, the world of influencer marketing is so ingrained in our society as well as readily available, that any gap or question can be easily solved simply by looking at how others are doing it. 

Personal grievances aside, I think the rise of this niche type of influencer presents a lot of important questions to consider. Bachelor influencers reinforce this notion of authenticity, proving just how important it is to consumers on social media and beyond. The question to ask is this: If society is predisposed to love seeing vulnerability, drama, romance, all of these qualities synonymous to human experience in a reality television show, as a brand, how can I hone in on this psychology and evoke these traits in my advertising content? Bachelor influencers are skilled at this. It is exactly what got them to their level of fame, and they realize that it is also what will perpetuate it. They understand that getting engaged on Paradise and posting couple photos with their new love in Paris is good for business; they understand that being consistent on Instagram stories, showing their lives, and continuing a direct line of contact with their fans is a key to success. It is why they so frequently post photos with other contestants from their season. It is all strategy, and a good one at that. 

As the world of social media and influencer marketing continues to become oversaturated and inauthentic, consumers will become more informed and aware. With increasing amounts of backlash, there will be an inevitable needed return to a kind of content that resonates. I personally believe video is the future, video that is unique and creative; YouTube has staying power in a way Instagram simply does not, and the emergence and popularity of platforms such as TikTok prove the interest in content that is not flat and two dimensional. Just by being on a reality television show, Bachelor influencers are already dominating at this type of content, allowing viewers to see a look into their personality and lives in a way a single photo cannot depict. Additionally, with Instagram constantly changing and traditional bloggers seeing decreased levels of engagement and organic growth, from a business perspective, a brand choosing to work with a Bachelor influencer would be a wise choice, regardless of what vertical their company falls in, as they can represent it all without alienating their fanbase. They can expect to see a return on their investment, and they have a wide selection of women to choose from for the job. 

Conclusion 

At this point in time, the Bachelor influencer has become cemented as an official niche within the world of digital marketing. The ability to achieve notoriable fame through appearing on the hit reality television show is no secret; however, the reasons that explain society’s fascination with this franchise and these women is. Brands can and should look to this type of influencer when it comes to planning their marketing strategies. High engagement aside, these women represent a type of perceived authenticity that fans adore and buy into; they have shown their most vulnerable selves through appearing on the show, allowing viewers to be apart of memorable moments of their lives, including heartbreak and proposals, and through their social media, allow their fans to continue following along on their journeys. With the understanding that the human mind is biologically predisposed to loving this type of drama, this opportunity to live vicariously through another person’s choices, the show creates a near perfect ability to convert those viewers into social media followers. Brands should question how they can monetize this same type of phenomenon through their own advertising, and use these women as case studies when it comes to understanding the future landscape of influencer marketing. 

 

References 

Buxton, M. (2018, June 20). From Roses To Riches: Reality Stars Are Making Bank On Instagram. Retrieved from https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/06/201094/instagram-reality-star-influencer-income.

Chozick, A. (2010, February 26). Do You Speak Reality Show? Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704240004575085994241895452.

Feitelberg, R. (2019, August 15). Hannah Godwin of ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Talks Drama-Free Shoot, ‘Making Pretty Powerful’ for Kensie. Retrieved from https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/hannah-godwin-of-bachelor-in-paradise-talks-drama-free-shoot-making-pretty-powerful-for-kensie-1203239304/.

Grindstaff, L. (2012). Reality TV and the Production of “Ordinary Celebrity”: Notes from the Field. Berkeley Journal of Sociology, 56, 22–40.

Nabi, R., Biely, E., Morgan, S., & Stitt, C. (2003). Reality-Based Television Programming and the Psychology of Its Appeal. Media Psychology, 5(4), 303–330.

Page, D. (2018, February 16). What happens to your brain when you binge-watch a TV series. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/what-happens-your-brain-when-you-binge-watch-tv-series-ncna816991.

Rose, R., & Wood, S. (2005). Paradox and the Consumption of Authenticity through Reality Television. Journal of Consumer Research, 32(2), 284–296.

The State of Influencer Marketing 2019 : Benchmark Report. (2019, May 28). Retrieved from https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-2019-benchmark-report/.

Wakim, M. (2018, January 22). Here’s How a Former Bachelor Contestant Could Make $1 Million This Year. Retrieved from https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/heres-former-bachelor-contestant-will-make-1-million-year/.

Yuan, J. (2016, January 4). A History of The Bachelor, by the People Who Lived It. Retrieved from https://www.thecut.com/2015/12/history-of-the-bachelor-c-v-r.html

Zehndorfer, E. (2018). The physiology of emotional and irrational investing: causes and solutions. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.