Bukhash Brothers, the UAE based celebrity and digital marketing consultancy, said that trends within the influencers market spanned lack of transparency in disclosing content. In a  survey findings  released by the firm,  results indicated that 84 percent of the UAE influencers do not disclose branded content or brand partners, while only 44 percent reveal ‘paid partnerships’.

The firm has released the findings of its first ‘Influencer Marketing’ 2018 – 2019 survey where they interviewed 100 leading influencers from the UAE to gain insight, analyze trends and identify behaviors exhibited by social media influencers.

On the left: Explaining the specialization of the market in the UAE. On the right: Percentage of licensed influencers in the UAE.

According to them, the lack of transparency in disclosure of branded content or paid partnerships is”noteworthy,” as 61 percent of respondents shared that they have signed exclusive contracts with at least one brand.

“While over 80 percent of respondents said that they would barter for free products, services or experiences, 24 percent of influencers shared that this was their main source of income, with the majority of micro-influencers charging in the $1,000 – $2,500 range per sponsored post,” stated the report.

Anas Bukhash, Founder & Managing Director, Bukhash Brothers said in a statement that was sent to the media that “Transparency is critical – It’s about respecting your audience and not trying to fool the consumer.”

According to him, the survey results were surprising, but that they predict that the transparency numbers will level out as followers are getting more savvy and influencers are getting more serious about fostering authentic long-term relationships.

Recently, there has been regulations by the National Media Council (NMC) and licensing system for UAE-based influencers. The regulations aim towards “streamlining the industry into international best practice and protocols,” Anas added.