Profession: influencer agent

At the stop, rue La Fayette, in Paris, motorists widen their eyes with a cautious air. Taken aback by this young woman who stands, leaning against the red light, in lascivious poses, hair swept by the wind. Wednesday, 12:15 p.m., 10°C. Carla Ginola (@carla_ginola), 142,000 Instagram followers, works: she has her photograph taken to honor a contract she signed with a famous Californian ready-to-wear label. Black logo t-shirt, tight raw jeans, heels with tassels… It's about highlighting the brand's pieces for a fee. "I'm free to choose what I wear and have to produce about one post a month," says the 24-year-old influencer.

This contract, which runs for one year, was drawn up by Foll-ow, a Parisian agency which represents her exclusively. Founded in November 2016 by four college friends, the small company manages the digital careers of twenty-three influencers, including that of comedian Kev Adams, but who is rather an exception: most are young "talents" as they say. here, aged 13 to 22. "On all social networks, we realized that Generation Z had enormous potential," explains co-founder Ruben Cohen. But when you're 15 or 18, you can't negotiate a contract intelligently: so we're there to manage them, to supervise them. »

An influencer agent? “My generation easily understands what this is about; that of my parents, less”, observes Jules Andiran, 21, whose JB agency, in the Gers, represents around twenty including @charlottepirroni and @alexia_mori__. Already installed in the cinema, music or publishing, the job consists of taking charge of all the administrative negotiations of a client and advising him in the management of his career. In short, "a life partner who defends the interests of his talent, solves his problems, anticipates his requests", sum up Virginie Godin and Diego El Glaoui, founders of the Parisian agency Influence, which represents so-called "premium" twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings. (collaborating with the luxurious Cartier, Audi, Saint Laurent…). These intermediaries, who are mostly paid by commission (from 10%, “as in the France 2 series with Camille Cottin”, to 30%) have become essential, as the sector has grown in size.

Euros and burnout

Let's go back five years. At the time, when fashion brands, but also beauty, decoration, watchmaking, travel, gastronomy, hotels or video games, wanted to offer young influencers a product placement (an "operation" or a "campaign", we prefer to say modestly in the middle), they contact them directly. But, very busy, the latter quickly find themselves overwhelmed: they have to feed their profiles with photos and videos, but also respond to comments, meet representatives of the brands, attend events, haggle.

Adulated by followers (from tens of thousands to several million depending on notoriety), teenagers and young adults find themselves starified, euros are raining down, but, in the middle, we are starting to hear about burn-out. “Some came calling for help. They turned off their smartphones so as not to have to hear them humming every minute, showed their mailboxes drowned in the arrival of e-mails, ”recalls Ruben Cohen.

“They needed to be accompanied, adds Emilie Le Guiniec, an independent agent who has been practicing for four years (and represents five influencers including @emiliebrunette or @paulineprivez). In terms of their contracts, to begin with: when a behemoth like L'Oréal asks a girl to create content, there is bound to be an imbalance in the negotiation. It's David versus Goliath. By having representatives, influencers offload the formalities, concentrating on creating images to showcase a day cream, a woolen peacoat, a pair of patent pumps or a vintage whiskey.

To the agents the less noble tasks, starting therefore with the establishment of an agreement. Because, behind this ethereal photo of a woman with ringed hands or that of a handsome boy all smiles at the wheel of a chrome car, there are hidden discussions resulting in initialed, dated and signed pages. “I first make sure that the product sincerely appeals to the influencer, but then everything is specified in the contract, explains Clara Martinage, independent agent for four clients (including @anilbrancaleoni and @opheduvillard). The format first: photo, video in Instagram, YouTube or IGTV format, story, Facebook post, tweet... The number of posts and the frequency, the hashtags to be mentioned, the time to post, the right to regarding the brand or its intermediaries before publication, the requirements in terms of image rights. »

And the amount of the transaction, arranged “on a case-by-case basis”. Rarely under a thousand euros, the sum can soar to hundreds of thousands for the most followed. This does not prevent abuse. It could have happened to a star influencer to be beaten by a fashion brand in front of the lack of drive she showed to promote her products: "For the price we pay you, you could at least play the game ! “At first hesitant, she ended up identifying the misunderstanding: the amount was colossal, but the intermediaries had discreetly and cheerfully helped themselves along the way…

Unfair practices

However, the role of the agent is not limited to talking about money. He also helps to build an image (often stereotyped, from the entrepreneur to the adventurer, from the geek to the perfect mum), can sort correspondence, organize holidays, call his foals to order so that they do not take the big head, give advice. “You have to know how to say things that are hard to hear,” explains Virginie Godin. Including, explaining to a client that this 50,000 euro campaign should be refused, because it is not for him in terms of positioning. »

Still in its infancy, the profession is nevertheless established today. The competition between the agencies, slowly, sharpens, when the freelancers seek how to stick together. David Schapiro launched a structure in January to try to federate freelance agents: "Boomerang allows, without registration fees and like an economic interest group, to pool contacts, provide legal clarification to those who need it, share revenue, serve as an exchange platform. Becoming an agent also tempts new converts. “Several influencers have asked me to put myself at their service, confides a press officer who is preparing her retraining. And seeing acquaintances flourish in this role of guide convinces me to get started. »

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But how much longer can this debauchery of eyeliners, branded boots and four-star hotels, staged against a check, last? Prices are inflating. Unfair practices are on the rise, with some influencers buying followers, but also views, comments… “All of this feeds a disconnect between the value created and the value remunerated. One day, the bubble will burst and we will suffer our own subprime crisis,” fears Emilie Le Guiniec.

“Perhaps, but the logic will continue, prefers to reassure Diego El Glaoui. Yesterday, the influence was Brigitte Bardot; today it's Instagram; tomorrow, it will be other supports. “Some are already betting on new social networks, such as Snapchat or the youngest, TikTok, on which “brands are starting to flow”, remarks Ruben Cohen. In this profession "without a past, where everything is to be invented, without presupposition", as Clara Martinage says, everyone remains, never far from their smartphone, on the lookout for the next movement, the next post, the next "like".

An influencer, a niche

Whether they are "micro" (less than 20,000 subscribers), "macro" (over 100,000) or "mega" (over 500,000), influencers cultivate diverse fashion profiles, like so many marketing niches.

With her 3.1 million followers, Caroline Receveur is a French popess on Instagram. This former reality TV candidate and model attracts thanks to her sophisticated silhouettes. Taking care of her haughty profile, she has just launched her own brand, RECC.

Sézane, Bash, Amélie Pichard… Audrey Lombard, 450,000 subscribers, favors collaborations with high-end brands. A converted veterinarian, she boasts of their luxury products in her own way: photos taken in front of her mirror, without ever revealing her face.

16 years old and 915,000 subscribers: high school student Paola Locatelli is massively appealing to sport or street brands that want to target 13-24 year olds (Asos, Boohoo, Nike). On YouTube and Instagram, we recognize her by her green eyes, her wavy hair and her broad smile… freshly rid of her dental braces.

Long director of boutiques in Paris (Sandro, Vanessa Bruno, Delvaux), the quadra Elisa Gallois stages on Instagram her family life with her companion and her three children, Jules, Lou and Mia. A universe all in refined clothes, minimal decoration and “too cute” portraits, followed by 112,000 followers.

Among the rarer male influencers, Romain Costa, 28, 126,000 subscribers, stands out with his blue-tinted profile, his portable wardrobe, his taste for the architecture he studied, his commitment against homophobia . When his peers often play the perfect gentlemen, he assumes “a boy next door side, he told us in 2017. I make jokes, I grimace, I show my dark circles”.

Valentin Perez

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