Fyre Festival Two Years On: What Has the Influencer Marketing Industry Learnt?
Fyre Festival received all the attention it was due but for all the wrong reasons. Two explosive and eye-opening documentaries aired earlier this year sealed its fate as one of the most high-profile festival failures of all time – and unfortunately, it was all fuelled by an influencer strategy that masked the organisational shambles behind the scene.Fyre Festival’s astronomical fall from grace has been widely recognised as the catalyst sparking numerous conversations surrounding the pitfalls of influencer marketing. To generate interest in the festival and boost ticket sales, Fyre co-founders Billy McFarland and Ja Rule launched a social media campaign in which 63 celebrity endorsers and influencers simultaneously posted an orange graphic to their Instagram feeds with the hashtag #FyreFest. Ostentatious promotional videos promising a luxury experience in the company of supermodels were also circulated. The campaign created over 300 million impressions in 24 hours and tickets sold out within two days.Billed as “the greatest party that never happened”, Fyre Festival intended to connect “consumers, celebrities, and brands through live experiences”, promising an idealistic escape from the monotony of day-to-day life. Little did everyone know how far from the truth this was. The Fyre was never truly put out and has left a trail of industry debate, negative headlines and regulatory change in its wake. Two years have passed since the fiasco, so what are the lessons that can be learnt from Fyre Festival?