There are quite a few attention-grabbing headlines I could have chosen for this post based on the research results. So I went with the one that came to the forefront of my mind when I sat down to write this. I was part of a large piece of research, alongside Charlotte, of Seven Six Agency and MSL UK earlier on this year. A body of research that took nearly a year of work to gather information and form. At first, we wanted to look at what we thought would be pay discrepancies between Black and non-Black influencers, but turned out into a Pandora’s box of other startling inequalities and finds.
What's in this post
Black Influencers in the UK are paid less than their non-Black peers.
So, this probably isn’t as surprising to you if you are Black or of an ethnic minority in the UK. But there is something about seeing the ‘proof’ so to speak, of it written down in black and white. There is something affirming and powerful in knowing that what you have been saying to people for years isn’t in fact, a case of playing the victim but is actually true.
As covered in publications such as PR Week, we found that there was a 22% pay gap between white and Black influencers.
There’s an age gap too!
Now shall I tell you which of the report findings really meant my stomach turn? It was the pay gap between ages. There was a 153.6% pay gap between influencers aged 18-30 and 30-45. I’m 37 so I fit firmly within the latter and therefore have likely maxed out my earning potential when it comes to the influencer world. How sad is that? Add to that I’m a Black woman in her late 30s and it’s like, should I even bother expecting a fee at all? OK that’s a tad dramatic, I’m not going to say “hey, don’t pay me for that campaign, seeing as I know you’re paying my younger peers more” but you get my drift.
What can be done?
MSL hosted a brilliant event in October to share the highlights of the report to a room of industry peers and members of the media. I was honored to have been part of the panel arranged to speak on the research and what it meant both to us as individuals and as an industry. One thing each of us was keen to see was real, viable change. Not lip service, but steps put in place to close the pay gap.
There are things that can be done, some of them easier and more immediate than others. But here are some suggestions:
More transparency between agencies and influencers with regard to fees
Influencers having training on negotiation and understanding fee structures
More open conversations between influencers so that fees are not seen as taboo
More day-to-day collaboration between brands, agencies, and creatives
A set bottom rate so people are not under paid for their work
A Creators Union (currently in development stages) to help standardise rights for creators
This is not exhaustive. The point is, there are steps that can be taken, by all parties involved in the industry. We wouldn’t accept such a wide disparity of earnings within other sectors and it’s not ok for the creative / influencer industry to be treated like the wild wild west anymore. Whether it be training, signing up to codes of ethics or better two-way communications, it’s time to make a change.
